POVERTY, LITERACY, AND POLITICS - LIVING IN THE USA

The following article by Patrick Shannon is the second installment of a three-part series on literacy and educational policy in JLR'S Critic al Issues section. Previously (Volume 23, Number 2), Judith Green with Carol Dixon, David Pearson, and Sharon Quint commented respectively o n the ideas they believed to be crucial for policymakers to know about literacy, from their view as literacy researchers. At the same time, we published Donna Alvermann's reaction to the views of the three rese archers. Patrick Shannon now addresses how poverty and social disadvan tages relate to literacy and policy issues. In the next issue of JLR ( Volume 23, Number 4), we will publish the comments of several high-ran king policymakers who have been asked to respond to the literacy resea rchers' views on literacy and educational policy. We hope that this se ries of ''Critical Issues'' pieces will stimulate increased dialogue a bout educational policy among researchers interested in literacy and b etween researchers and policymakers. Toward that end, we encourage rea ders to ponder the perspectives and ideas presented in this series and to consider adding their own insights by submitting letters to the ed itor, which will be considered for publication.