Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2868
First-grade bilingual students at Fairview Elementary School in Modesto. quent behavior. When students are forced to change schools, some children may try to fade into the background, while others will get into fights at the new school to fit in. One study found that frequent movers were 77 percent more likely than children who have not moved to have more behavior problems or even become violent. Children’s health care is also jeopardized by the economic tailspin, as stable housing has been shown to correlate directly with student health. “When foreclosures force children from their homes, their education is disrupted, their peer relationships crumble and the so- cial networks that support them are frac- tured,” states the First Focus study. “Indeed, their physical health, as well as their emotional health and well-being, is placed at risk. As a result, our attention must turn to the unintended and often unnoticed impact of the credit crunch on our nation’s children and their education.” The foreclosure crisis has pushed many of those living on the edge into poverty, and has impacted minorities — especially Latinos — heavily. Among children nationwide who have been affected, 504,600 are Latino; 281,200 are black; and 1,166,200 are in a cat- egory described as “all others.” “Adults caused the mortgage crisis,” con- cludes the study. “Children are suffering be- cause of it. The mortgage crisis is more than a blow to our economy. It is crippling our children, our education, and, as a result, our nation’s future.” >>> november 2008 | www.cta.org 7