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Educational Renaissance Vol. 8  (2019)

Reaching and Teaching St udent s in Pover t y: St rat egies 
for  Erasing t he Oppor t unit y Gap

Mar ia Hernandez Gof f , PhD.  California State University, Fresno
     email: mgoff@csufresno.edu

Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap
(2nd Edition) By Paul C Gorski

Teachers College Press
$76.00, Hardcover (ISBN: 978-0807764213)
$29.95, Paperback (ISBN: 978-0807758793)
$23.95, eBook (ISBN: 978-0807776728 )

Book Review

Overview
The book is divided in eleven chapters, but overall 
can be described in two sections. The first section, 
or chapters one through seven, describes equity 
literacy, challenges readers to (re)examine their 
understanding of people experiencing poverty, 
and connects to historical data and research to 
support Gorski?s argument that educators must 
take a structural, not deficit view, if we truly want 
to erase the opportunity gap in education. The 
final four chapters offer explicit strategies 
teachers and leaders can enact in their 
classrooms, schools, and districts to dismantle the 
opportunity gap. Starting in chapter three, each 
chapter begins by identifying the principles in 
equity literacy the chapter addresses, and each 
chapter ends with reflection questions and 
exercises, helpful for individual or group reflection. 

Chapt er  Synopses
?Education is the great equalizer? (p. 1) is the 
adage Gorski begins with in the introduction. This 
belief is echoed throughout media, politics, and 
teaching. It is argued that if educators just work 
hard enough, we can eliminate barriers faced by 
so many of our students. However, throughout the 
text, Gorski argues that this adage is false. Instead, 
Gorski points out the existing structures in our 
society and schools that perpetuate inequalities. 
Chapter one outlines and defines important terms 
used throughout the rest of the book 
(socioeconomic status, poverty, working class, 
income and wealth.) Additionally, Gorski 
distinguishes between a structural view of poverty 
and a deficit view ? a key distinction necessary for 
the reader to undertake the work needed to 
develop equity literacy. 

In Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap, 2nd edition, 
author Paul C. Gorski advocates for the development of equity literacy among educators to reshape 
schools to reach and teach students and families impacted by structural inequalities. Gorski 
challenges educators? understandings of the opportunity gap that students in poverty face and 
offers a number of strategies to be implemented at the classroom, school, and district levels for 
schools to develop equitable opportunities for students.

mailto:jonidegner@gmail.com


GOFF|  REACHING AND TEACHING STUDENTS IN POVERTY

Chapter two describes the equity literacy approach 
and the principles of equity literacy that frame the 
remaining chapters. Equity literacy is defined as, 
?the knowledge and skills educators need to 
become a threat to the existence of bias and 
inequity in our spheres of influence? (p. 17). Gorski 
supplements this definition with four abilit ies 
equity literacy educators can foster to develop and 
maintain their own equity literacy. Gorski draws 
from a number of scholars and their research in 
the development of the twelve equity literacy 
principles for educators. 

Chapter three delves into the history and 
assumptions of poverty in the United States. 
Gorski presents research and data from an 
intersectional lens (one of the principles of equity 
literacy) and discusses poverty in terms of gender, 
race, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, and region. 

Chapters four and five dismantle the deficit and 
mindset views of poverty. Building on the history 
and research presented in chapter two, Gorski 
challenges many of the buzzwords and 
stereotypes commonly held by educators such as, 
grit, growth mindset, culture of poverty, and 
mindset of poverty. The author describes how 
developing a structural view, instead of a deficit 
view, will foster equitable education. Educators 
who have experienced the deficit view first hand 
either as students themselves, in teacher 
education or in professional development may 
find these chapters particularly challenging. These 
chapters prompt the reader to confront these 
deficit views and begin (or continue) the work 
needed to dismantle this way of thinking. 

Chapter six outlines out-of-school inequities, such 
as employment, healthcare, nutrition, housing, 
environment, recreation, local services, childcare, 
additional learning opportunities, and society. 
Gorski describes how each of these impacts what 
happens in schools. Chapter seven challenges the 
deficit language of the achievement gap and 
presents the structural view, reframing the 
achievement gap as it really is ? the opportunity 

gap. Gorski returns to the opening adage and 
describes how, rather than being the equalizer, the 
educational opportunity gap creates more 
divisions among students by affording greater 
educational opportunities, both in and out of 
school to wealthier students. 

Chapter eight begins the chapters on actionable 
strategies teachers and leaders can implement. 
However, Gorski reminds readers, educators 
cannot enact these strategies without the 
committing to the work of reframing required from 
chapters one through seven. To enact equity 
literacy, educators must take on the structural 
view and leave behind the deficit view so often 
entangled in schools. Gorski offers eleven 
strategies and includes a number of texts teachers 
can use to foster equity. 

Chapter nine, tit led, ?The Mother of All Strategies? 
(p. 143) describes the importance of developing 
relationships between educators and students and 
their families. In this chapter, Gorski extends the 
principles of equity literacy into eight 
?equity-informed relational commitments? (p. 144) 
aimed at supporting the relationships between 
educators and students. In each of these 
commitments, Gorski details why the commitment 
is important and necessary and how to enact each 
commitment. For example, the fourth 
commitment, ?Broaden Our Notions of Family 
Engagement? (p. 151), challenges stereotypes and 
deficit views of families experiencing poverty, and 
instead, listen and learn what families are already 
doing and reframe what educators mean by 
engagement. 

Chapter ten speaks directly to school and district 
leaders and describes how educators in these 
leadership roles can reframe not only their 
perspectives of students experiencing poverty but 
also lead the institutional shift to an equity literacy 
perspective.  Chapter eleven grows educational 
equity literacy to outside the school and district 
level and into other policy areas of educational 
equity and social justice. 

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GOFF|  REACHING AND TEACHING STUDENTS IN POVERTY

Discussion
Gorski?s central argument is that in order to 
educate students experiencing poverty, we need 
to develop educational equity literacy. And, to do 
this, we must eliminate the deficit mindset many in 
education hold and instead adopt the structural 
view poverty and inequality. This book will 
challenge many teachers and leaders thinking, 
whether they hail from upper, middle, or 
working-class backgrounds. As Gorski describes, 
the deficit view is so embedded in our educational 
system, it will take consistent work on the part of 
educators to dismantle its stance. To this point, in 
the conclusion Gorski offers readers an example 
how he still works on reframing his own thinking at 
times. 

This book will work well for teachers, leaders, and 
teacher educators to work through these chapters 
in small group or whole school settings ? the 
reflection questions at the end of each chapter are 
good starters to begin the work of undoing deficit 
thinking and developing instructional strategies 
and policies to support students and their families. 

References
Gorski, P. C. (2018). Reaching and teaching students 

in poverty: Strategies for erasing the opportunity 
gap (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College 
Press. 

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