Sabato provides interesting constitutional look

The New York Times today featured an interesting review of a new book by Larry J. Sabato, founder of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

In "A More Perfect Union," Sabato explores 23 ideas to change the U.S. Constitution in a way to revitalize democracy in the country. Not only does he call for increasing the size of the Senate with bigger states getting more senators, but he goes much further:

“The Constitution itself must call for universal nonpartisan redistricting. The states should be given a choice of methods, including redistricting by a panel of retired judges or an independent citizens commission.”

Very interesting ideas. Read more at Sabato's book web site.

Food insecurity prevalent in South

More than half of Southern states had food insecurity above the national average, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Those states included: Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Three states -- Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee -- were about the national average, while Virginia and Florida were below the national average.

"Measured prevalence rates of food insecurity during this 3-year period ranged from 6.4 percent in North Dakota to 18.1 percent in Mississippi; measured prevalence rates of very low food security ranged from 2.1 percent in New Jersey to 6.4 percent in Mississippi."

• Read the report.

Fayetteville Observer Promotes Increased Public School Funding

In response to the recent report from the Southern Education Foundation, the Fayetteville Observer endorsed increased spending on public education to counteract the effects of poverty on the region's public schools.

Low-income children outnumber their peers in public schools in the South. That’s the grim news from the Southern Education Foundation. The phenomenon, which hasn’t occurred since the 1960s, means school systems — already struggling to reduce dropout rates, raise test scores and find good teachers — must find a way to educate growing numbers of students likely to struggle.

Putting more money into school systems is the way to do it. However, Southern states fall short in that regard. The foundation found states in this part of the country spend less per student than in the rest of the nation and low-income children receive the least in educational resources.

The article concludes by highlighting the inevitable cycle impoverished students and families will be subjected to across the South if changes are not made in the region's public schools.

Research shows that young people from poor families have greater difficulty reaching grade-level benchmarks, constitute a large percent of high-school dropouts, and are less likely to go on to college. Those young adults who lack high school or college diplomas become low-income parents of disadvantaged children. The cycle will continue until Southern states invest the kind of money in education that can slow the tide of underachieving.