The increased commonality of single parent or no parent (grandparent) families has significantly contributed to less successful education and lower income households. It is also common for families with two parents that both parents work reducing adult time and energy available to help a child with homework.

Hillsdale College has been very successful with charter schools in low income inner-city areas: The Barney Charter School Initiative

As long as there is global free trade and supply and demand based wages in America, the American wage will not rise until the wages in countries that export to the U.S. increase. While suitable tariffs on imports from low wage countries will increase the cost to the consumer, they will also increase American wages. Legal and illegal workers may be very productive, but they also increase the labor supply allowing corporations to maintain low wages.

When employers are in need of productive and talented workers they can attract them with benefits such as healthcare, stock savings plans, paid vacation time, retirement in addition to wage increases.

We need more humanitarian motivated businesses with objectives other than maximizing profits. Philanthropists should consider establishing employee owned corporations such as Publix, non-profit corporations such as Newman’s Own, benefit corporations, and worker-owned cooperatives.