A recent survey of teachers in Michigan somehow persuaded an awful lot of them to admit some less-than-politically-correct views on poor kids' prospects for learning. When surveyed on their attitudes toward disadvantaged students, half of the 1,000 teachers answering the survey admitted to giving up on certain students at least some of the time. Another third admitted to doing so a little--leaving very few stalwart teachers standing firm.

Who are these children that teachers are giving up on with such frequency? Thirty-seven percent of the teacher surveyed said that family income was the biggest diversity-related challenge they faced. Another 21 percent said educational background was the biggest factor, while 14 percent asserted that it was language. Race and ethnicity was only considered the biggest challenge by six percent of teachers.