All this week, the Daily Herald has been reporting on the connections between academic achievement and poverty. In partnership with WBEZ, reporters found that poverty in the suburbs is deepening and there’s a direct correlation between that and how students from low income homes are not meeting state standards. But what can be done to turn the tide? Illinois State Board of Education Superintendent Tony Smith -tapped by Gov. Bruce Rauner in April- says the standard ideal of meritocracy and getting ahead solely by our hard work needs more evaluation. Smith says we need to take a holistic view on what obstacles these students face outside the classroom to really set them up to succeed. We talk to Smith about what he plans to do to close the gap between poverty and low achievement. (Flickr/corsi photo)