A former teacher with a message on educating children from poor backgrounds is influencing school leaders anxious to close the achievement gap. Ruby K. Payne is in demand for keynote speeches and seminars at annual conferences like the one hosted by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. A million copies of her book "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" are in print, and in 2005, district leaders looking for solutions paid Ms. Payne's organization to put on slightly more than 1000 workshops. Ms. Payne's book argues that economic class is related to an individual's values, and that when teachers understand students' values, they can begin to bridge divides between home and school. While Ms. Payne's work is not without controversy and has a scant research base, it has attracted passionate support from educators in schools around the country. They often say that her insights make sense out of their own experience and stick with them long after other pedagogical advice has faded. (Contains 3 photos.)