High poverty and low student performance have been connected for many years, and it has been established that poor children are more likely to have ineffective classroom teachers. Research confirms that economically disadvantaged students frequently have teachers who do not have standard teaching certificates. The problem addressed in this phenomenological study was the low academic achievement of high-poverty students in the central region of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area, who are often taught in classrooms with unprepared emergency-certified teachers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of Oklahoma principals and teachers who serve low-achieving poor students whom emergency-certified teachers teach. The population of this study included three elementary school principals and two elementary instructional coaches from high-poverty campuses. The research study focused on two questions: (a) How do principals describe their experiences with fully certified and emergency-certified teachers who teach children living in poverty? and (b) How do teachers describe their experiences with fully certified and emergency-certified teachers who teach children living in poverty? Principal participants were interviewed in person for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Principals and instructional coach teachers also participated in focus group sessions for approximately an hour. All information was coded and entered into NVivo, where it remained confidential. Then the data was analyzed, and narratives were written. Results confirmed that students who emergency-certified teachers teach are disadvantaged because they often need more training and skills to teach effectively. Recommendations for future research suggest quantitative studies and additional qualitative studies in broader contexts like rural schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]