school (45)
By Leslie Crawford, Senior Editor
"It is all wrong in your house," said my Croatian friend Sanda. She made this announcement in my kitchen years ago when my son was four years old and I was, let it be said, a far more indulgent mother than I am now. "Your son, if he is dog and you are owner, it is like this." At this, Sanda...
by Carol Lloyd, Executive Editor
Last week I got a chance to appear on the Emmy award winning public affairs show "Beyond the Headlines" with ABC's Cheryl Jennings and talk about summer learning loss. In preparation, I ended up reeling in a boatload of statistics that made me feel like I was waking up from my own parental summer...
Connie Matthiessen, Associate Editor
Do all children have the right to read?
This question is the basis of a class-action lawsuit filed recently by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan against the state of Michigan, the state superintendent, and a Detroit-area school district.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of eight children...
By Carol Lloyd, Executive Editor
“I gave them each a blanket and said, “We’re leaving.” So recalls the mother of Lolo Jones, the Olympic hurdler whose family ended up homeless and living in a church basement after losing their home.
“Mom’s from Mexico City and she crossed the border in probably not the most legal way. She came to America to li...
Connie Matthiessen, Associate Editor
After a few days of watching Olympic athletes Gabby Douglas, Ryan Lochte, and Michael Phelps, I found my daughter balance-beaming across her bed, and my boys challenging each other to races at the local pool. If your children have been inspired by the Olympics to try their own athletic feats, be sure to cheer...
By Leslie Crawford, Senior Editor
Today, it’s chilly and raining in San Francisco; we’ve had an especially cold few weeks. All the more reason to feel melancholy right now, as my kids desperately grasp onto the last two weeks of “summer” (for San Franciscans, best to put “summer” in ironic quotation marks) before school begins on August 20.
Th...
By Jessica Kelmon, Associate Editor
My paternal grandparents’ best and worst qualities have always been attributed to growing up during the depression. Their families struggled, and the kids pitched in. These hard times were like a badge of honor: it’s why they were so frugal, so hardworking, so determined. And with time, it becomes almost a joke –...
Photo by Richard Broderick
Connie Matthiessen, Associate Editor
Summer break is drawing to a close — at least here in San Francisco, where public school starts in mid-August. Just a little more than a week before my kids go back to school, and they're clutching tight to every precious vacation minute.
"Don't say it," my son wails,...
By Jessica Kelmon, Associate Editor
Good news! Recent data from the 2012-2013 State of our Nation’s Youth report shows that high schoolers today are more Hermione (the brilliant, diligent student in the Harry Potter series), less Puck (Glee's bad boy): they like school, do their homework, and value learning.
Here are five signs that teens...
By Carol Lloyd, Executive Editor
Normally, like most parents, I don't think of my child's school as a multinational corporation, but the story about United "losing" a 10-year-old child on an unaccompanied minor flight – repeatedly putting off her requests to call her parents, ignoring her parents' pleas to find her, and f...
