Search Results for: blog what parents should be asking schools

Why Schools Must Provide Sports to Disabled Students

The Department of Education announced that schools must give disabled students the chance to compete in sports along side able-bodied classmates. One wouldn’t think this would be controversial, and yet, it is for some. Here are some things parents can say when someone argues against the idea of having students who are disabled participate in sports. Recently, Arne Duncan, the United States Secretary of Education, wrote a blog on the Department of Education website. It clarified the requirement that schools must provide sports to disabled students. Somehow, this has become a topic of controversy for some people. Here are some … Continue reading →

Parents Can Help Their Child’s Needs be Met at School

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Every parent wants to make sure that their child will have his or her needs met while the child is at school. Parents of children who have special needs are going to have to do some extra work to ensure that the school understands, and is prepared for, their child’s needs. Here are some tips about what to do. Find out how the school handles the distribution of medication. Is there a registered nurse that will be administering the medication that your child needs to receive while he or she is at school? Where in the school building will the … Continue reading →

Parents, Are You More Afraid of Math or the Sex Talk

According to a recent study by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, “Parents would rather talk to their kids about sex and drugs than about math and science, the survey of 561 parents found. More than half say they have trouble helping their kids with these subjects, and it gets more difficult as the students get older.” Comments on the New York Times blog Motherlode, some parents agree. It’s not just math that parents are afraid of, but also science. I don’t see anything to be afraid of. Sure, parents get tripped up as early as 5th grade math. They are … Continue reading →

Bratz Gets the Boot from Schools

Can I get a Hallelujah? By now most of you know that I am not a big fan of Bratz dolls (those mega-popular little dolls with the disproportionately gigantic heads). In fact, I’m not a fan at all. Which is why I was elated when I heard that Scholastic (the company that sponsors book sales at schools nationwide) recently banned Bratz from its book clubs and fairs. If your child is a Bratz collector you might not have had the same reaction I did. In fact, you may have interpreted Scholastic’s announcement in an entirely different way. For those of … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Families.com Homeschooling Blog Week In Review

This has been a fun week for at the families.com homeschooling blog. I returned to families.com after a long absence and was welcomed back with open arms by Valorie Delp who will still guest blog for families.com as she has time. Meanwhile she is busy with the baby blog and food blog. I have wasted no time jumping back into my work as the homeschool blogger. Sunday 09 Mar 2008 Edventures Online by Valorie Delp This is one of the best kept secrets of the kid-friendly website world. It is a subscription service, but I have to say I think … Continue reading →

What You Should NOT Have a Babysitter Do

With the summer months upon us, many of us will be utilizing babysitters more for our young children. And, as if safety isn’t a big enough issue, there are certain safety issues that should be taken under consideration when you do hire a babysitter to look after your child. As a matter of fact, there are certain things it is a good idea to NOT ask your babysitter to do: As a rule, babysitters should not be asked to take children swimming. I know this seems like being overly cautious and this is one of the premier summer-time activities, but … Continue reading →

The Education Blog in Review Nov. 20-Dec. 5th

We start off with an update from Myra Turner regarding kindergartners receiving letter grades. It seems that research confirms what many parents commented on her original blog–letter grades for five year olds is simply unnecessary. Check here to read the first blog in this set. Next, we tackled a hot button issue in ethnically diverse schools, in Are English Language Only Laws Really Helpful? There are laws in various parts of the country that actually dictate that students are not allowed to speak their native tongue anywhere on school property. One student was even suspended for saying, “No hay problema!” … Continue reading →

NEA May Launch Weblog

The blogosphere is developing a stratosphere. And soon, the educational blog layer may be subject to global warming of even more hot words. The NEA has announced plans to develop its own blog – one that you can respond to with comments. The blog will be developed by the union’s magazine, NEA Today. The NEA is the larges teacher union in the United States. Other teacher unions have posted excellent blogs on their websites. The AFT has a noteworthy blog about No Child Left Behind. Also, the UFT, teachers union for New York City, publishes Edwize, about ssues affecting teachers. … Continue reading →

Simple Sanity Savers

Believe it or not, summer vacation just started for students attending Chicago public schools.  Last fall’s highly publicized teacher strike, which affected nearly 400,000 students, forced kids to stay in school through the end of June. But, now they are free and can join the rest of their compadres in making the most of summer… or what’s left of it. If you are looking for ways to keep your kids busy during their break from school consider the following simple and affordable projects: FLOWER POWER Rather than letting fresh flowers go to waste after they’ve sat pretty in a summer … Continue reading →