Continuing the theme of education from earlier this week: In the U.K., the Commons education committee has warned that creativity is a “second-order priority” in the country’s schools, but should be a fundamental part of learning, with adequate funding. “We believe that the best education has creativity at its very heart,” they say. I couldn’t […]
Commentary on J. K. Rowling’s outing of Dumbledore is still flying thicker than owls in the Hogwarts Dining Hall. Michael Jensen at After Elton questions why she didn’t reveal this sooner. John Cloud, a gay writer for TIME, wishes she hadn’t said anything: But as far as we know, Dumbledore had not a single fully
It’s National School Lunch Week, and I’m glad President Bush has proclaimed it—part of his ongoing commitment to our children’s health. (Yeah, right.) How to celebrate such an occasion? Whip up a batch of “American Chop Suey,” a meat, tomatoes, and macaroni mixture I remember from my own tray-carrying days? Throw some canned fruit into
Hot on the heels of Banned Books Week comes the news that the American Library Association is seeking to create a list of recommended LGBTQ-themed children’s books. From Worth the Trip: The ALA’s Social Responsibilities Round Table and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgendered Round Table are combining forces to create a Rainbow List of recommended
(Originally published in Bay Windows, October 11, 2007.) “It definitely surprised me,” says director Debra Chasnoff of the decision by the Evesham, New Jersey school district to exclude her documentary That’s a Family from its curriculum, after a handful of parents objected to its inclusion of gay and lesbian families. In the film, elementary school
The yearly “Nation’s Report Card,” aka the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), came out today with news that supports both proponents and critics of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. 700,000 students in grades 4 and 8 took NAEP reading and math exams last winter, and the results provide a look at
Another guest post today by Sara Whitman of Suburban Lesbian Housewife. I talk a lot about toddlers and preschool-age children, because that’s where my personal experience is. Sara reminds us, however, that the challenges of parenting change, but don’t ease, as our children grow older. My son Ben came home today and told me he
My son is starting preschool this week. I view this time of year as do many LGBT parents, with a sense of wonder that my child has reached his current age, panic that we won’t find new sneakers in his size before the first day, and fear of all that could harm him physically or
For those with kids (or selves) heading back to school this week: How was the first day? My son’s first day of preschool was uneventful, although it was a special day of only an hour and I was able to stay with him. He was also somewhat used to it because he did two weeks
I interviewed children’s musicians Erin Lee and Marci after meeting them on the R Family cruise in July, and posted about their inclusive approach to children’s music as well as their escapades with an illegal Elmo. They’ve kindly agreed to do a regular guest post with thematic recommendations for kid-friendly music, as well as ways
