The Examined Life, Age 8 (New York Times, 4/6/10)

A few times each month, second graders at a charter school in Springfield, Mass., take time from math and reading to engage in philosophical debate. There is no mention of Hegel or Descartes, no study of syllogism or solipsism. Instead, Prof. Thomas E. Wartenberg and his undergraduate students from nearby Mount Holyoke College use classic children’s books to raise philosophical questions, which the young students then dissect with the vigor of the ancient Greeks.

For the May School Years issue, Parenting editors got a chance to speak to the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his wife Karen on homework, No Child Left Behind and why their kids go to public school. Secretary Duncan will also be speaking at the first annual Mom Congress convention in May.

By Lily Eskelsen, Vice President of the National Education Association and Mom Congress Advisor

In just a little way, it touched my life. The little girl and the little boy were seated in the row in front of me. On an airplane, it's better to have kids in front of you, because behind you, they'll sometimes kick the seat. Dad was with them. Mom was across the aisle. Even as we were being seated, I could tell something was different. The little boy with the angel face was shouting and thrashing. Dad was calm. Mom was calm. The lady in the middle seat next to me said, in what I'm sure she thought was a discreet whisper, "People just spoil their children these days."

Mom jumped up to hand something to Dad, and that's when I saw her T-shirt. It read: My child has autism. Questions are welcome. Parenting advice is not.

Autism has likely touched your life in some way. Maybe it was the little girl who lived on your block or your son's classmate. Perhaps you are the parent of a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or ASD.

The reality is that autism affects one in every 110 children and one in 70 boys.

April is Autism Awareness Month and I encourage you to educate yourself and others. Members of Mom Congress should also advocate for resources to help support children diagnosed with ASD.

Beth Fertig, an award-winning education reporter, takes on the troubling topic of illiteracy through the lens of three students who somehow made it to high school without ever learning how to read. In Why cant U teach me 2 read?: Three Students and a Mayor Put Our Schools to the Test, Fertig tells the stories of these students, the school system, and the challenges faced by both educators and pupils. No doubt about it, the book can veer into wonk territory. But for moms who are interested in some serious reporting on the strengths and failures of a recently revamped school system – not to mention the inspiration of three severely disadvantaged students who put their lives back on track – it’s a great read.

Read our Mom Congress special report on the Early Literacy Crisis
Join Mom Congress to fight for better schools