Food was always a big part of our family life. And while my father certainly has a hand in the kitchen, it was my mother who cooked at all our family events, making our family recipes an integral part of our celebrations. I didn't realize it right away, but it...

Over Memorial Day weekend, I saw Mad Hot Ballroom, a documentary about fifth graders in New York City public schools preparing for a ballroom dance competition, and it reinforced for me of the importance of arts programs in the schools.

The public school I teach at, also in New...

As a third grade teacher who often works with students with behavior problems, I have been disappointed to hear about the recent study [pdf] showing that preschoolers are being expelled from state-funded classrooms at higher rates than students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. As the experts are saying, these...