You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education

Education advocate Robinson and Aronica, authors of Creative Schools, lay out a familiar but solid plan for parents to become more aware of and active in their children’s education. The authors’ aim is to foster an educational environment where kids will enjoy and feel fulfilled by learning. They believe that a preoccupation with science, technology, engineering, and math in modern education has resulted in too little attention to the arts and humanities, and that standardized testing and an unhealthy level of competition have been demoralizing to students and teachers alike. However, they reassure readers that “as a parent you have more power than you know” to affect a child’s education for the better. Robinson and Aronica show parents how to choose the right schools and support individual learning styles. Especially useful are their descriptions of different educational philosophies and kinds of schools, and the suggestions and techniques for engaging with teachers and administrators. Parents will receive a helpful reminder here that the purpose of education is to help children “become fulfilled individuals and active, compassionate citizens,” and that parental involvement can make this happen. Agent: Peter Miller, Global Lion. (Mar.)