He must be growing up near the Happiest Place on Earth, which is also the worst place in the U.S. to grow up.

I kind of feel for the cities scraping at the very bottom of Parenting magazine’s Top 100 Family Friendly U.S. Cities list. For starters, I’m raising my kids in No. 97. Though you’ll hear nothing but complaints from me about my adopted hometown, especially when it comes to being a place to raise kids, I still feel kind of defensive.

I mean, it’s all relative, right? Who’s to say what makes a city great, right? What’s the big deal about parkland, pediatricians, low crime rates and affordable housing? They’re just kids, right? Continue reading »

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Last year's best city for raising kids, Arlington, Va., tumbled to No. 70.

What makes a good place to raise a family? It all depends, right? Good schools are a must, obviously. A low unemployment rate means plentiful jobs. An abundance of pediatricians, low crime rates and decent air quality are all great reasons for picking your child’s hometown. Accommodating to hipster parents, maybe? So who’s the best of the best?

(Or, for that matter, the worst of the best?) Continue reading »

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We’re nearly halfway through the school year, and most of my friends and family have logged lots of hours helping out at their children’s schools. We’re all told it’s part of good parenting, and that parental involvement is a huge factor in a child’s success in school.  Plus, there are so many benefits in terms of meeting other parents, getting the skinny on which teachers are good and which aren’t, and generally getting plugged into that network of information that never makes the school newsletter.

Helaine Olen over at Slate’s Double XX is fed up with it all. And not for the reasons you might think. Continue reading »

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Your university-bound genius has tackled the SATs and has a GPA that’s nothing to sneeze at.  Now comes the hard part:  finding the perfect college.  You’ve pored over all the well-known guides and narrowed your choice down to an unmanageable 50 or 60 schools.  Sure, name brand universities and an accessible location are a nice start, but how will you know which school will be the right fit for your kid?  Will she be happier at College A or College B?  Help is available at InsideCollege.com. Continue reading »

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With President Obama’s big “controversial” speech on education this week (because “stay in school, work hard, and wash your hands are really hot-button issues) and the first day of school coming this week for most kids, the state of America’s schools is on a lot of people’s minds.

According to a report from Public Agenda, it turns out that what education reformers and bureaucrats think the big issues facing schools are not, in fact, what parents and educator themselves think of as the issues. Highlight of the report include:

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