Articles by: Sarah Craig

Image courtesy of canstockphoto.com.

Op-Ed: Ways to be a Better Parent

Best of the Web, Opinion February 2, 2015 at 8:30 am

If you’re reading this magazine, you probably care about being a good parent. You probably put time and effort into enriching your child’s life – in education and in other areas. But what does it mean, really, to be a good parent? In a recent op-ed, Forbes contributor Jordan ShapiroRead More

PreK and K-12 Education in the State of the Union: Recap

PreK and K-12 Education in the State of the Union: Recap

Best of the Web, National K-12 January 28, 2015 at 8:30 am

President Obama’s State of the Union address last week has already received much media attention, and the policies discussed in it have drawn considerable commentary from both sides of the aisle. On the topic of education, most attention has been focused on the President’s ambitious plan to make community collegeRead More

Homework, Class Size, and What We Thought We Knew

Homework, Class Size, and What We Thought We Knew

Education News, Schools January 26, 2015 at 3:59 pm

There are many things that we take for granted when thinking about K-12 education. Children have plenty of homework, and that’s good – it’s a critical learning tool. Right? And class size is a great talking point for selective schools, but  students can learn just as well in a largerRead More

Google Signs Pledge to Keep Your Kids’ Data Safe

Google Signs Pledge to Keep Your Kids’ Data Safe

Best of the Web, Education News January 22, 2015 at 8:30 am

In this age of electronic surveillance and the ever-present question of online privacy, many parents are particularly concerned about their children’s online presence – who can see them, who might be collecting data on them, and how might they be using that data? Large companies like Google have been theRead More

MLK Day at Children’s Museum of Houston Combines Education, Fun

MLK Day at Children’s Museum of Houston Combines Education, Fun

Community Events January 19, 2015 at 2:02 pm

Today, HISD schools and most Houston private schools are closed in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. Many parents also have the day off from work, making it a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with children. The Children’s Museum of Houston’s MLK Day Celebration is aRead More

American Teens’ Homework Load Just Above Average Among OECD Countries

American Teens’ Homework Load Just Above Average Among OECD Countries

Best of the Web January 14, 2015 at 3:30 pm

Does it seem like your child has too much homework? Popular opinion in the past two decades has generally favored a reduction in homework, due to a perception that the children of today are saddled with more homework than children of the past – indeed, with too much homework. ARead More

Spectrum team members working on the prototype for the 2015 robot

St. Agnes STEM Excels with Computer Science, Robotics

Houston Schools, Private Schools January 13, 2015 at 9:09 pm

As we discussed in a recent article on Marie Curie, women are severely underrepresented in STEM fields. The prevailing stereotypes – and in some cases, the workplace cultures within STEM – reinforce the idea that STEM is a masculine pursuit. But of course, there’s absolutely no reason this should beRead More

Image courtesy of canstockphoto.com.

Helping Your Child Cope With Divorce: Resources for Parents

Resources for Parents January 12, 2015 at 8:30 am

The divorce rate has sunk below the oft-quoted figure of 50%, but divorce continues to affect a significant percentage of Americans. Approximately 850,000 divorces occur each year in the US. Estimates vary as to the number of children who witness their parents’ divorce, but many figures place it between 40%Read More

Strategies to Make Art Come Alive for Kids

Strategies to Make Art Come Alive for Kids

Recommendations, Travel & Culture January 9, 2015 at 8:30 am

Some time ago, we posted a piece about the importance of arts education and a recent study measuring its effects. In response to that same study, The Huffington Post‘s Sarah Virginia White wrote an article advising parents on how to optimize museum tours for their children. In addition to aRead More

New on Houston School Survey: Holy Spirit Episcopal School

New on Houston School Survey: Holy Spirit Episcopal School

Houston Schools, Private Schools, Schools January 7, 2015 at 8:30 am

The newest school to be profiled by the Houston School Survey is Holy Spirit Episcopal School. Holy Spirit Episcopal School opened in 1962 at its present location on the campus of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. The church and school were founded by the Right Reverent John C. Hines; the congregationRead More

New on Houston School Survey: Veritas Christian Academy of Houston

New on Houston School Survey: Veritas Christian Academy of Houston

Houston Schools, Private Schools, Schools January 5, 2015 at 8:30 am

The newest school to be profiled by the Houston School Survey is Veritas Christian Academy of Houston. Veritas Christian Academy of Houston opened in 2002 at its present location on Ferris St. in Bellaire. It was founded by the current Head of School, Lamia Raad, and parents from the community.Read More

New Year’s Resolution for Parents and Students: Study Hard, Get Organized

New Year’s Resolution for Parents and Students: Study Hard, Get Organized

Community Events, Health & Science, Study Skills January 1, 2015 at 6:06 pm

At the start of January, many people make New Year’s resolutions – statements of intention to improve themselves or their lives in some way. But for many adults, resolutions quickly fade, forgotten within weeks or months. One study found only 8% of people actually achieve their resolutions. For adults in theRead More

HISD Plans for Construction Beyond 2012 Bond Funds

HISD Plans for Construction Beyond 2012 Bond Funds

Education News, HISD, Schools December 29, 2014 at 8:30 am

HISD last week announced plans to build three new school buildings not covered in the 2012 bond budget. The district plans to raise $128.7 million over the next five years to fund the construction of new facilities for North Forest High School and the recently-opened Energy Institute High School, asRead More

HISD to Issue Tens of Thousands of Laptops in January for PowerUp Initiative

HISD to Issue Tens of Thousands of Laptops in January for PowerUp Initiative

Education News, HISD, Schools December 26, 2014 at 8:30 am

The HISD PowerUp Initiative, which began implementation in the summer of 2013, will reach a dramatic milestone in January. The three-prong initiative is intended to improve learning through technology by improving access to linked learning, creating a comprehensive web portal as a resource for students, and, most impressively, by makingRead More

Op-Ed: Why the Traditional Low-Tech Classroom Isn’t Enough Anymore

Op-Ed: Why the Traditional Low-Tech Classroom Isn’t Enough Anymore

Opinion, Recommendations, Technology December 22, 2014 at 8:30 am

When you see buzz about education technology – like our recent feature on President Obama’s ConnectED Initiative – do you find yourself wondering why it matters? Do students really need laptops or tablets? And are agenda apps and digital textbooks really necessary? If you feel this way, you’re certainly not aloneRead More

Texas Loses Controversial Bid for Federal Pre-K Grant (And What This Means for You)

Texas Loses Controversial Bid for Federal Pre-K Grant (And What This Means for You)

Last week, it was announced that Texas would not be among the 18 states awarded a federal Preschool Development Grant for the expansion of Pre-K programming. The Houston Chronicle‘s Ericka Mellon has more. Pre-K has come to be a contentious issue within education policy; during the recent gubernatorial race, itRead More