top of page


Free day care for all: What could go wrong?
New York City parents have been promised free day care, starting at six weeks. New Mexico just launched its program. Can taxpayers afford it?

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 28, 20252 min read
Â


How to raise low-tech teens
To protect teens from digital addiction, parents must take charge.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 16, 20252 min read
Â


Teaching a toddler to read
Toddlers (at least some toddlers) can learn to read with help from a parent tutor, says father.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 7, 20252 min read
Â


The first day of school: Don't worry, be happy
Starting school is exciting -- unless parents tell their kids to be stressed.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 1, 20252 min read
Â


Married with kids is making a (modest) comeback
More children are growing up in stable, two-parent families -- but fewer adults are getting married.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 24, 20252 min read
Â


School safety is top reason parents use choice to leave public schools
Bullying is the primary reason parents use choice programs to flee public schools.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 18, 20252 min read
Â


Kids want to play in the real world, but parents think they're safer online
Children have more freedom to roam online than to play without supervision in the neighborhood park -- or even their own yards.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 16, 20252 min read
Â


What do parents want? Public schools are competing for students
Public schools don't have a monopoly any more. Parents are using taxpayer-funded school choice to find alternatives.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 6, 20253 min read
Â


Mystery of the missing middle-schoolers
Seeking stronger academics and less disruption, parents are choosing private schooling and homeschooling over public middle schools.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 25, 20251 min read
Â


Eat your spinach and do your homework: Rigor is unpopular
Everyone says they value a rigorous education -- but many don't want to do the work.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 14, 20253 min read
Â


Don't blame parents for things they can't control
Parents can send children to school rested and ready to learn, but schools have to do their part too.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 3, 20252 min read
Â


What's a 'good' school? Parents have more choices, need more info
As school choice expands, parents need to evaluate test scores to find a "good school."

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 19, 20253 min read
Â


Five years to destroy public faith in schools
Public schools' response to the pandemic has caused permanent damage.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 10, 20253 min read
Â


Johnny, Jelani and Juan can't read: Is it Mom and Dad's fault?
Don't blame parents for children's reading struggles.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 17, 20253 min read
Â


Parents say kids are learning in school, but students say 'meh'
Parents overestimate how well their children are doing in school.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 29, 20251 min read
Â


Too many toys, not enough fun
American families have lots of toys, but kids get the most play value from the basics, such as blocks.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 12, 20252 min read
Â


'Give yourself a break' is bad advice: Do difficult things!
Young people need to believe they can do difficult things. Don't tell them they're fragile.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 6, 20252 min read
Â


Sleepovers aren't for sissies
Do American kids need more math tutoring and fewer sleepovers?

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 30, 20242 min read
Â


'Brain rot' is the word for Gen Alpha
"Ohio" means "weird" in Gen Alpha slang. Hmmmm.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 29, 20241 min read
Â


Who's truly disadvantaged? Look at single parenting, not race or poverty
Growing up in a single-parent family is a huge disadvantage in life, writes Fordham's Michael Petrilli in Forbes. If racial preferences...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 25, 20242 min read
Â
bottom of page


