Judy Molland

Schools in the United States are changing, with a teaching focus on core subject areas and basic skills. Funds are getting tighter, program priorities are shifting, and parent involvement is more important than ever. Writing in easy-to-follow Q&A style, an award-winning educator takes you by the hand and guides you through the system: understanding how public and private education works in the United States, choosing a school, making sense of grades and report cards, the No Child Left Behind act, standardized tests, your rights as a parent, and more. Includes a glossary of “edu-speak” terms, resources, and plenty of encouragement.

192 pages, illustrated, softcover, 6" x 9", for parents of children in grades pre K–8, ISBN 1-57542-219-0

iParenting Media Awards "Greatest Product" for 2007

"Straight Talk About Schools Today is a contemporary and timely book that leads parents, educators and the community through the labyrinth of public education complexity in a format and language that is easy to use and understand. A resource guide that anyone concerned about public education should have, the book uses actual examples from the local level that have been found to work effectively. Every school should have parents and community that care, and Judy Molland shares ways that can strengthen the school by building partnerships and involving parents through her extensive school experiences and knowledge."

Arnold F. Fege, Director of Public Engagement and Advocacy
Public Education Network
Washington, DC

"Getting parents connected to and involved with their schools is tougher than ever these days, largely because our schools have become such complicated places. And it seems like new worries (and acronyms!) pop up every day. Judy Molland's guidebook is a great tool for making sense of it all. Armed with a good understanding of how schools work, parents can make an even bigger difference in their kids' schools and their kids' educational success."

Tim Sullivan
Founder of PTO Today, Inc.
ptotoday.com

"All the information a parent could use, from the first day -- and for years to come."

--Richard Eyster
Principal, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY

"There are few bigger mysteries than what goes on in today's classrooms. Longtime teacher Judy Molland guides parents through the schoolhouse doors in a manner that is at once clear, sage and reassuring."

Linda Perlstein, author of Tested: One American School Struggles to Make the Grade