Q: Our first child is a senior applying to college. We need all the aid we can get. The admissions officer at one university we visited advised of changes to the FAFSA. What are they?... more

Q: My daughter, a first-grader, is thrilled to be back in school, but my son, who's in third grade, is fighting it, especially homework. Nothing happened last year to make him reluctant to go back, so... more

Q: My daughter, a high-school sophomore, was proud to get into a summer course in leadership at a local college. However, she got an incomplete because the professor said she plagiarized her paper. No... more

Q: My 5-year old daughter, Illana, has been so excited about starting kindergarten, but suddenly she cries when we talk about it and insists she's staying home with her sister. She loved preschool, so... more

Q: The PTO president wants me to apply to be a parent representative on our school site council. While I'm active at school, I'm not a curriculum or budget expert. What skills do I need to be effectiv... more

Q: The PTO president wants me to apply to be a parent representative on our school site council. While I'm active at school, I'm not a curriculum or budget expert. What skills do I need to be effectiv... more

Q: My daughter, a rising college senior, finds volunteer tutoring very satisfying. She will graduate in January and wants to apply for a two-year stint at Teach For America. I think she should start h... more

Q: Our elementary school is quashing creativity. A group of us parents thinks the lack of arts education, field trips and the like squeezes the joy out of learning. We aren't opposed to tests, and we ... more

Q: My granddaughter, Rena, a senior, wants to attend college. She is a champion tennis player, but has struggled academically because of ADHD. Her ACT score and GPA are low. She was rejected by her co... more

Q: What's happening with the Common Core? Our principal says that it's been implemented in our state, and teachers like it and the students are doing better. But a PTO parent says that the federal gov... more

Q: Our elementary school principal emailed parents about a new program that teaches "self-regulation." He wants to give the kids grades on it. Why spend school time teaching behavior, when that's the ... more

Q: Our district's choice program offers four kindergarten enrollment options for our son. The classes I've visited seem too academic, with very little play. My son can't sit still, and he's a long way... more

Q: My fourth-grade daughter is less successful in math than other subjects. I'd like to help, but the Common Core approach is different than mine. She needs to nail her times tables. Will I confuse he... more