Good teachers and the end of cursive writing

Just got in from curriculum night. Always interesting to look around the room and see the parents with Harvard and Princeton in their eyes, the parents with nothing but time and the parents who come in late and then peek under the desk to check their Blackberrys. I am at various times all of them.

My column on good teaching elicited a lot of response and broad consensus on the type of creativity and fearlessness that makes classrooms work. Read and then take a fresh look at your child's teacher. You'll either be reassured or deeply depressed.

Interesting article on a dwindling emphasis on cursive writing, thanks to widespread reliance on computer keyboards and, in a pinch, old fashioned print writing. And wade through this report and see if you're spurred to get your kid to spend more time outdoors in order to boost their academic achievement.