About Smart Parents

We spend a lot of our time creating and sharing resources for educators and parents (who are often one and the same audience). Time and time again, we observe that families are left out of the equation when it comes to determining the primary audience for education reports, papers and articles—even though they are among the hungriest for informed opinions that can help them.

This is why, in partnership with The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Getting Smart has cultivated a popular parents’ blog series, Smart Parents, to share stories for parents by parents on both GettingSmart.com and on The Huffington Post. The project, hatched around the office kitchen counter in the summer of 2014, grew out of the recognition that parents need help making informed decisions, finding quality resources and providing the best supports for kids. With the 80+ parent stories we’ve gathered, we have authored our newest book: Smart Parents: Parenting for Powerful Learning.

As educators and as parents, we have seen profound shifts in the way in which human beings learn—both young and old. Families face unprecedented amounts of information and education-related decisions. This often leaves parents navigating a complex maze of new learning opportunities, new standards, new assessments and new technology.

This book is a resource to guide parents in creating, choosing and advocating for powerful, student-centered learning experiences for their children. It is designed to facilitate conversation about important educational decisions parents face today. With advice on everything from picking preschools to accessing educational apps, this is the resource for parents so they can be informed, involved, inspirational and intentional.

Special early launch: Books and ebooks ordered now will ship early! 

If you have purchased a paperback edition of this book and would like to receive your non-transferable digital version, which is packed with links to valuable resources, please send an email to gettingsmart@eifrigpublishing.com with your purchase information and we will send you the digital file.

You can also purchase the ebook separately ($6.99) by clicking HERE

PRAISE FOR SMART PARENTS…

“I’ve followed the Smart Parents blog series and love having Smart Parents’ stories on The Huffington Post. This book is both an inspirational journey, full of stories from parents who are igniting their children’s passions, and a practical toolkit — complete with advice to help parents at any stage of the journey in advocating for powerful learning.” -Arianna Huffington, Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post

“The Smart Parents blog series and book offer a powerful vision for what education must become. It is a compelling call to action and a practical road map for any parent, guardian or educator. The future of learning will mean that students are increasingly in the driver’s seat. This book inspires and informs and is a must read for anyone who wants to engage young people in the process of their own learning.” -Nicholas Donohue, President and CEO, The Nellie Mae Education Foundation

More Praise

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About the Authors

Bonnie Lathram is Learner Experience Manager and Contributing Author at Getting Smart. She has taught elementary, middle and high school students in the United States and Tanzania. She honed her skills working with students, mentors and families at an innovative public high school near Seattle. She has also led professional development for school-based teams in the US and internationally. Bonnie has also co-authored several publications including Big Picture Learning’s guide on metacognitive factors related to student success in college and career. She has a Master’s Degree in Education. 

Carri Schneider is the Director of Knowledge Design at Getting Smart. Carri has taught in classrooms from elementary schools to college campuses and online.  She is co-author of the books "Navigating the Digital Shift" and "Building a 21st Century U.S. Education System." She has also written a number of white papers, education policy briefs and reports and written extensively on the future of education.  She holds an M.Ed. in educational administration and an Ed.D. in urban educational leadership, with an emphasis on education and social justice.

Tom Vander Ark is author of "Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World and Smart Cities That Work for Everyone: 7 Keys to Education & Employment." He is CEO of Getting Smart, a learning design firm and a partner in Learn Capital, an education venture capital firm investing in edtech startups. Previously he served as the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Tom served as a public school superintendent in Washington State and has extensive private sector experience including serving as a senior executive for a national public retail chain. He writes regularly on his Education Week blog, Vander Ark on Innovation, and makes daily contributions to GettingSmart.com.