Ketchup sandwiches and other things stupid poor people eat | Think Progress

That this timely, straightforward article would give us all pause and deepen empathy.

"When looking at a spider’s web can you point to the 8th spun web, or the 108th? There are those who claim this astounding ability — those who take full credit for crafting, spin by spin, a better life than ours, a life without aid. If you had help paying for college, if someone bought you your first car, if you had health insurance growing up, if your mom never cried over $17, you were lucky. The Hail Mary toss of birth landed you in a family that could put you on a soccer team and buy cleats as your foot grew. And someone was home to help you with your math and give you a gummy vitamin each morning. That’s called aid, by the way. And not all kids get it, but all kids should."

MAP: How Diverse (or Not) Is Your Kid's Public School? | DNAinfo New York

The wisdom of students expressed throughout this piece is encouraging. How do we design an education system that recognizes the innate value of perspective and learning with those unlike us? 

The Overprotected Kid | The Atlantic

The part of me that still evaluates a tree based on its tree house capacity did a jig upon reading this fantastic piece. Throughout 10 years in education I have worked with many resilient kids. I have also worked with an alarming number who wilt at the slightest set back. I do think there is much to be learned from scraped knees and forts, and that we would do many kids well to design for resilience and play.