Q: My son Rashan got into a new, accelerated STEM program at a magnet middle school. He was excited until he and some other STEM students were taunted for "acting white." He gets ridiculed for reading on the bus. I called the principal -- she just seems overwhelmed. My husband tells him to "toughen up" because the world is full of bullies. While Rashan likes the program, he misses his elementary friends (who are stuck in a really bad middle school). I want him to stay in the STEM program to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Any advice?

A: While your husband has a point, school bullying and harassment threaten students' safety and emotional well-being and shift their focus from learning to self-protection. Being taunted for wanting to achieve can erode a student's confidence and decrease motivation to excel in school.

Over the last decade, much effort and money has been spent to help the nation's schools create a positive and supportive climate for all learners. This principal needs to get her middle school on board.

There are several concrete steps you (and other parents) can take to put a stop to this behavior, says Marissa Gehley, a California youth counselor and founder of KNOW (Kids Need Our Wisdom).

-- Educate yourself. "There are great resources, such as casel.org, Stopbullying.gov and search-institute.org," says Gehley. A little research will show you and your husband ways to help Rashan deal with bullying and give you important information when working with the school.

-- Be a squeaky wheel. The principal's overwhelmed? Meet with a counselor, assistant principal or Rashan's adviser. Ask about the school's anti-bullying and harassment policy. What programs are in place to discourage this behavior? What are bus drivers' responsibilities? Join your school's parent group to raise awareness. "The more folks in the loop, the easier it is to change school culture for the better," says Gehley.

-- Keep lines of communication open. "This is key! It's great that Rashan is talking with you about it," says Gehley. "It means he trusts and values your advice. Check in with him often -- about friends, schoolwork and activities. Don't make bullying the only thing you talk about." Encourage him to develop a trusting relationship with an adult at school, such as a teacher, counselor or coach, who he can turn to for advice.

-- Teach Rashan to deal with bullies. "Using humor, saying 'stop' with conviction and directness, ignoring or simply walking away are often effective techniques to stop a bully," says Gehley. "Discuss and practice techniques that fit Rashan's personality. He has to feel comfortable with them to be effective."

-- Support Rashan in doing what he loves. "Pursuing activities, hobbies and interests can help him make new friends and can boost his confidence," notes Gehley. "There's strength in numbers, so encourage him to invite new friends from the STEM program to your home. Since he wants to be a doctor, find an area mentor and role model who can help him keep his eye on the prize."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: Vocal parents in our district are fighting the Common Core State Standards. Some say it's federal government intrusion; others worry they're too hard for kids. Our school board (I'm a member) believes that these standards are a good thing. How can we get parents on board?

A: First, address misconceptions about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). They were created by the states -- not the federal government or U.S. Department of Education -- using private dollars. The standards and assessments are voluntary.

The Common Core is the result of a 20-year process initiated by state governors to improve college and career readiness of U.S. students. The public was invited to participate in the development. Thousands of parents, teachers, researchers and subject-area specialists, along with business, civic and policy leaders across the political spectrum, weighed in.

The result should appeal to "anyone who thinks our kids might learn more than they've been learning and that the bar on our education expectations should be raised," says Chester E. Finn Jr. Finn is the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a veteran observer and evaluator of "standards-based" reform. "The Standards' content and skill expectations for grades K-12 in English language arts and math are, by almost everyone's reckoning, about as rigorous as the best state-specific academic standards and superior to most," he says.

States (and districts, schools and teachers) "can tailor their own curriculum to the Common Core, make their own instructional preferences; they can add to the Common Core," Finn explains. "And if there's stuff there they don't like, they can disregard it. Moreover, states that have adopted the Common Core are free to drop it if and when they come up with something better."

Second, get folks to read and discuss the standards. Finn says, "I've yet to meet anyone who actually looks at the standards and finds anything there they don't think kids would be better off learning. When parents look at Common Core's expectations, grade by grade, I'll be surprised if they don't come away impressed." (Find them at corestandards.org/the-standards).

Third, compare the Common Core to your current curriculum. For example, parents in a New York district were happy to learn that the Common Core includes phonics, which the district had abandoned, and requires elementary students to know their math facts "cold," waiting until upper grades to introduce calculators.

Fourth, discuss the advantages of comparability and continuity. As Finn puts it, "CCSS opens the door to comparing student, school and district performance across the land on a credible, common metric -- and gauging their achievement against that of other countries on our shrinking and ever more competitive planet. Plus, the Common Core brings the possibility that families moving around our highly mobile society will be able to enroll their kids seamlessly in schools that are teaching the same things at the same grade."

Finn says he has yet to meet anybody who is "truly satisfied with the college and career readiness of today's U.S. high school graduates. Anyone content with the education status quo should by all means resist every kind of change," he says.

For articles and more information, go to Common Core Watch at edexcellence.net.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My third-grade son struggles with reading. His teacher isn't concerned. She says he needs more practice and suggests we read with him. I'm worried. His sister read well in second grade. Does he need a tutoring program?

A: The teacher's suggestion is a good one. Educators have an adage: Children learn to read by reading. It takes practice to put new skills together to become a reader. It's hard to get enough daily practice in school.

"Each child's reading develops in different ways and according to different time frames, as you have observed with your son and daughter," says Victoria Risko, professor emerita of language, literacy and culture at Vanderbilt University.

Given the comments from your son's teacher, tutoring doesn't seem warranted. "Extensive reading seems to be the most appropriate way to support your son's progress," notes Risko. "When it comes to developing fluency and comprehension, reading to and with our children is one of the most important gifts we can give them."

She explains how this works: "The more students read, the more confident and fluent they become. With confidence comes interest and increased attention to reading for understanding."

Understanding brings pleasure, and more reading. Think of it as a virtuous circle.

Drawing on the work of University of Tennessee education professor Richard Allington, a leading reading researcher, Risko recommends a steady diet of daily reading, engaging children in reading books that are interesting to them and not too challenging.

Make a plan to read together at home for 10 to 15 minutes each day, at least three to four times a week, suggests Risko: "It might come before dinner or as a quiet activity before bedtime. It could occur during homework time, while your son is researching on the Internet, or when reading directions to play a game or follow a recipe.

"Reading at home can involve a variety of activities that occur on different days. On some days, read to your son -- modeling your expressions and explaining what you are thinking. For example, you may draw attention to an author's choice of words by saying, 'I love the words this author uses because they make me laugh.'"

Ask your son to choose a favorite text to read to you. It can be a couple of paragraphs, or a longer text read over several days. Risko says research shows that kids are more engaged and read more when they choose their reading.

"As your son reads," she says, "ask him to pause at times and explain what is happening, how he feels about the characters, or to generate questions about the content. Make these discussions informal and focus on reading for understanding."

Relate these discussions to other life experiences. "For example," Risko says, "while visiting the park, ask your son to recall what you read about squirrels. His learning continues to develop as you encounter new experiences and make connections to books you have shared."

Continue to check in with the teacher. "Your observations provide helpful insights for supporting your son's continuing reading development," says Risko.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)