The life of country singer Gretchen Wilson is one of rags to riches. Born to a sixteen year old mother, the Redneck Woman singer grew up in poverty in rural Illinois. Her father left before she was two and she and her waitress mother made their homes in various trailer parks around the state. At the age of fifteen, she dropped out of high school to work as a bartender and eventually found her way to Nashville, Tennessee.

There, she met and married Mike Penner and in the 2000, the couple had a daughter, Grace. A talented singer, Wilson worked as a backup vocalist before finding fame with the release of her album Here for the Party in 2003. That album sold 5 million copies and a career that began with a young Gretchen belting out tunes in front of Kmart transformed into a Grammy-winning success story. But for all her achievements, there was something missing in her life: a high school diploma.

Determined to set a good example for her daughter, now seven, Wilson sat for and passed the General Educational Development exam last month. On May 15th, she will be up on stage, not to sing, but to accept her long-overdue high school diploma.

Obviously, not having that piece of paper didn't hold her back in her chosen career, but she says she wanted to make sure her daughter knew the importance of finishing school. "I certainly don't want her to think you can be this successful without an education," she tells The Tennessean.

I know a thing or two about interrupted high school educations and commend Wilson for going all the way and getting that diploma. She clearly didn't have to do it, but what an important lesson she has taught her daughter. Congratulations, Gretchen!

Here in San Francisco, being a gay high school student may not be the easiest path, but it is certainly not as dangerous as in other areas of the country. There are, sadly, places where simply being gay can -- and does -- lead to harassment, assault, and even death. I don't know where Tennessee falls on the tolerance scale, but given the 56 anti-gay hate crimes in 2007, I imagine it's not quite San Francisco.

So, I could understand that teenage boys might not want to advertise their sexuality to the whole school. Too bad the principal at Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in South Memphis didn't understand that. Daphne Beasley asked her staff for the names of students who were paired up, ostensibly to be able to control public displays of affection at the school.

Unfortunately, what she did with the list of couples was much worse -- she posted it where staff, students, and even parents could see it. On that list were Nicholas and Andrew, two boys who had just begun a relationship. "It was actually frightening," said Nicholas, an 11th grader, "to see a list with my name on it where not just other teachers could see but students as well."

Mathematics and music have long been linked -- Pythagoras may have been the first to study the relationship between the two, way back when. Michael Bitz, a professor at Columbia University, has found a new way to put music to work in the education world. His program, the Youth Music Exchange, has kids writing and recording music, producing albums, and marketing CD's.

Having produced an album myself, I know there is a lot involved. Designing the packaging -- cover art, liner notes, layout -- requires a lot of different skills and a lot of work. Even without the whole writing music part, putting together an album involves English, art, math, and computer skills. Then there are the legal aspects -- reading contracts, understanding intellectual property rights and so on. My head hurts just thinking about it.

Bitz's program was recently chosen to receive a fellowship from the Mind Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to "empowering education entrepreneurs to develop or expand transformative education initiatives", and will be expanding into Indianapolis schools with the grant. One of the advantages of Bitz's program is that it is relatively inexpensive to implement -- the program costs about $2,500 to get started.

Before the students can begin packaging a CD, they have to write and record the music, of course. This involves putting the knowledge gained in more traditional classes to work. "We were writing the songs, and we did similes, metaphors and personification," noted thirteen-year-old Madelyne Giron.

Younger kids write about their heroes and holidays while the kids in middle school tackle more difficult topics, such as love and crime. This has got to be a fantastic experience for the kids and today's technology makes it an affordable possibility. And, on top of all the learning that goes on, we might just find us the next Charlotte Church or Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

There is plenty of info out there about talking to your kids about drugs -- if you're completely opposed to recreational drug use. A lot of people, however, understand that marijuana is not the same as heroin or methamphetamines. In fact, one could easily argue that smoking pot is far less destructive and dangerous than either smoking tobacco cigarettes or drinking alcohol.

So what do you do if you, as a parent, have smoked marijuana in the past -- or even do so currently? Do you 'fess up and hope kids can understand that different drugs are, well different? Or do you fail to mention your use and just say no? Whichever way you go, traditional thinking would be that you portray your own drug use as a gross mistake and hope your children see the error of your ways.

That's not the only answer, however. What if people treated pot the way they do alcohol? What if parents explained that pot is for grown-ups only and that once they reach adulthood, they can decide whether or not to try it? Well, if that sounds like the healthy, logical way to go, there is help out there for you.

Just a Plant is a children's book that introduces children to marijuana. It tells the story of a young girl who stumbles upon her parents smoking a joint one evening after bedtime. The next day, the mother takes the daughter out for the day to teach her about the drug. They visit a farmer, doctor, and various other characters on their journey of discovery.

Now, before you worry that this is going to encourage children to rush right out and score some ganja, the book explicitly teaches that marijuana is for adults only, "Like driving a car or drinking a glass of wine. You can make a choice to try it or not when you are an adult."

Personally, I've never tried marijuana (or other recreational drugs) and have never had any interest in doing so, but I also don't think it's such a bad thing. I've certainly seen first hand that other, more acceptable drugs -- alcohol, especially -- are more destructive. If you are a parent who feels similarly, this book might be worth checking into.

In Pennsylvania, students are getting ready to take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests, something, I'm sure, most kids dread and administrators fear. In one district, however, students have an edge -- the Force is with them. Or, perhaps, I should say the Farce is with them.

A group of teachers in Lancaster County produced a series of films called "PSSA Wars". The films, based on the Star Wars movies and starring the teachers, are intended to help kids prepare for the tests. "We thought, what better way to show it than to put ourselves out there? Then work on it for hours, and weeks and hopefully it gives them some hints on the PSSA test," said English teacher Cheryl Fritz.

The films include characters such as Math Solo and Princess Reada, along with a Darth Vader character that administers the test. "The video was a good refresher, made you laugh and talk about it with your friends. I liked it," said Junior Chris Accardo. Once again, you have a bunch of teachers going above and beyond to help their students excel. Bravo!

Not too long ago, a California court issued a decision that seemed to doom homeschooling in the state for most families. The court ruled that in order to teach their own kids, parents would need a teaching credential for the appropriate age. Naturally, most parents don't have a credential.

Now, however, the court has granted a request for a rehearing and has hinted that it may re-evaluate the entire decision, according to the SFGate website. Although the law in California -- which requires all children between the ages of six and eighteen to either attend a full-day school or be taught by a credentialed tutor -- has been clear since the 50's, it has not previously been enforced.

After the court's initial decision, however, there was much outcry (and some celebrating) and Governor Schwarzenegger even weighed in, promising to change the law, if necessary. The children in the case were being homeschooled by their mother, but were considered part of an independent study program at Sunland Christian School. The children's father objects to the teaching of evolution in public schools and does not want his children exposed to homosexuality.

Intellectually, I think that kids should be taught by someone who not only knows the subject material, but also knows how to teach the subject material. As an American, however, I am loathe to tell others what they should or should not do, be it what to believe, who to love, or how their children should be educated.

I think that an important part of what makes (or, perhaps, made) this country great is that anyone can do any darn fool thing they like, so long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. It seems to me that ought to apply to teaching your kids too, be it by sending them to a public school, teaching them at home, or anything in between.

There is no component of a child's education more important than the child's own parents. How education and literacy is viewed and encouraged (or not encouraged) at home makes a huge difference in a child's success in school. Children with involved, supportive parents who promote literacy and education have a better shot at getting ahead than those whose parents maintain a lackadaisical attitude towards education or, even worse, discourage it completely.

The National Center for Family Literacy has, for the past 12 years, given the Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year award to an educator "who achieves tremendous results in helping families learn together and prepare children for success in school." This year, they've put together a list of the five most important things parents and families can do to get their children on a path to a lifetime of learning.

Perhaps most obvious is that kids copy their parents, so parents need to make time to read for pleasure. Make sure that your kids know you read because you want to, not because you view it as a chore you have to do. I imagine it doesn't really matter what you read, so long as you read something.

Another tip is that parents should make reading an interactive activity. Don't just read to your kids and get it over with, stop and ask them what they think will happen next. This is something I need to work on, especially at bedtime when I'm tired and need to get to work. It's good, also, to tie the story to their life, discussing similar events they've experienced and how the characters in the story might be similar to or different from people they know in real life.

Check out the other tips the NCFL has and be sure to read to your kids as much as possible. "This advice is particularly important in light of a recent National Endowment for the Arts survey, which reported an overall decline of 10 percent for reading literature among all ages," said Sharon Darling, president & founder of NCFL.

Many people think that shelling out the money for a private school instead of sending their kids to public school means they'll get a better education and end up better off. Of course, that's not always the case. For one father in Australia, whose twins spent years at a fancy boys' school, it's definitely not the case. In fact, he's demanding a refund.

Steven Weybury spent close to $400,000AUD on his boys' education and now wants his money back. According to court documents, "the boys did not successfully complete year 12 in any respect." Further, the documents claim that "the lack of achievement of the boys in all areas considered important . . . confirms that the payment of fees were (sic) excessive and unnecessary."

The school, on the other hand, claims that the boys were given extra classes and even speech therapy during their years at the school. The school says that the boys completed their Victorian Certificate of Education, a challenging secondary education program and requisite for entry into many universities, and were offered placements in tertiary programs. The father countered, saying that "the boys obtained placements in courses of a type which did not require year 12 attendance."

I don't know who's right in this but I'd be willing to bet there's enough blame to go around -- for the father, the school, and the boys. If a school wasn't working for my kids, I don't think I'd leave them there for more than a dozen years, no matter how good the school was supposed to be.

Yesterday, it was learning to play the guitar. Today, it's learning a foreign language. It seems there is no end to the educational opportunities available on the internet. Here are ten places to learn to speak a foreign language online, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the BBC, and the Foreign Service Institute.

The languages available aren't limited to one or two popular ones, either. Sure, I could brush up on my very rusty French, or expand my Spanish to more than just "Uno burrito lengua con queso, por favor". I could, however, learn Swahili, Thai, Hebrew, and even Gaelic. The only question is which one to start with?

Whether you want to be able to converse with your kids in the language they're learning in school or they want to supplement what they're getting in class, these are some cool resources for the aspiring polyglot.

It's a law of nature, it seems. Teenagers want to be rock stars. Heck, I want to be a rock star. A lot of teens, however, share my problem -- they want to play guitar, but don't know how. Meanwhile, mom and dad are insisting on violin lessons. So what's an angst-ridden, love-struck teenager to do? Why, go online, of course.

Here's a collection of online resources to help you your teenager learn to rock out on his totally rad axe. Or something like that. There are lessons, chord libraries, and tutorials, along with music arranged for guitarists. If you've got a budding Mark Knopfler or Eric Clapton on your hands, you might want to point them to this list of resources.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives education committee is set to offer students a new way to pass science tests without actually having to go through the annoying process of learning anything. When they encounter a question to which they don't know the answer, they can simply write "God did it" or something similar and expect full credit for a correct answer.

The actual bill was not written by Oklahoma lawmakers but by the fundamentalist Christian group, Liberty Legal Institute of Plano, Texas. They have marketed their proposed law all over, including their home state of Texas where it was passed and is already causing trouble, according to the Edmond Sun.

That this has been approved by the education committee in Oklahoma doesn't surprise me, given who is a member of that committee -- State Representative Sally Kern who has recently been in the news for her recent hateful, homophobic rant that was, unbeknownst to her, caught on tape.

In addition to the lawsuits waiting to happen if this becomes law, there is the issue of learning what you're taught, regardless of whether or not you believe it. Colleges and universities don't generally accept "God did it" as an answer when that isn't what the professor said. Neither does the business world. It seems to me that, even if you don't believe it, there is value in learning to give the answer your teacher (or professor or boss) is looking for, rather than the one that makes you happy. What do you think?

My wife is smarter than I am, is far more educated, works harder and longer (at least twice as much) than I do, and deals with much more serious and important issues. She helps mold the future of our society, dealing with combative parents and disruptive children, often filling in doing the parents' job when the parents can't or won't do it themselves. And for all this, she gets paid barely half what I do, gets little to no respect for doing it, and ends up spending her own money just to have the supplies to do her job.

Well, if we were willing to move to New York, some of that could change -- the pay part anyway. A new charter school for grades five through eight is opening up and the salaries for teachers will be $125,000 per year, plus bonuses. That is two-and-a-half times the national average salary for teachers.

The idea for the school comes from Zeke M. Vanderhoek, a former middle school teacher and founder of a test preparation company. He believes -- and research has shown -- that good teachers are the key to overall student success, rather than technology or support staff or even elective courses. I agree with Vanderhoek that, as obvious as it sounds, good teachers are the most important part of a school.

"I would much rather put a phenomenal, great teacher in a field with 30 kids and nothing else," says Vanderhoek, "than take the mediocre teacher and give them half the number of students and give them all the technology in the world." He is hoping that the relatively high salaries will draw the best teachers.

Of course, that kind of salary comes with conditions -- the teachers will have to take on more responsibilities than teachers in other schools. Classroom teachers will handle chores like attendance and discipline themselves, rather than relying on a support staff. Even the principal will make less than the teachers, a shocking reversal of the norm. (Before you get too upset for the principal, however, note that the school's first principal will be Vanderhoek himself.)

Teachers are definitely interested; "I'm tired of making decisions about whether or not I can afford to go to a movie on a Friday night when I work literally 55 hours a week," said one applicant. "It's very frustrating. I'm feeling like I either have to leave New York City or leave teaching, because I don't want to have a roommate at 30 years old."

This is an exciting development and I hope it succeeds -- I wouldn't mind it at all if Rachel's salary came close to matching the effort she puts into her work.

Growing up, I lived in the same house in the same city and went to school with the same people from kindergarten to high school graduation. Because the schools were lined up next to each other, I didn't even have to worry about changing the path on which I rode my bike. It was stable, if a little boring.

Kids of military personnel face the opposite problem. With an average of six to nine moves during their educational careers, military brats face significant logistical challenges. Requirements vary based on state, county and district regulations. Navigating the red tape can leave kids stuck repeating classes they don't need in order to check off a box. One teenager who moved from California to Maryland during high school got stuck taking badminton and repeating state history courses instead of the advanced placement science and math classes he'd hoped for, simply because of graduation requirements.

A new proposal from the Pentagon aims to reduce these complications. States are being asked to adopt practices that would smooth the process for families, such as accepting temporary transcripts until permanent records are transferred, giving a grace period for updating immunizations, and minimizing the repetition of state-specific history courses and exit exams.

This isn't just about the U.S. military being nice: the challenges of uprooting families are one of the big reasons member of the armed forces leave active duty. Keep the kids happy, and you just might keep their parents enlisted.

The agreement will take effect after 10 states approve it, and at least 24 state legislatures currently are considering some version of the proposal.

So, you say you don't really care whether or not someone else's kid bothers to finish high school? You know that your kid will be on their way to college and a high-paying job, so why should you worry about someone else's kid? The California Dropout Research Project has a few reasons why you should care -- 46.4 billion of them, actually. You see, that's how much the state's annual class of 120,000 high school dropouts cost the state -- and its taxpayers -- over the course of their lives.

Sure, you say, you live in some other state where you have less dropouts, but even if you have one percent of California's total, that's still 460 million dollars. For each year's dropouts. So maybe, just maybe, it is worthwhile for all of us to support our schools so that we can cut down on those numbers?

Russell Rumberger, an education Professor at UC Santa Barbara and the head of the research team thinks so. California uses a number of strategies to reduce dropout rates ... but together they are insufficient to address the problem," he says. "We need to change the entire system of education in California." And while money is certainly tight, cutting down on the number of dropouts "will have the best long-term payoff."

It seems to me that letting kids not finish high school rather than spending what it takes to make sure they get their diploma is being penny wise and pound foolish -- not the best choice for the long term. What do you think?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, has announced the recall of about 5,300 sets of Memory Testing Cards which were sold as part of educational testing kits. The paint on these cards contains lead paint, which is is toxic when ingested by children. The cards were made in China and distributed by Riverside Publishing Co., of Rolling Meadows, Illinois.

This recall involves the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test-Symbolic Memory Cards. The cards are part of a kit used to test the physical and mental abilities of children. They are white with green figures, measure 1 ½" x 1 ½", and were sold as part of a kit with model number 922782. They were also sold in packages of 10 cards with model number 922775. You can find the model numbers on the packaging.

These were sold directly to testing facilities and administrators nationwide from January 2003 through November 2007 for about $550.

If you have these cards, you are advised to stop using them immediately and return them to Riverside Publishing for free replacement cards. The firm is contacting purchasers directly. You can reach Riverside Publishing at (800) 323-9540 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT, or by visiting their Web site.