This book defines a good education and offers parents a plan of action for ensuring that their children achieve it. Drawing from the goals that William Bennett enumerated as Secretary of Education, excerpts from Hirsch's Core Knowledge Sequence, and current research, this book sets forth curricula and specific objectives for children from kindergarten through the eighth grade. Also examined are issues such as school choice, sex education, character education, and the phonics/whole language debate. The book encourages parents to become advocates for their children by learning what to look for in a good school, how to talk to educators, and how to push for needed changes. The book is organized in three parts. Part 1 helps parents of preschoolers to prepare their child for school. Part 2 addresses the academic curriculum from kindergarten through eighth grade, outlining important knowledge and skills that children should learn, providing tips for appraising student progress and for deciding whether the school is doing a good job, and suggesting ways to supplement the school's efforts at home. Part 3 examines issues such as character education and teaching children with special needs, discusses how parents can help children succeed in elementary school, alerts parents to issues and problems they might encounter, and considers ways parents can stay involved in their child's education. (KB)