As Austin suggests, "We need to do a better job of teaching our children how to live, and we need to start right now. First of all, that means that we've got to make home ec education a priority on the college level," (p. 5). I could not disagree. What Austin is arguing for is a deep societal change, one that erases from our lives the horror of fast food and suburban living and replaces genuine caring, whole food, and healthy lifestyle. If our school board can become a beacon of change for America, then I am all for incorporating home economics as part of our academic program. For the time being, I do not know if our budget can accommodate a program as ambitious as Austin's. We can only hope that the push for home economics becomes organic, as an extension of the current obsession with home improvement and cooking channels on Cable TV -- not to mention the continuation of the Martha Stewart empire.

To add to Quindlen's and Austin's astute observations about the current weaknesses in our school system, I would like...

The current funding is allocated mainly to team sports and varsity events, which excludes a large number of students. With a crisis of obesity and sedentary lifestyles in America, it is crucial that schools play a greater part in promoting fun physical activity. The habit of moving the body may persist throughout adulthood, which would mean a net reduction of healthcare costs overall. Given the proliferation of preventable illnesses related to insufficient exercise in the United States, teaching physical education becomes an ethical obligation of all schools.
References

Austin, Elizabeth. "Saving The Home From Martha Stewart - importance of learning home economics." Washington Monthly. Dec 1999. Retrieved online: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_12_31/ai_58170285/?tag=mantle_skin;content

Quindlen, Anna. L. "Let's Talk About Sex." Newsweek. 7 Mar, 2009. Retrieved online: http://www.newsweek.com/2009/03/06/let-s-talk-about-sex.html