Hi Colleen, Although I'm not American, in my opinion, any education system more often than not, is the main channel of influence through which junior and senior students are informed and subsequently develop their opinions.  However, I feel parents play a critical roll in their children's education and in how their children perceive what's happening around them and in the World.  Any truly caring parent should be an active member of their children's school's PTA.  I agree with clu, that many families do not talk and have discussions anymore. If school going children remain ignorant of life's important issues, we cannot only blame the education system because informing children, starts with parents and grand parents (where they are still around). Caring parents are interested and aware of what their children are taught at school and as members of the school's PTA, can exercise their complaints/recommendations, where and when they feel this is necessary. Informed parents have informed children, armed and prepared for the future. They make time for and care about their children's development, ensuring they have the necessary life skills to face up to the academic, social and increasingly --the political challenges they undoubtedly will face in the fast changing World of the 21st century. I don't know whether the US education system offers Life Orientation as a subject, but in South Africa it is an intrinsic part of the curriculum from primary through to Grade 12.  Life Orientation offers kids a vast platform requiring they actively have to debate upon.  Parents have to help these budding oracles with their debating subjects, which results in a secondary debate at home and this child-parent interaction, apart from developing closer parent-child relationships, the debate subjects broaden the child's outlook,vision, general knowledge and maturity, while educating and preparing him/her to confidently face life outside the family home.    

Hi William,

Dunno about installing the icon on your desktop but you can get notified when you have new gmail.  I have the Wise Convertor Toolbar. If you have it, you'll find the 'notify' button next to the weather button - sort of midway on the toolbar.  I would also like the convenience of having the gmail toolbar on my desktop - but have heard it can cause snags.