“The list of costly services that supplement some children's public education is growing longer and now includes consultants, tutors, and test prep. That's in addition to the homework help some stay-at-home parents can afford to provide.”

American nonfiction writer, critic, journalist, and poet

Alissa Quart is an American nonfiction writer, critic, journalist, and poet. She is known for books that examine American culture, labor, family life, and the pressures of money and status, alongside work in journalism and criticism. Her nonfiction books include Republic of Outsiders: The Power of Amateurs, Dreamers and Rebels, Hothouse Kids: The Dilemma of the Gifted Child, Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers, Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America, and Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. She has also published two poetry collections, Monetized and Thoughts and Prayers.