Last year, the Arlington Heights Elementary District School Board decided to get rid of its Home Economics curriculum. It joined a growing number of other districts around the country that have either eliminated or greatly cut back on its commitment to what’s now known as Family and Consumer Sciences courses.

But over the last few years, there have been calls to make Home Ec. a mandatory, revitalized, and more contemporary course. Morning Shift talks with Oak Park River Forest High School’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction about why these types of courses are still important, and Dr. Carol R. Werhan, Assistant Clinical Professor Family & Consumer Sciences Education at Purdue and Director at Large of The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences tells us how the curriculum has evolved.