I’m hoping this U.S. News & World Report column has stumbled on one of the few non-contentious things in the education world? President Obama’s Every Kid In A Park initiative seems hard to argue with:

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, Va. – It’s not every day you see a White House initiative play out in real time with everyone happy about it. Actually these days, do you ever? But there it was: High in Virginia’s mountains families hiked, picnicked and played under a cloudless blue sky on a crisp October Sunday. The mountain foliage was already spectacular and for some a fall visit to see it was an annual tradition. But for a surprising number of families the impetus for the trip was the White House’s Every Kid In A Park initiative. In fact, walking around Shenandoah National Park in Virginia’s central mountains I didn’t meet a single family that didn’t know about it from their child’s teacher or Facebook posts by other parents. And I didn’t meet one without good things to say…

What did they say? You can read the entire thing here. Send me tales of your past or future 4th-grade adventures and tweet me your favorite hiking spots @arotherham.