We should celebrate as it proves that we homeschoolers are a diverse bunch that don't march in lock step.
I am not necessarily against parents having the choice to educate their children in their homes through the public school system (public school at home) I just wish they wouldn't call it homeschooling. It makes it far to easy for people to say we should all have to meet their regulations or we should all have to use this government sanctioned curriculum or we should all do it this way.
I think having a wide variety of educational choices is a good thing.
To me this program sounds much more layered and interesting than straight subsidized ps-at-home. :)
Our state (Florida) has long experimented with all sorts of parttime, virtual, magnet, charter, partnership and "hybrid" program choices for different students, including some that fit this post's very John Holt-ian ideas (cooperative, friendly, sensible, voluntary at parents' discretion, educationally sound) that the public should support private homeschoolers rather than be hostile and interfere.
Legally in our state education code, several are "home education" choices. Doesn't that make it a fact? In more and more states, education programs aren't so easily boxed and tied up tight as they used to be, but I see that as a GOOD thing for home education and for all of us! :)
Let's see... it's school, they do it at home.... sounds like "homeschooling" even if it isn't the same sort that you do. I think if it encourages parents to take an active role in their child's education that it is a good thing... And choice is good, as well.
I agree that it's good for parents to take and active role and the more choices the better. But I don't think it should be called homeschooling. Public school at home would be a better term for it and would prevent people from thinking the laws and regulations governing (public school at home) should be applied to homeschoolers.
Back at the beginning of this concern about the word homeschooling being coopted for charters and other ps programs -- before the turn of the century! lol -- I remember suggesting that we needed some new words to distinguish the new options and maybe home educatio needed some modifying adjectives too, like independent hsing, parttime hsing, etc.
The spear-in-the-ground response from the owner/editor of Home Education Magazine was no-room-for-reality, and I quote: "Let them get their own damn word!"
My concern then and now, being that it's completely untenable to defend that position, so if our freedoms and choices depend on possessing that word and all its component parts and possible modifying adjectives and mitigators, we're in trouble!
But fortunately, the freedoms really do seem to be independent, even from the word. ;-)
Not independent, not free-range or whatever, sure. But not homeschooling at all? What is gained by pronouncing that?
ReplyDeleteNo laws limiting our freedom. No school officials telling us the only way to homeschool is to join their homeschool program.
ReplyDeleteOk. Grant you. But it's at least another "choice" out there for parents. Maybe not the one I would choose, though. :]
ReplyDeleteOh well. We see eye to eye on a lot. I guess I shouldn't complain it doesn't cover this. :)
ReplyDeleteMrs. C, here's one you and I agree on! Let a thousand choices bloom --
ReplyDeleteWe should celebrate as it proves that we homeschoolers are a diverse bunch that don't march in lock step.
ReplyDeleteI am not necessarily against parents having the choice to educate their children in their homes through the public school system (public school at home) I just wish they wouldn't call it homeschooling. It makes it far to easy for people to say we should all have to meet their regulations or we should all have to use this government sanctioned curriculum or we should all do it this way.
I think having a wide variety of educational choices is a good thing.
To me this program sounds much more layered and interesting than straight subsidized ps-at-home. :)
ReplyDeleteOur state (Florida) has long experimented with all sorts of parttime, virtual, magnet, charter, partnership and "hybrid" program choices for different students, including some that fit this post's very John Holt-ian ideas (cooperative, friendly, sensible, voluntary at parents' discretion, educationally sound) that the public should support private homeschoolers rather than be hostile and interfere.
Legally in our state education code, several are "home education" choices. Doesn't that make it a fact? In more and more states, education programs aren't so easily boxed and tied up tight as they used to be, but I see that as a GOOD thing for home education and for all of us! :)
Let's see... it's school, they do it at home.... sounds like "homeschooling" even if it isn't the same sort that you do. I think if it encourages parents to take an active role in their child's education that it is a good thing... And choice is good, as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's good for parents to take and active role and the more choices the better. But I don't think it should be called homeschooling. Public school at home would be a better term for it and would prevent people from thinking the laws and regulations governing (public school at home) should be applied to homeschoolers.
ReplyDeleteBack at the beginning of this concern about the word homeschooling being coopted for charters and other ps programs -- before the turn of the century! lol -- I remember suggesting that we needed some new words to distinguish the new options and maybe home educatio needed some modifying adjectives too, like independent hsing, parttime hsing, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe spear-in-the-ground response from the owner/editor of Home Education Magazine was no-room-for-reality, and I quote: "Let them get their own damn word!"
My concern then and now, being that it's completely untenable to defend that position, so if our freedoms and choices depend on possessing that word and all its component parts and possible modifying adjectives and mitigators, we're in trouble!
But fortunately, the freedoms really do seem to be independent, even from the word. ;-)