Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Levy on Homeschooling and Racism
I think homeschooling has more to do with the quality of the public schools in an area, but check out Levy on Homeschooling and Racism.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Graphics Winner
Graphic A was the winner of the graphics contest by a hair. Now that we have a graphic it's time to move along to phase 2. Please nominate your favorite homeschool blog. These are the categories;
- Adult homeschool blog
- Teen homeschool blog
- Child homeschool blog
- Group homeschool blog
Please leave a comment to nominate your favorite blog, leave a link to the blog and the category. Last years winners:
- Doc's Sunrise Rants - Adult homeschool blog
- Why Homeschool - Group homeschool blog
- Cocking a Snook Too! - Teen homeschool blog (last year the teen and child blogs were combined).
are not eligible for this years contest. Nominations will end October 17th. I hope to have the poll ready for voting to begin November 1st.
Parent Educators and Kids (PEAK) is hosting a fun-filled retreat
I am so excited the homeschool group I belong to is hosting a fun filled retreat. See HEM's Parent Educators and Kids (PEAK) is hosting a fun-filled retreat for more details.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
It's about time
A janitor whom a university official had accused of racial harassment for reading a historical book about the Ku Klux Klan on his break has gotten an apology - months later - from the school.
Charles Bantz, chancellor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, apologized to Keith John Sampson in a letter dated Friday, saying the school is committed to free expression.
"I can candidly say that we regret this situation took place," Bantz wrote.
Charles Bantz, chancellor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, apologized to Keith John Sampson in a letter dated Friday, saying the school is committed to free expression.
"I can candidly say that we regret this situation took place," Bantz wrote.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Get over it ~ this isn't a hate crime
Webster Cook says that, instead of eating a Eucharist wafer as he was expected to do during the Sacrament of Holy Communion, he smuggled the blessed piece of bread out of mass. Once blessed, the piece of bread is viewed by Catholics as the true Body of Christ. (click here to learn more)
Catholics worldwide became furious.
Webster’s friend, who didn’t want to show his face, said he took the Eucharist, to show him what it meant to Catholics.
Webster gave the wafer back, but the Catholic League, a national watchdog organization for Catholic rights claims that is not enough.
“We don’t know 100% what Mr. Cooks motivation was,” said Susan Fani a spokesperson with the local Catholic League. “However, if anything were to qualify as a hate crime, to us this seems like this might be it.”
HT: IT'S A FRACKIN’ CRACKER!
Catholics worldwide became furious.
Webster’s friend, who didn’t want to show his face, said he took the Eucharist, to show him what it meant to Catholics.
Webster gave the wafer back, but the Catholic League, a national watchdog organization for Catholic rights claims that is not enough.
“We don’t know 100% what Mr. Cooks motivation was,” said Susan Fani a spokesperson with the local Catholic League. “However, if anything were to qualify as a hate crime, to us this seems like this might be it.”
HT: IT'S A FRACKIN’ CRACKER!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Stricter regulations for daycare needed
Police in Florida say a 4-year-old has died after a fire at a Tallahassee day care.
Judge dismisses home-schooling credentials case
A controversial legal ruling that outlawed most forms of home schooling in California will face greater scrutiny because the underlying family court case was dismissed earlier this week.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals
On the 2006 National Assessment of Educational Progress Civics Test," the report notes, "the majority of eighth graders could not explain the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. Only 5 percent of seniors could accurately describe the way presidential power can be checked by Congress and the Supreme Court."
If they don't understand the checks and balances the Founding Fathers devised to keep the President, Congress and the Supreme Court in check America may be headed for serious trouble in the years ahead. The author of "Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals" goes on to say.
I have not worried about the fundamental commitment of the American people since 1974. In that year, they were confronted with the stunning evidence that their president had conducted a criminal conspiracy out of the Oval Office. In response, the American people reminded Richard Nixon, the man they had just recently overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term, that in this country, no one, not even the president, is above the law. And they required him to yield his office.
That was 34 years ago. I wonder if today's generation inured by countless scandals would turn a blind eye to a popular President's wrong doing. After all we don't seem to be holding an unpopular President accountable for his actions.
"Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals" , I am not so sure they do.
If they don't understand the checks and balances the Founding Fathers devised to keep the President, Congress and the Supreme Court in check America may be headed for serious trouble in the years ahead. The author of "Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals" goes on to say.
I have not worried about the fundamental commitment of the American people since 1974. In that year, they were confronted with the stunning evidence that their president had conducted a criminal conspiracy out of the Oval Office. In response, the American people reminded Richard Nixon, the man they had just recently overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term, that in this country, no one, not even the president, is above the law. And they required him to yield his office.
That was 34 years ago. I wonder if today's generation inured by countless scandals would turn a blind eye to a popular President's wrong doing. After all we don't seem to be holding an unpopular President accountable for his actions.
"Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals" , I am not so sure they do.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Freshwater taught creationism in Ohio public school
Freshwater, 52, was fired last month after an outside consulting firm released a report concluding that he taught creationism and was insubordinate in failing to remove a Bible and other religious materials from his classroom.
He also faces a federal lawsuit filed by the family of a student who says Freshwater burned a cross on the child's arm with an electrostatic device and that the burn mark remained for three or four weeks.
Since then, Freshwater's supporters have rallied on the town's public square urging school board members to resign. A much-viewed sign planted along a roadside about a mile from town reads: "If the Bible goes, the school board should follow."
He also faces a federal lawsuit filed by the family of a student who says Freshwater burned a cross on the child's arm with an electrostatic device and that the burn mark remained for three or four weeks.
Since then, Freshwater's supporters have rallied on the town's public square urging school board members to resign. A much-viewed sign planted along a roadside about a mile from town reads: "If the Bible goes, the school board should follow."
Carnival of Homeschooling
Monday, July 07, 2008
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Public Schools: the school of last resort
What should policy-makers, educators and the public make of a new poll suggesting 83 percent of Oklahomans wanting the best education for their children would choose a learning environment other than a public school? At a minimum, we'd hope the findings would cause them to step back and ponder why so many parents think that way. Ideally, the education establishment will embrace the challenge of make public schools the place to be, instead of the school as the second, third or perhaps even last resort.
Read the rest here.
Read the rest here.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Home schooling has "branched out far and wide
Although single parents who home-school are relatively rare, they represent a "small but noticeable trend" as home schooling becomes mainstream and options such as online classes have made the endeavor easier, said Brian Ray, president of the Home School Education Research Institute.
From 1999 to 2003, the number of single-parent households that home-school increased by 7 percent, according to the national statistics. Single-parent households represent about 18 percent of all home-school families.
Because those figures are five years old and home-school support services have grown since then, some believe the numbers are even higher today.
"Single parents are getting more and more common," said Carl Lucas, the vice chairman of the Nevada Homeschool Network. "They find ways to do it."
Plaisted, a self-described pagan who blogs about home schooling and mystic experiences on the Internet, said the stereotype that home-school parents are Christian fundamentalists is "very dated." Home schooling has "branched out far and wide," she said.
From 1999 to 2003, the number of single-parent households that home-school increased by 7 percent, according to the national statistics. Single-parent households represent about 18 percent of all home-school families.
Because those figures are five years old and home-school support services have grown since then, some believe the numbers are even higher today.
"Single parents are getting more and more common," said Carl Lucas, the vice chairman of the Nevada Homeschool Network. "They find ways to do it."
Plaisted, a self-described pagan who blogs about home schooling and mystic experiences on the Internet, said the stereotype that home-school parents are Christian fundamentalists is "very dated." Home schooling has "branched out far and wide," she said.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Teacher pleads guilty to federal charges
A former teacher accused of having sex with a 13-year-old student and fleeing with him to Mexico is expected to plead guilty to reduced charges, her attorney said Tuesday.
James Martin Davis, the attorney for 26-year-old Kelsey Peterson, said his client will plead guilty Wednesday to federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of sex.
Sean Paddock and Tyler McMillan weren't even homeschoolers, so why are their deaths being used to harass homeschoolers?
In America one is generally considered innocent until proven guilty, but this editorial, Our View: Help protect home-school children implies that homeschoolers are guilty until proven innocent.
The editorial writer ignores the fact that Sean Paddock was four years old and thus not school age. The editorial also fails to mention that Sean Paddock was adopted. Wasn't some sort of government agency involved in the adoption process? Wasn't it their job to insure the adoptive Mother would provide a loving home? Why isn't the editorial calling for more oversight before people can adopt? instead of implying that legitimate homeschooling families can't be trusted and therefore need a government watchdog. What's next government watchdogs for stay at home moms who don't put their newborns and preschoolers in day care?
As for the Tyler McMillan case. The bare bones seems to be that his Mother died of cancer in 2004 and he lived with his Father and Step-Mother. According to a neighbor the family moved from Florida to North Carolina about 3 months ago and oh yeah, they homeschooled, which considering the public schools would have been out for summer break in most areas in June is a moot point. What is more to the point is why didn't any of their neighbors notice this child was tied to a tree not ONCE but TWICE??? There also seems to be some doubt he was actually homeschooled according to this article "The teen began his education at Greenville Christian Academy and then attended Trinity Christian School." For those who are unfamiliar with Greenville Christian Academy and Trinity Christin School, both are private schools in North Carolina. So again we have the death of a child who wasn't even being homeschooled used to call for the harassment of legitimate homeschoolers.
When a public school student dies at the hands of a parent no one suggest they should increase the oversight of public schools, so why do they use these tragedies to harass legitimate homeschoolers? Why did they rush to the conclusion that these children were homeschoolers when one was to young for kindergarten and the other attended a private school?
The editorial writer ignores the fact that Sean Paddock was four years old and thus not school age. The editorial also fails to mention that Sean Paddock was adopted. Wasn't some sort of government agency involved in the adoption process? Wasn't it their job to insure the adoptive Mother would provide a loving home? Why isn't the editorial calling for more oversight before people can adopt? instead of implying that legitimate homeschooling families can't be trusted and therefore need a government watchdog. What's next government watchdogs for stay at home moms who don't put their newborns and preschoolers in day care?
As for the Tyler McMillan case. The bare bones seems to be that his Mother died of cancer in 2004 and he lived with his Father and Step-Mother. According to a neighbor the family moved from Florida to North Carolina about 3 months ago and oh yeah, they homeschooled, which considering the public schools would have been out for summer break in most areas in June is a moot point. What is more to the point is why didn't any of their neighbors notice this child was tied to a tree not ONCE but TWICE??? There also seems to be some doubt he was actually homeschooled according to this article "The teen began his education at Greenville Christian Academy and then attended Trinity Christian School." For those who are unfamiliar with Greenville Christian Academy and Trinity Christin School, both are private schools in North Carolina. So again we have the death of a child who wasn't even being homeschooled used to call for the harassment of legitimate homeschoolers.
When a public school student dies at the hands of a parent no one suggest they should increase the oversight of public schools, so why do they use these tragedies to harass legitimate homeschoolers? Why did they rush to the conclusion that these children were homeschoolers when one was to young for kindergarten and the other attended a private school?
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)