Why do public school Mothers have to trash homeschooling in order to feel good about themselves?

Why do public school Mothers have to trash homeschooling in order to feel good about themselves? Kathleen Byrne Confessions of an autism mother: Why I’ll never homeschool.

I know. I know. Never say never. I feel so strongly about this topic that I honestly think that I’ll always hold our local school system responsible for the education of my children, including my daughter on the spectrum. Notice I didn’t write local “public” school system. I’m open to private, parochial, or some in-between “non-public” school, another category that we have here in New York.

So she is just against homeschooling although many of her reasons for not homeschooling would apply to private and parochial schools too. Apparently Ms. Byrne is one of those people that believe that only parents who are able to afford the tution at private or parochial schools should be allowed to choose an alternative to the public school system.

We Americans pay taxes, a lot of taxes, to provide every child an education. From a purely financial point of view, paying taxes for public education and then keeping your child home and bearing the financial burden of educating them simply doesn’t make sense. New York City Schools alone has a $21 billion dollar annual budget. Why write a school tuition check and then keep your child home?

This argument would apply to sending your child to private or parochial schools as well as homeschooling; so why she just applies it to homeschoolers is beyond me. The answer is simple I pay taxes for a lot of things I don't use, everyone does. Single people who don't have kids and older couples whose children are grown still pay taxes to support the school system. By paying these taxes I am insuring that all children have the opportunity to get an education. But I owe my children the best education I can provide for them. For my children it happened to be homeschooling

I’m as anxious as the next mother about dropping my children off at school and placing their education into the hands of others, some capable, some not so capable. It seems inevitable that our children will experience some bad teaching, just as they will have to cope with bad bosses, bad public servants and other incompetents in positions of power. Shielding them from bad authority figures will make the transition into adulthood harder than it has to be.

In the real world incompetent people get FIRED and you are free to seek employment elsewhere if you don't like your boss/job. Personally I would find my child being exposed to "bad teaching" (honestly I am not sure what Ms. Byrne means by that) for any length of time unacceptable.

Finally, I am dismayed that, when faced with fighting the system and making it better or fleeing the system to make the same mistakes on someone else’s children, homeschooling parents choose the latter. Schools are our children’s first civics lessons, citizens coming together and pooling resources for the common good. Homeschooled kids learn that it’s better to take care of your own than to fight for a common cause.

Well I am dismayed that any Mother would sacrifice her children to a cause. Schools (and I notice she didn't say public schools) should not be our children's first civic lesson. Their first civic lessons should be going with Mom or Dad to vote as toddlers as they mature there are many worthy community events they can take part in. Sadly I am left wondering why Ms. Byrne felt the need to trash homeschooling in order to justify her decision to send her child to public school. Maybe she really believes she is sacrificing her child to the common good of public education. In which case I feel sorry for both Mother and child.

Carnival of Homeschooling #155: Smoky Mountain Edition

We have enjoyed several mountain vacations, so I really enjoyed the theme of this weeks CoH, Carnival of Homeschooling #155: Smoky Mountain Edition.

Showcasing Homeschoolers

Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers: Homeschool Showcase (Formerly Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers) #13

Anniversary Gifts Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling

SuperAngel's parents are celebrating their 20th anniversary, which inspired this weeks CoH theme, find out what traditional & modern presents are associated with anniversaries 1 through 20. Does anyone know what presents are associated with your 22 anniversary which is the one my husband and I will be celebrating in June.

The Butterfly Award

Kris, At Home Science, bestowed this lovely award on me. Here are the rules

1. Link to the person who gave you the award.

2. Post the graphic.

3. Pass the award on up to ten other bloggers whose blogs you consider cool.

Here are my ten choices

1. Natalie, Rambling, Rants & Remedies
2. Ragamuffin Studies
3. Principled Discovery
4. Esme Emannuel
5. Just my cup of coffee
6. History is Elementary
7. Why Homeschool
8. MISSISSIPPI GARDEN
9. Made in Mississippi
10. Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi

Alasandra's Homeschool Blog Awards

So far Get In Hang On is in the lead for the adult blog, The Homeschool Classroom is ahead for group blog and Quilted Story, which has been renamed Just my cup of coffee is ahead for teen blog. There are 23 days left to vote, so be sure to stop by and vote for your favourite blog.

I want to thank everyone for making these awards so easy and enjoyable. No cheating, no controversy, nothing like those other awards. Thanks guys & gals keep up the good behavior.

Joy Behar's Snipey Homeschool Rant

Susan Hyde comes to homeschoolers defense.

Homeschooling Goes Mainstream

Read Judy Aron's Consent Of The Governed: Homeschooling Goes Mainstream

Are You Christian Enough to Homeschool?

Here at Considering Homeschooling we have always promoted homeschool evangelism to Christians... and Christians only.

I wonder who would be in charge of deciding IF you were Christian enough to homeschool. All parents have the right to pass on their beliefs to their children, not just Christian parents.

Charles Lowers then goes on to use the example of

a mother helps her young daughter play "Pin the Molotov on the Cop Car" at the Anarchist Book Fair, San Francisco, California, March 18, 2006.

as someone who shouldn't be allowed to homeschool. I wonder if he would have been as outraged if they had been throwing the molotov at an abortion clinic?

Bomb found in Texas abortion clinic parking lot

Christian Terrorists Leave IED Outside Abortion Clinic

Responsibility claimed for abortion clinic bomb -A shadowy group calling itself the Army of God has taken responsibility for the recent bombing of an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed one person.

Christian Terrorist Cells in the USA

Let's Say Thanks

If you would like to send a card to a service man or woman oversees visit this website to find out how.

Bending the Twigs: Are Homeschoolers Motivated by Racism/Ethnophobia?

Bending the Twigs: Are Homeschoolers Motivated by Racism/Ethnophobia?

The public school my children briefly attended was mainly white. My eldest son had one minority student in his class, my youngest son didn't have any minorities in his class . Racism played no part in our decision to homeschool, stupid school board polices including mandatory public school uniforms on the other hand played a major part in our decision. Maybe one day I'll read how some academic wrote a thesis on how "Stupid School Board Polices Drive Parents to Homeschool".

Carnival of Homeschooling

Check out this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling.

Public School Teacher Punches 8 Year Old Student

An elementary school teacher was arrested for punching an 8-year-old student in the face this month, Fort Lauderdale police said Tuesday.

HT: HERP&ES

The Politically Correct Police Steal Thanksgiving

Bending the Twigs: One More Reason to Homeschool: You Can Recreate the 1st Thanksgiving in Peace

Carnival of Homeschooling

The Common Room is hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling. I tried to link to the post but I kept getting a google error message, so the link goes to the blog, instead of directly to the post. The CoH is the third post on the page and is well worth a visit. I also had trouble commenting, so just in case my comment was lost in the blog void.

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you very much for including my post.

Why I will not boycott ABC

According to AC Homeschoolers Call for ABC Boycott After Joy Behar Calls "A Lot" of Homeschoolers "Demented"

Homeschoolers across the United States are talking about another comment made by mainstream media that portrayed them in a bad light. This time the buzz is caused by a remark made by Joy Behar, a popular personality on ABC's The View, when on Thursday's show she remarked that "a lot" of homeschoolers are "demented". This has many homeschoolers on the defense and even going as far as to call for a boycott of ABC programming.

I will not be joining the boycott. While I did find Joy Behar's comment that "homeschoolers are demented" distasteful, I also noted that Elisabeth Hasselbeck defended homeschoolers. Something the outraged homeschoolers who plan to boycott ABC seemed to have overlooked.

There is also the matter of free speech. While I find it sad that Joy Behar believes a lot" of homeschoolers are "demented", she is entitled to her opinion and entitled to express it. And while Ms. Behar's comment may have hurt homeschoolers feelings, it didn't do any real harm to homeschoolers. Let's save our outrage and boycotts for things that really matter.

This was a great response by one homeschool Mom to Joy Behar's comment Joy Behar, I Have a Question For You: When Will the Left Finally Get it On Home Education?

Schools to act as weight police

Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City, said he wants confidential weight and measurement determinations, with parents notified if students are overweight or underweight. Parents with children in those categories could be visited by child welfare officials if they don’t act on the findings, he said. Seriously?

Continue reading

While obesity is a concern in the United States, the government has no business policing anyones weight.

But Oklahoma lawmakers aren't the only ones wanting to control peoples weight. Around the first of 2008 Mississippi lawmakers came up with this ridiculous proposal.

Nutrition experts are burning up calories in expressing their outrage over proposed legislation in Mississippi that would prohibit restaurants from serving obese customers.

They say the proposed bill, still in committee, is "ridiculous," "insane" and a wrong-headed approach to solving the national obesity epidemic.

State Rep. John Read, a Republican who is one of the bill's three authors, says he wasn't trying to offend anybody and never even expected the plan to become law.

How Homeschooling Is Done

A positive report on homeschooling.

"As far as a stigma against homeschooling, that really today is not an issue. Usually, people are really positive," Carol Klopfenstein, who has homeschooled four kids since 1986, says

A rational post about the fate of homeschooling under an Obama administration

Rational Jenn: Obama And HSLDA

What's Cooking?

Stop by Tami's Thoughts and Views for this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling.