Dewey's Treehouse: Carnival of Homeschooling #194: Creatures and Critters

I am fixing to sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy Dewey's Treehouse: Carnival of Homeschooling #194: Creatures and Critters, I hope you will join me.

Oh the Stupidity

Several Presidents have given speeches to school children. This was in the Soundoffs for September 7th, 2009 Sun Herald

Remember Ike?

When I was a teenager, I was with a group when President Eisenhower spoke to us. I do not remember a word, but I do remember the President spoke to me. 

So why all the controversy over President Obama addressing today's students?

Spunky brings up the fact that the Democrats called for special hearings when President George H.W. Bush addressed school children but doesn't mention that there were no outraged parents screaming that their kids were being brainwashed. So again WHY all the outraged parents claiming that the President wants to brainwash their children?

President Obama is not the first President to address school children in fact "President Reagan delivered a back-to-school speech to students in 1988. The first President Bush did one in 1991", and hopefully he will not be the last. His message that education is important is one our school children need to hear.

The Right of course without bothering to read the Federal Statue for themselves are clamoring that President Obama and the DOE broke the law by creating LESSON PLANS. Never mind that the DOE has created LESSON PLANS for numerous other things without The RIGHT being outraged.

What is the purpose of the DOE
Sec. 3402. Congressional declaration of purpose

-STATUTE-


The Congress declares that the establishment of a Department of Education is in the public interest, will promote the general welfare of the United States, will help ensure that education issues receive proper treatment at the Federal level, and will enable the Federal Government to coordinate its education activities more effectively. Therefore, the purposes of this chapter are -


(1) to strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;

(2) to supplement and complement the efforts of States, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the States, the private sector, public and private educational institutions, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;

(3) to encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs;

(4) to promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;

(5) to improve the coordination of Federal education programs;

(6) to improve the management and efficiency of Federal education activities, especially with respect to the process, procedures, and administrative structures for the dispersal of Federal funds, as well as the reduction of unnecessary and duplicative burdens and constraints, including unnecessary paperwork, on the recipients of Federal funds; and

(7) to increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.

Certainly sounds as if creating Lesson Plans falls within the DOE's stated purpose. Two websites you may want to check out if you are homeschoolers.
Links to NASA Education
Free Federal (Teaching) Resources for Educational Excellence
 
The Statue they use to support their argument is Sec. 3403. Relationship with States and it merely states that the FEDERAL Government (DOE) can not force the states to USE their LESSON PLANS or a specific CURRICULUM. They didn't, thus no laws were broken.
 
I am very trouble about the disrespect many in our nation are showing Our President. Refusing to address him correctly, insisting on using his middle name, or even worse using racial slurs when referring to President Obama is uncalled for. Even if you do not agree with his politics he is your President, the majority of your fellow Americans voted for him and he was duly elected. Those of you who claim to be Christians should spend less time making false accusations against President Obama and his supporters and more time praying for him and his Presidency.

Carnival of Homeschooling

The HomeSpun Life: Homeschool Carnival: Virtual Blog Conference

Football player wrests gun from girl on bus

And they wonder why people homeschool. Luckily thanks to quick action by another student (the football player) no one was injured.

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Enjoy this weeks CoH.

The Carnival of Homeschooling Has Style

Check out the We've Got Style CoH.

Home Spun Juggling: Carnival of Homeschooling: The Juggling Workshop

Home Spun Juggling: Carnival of Homeschooling: The Juggling Workshop

LOLCATS

The Carnival of Homeschooling is being hosted at HomeschoolBuzz go by and check out the LOLCATS Edition.

*Graphic Courtesy of Zoolatry

Game Day

Visit About Homeschooling for this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling.

Another messy divorce case

This is so NOT a homeschooling issue.

Loving Summer

The Loving Summer edition of The Carnival of Homeschooling is up.

As Time Goes By ~ CoH

Check out the Carnival of Homeschooling hosted at Homeschool CPA

Homeschoolings advantages far outweigh any preconceived shortcomings

My response to Homeschooling is a bad idea by Sylvia Biu. It's really annoying when these ignorant self opinionated people make all these idiotic statements about a subject they obviously know nothing about.

Biu says

There are notable drawbacks to homeschooling children.

Actually I am not aware of any drawbacks to homeschooling. I found homeschooling to be a very positive experience for both my children and myself. And don't you just love people like Sylvia who state their opinions as FACT.

First, unless a parent is himself a previous honor student or a genius who mastered more than just the three R’s, a child may not receive quality home education.

Well I did graduate with honors, but the majority of public school teachers were just average students who didn't graduate with honors and very few public school teachers are geniuses. Are we suppose to believe their students aren't receiving a quality education due to this? If not why would it be a drawback for homeschoolers?

Now, it (homeschooling) is mostly frowned upon for all but severely disabled children or those otherwise unable to attend school for whatever reason.

Really?????? Exactly who is frowning upon homeschooling? Don't you just love it when homeschool critics like Sylvia Biu start making stuff up.

1.1 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2003 - July 2004, U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, NCES study - From 1999 to 2003, the number of homeschooled students in the United States increased, as did the homeschooling rate. The increase in the homeschooling rate (from 1.7 percent to 2.2 percent) represents about 0.5 percent of the 2002–03 school-age population and a 29 percent relative increase over the 4-year period.

All the current data indicates that homeschooling is on the rise.

Besides the issue of academics, there is another glaring downside for children: the socialization factor. Socialization per se is training of sorts. Children must learn to interact and get along with others beyond their immediate family members, preferably outside the home. In certain respects, homeschooling is tantamount to retarding a child by isolating him from the outside world. Social alienation may be as important a basis for opposing homeschooling as its other limits. Phobias and disorders in social settings are often salient results of homeschooling, and become most evident once a homeschooled person attempts to interact in the broader society.

OMG, another idiot that thinks homeschoolers sit home all day. News flash homeschoolers interact with the people in their community on a regular basis.

Home Schooling:From the Extreme to the Mainstream - by Patrick Basham, Cato Institute, Public Policy Sources. This paper has established that home schooling is a thriving educational movement both in Canada and the United States. It has also empirically demonstrated that the academic and socialization outcomes for the average home schooled child are superior to those experienced by the average public school student.

In addition, schools can be excellent monitors and whistleblowers for abused and neglected children. In most if not all schools in the United States, attendance records that are maintained draw attention to truants, children whose poor attendance can indicate their predicament. No such oversight occurs for homeschooled children in peril.

There are already laws that protect children from abuse and neglect. The same laws and agencies that protect preschoolers are also there for homeschooled children.

First and foremost, homeschooling and child abuse are separate issues. Attempts to link the two lack any basis in fact. While there may be homeschooling parents who abuse their children, children are not abused because they are homeschooled. There is no de facto connection between child abuse and homeschooling.

Any regulation specifically focusing on preventing child abuse among homeschoolers would ignore the fact that child abuse occurs in the general population, not just in the homeschooling population. Parents of school children and preschoolers are not singled out for special observation. Background checks, home visits, and other invasions of privacy have been suggested as forms of regulation. Singling out a subset of parents for special observation on the basis of suspicion of abuse would be discriminatory. Mere suspicion does not constitute justification for increasing regulation across the board.
From Homeschooling and Child Abuse: A Response to Recent Media Reports

Homeschooling's advantages far outweigh any preconceived shortcomings by Sylvia Biu and other homeschool critics.

My thanks to Consent Of The Governed for the links, more links and information can be found at her blog so be sure to read the post Homeschooling Statistical Studies.

Mississippi Gulf Coast:: Proposed highway route threatens homes

Mississippi Gulf Coast:: Proposed highway route threatens homes

Carnival of Homeschooling

#185

Why Homeschool: The Carnival of Homeschooling - the Founding Fathers edition

Why Homeschool is hosting this weeks CoH. Check out - the Founding Fathers edition

Not the worst reasons to homeschool

My response to Heather's post Worst reasons to homeschool.

I appreciate that she isn't trying to bash homeschooling but really why are we debating homeschooling? Do we debate public schooling? private schooling?

Heather does admit that there are good reasons to homeschool, she then goes on to state two reasons she considers the worst reasons to homeschool.

First teasing (aka bullying), according to Heather violence is the answer

When my own four-eyed and very sensitive second grade son came to me with playground woes, I told him the most politically incorrect thing you can tell a child. I said, "I can't make other kids respect you, and your teacher can't make other kids respect you; only you can." That's right, I said, "go for the nose!" Problem solved.

I can't believe a public school teacher is advocating violence, and I can't help wonder what school district she lives in because in my school district the "go for the nose"advice would get you expelled. The few parents I know who choose to homeschool because of bullying tried other options first. They talked with the teacher, the principal and the school board. When no help was forthcoming they removed the child from school for their physical safety. And if the teacher is "THE BULLY" (St. Lucie teacher has students vote on whether 5-year-old can stay in class) there is no way for the child to successfully deal with the bully.

I also think that one of the problems with the public schools is their refusal to take bullying seriously. All to often they excuse bullying as "just kids being kids" and the abuse is ignored by teachers as well as the victims fellow classmates. See 4 teens charged as adults in locker room sexual assault case. In the real world if someone is verbally threatening you or physically assaulting you, you can go to the police and get a restraining order to keep your attacker away from you. In school if you go to the teachers or principal you are labeled a tattletale, told to get over it and ignored until the situation gets so out of hand the police are involved.

The next reason she cites is religion. While I don't think religion should be ones main reason for homeschooling I do think wanting your children to learn your values is a valid reason for homeschooling. It's funny she cites religion as one of the worst reasons to homeschool when there are numerous religious private schools that no one finds fault with. Here on the coast where I live there are numerous Catholic Schools, and no one feels the need to question the parents right to send their children to these religious schools, so why should religion be consider one of the worst reasons to homeschool?

Mississippi Gulf Coast: Keep Highway 15 Out of Jackson County

Mississippi Gulf Coast: Keep Highway 15 Out of Jackson County

The Lazy Days of Summer

Carnival of Homeschooling

Carnival of Homeschooling

This week we have Summer Transition.

You can visit last weeks Summer Party here.

Public School Teacher Entices Girl to Send Sexy Photos

A former (public) school teacher is accused of enticing a 14-year-old girl to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself, police said.

Long Beach police arrested Joseph Eugene Council, 32, on multiple charges from a complaint of alleged misconduct in June with a girl who had been one of his students, said Assistant Police Chief Don Bass.

Council was the band and choir director at Pass Christian High and Pass Christian Middle schools.

Disgraceful

Why Homeschool: Update on teacher who had students vote a boy out of class

Tragedy at Holocaust Museum used to take a potshot at homeschoolers.

Apparently some people have to take a potshot at homeschooling no matter what the subject is.

One of the many reasons parents use as a reason for homeschooling is that it protects their children from the violence in public schools. In this particular situation, homeschooling would not have protected these children. This could have been a home school group instead of a group of people with common ties to a local public middle school.

Well at least Lynda Altman realizes homeschoolers do get out of the house.

Carnival of Homeschooling

Drop by Principled Discovery to check out the Field Guide Edition.

What you can learn in a homeschool

Frog Guts, Jell-o and Character by Laura Snyder is her attempt to explain what lessons she thinks your kids will not learn if they are homeschooled and why her kids are still enrolled in public schools that she finds lacking.

I’ve found that the public school system can provide certain benefits that homeschooling could not. These are not necessarily academic benefits, but they are things that all children should know.

For example, my 7th grader dissected a frog in school recently. This is something that I couldn’t do at home. Maybe some parents could, but my stomach is not equipped for gore. My son, however, had no problem describing it in detail at the dinner table. He even told me that one child was sent to the principal’s office because he was playing with his frog and making it dance. A disemboweled dancing frog was apparently too much for the teacher.

Well first off there is nothing gory about dissecting a frog. We not only dissected a frog we dissected a starfish, crayfish, fish, clam and an earthworm (dissection kit). And while no one made the frog dance, we did learn a lot. The son who would have probably happily made the frog as well as the earthworm dance was allergic to the preservative. We worked around his allergy by allowing him to watch through the glass on the garage door.

My daughter was grossed out because frog guts reminded her of the spaghetti that was served in the cafeteria for lunch that day.

Also, she said, the roll was hard, the lettuce was limp, the tomato was rotten, the chocolate milk was warm and her straw had a hole in it, which is why she had a chocolate stain on her new shirt.

Not eating her lunch was probably the reason she ate all of her dinner before my son got to his frog story. Another benefit to public school: Nothing builds character like cafeteria food.

One of the benefits of homeschooling is being able to serve healthy nutritious meals to your children. You can also teach them how to prepare healthy nutritious meals for themselves, create a shopping list and select the best priced item at the grocery store. Real life skills they will need when they are on their own.

“Sucking Jell-o through a straw is okay, but your teacher gets mad if you blow it out!”

Well, that is something I never knew. He certainly wouldn’t have learned that while homeschooling, that’s for sure.

Well my kids managed to learn that while being homeschooled, although it was Mom who got mad when they blew it out. They also learned about mixing a lot of beverages together to make unique drinks and other "kid things".

Those Safe Public Schools?

Hillsborough County prosecutors allege the four boys raped the 13-year-old victim multiple times over two months with a broomstick and hockey stick.

The prosecutor said the victim's screams could be heard outside the boys' locker room at Walker Middle School, in southern Tampa, where the allegedly assaults took place.

Multiple people witnessed the attacks, but no one reported the incidents, including the victim, Hindman said.

HT: HERP&ES

Great Homeschooling Post

Drop by 52 Churches and read

208: It’s True. I Only Homeschool to Piss Off Other People, Part I

Who does the brainwashing parents or public school teachers?

JESSE SCACCIA seems to think homeschool parents brainwash their children, these are what he feels are the risk of homeschooling and my rebuttal.

1. The “Othering” of Public School Students

Apparently it's OK for Jesse Scaccia to criticize homeschooling, homeschool parents and homeschool students but how dare we turn the tables and criticize the public schools and public school students. Apparently it never dawns on Scaccia that he is guilty of the very thing he is accusing homeschoolers of, intolerance. That said the majority of kids who attend public schools are nice kids, unfortunately it is the the trouble makers that make the headlines. Just as homeschoolers are stereotyped at geeky public school students have been stereotyped as troublemakers, sex crazed and drug users. Stereotypes that are not fair to either homeschoolers or public school students.

2. Too Much Control From One (Or Highly Limited) Information Sources

The problem with homeschooling is that the parents construct the learning environment. By so doing, they hand choose what elements of society their child is exposed to. If you don’t think this is dangerous, I don’t know what to say to you. A child taught by parents– even a group of parents– is being made privy to a paucity of the viewpoints and perspectives out there. Given that the homeschooler is likely to choose like-minded suplementary teachers (morally, ethically), this leaves the child, basically, in a position of being brainwashed.

Homeschooling isn't about control and our information sources are not limited. Just like public school students homeschoolers use the Internet, they watch TV, listen to the radio, download MP3's and chat with friends. We do not live in a vacuum.

3. It Takes A Myriad of Worldviews To Build A True Educational Environment

Even more importantly, we all agree that accepting others with different viewpoints is paramount to being a good, well-rounded person. Well, how can a child learn to accept and appreciate others if they aren’t around them?

Apparently it's impossible for Scaccia as he appears to be incapable of accepting homeschoolers, even though he is a product of the enlightened and tolerant public schools. As hard as it for Scaccia to grasp we do get out of the house. We meet people in our neighborhoods, in our community, at the grocery and at various other places.

The goal of education should be to teach one to think for themselves. Not as Scaccia believes to ram beliefs down a student's throat. Scaccia's real problem with homeschooling seems to be that he will miss the opportunity to "brainwash" some students who are lucky enough not to wind up in his classroom because they were homeschooled.

The Case for Homeschooling

Public school teachers must be really worried about their job security if they have to stoop to writing post criticizing homeschooling The case against homeschooling By JESSE SCACCIA. HT: Principled Discovery Do homeschoolers care too much?

Here are my (JESSE SCACCIA) top ten reasons why homeschooling parents are doing the wrong thing:

10. “You were totally home schooled” is an insult college kids use when mocking the geeky kid in the dorm (whether or not the offender was home schooled or not). And… say what you will… but it doesn’t feel nice to be considered an outsider, a natural outcropping of being homeschooled.

This reeks of desperation. I mean ADULTS are suppose to make educational choices for their children based on insults college kids use. Am I to infer that Jesse Scaccia would advocate removing children from public schools if college kids were to start using the phrase "You were totally public schooled" as an insult. And while Jesse Scaccia may view homeschoolers as "outsiders" others do not.

9. Call me old-fashioned, but a students’ classroom shouldn’t also be where they eat Fruit Loops and meat loaf (not at the same time I hope). It also shouldn’t be where the family gathers to watch American Idol or to play Wii. Students–from little ones to teens–deserve a learning-focused place to study. In modern society, we call them schools.

I like to think the world is our classroom.

8. Homeschooling is selfish. According to this article in USA Today, students who get homeschooled are increasingly from wealthy and well-educated families. To take these (I’m assuming) high achieving students out of our schools is a disservice to our less fortunate public school kids. Poorer students with less literate parents are more reliant on peer support and motivation, and they greatly benefit from the focus and commitment of their richer and higher achieving classmates.

As a parent I am responsible for making sure MY CHLDREN get the best education possible. No one has a problem with wealthy parents sending their children to the best colleges or the best private schools, so why are homeschoolers accused of being selfish for providing their children with the best education available to them. Jesse Scaccia argument smacks of socialism. I suppose Scaccia thinks we should all live in public housing because not everyone can afford a nice house.

7. God hates homeschooling. The study, done by the National Center for Education Statistics, notes that the most common reason parents gave as the most important was a desire to provide religious or moral instruction. To the homeschooling Believers out there, didn’t God say “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”? Didn’t he command, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me”? From my side, to take your faithful children out of schools is to miss an opportunity to spread the grace, power and beauty of the Lord to the common people. (Personally I’m agnostic, but I’m just saying…)

Well personally I could care less how God feels about homeschooling, apparently Jesse Scaccia is one of those people who believe those stupid homeschool stereotypes. Memo: ALL HOMESCHOOLERS ARE NOT CHRISTIAN FUNDEMENTALIST. In fact there are agnostic homeschoolers.

6. Homeschooling parent/teachers are arrogant to the point of lunacy. For real! My qualifications to teach English include a double major in English and education, two master’s degrees (education and journalism), a student teaching semester and multiple internship terms, real world experience as a writer, and years in the classroom dealing with different learning styles. So, first of all, homeschooling parent, you think you can teach English as well as me? Well, maybe you can. I’ll give you that. But there’s no way that you can teach English as well as me, and biology as well as a trained professional, and history… and Spanish… and art… and counsel for college as well as a school’s guidance counselor… and… and…

And we all know ALL public school teachers are as well educated as Jesse Scaccia (LOL). The beauty of homeschooling is PARENTS DO NOT HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING THEMSELVES. We join homeschool co-ops where parents teach classes that they are proficient in, we hire tutors, we enroll our children in college classes for dual credit, we take advantage of classes offered by museums for homeschool students. The list of resources available to homeschoolers is endless.

5. As a teacher, homeschooling kind of pisses me off. (That’s good enough for
#5.)

As a homeschooler Jesse Scaccia attitude toward homeschooling pisses me off. # 5 is a poor reason on Jesse Scaccia's part, apparently Scaccia was grasping at straws to find a #5. I know many public school teachers who are supportive of homeschooling. In fact I know some public school teachers who have "retired" in order to homeschool their own children.

4. Homeschooling could breed intolerance, and maybe even racism. Unless the student is being homeschooled at the MTV Real World house, there’s probably only one race/sexuality/background in the room. How can a young person learn to appreciate other cultures if he or she doesn’t live among them?

Jesse Scaccia displays a remarkable lack of tolerance for homeschoolers. Could it be because he is a product of PUBLIC SCHOOLS????? This criticism is so OUTDATED. Scaccia please keep up with the times, homeschoolers are a diverse bunch (more on homeschool diversity here) and there are INCLUSIVE Homeschool Groups.

3. And don’t give me this “they still participate in activities with public school kids” garbage. Socialization in our grand multi-cultural experiment we call America is a process that takes more than an hour a day, a few times a week. Homeschooling, undoubtedly, leaves the child unprepared socially.

Really that explains why the "Soccer Mom" didn't realize there were four homeschooled kids on her sons soccer team, see my post But They Are So Normal.

2. Homeschooling parents are arrogant, Part 2. According to Henry Cate, who runs the Why Homeschool blog, many highly educated, high-income parents are “probably people who are a little bit more comfortable in taking risks” in choosing a college or line of work. “The attributes that facilitate that might also facilitate them being more comfortable with home-schooling.

”More comfortable taking risks with their child’s education? Gamble on, I don’t know, the Superbowl, not your child’s future.

I don't think homeschooling is gambling with your child's future. It was very rewarding for us. My eldest son started college at 16. This is his senior year and he will graduate with a BS Degree in Computer Science. My youngest son starts college this fall.

1. And finally… have you met someone homeschooled? Not to hate, but
they do tend to be pretty geeky***.

Nice if you can't come up with a good reason insult them. I attended public school there were "geeky kids" , "weird kids" and other "social misfits" in my public school classrooms. Even though they had attended public school their whole life they never really fit in. If you attend public school be honest; you know some too.

Public School Teacher shoots live in companion

A Moss Point High teacher has posted a $25,000 bond and been released in a criminal charge alleging she shot her live-in companion, said Police Sgt. Joycelyn Craig.

The Carnival of Homeschooling - the Baby Bop edition

The Cate's welcome their son into the family with Why Homeschool: The Carnival of Homeschooling - the Baby Bop edition

Professional Public School Teacher Arrested for Theft From the PTA

A former Pascagoula elementary school teacher has been arrested in Mobile and charged with the theft of $20,000 from a Mobile elementary school PTA before she came to work in Pascagoula.

Jacqueline Johnson-Paige of Mobile is accused of using the Craighead Elementary School PTA debit card to book about a dozen hotel rooms and to rent a storage facility while employed at the Mobile school and acting as the teacher and PTA treasurer from January 2004 to August 2006, according to the Mobile County District Attorney’s office.

Reflections on Homeschooling Part II ~The Annoyance Factor

Amy Platon's ranting about a Home School Epidemic? on her blog Scribble Ink Cafe and in the Orlando Sentinel My Word: Amy Platon: Home-schoolers, don't quit system is a prime example of those annoying people homeschoolers will have to deal with. ( See Dana Hanley's charming rebuttal Should homeschoolers stick with the system? at Principled Discovery). She's typical of those who know nothing about homeschooling but feel their ill formed opinion about homeschooling is worthy of broadcasting, thus perpetrating those infuriating homeschool stereotypes (more of my post on homeschool stereotypes can be found here).

As an involved parent, I have elected the public school route. I could never home school my child because I personally don’t think it’s fair to him. He would have to put up with me all day, and as much as we love each other, that would be too much of a good thing. Also, I don’t think I’m qualified. I pay professionals to do lots of things in my life, and when we are talking about my child’s education, I feel I’m better as a support. Then there is the social factor. I know my boy would never forgive me if I told him he couldn’t go to school. He’s made too many great friends there.

There in nothing unfair about choosing to homeschool your child. I would never question another parents decision to send their child to public school and find it highly offensive that Ms. Platon chooses to question my decision to homeschool. I am not sure what planet Ms. Platon lives on but the majority of homeschool parents do not stay home alone all day "putting up with their kids". We join homeschool co-ops, homeschool groups, go on field trips and sign our children up for recreational sports leagues, Boy/Girl Scouts and a whole host of other activities.

Some people choose to engage professionals for a host of things that other individuals choose to tackle on their own. I have been blessed with a husband who can do a multitude of task; plumbing, wiring, fixing computers, laying tile, painting, building greenhouses and working on our vehicles that others choose to pay professionals to do. Just because you choose to engage a professional doesn't mean that another family should have too.

Then Ms. Platon brings up the socialization issue (more post on socialization here). Did her son not have friends until he started school? Homeschooled children play with the children in their neighborhood, with other homeschooled children at park days and other homeschool get togethers, and the children who participate in the various other activities they participate in. As they grow older they keep in touch with their friends via cell phones and the Internet. Socialization is so not a issue.

The part of this growing home-school trend that worries me, is that we will end up with adults who have learned that if the system is not good enough, then leave it. If the work’s not good enough, do it yourself. If you fear it, quit.

Does she really expect parents to keep their children in an inferior system if there is something better available just because it's what the majority of parents choose to do? Would she really put up with a shoddy job by a professional IF she could do it better? And does she really think parents should put their children in harms way?

Ms. Platon's attitude is indicative of the morass that has lead to the economic woes Americans are currently embroiled in. Our grandparents generation and to some extent our parents generation had a "can do" attitude that is sadly lacking in most of today's generation. Once most people performed most of their own home and automotive maintenance, a man/woman who was handy around the house was admired. Today being able to "hire someone" to do the work is viewed as a mark of success and the handy man is held in disdain by the Ms. Platon's of the world.

Home-schooled children are kept all to themselves, and others like them, unable to influence the kids who really need it. If you are a good parent, then be a good parent and send your child out into the world so he can make a difference. I will speak for my son, we (the future society) need you to be check in with the rest of us. We need to grow together. We need to learn from each other.

Oh please, homeschoolers are a very diverse group (more post on homeschool diversity here), and homeschooled children are NOT kept all to themselves. Why is it that non-homeschoolers believe homeschoolers live in some sort of bubble? Homeschoolers are involved in their communities and are involved in volunteer work, believe me homeschoolers do make a difference and we don't need the sanctimonious public school Mom Amy Platon to tell us the importance of being engaged involved citizens.

So that said, I’ll tell you how I settle my personal fears, with the public school what-ifs. I volunteer in my child’s class. I help the teacher where she needs it, and I get to know the other kids in the class. I encourage play dates with his classmates, so I can get to know other parents. I go to all the birthday parties we are invited to.

Her naivety is amusing I wonder what she is going to do when her child is older and she is no longer welcome in the classroom.

I help my child with areas where he needs improvement at home. I help him excel in key areas at home and over the summer.

Jeez I wonder if she realizes how contradictory that statement is, she does not think she is qualified to homeschool but works with her child in key areas after school and over the summer.

And finally, I've turned off the news! I Avoid it at all costs!

Well there is an intelligent attitude ignore the news, yep I am sure that if she ignores all the bad things that happen in her child's public school and the rest of the world they will just go away.

If this post reaches even one parent confused about this issue, I hope I have inspired you to stay involved in your community by participating in the public school system.

You don't have to participate in the public school system to be involved in your community. Unfortunately if some confused parent did read her post all they came away with was erroneous homeschool stereotypes and misinformation.

Written by a former homeschool parent whose children are now in college.

The Carnival of Homeschooling ............

can be found at The Common Room this week.

Reflections on Homeschooling Part 1 ~ Getting Started

We never intended to be a homeschooling family. When our eldest reached school age we happily sent him off to Kindergarten. When my youngest started school I became a substitute teacher at their schools. Then some snobby woman with connections to the school board decided that her taste in clothing should be inflicted on all the students who were unfortunate enough to attend the same school as her child and the mandatory public school uniform policy was born. A policy we opposed, click here and here to see why.

After we lost the court case ( Brody v. The Jackson County School Board) we examined our options. The only private schools in our area are religious and mostly Catholic. We didn't feel comfortable sending our children to a school that had religious beliefs different then our own. So we researched homeschooling on the Internet. The most difficult part of getting started was finding secular textbooks. After we finally found textbooks we were happy with we started looking for Homeschooling Support Groups. At that time the only groups in our area were Christian Groups who required a statement of faith to join. Now thankfully there is an INCLUSIVE group called PEAK that we belong to.

So with our secular textbooks and our inclusive group we were ready to get started on our homeschooling journey.............

Part II

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Homeschool Dad is hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling.

Homeschool Injustice, Homeschool Discrimination or Just Angry Women Getting A Divorce?

I am probably going to make a lot of enemies with this post, but I am very trouble by the way some bloggers are attempting to manipulate homeschoolers. We have the blogs Homeschool Injustice and Homeschool Discrimination, which given their names one would think dealt with homeschooling issues. But they don't they are both blogs about women who are in the midst of messy divorces. Both women are angry that the courts have ordered their children into public or private schools. Both feel that their parental rights are being violated and both feel the Father shouldn't have any rights, and in both instances the Father has requested that his children be sent to public or private school. I think it's a moot point that in the past the Father was OK with homeschooling, people including Father's are allowed to change their minds about what is in the best interest of their children.

Neither case is a homeschooling issue and as we are not privy to the personal details that may lead a judge to rule in favor of the Father's request to send the children to public school we should stay out of it.

Judges are ruling in favour of homeschooling in divorce cases, we do not need to march, protest, or rally the troops in those instances when judges decide public school is in the children's best interest.

From Court Monitor
Staub V Staub
This decision thereby recognized that home schooling is equivalent in merit to public schooling. While the Court left the ultimate power in the hands of family court to decide the educational fate of children after divorce, this ruling sets an important precedent by placing home schooling on footing equal to public schooling.
Staub v. Staub, 2008 PA Super 251 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2008). http://www.superior.court.state.pa.us/opinions/A13018_08.PDF.

The key to the judges ruling in Staub v. Staub seems to be the Mother's attitude toward the Father and his ability to participate in the homeschooling if he choose.

If homeschooling is on an equal footing with public schooling then homeschoolers aren't being discriminated against and there is no injustice involved. As they should the courts will look at the cases on an individual basis and make the decision they feel is best for the children. The children may not be thrilled with the decision (especially if the parent who loses bleats on and on about how awful the decision is), the parent who loses won't be happy but there is no injustice or discrimination involved.

It's official

85% of the voters want Alasandra's Homeschool Blog Awards to continue. I'll need a nifty badge/button for 2009. So feel free to put on your thinking caps and submit one. Badges/Buttons can be submitted anytime before August 1st. During August the badges/buttons will be voted on and one will be chosen. In September I'll ask for nominees.

Fundamentalist bloggers spreading misinformation again

Courtroom injustices are all the rage on fundamentalist homeschooling blogs and Wing (er I mean World) Net Daily. Of course they never bother to get their facts straight.

This is what really happened courtesy of Right Juris.Com

Now back to the story. There are clear warnings posted at the Courthouse to turn off your cell phones and not to use them in the Courtroom. She is being held for warning her husband about the actions that the opposing party were taking to collect the debt. I am sure this sounds pretty innocent, but think about what would happen if this type of behavior were allowed to go unpunished. Parties would simply have text messages sent out from the Courtroom instructing third parties to hide or dispose of assets if a hearing did not look favorable. It’s the content of the text that really got her into trouble with the Judge. I know I’m going to sound like the crotchety old man here, but people these days have no sense of manners when it comes to text messaging. Text messages in church, class, driving, and other equally inappropriate places is a huge problem. This type of behavior needs to be dealt with.

Mrs. Henwood was released from jail today after talking to the judge and having him explain why he put her in jail.

Not this Woman gets 30 days in jail for texting in court

Perhaps the fundamentalist bloggers should get more savvy and rely on something other the Wing Nut Daily for their information.

Homeschooling in nothing like creationism

I always enjoy the thoughtful post at Principled Discovery, Homeschooling as a protest movement is such a post.

This lead me to read Objections to evolution arise from incorrect interpretation of the facts Posted by Lawrence Kapture. I agree with a lot of his post, but I am infuriated by his assumption that all homeschoolers are anti-evolution idiots. Many homeschoolers BELIVE IN EVOLUTION and teach the theory of evolution to our children.

Homeschooling is essentially a protest movement. Regardless of motivation, homeschoolers believe public schools are unable to prepare their children to live in the world.

There is nothing inherently wrong with protesting. Many important reforms (Civil Rights to name one) have been enacted due to people protesting behavior they believed to be wrong. I proudly admit that my family left the Jackson County Public Schools in PROTEST of the mandatory public school uniform policy and it's socialist overtones. But we choose homeschooling because of the many opportunities and benefits it offered to my family.

Unfortunately, what homeschooling can do is isolate children from the market of ideas, especially when it comes to biological science. There is a large amount of fringe literature published by religious groups that support the claims of creationists while providing no real information about the vast field of evolutionary biology.

Homeschooling does not isolate children from "ideas" anymore then the public schools do. In fact many homeschooling parents understand the difference in a scientific theory like evolution and Aunt Betty's theory of who shot JR. We embrace the field of evolutionary biology and make sure our children are well educated in science.

Homeschooling allows families to isolate their children from good information by providing them only with information that is comfortable with their own biases.

Homeschoolers have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Homeschooled children are just as capable of navigating the Internet as public school students are. Frankly I am amazed at the ignorant people who assume homeschoolers are isolated from the world.

Like homeschooling is a protest against public schools, creationism is a protest against anything that opposes a literal interpretation of the Bible. When it comes to the origins of life, creationism is not a scientifically educated movement.

Homeschooling is nothing like creationism. Creationism is a religious belief. It has nothing to do with science and does not belong in a science classroom. Homeschooling is an educational choice, just like sending your child to public school or private school is an educational choice.

A good reason for homeschoolers to protest

Actually this is a good reason for all Americans to be up in arms not just homeschoolers, that is IF it was TRUE.

Carnival of Homeschooling: Spring Fever 2009

Check out Carnival of Homeschooling: Spring Fever 2009

Visit Corn & Oil

to read the Carnival of Homeschooling: No Child Left Inside

Public School Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Two Students

More charges were levied Wednesday against a former North Gulfport 7th & 8th Grade School teacher accused of having sex with two students.

Read the rest in The Sun Herald.

Carnival of Homeschooling - Peter Rabbit Edition

I loved the Peter Rabbit stories growing up, so it was with great pleasure I sat down to read the Carnival of Homeschooling - Peter Rabbit Edition

Stuck in the past

One means to help preserve the ancient "boundary stones" of Biblical meanings is to use Noah Webster's original 1828 dictionary rather than the new on-line dictionaries that are moving further and further away from Biblical meanings.

Having a common language that is readily understood by all helps prevent confusion. Using an outdated dictionary is sure to put the user at a disadvantage as he/she will not understand how the word is being used TODAY (which happens to be the period in which we live) and the user will also be unaware of new words that have come into vogue like "d'oh!". Look for language scores on the ACT/SAT to go down for homeschoolers who take Wayne's advice.

Give Act

There has been a lot of angst over the Give Act in homeschool circles, In its current form, the legislation does not include a mandate requiring service. I don't have a problem with it as long as the service is voluntary.

Derek Shore-KFOX News Reporter Questions Homeschoolers Being Left Alone

If these kids had been enrolled in public school and out for spring break I doubt that would have been mention in the article Fire Has Some Wondering Why Kids Were Alone.

I agree with Principled Discovery, it depends on the situation, read her post Is our culture too overprotective of children?

Carnival of Homeschooling

A Pondering Heart is hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling and she encourages you to get your gardens going. I have been doing a lot of gardening these last few weeks. The English Dogwood in the Whiskers Memorial Butterfly Garden is a mass of blooms.

Mississippi Gulf Coast: Gulf Restoration Network (GRN)

Help stop the Richton Salt Dome Project, find out how at Mississippi Gulf Coast: Gulf Restoration Network (GRN)

Spring Fever

Janice Campbell at Taking Time for Things That Matter is hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling. She has some gorgeous pictures of flowers for you to view along with some great post. I thought I would show you this yellow Swamp Iris that is growing in the Whiskers Memorial Butterfly Garden at my house.

To defend Venessa Mills right to homeschool in light of this evidence is akin to defending abuse

A good synopsis of the Mill's case, Opinion: Did NC Judge Ned Mangum go too far in home-schooling case? at Digital Journal.

From the comments on another post
Crimson Wife said...

Sometimes defending freedom means defending people with whom one 100% disagrees. I support the right of Christian Dominionists to homeschool just as I support the right of neo-Nazis or the KKK to hold a non-violent march down city streets. We cannot pick & choose whom to grant freedoms to based on popularity.

I agree, but the Mills case isn't so cut and dried. Family members and close friends have expressed concerns about the Mother's homeschooling the children.

Her father and mother described, under oath that she had become controlling and domineering, instilling fear in her children.

A lifelong friend of the woman stated in a sworn affidavit that their friendship withered away since the woman joined the Sound Doctrine Church. She states that the woman has distanced herself from her parents and her sisters, that the woman has an extreme control over her children, that they are more withdrawn than is to be considered normal and that the behaviour of the children when she saw them in June 2008 was alarming. Other people make similar statements.

This is mental abuse and in light of this testimony and other testimony the judge was 100% right to order the children be sent to public school.

It's also interesting to see the DEMANDS Venessa Mills made, keep in mind the children are 10, 11 and 12 years old.

Although the husband has a good job, no criminal record, and no history of substance abuse or domestic violence, the woman has asked for several court orders:

• -Limiting the husband from having any overnights visits with his children.
• -Limiting the husband from seeing his children to a total of 9 hours a week.
• -Removing all decision making authority away from the husband related to education and religion.
• -To not allow the husband any regular visitation on Sundays.
• -Limiting the husband's phone calls to the children to only those that are scheduled beforehand.
• -To order that the husband to not allow the children to have contact with any ex-Sound Doctrine members or anyone hostile to the organization.

Based on all this, Judge Ned Mangum finds that the woman is alienating her children from their maternal grandparents, their aunt, and most importantly their father. He also finds that the affidavits of the woman's parents, sister, and lifelong friends are credible as they have known her for many years.

To defend Venessa Mills right to homeschool in light of this evidence is akin to defending abuse. Homeschoolers MUST NOT support Venessa Mills.

HT: HERP&ES post HS Justice

Not all homeschoolers are wingnuts with large families

Home school advocate
Sen. Gilbert Baker would never require a child to attend a public school. But he does propose to require public school districts to allow home schoolers to play sports and participate in extracurricular activities in the public school districts in which they live. He also doesn't want to let public school districts join organizations that might set rules against participation by private school or home schooled students.

Unfortunately most of the comments are hateful and prejudiced against homeschoolers. I am so tired of "the prejudiced fools" who assume all homeschoolers are wingnuts with large families.

Not Homeschooling

This isn't homeschooling.

A truely liberated mind would champion homeschooling

My response to Writings of a Liberated Mind's post Homeschooling is NOT the answer

She says

the children being homeschooled are limited to their parent's ability to relay information and the previous schooling of the parents. In a school setting, children are provided with perspectives and knowledge from a very wide pool of minds.

This is not true. Homeschoolers have a wide array of resources at their disposal. Not only can the parents relay information to their children but they can take advantage of distance learning courses, co-ops where parents share their knowledge of particular subjects, also many homeschoolers are enrolled in classes just for homeschoolers offered through local museums and often older homeschoolers are enrolled in college classes for dual credit. Homeschoolers are unlimited in their ability to seek knowledge in a wide variety of places. Also many homeschoolers are able to travel and experience different cultures with their families due to the flexibility homeschooling offers.

She says

Socially, homeschool does not expose children to peer pressure. Peer pressure can be a good thing and it can be a negative thing. Regardless, children need to learn how to handle peer pressure situations and how to interact with their peers (especially the ones that are different from themselves).

Not so, homeschoolers interact with the people in their community. We join civic associations, recreational sports leagues, community theater groups , Scouts, 4-H and many other groups. Many older homeschoolers often hold part time jobs in the community or work as volunteers. Not only do our children have many chances to interact with their peers they have the chance to learn from their elders.

She says

bias of the parents (whether for or against religion) will color the type and method of education. Even atheist children need to learn how to talk with and interact with religious people.

Public schools are full of bias, books contain the biases of their authors, bias is a part of life and not a reason to deny parents the right to homeschool their children. Also the face of homeschooling is changing, many of us belong to inclusive homeschool groups and associate with families vastly different then our own.

She says

Finally, I find the motive of parents who show a desire to homeschool their children to be selfish. They want to have 100% control of what is let into their child's brain.

This is a very cruel way to stereotype loving parents. The majority of parents choose to homeschool because they believe it is in the best interest of their children. Most families make sacrifices in order to homeschool. I don't know any parent who wants to have 100% control of what is let into their child's brain. This is akin to someone saying that parents who show a desire to send their children to public school are selfish because they want to educate their children at taxpayer expense and have no desire to stay home with them. We all know this is false and would be offended if someone said it. We should be equally offended when someone puts down homeschool parents and labels them as selfish.

Homeschooling is a valid educational choice and a truly liberated mind would embrace homeschooling and the freedom it offers.

Carnival of Homeschooling: Spring 2009 edition

Homeschool Buzz is hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling, the pictures of spring alone are worth the visit.

Why Homeschoolers should not support Venessa Mills

The News Observer states School case raises ire. But why is it raising ire amongst Venessa Mills and her supporters? HSLDA is usually among the first to scream our homeschooling freedoms are being encroached on, but they don't seem in the least concerned about the judges ruling.

The Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Association has a policy against accepting home-school cases that are part of divorce or custody battles. Spokesman Ian Slatter said judges have ordered homeschooled students into public schools before, but the group does not track such cases.

"Unfortunately, divorces are fairly common," Slatter said. "These sorts of questions are put before judges on a regular basis."

Maybe because it isn't a HOMESHOOL ISSUE and will in no way impact other homeschoolers.

Then we have Homeschool Injustice bleating that it's not in the children's best interest to spend an equal amount of time with their father in her post Why 50/50 Is Not In The Best Interests of Children . The post completely ignores the realities of modern day life, where often both parents work and both the Mother and Father only spend evenings and weekends with their children. She also seems oblivious to the fact that as a single mother Venessa Mills will need to work outside the home to support herself. And if we want to talk about whats in the best interest of the children

Recent research reveals a negative impact of divorce on children's welfare as a consequence of the reduction in monetary and time contributions by the non-custodian parent. When the custody arrangement is sole custody, the variables that link the absent parent to the child are visitations and child support transfers.

Apparently contrary to what Ms. Williams believes joint custody has been proven to be in the best interest of the children.

Under the circumstances, only a heartless, ignorant, or prejudiced individual would fail to understand Venessa Mills' demands, or fail to see that they were solely motivated by her desire to protect her children.

Venessa Mills didn't put her children first when she choose to divorce her husband and destroy their family so why should we automatically assume that she is putting them first now. And if she truly believes that shared custody isn't in the children's best interest she could always let Thomas Mills have full custody.

(The judge's intent from the beginning was to force these parents back together and out of his courtroom, acting like a liberal-biased marriage counselor instead of being a judge.)

I seen to recall the Bible saying

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. -King James Bible Matthew 19:6

So I would have thought that a judge who tried to prevent a divorce would receive kudos from professed Christians instead of their ire for trying to do what was best for the children and keep the parents together if at all possible.

Ms. Williams' post Constitutional Injustice is even more ludicrous.

he prejudicially chooses to restrict the mother's financial support to a level intended to limit her ability to practice her religion

I am not even sure what Ms. Williams means by that. How much money does Venessa Mills need to practice her religion? Who is suppose to finance her religious beliefs?

I have no doubt that Mr. Mills infidelity hurt Venessa Mills a great deal and I feel sorry that she had to deal with that pain. But she had choices. She could have forgiven her husband and worked to save the marriage. Instead she chose to divorce him while naively believing that nothing in her life or her children's lives would change other then her marital status.

Why homeschoolers should not support Venessa Mills?

1. No one should be forced to homeschool. The children's father has indicated that he wants the kids to be in public school and that he believes it will be in the best interest of the children.
2. Venessa Mills' parents have concerns about the situation. Homeschoolers have insisted that we don't need further regulations as abuse can be spotted and reported by people other than teachers including friends, family, doctors and neighbors. Enough people have raised concerns about this ONE SITUATION that the judge is right to listen and take steps to prevent abuse.
3. The chief complaint about Mr. Mills is that he committed adultery. While this certainly makes him a BAD HUSBAND it doesn't automatically disqualify him as a FATHER.
4. Homeschoolers have worked hard to garner political clout, it shouldn't be squandered on a messy divorce case. Which is why HSLDA isn't involved.
5. Championing Venessa Mills in light of all the allegations and concerns raised by family members smacks of fanaticism not a well reasoned logical decision.

Lets save the rallying for something that matters

Williams is rallying homeschoolers from across the nation to fight back to defend their rights as Americans to educate their children.

Great a small minority of homeschoolers are determined to defend homeschoolers from the bogeyman and are making all homeschoolers look like idiots.

Venessa Mills is fighting a legal battle for the heart and soul of homeschooling in North Carolina.

Wow, I thought she was just divorcing her husband and trying to take him to the cleaners in the process. I mean most normal people realize that in order to be a housewife and stay at home Mom you need to be married. If you choose to divorce your husband then you are going to need to get a job and support yourself and that probably means your kids will have to go to public school. I certainly would not choose cult member, Venessa Mills as the poster child for homeschooling.

Robyn Williams, friend and homeschool mother of four was present at the proceeding. "I have never seen such injustice and such a direct attack against homeschooling," said Williams.

Attack on homeschooling, surely she is kidding. The judge never attacked homeschoolers. Homeschoolers in North Carolina are still free to homeschool their children. This case has nothing to do with homeschoolers in general. This is a divorce case pure and simple. If Venessa Mills had not sued her husband for divorce the judge would not be deciding what the best educational choice for the Mills children would be, the parents would be working it out between themselves. The Father wanted the kids in public school, due to various facts the judge decided that the Father's desire to have his children educated in the public schools should be granted.

If homeschoolers want to be taken seriously we need to carefully consider what we are rallying for. As Principled Discovery asked What if the NC judge’s ruling against homeschooling is the best possible?

And second is something of real concern to me. In abuse case after abuse case, our defense of homeschooling is that abuse is a social issue, not an educational one. That increased regulation will only put an unnecessary burden on homeschooling families while doing nothing to help children in abusive situations. That we live in our communities and that abuse can be spotted and reported by people other than teachers including friends, family, doctors and neighbors. Then a case comes to court in which the father has concerns about his children’s homeschooling. It goes a little beyond simply believing children are better off in public school, although that is really all the reason a parent needs to opt to place a child in public school. He backs this concern up with testimony from other people in the community about what his wife’s church is like. And we are going to not only jump on the judge for a bias against homeschooling but for a bias against religion as well? I’m not sure that it is wise to so reflexively defend homeschooling that we are willing to disregard the testimonies of people close to the situation who may be raising valid concerns not with homeschooling in general but with a particular situation. Maybe the decision is the best possible in the situation. Most of us don’t really know.

It seems to me that the checks and balances that homeschoolers have insisted are in place to protect children worked in this instance. To blindly insist that Venessa Mills must be allowed to homeschool in light of her husbands opposition and the concerns of her own family is WRONG and will harm legitimate homeschoolers and their right to homeschool.

This is homeschool advocacy at its worst

Patrice Lewis in her post Playing God with homeschoolers totally ignores the facts.

She maintains the children in the Mills case are being forced into public school against the parent's wishes. When in actual fact the FATHER, asked that his children be placed in public school.

Ms. Lewis is also ignoring the fact that Mrs. Mills' own parents think she belongs to a cult and is being brainwashed. They testified on their son in laws behalf.

And somehow it gets lost in the MEAN JUDGE will not make my soon to be ex-husband give me enough money to continue to be a Stay at Home Mom and homeschool my kids whining that Venessa Mills was the one that instigated the divorce that led to all this upheaval in her children's lives.

Do homeschoolers have anything to worry about from the judges decision? NO, this ruling will not effect you, HSLDA even agrees, this is NOT A HOMESHOOLING ISSUE.

Certified Public School Teachers Having Sex With Students

In the past 14 months, three Coast teachers have been arrested and charged with having sexual relationships with minors.

Read more in The Sun Herald.

Mississippi Gulf Coast: Our environment is still at risk from salt dome project

Mississippi Gulf Coast: Our environment is still at risk from salt dome project

Cult not homeschooling at root of decision

According to the News & Observer Judge: 'Cult' factored in ruling.

Contrary to what the Fundamentalist Christians are proclaiming this is not a threat to homeschooling or some horrible injustice against homeschoolers.

The judge even noted that he recognizes the benefits of home schooling. His concern is that after Venessa Mills joined the Sound Doctrine Church of Enumclaw in 2005 she became alienated from her husband and her parents. (Her own parents testified against her) and that she was attempting to alienate the children from their father and their maternal grandparents. I also think it's important to note that he didn't DEMAND they immediately be placed in public school. They will start public school in the fall.

"Based on all of the evidence, the court finds that Ms. Mills engaged in behavior that alienates the minor children from their maternal grandparents, their aunt, and most importantly their father," Mangum wrote.

I don't even think you could call this a religious issue as he was fair to both parents.

Among other provisions, the written order said the parents will have joint custody of the children -- who are 12, 11 and 10 -- and that both parents can "practice their own religion and expose children to same."

Sadly these parents didn't share the same religious views and apparently their religious views were so incompatible it led to divorce. Naturally both parents want to share their beliefs and world views with their children. The judge made it possible for both to do so, there is no injustice in that.

And while hsinjustice vilifies Thomas Mills it was Venessa Mills who filed for divorce.

Even HSLDA says this isn't a homeschooling issue.

Despite the outcry, Ian Slatter, a spokesman for the Home School Legal Defense Association, a Virginia-based group that backs home-school parents, say these kinds of custody cases are more common than people realize

"It's a tragedy of divorce, but we don't see any broad implications,"
Slatter said.

The outcry by some homeschoolers is uncalled for.

Hal Young, a member of the board of Johnston County Home Educators, a support group for home-school parents, said it is upsetting that a judge can so radically alter a family's lifestyle.

Let's get one thing straight the judge didn't alter this family's lifestyle Venessa Mills did when she filed for divorce.

HT: HERP&ES

Homeschooling Concerns Baseless

VJACK's post Atheist Homeschooling listed some of his concerns about homeschooling in general and atheist (really anyone who isn't part of the Fundamentalist Christian Homeschooling community) homeschoolers in particular. This is my response.

First I don't believe imparting your moral values is a "wrong reason" to homeschool. This is my response to VJACK's post Homeschooling is About Indoctrination. Public schools also indoctrinate children often with views that are different then, even hostile to their parents world view. Unfortunately no matter who is doing the teaching be it a public school teacher or a parent their biases will be part of the lesson. Parents have every right to impart their "moral values" to their children. And while I am pro-choice anti-choice parents have every right to teach their children their beliefs. I am very disturbed by VJACK's desire to indoctrinate children through the public school system with his beliefs in opposition to their parents beliefs.

I suppose the thing I would most worry about if I were an atheist parent considering homeschooling would be the issue of academic equivalency.

I have no doubt that my children received a superior education compared to what they would have received in the public schools. My eldest son started college at 16, he is in his fourth year of a computer science degree. He is also paying his own tuition with a scholarship and the money he earns at his part time job. He will graduate debt free. My youngest son is in his senior year of high school and is taking a course at the local community college for dual credit, he has an A in the class. Parents who choose to homeschool invest time and money in their children's education we are highly motivated to see that our children are well prepared for college and life. VJACK basis his concern on this

As someone who teaches college, I have found that the homeschooled children who end up there are often seriously unprepared to succeed.

I wonder how many of the public school students who end up in his classroom are also unprepared to succeed? I also wonder how many well prepared homeschooled students are in his classroom that he never realizes were homeschooled because they don't fit into his stereotypes of homeschooling?

According to Associated Content

A common homeschool myth is the one that assumes children who attend a homeschool will not be prepared for college. However, many college recruiters disagree with this myth, and in fact, some even prefer homeschooled students. Why? Many students who homeschool have advanced studying skills, such as the knowledge of various resources, as well as the ability to work well independently. Homeschoolers can also possess exceptional teamwork and social skills, which are very essential to many college courses. In addition to the above qualities, many homeschooled children begin taking college level courses before they are finished with their K-12 education, due to the flexibility of their schedules and the opportunity to advance at one's own pace.

The second concern involves the social development of the homeschooled child. In many respects, the social aspects of the school experience as as important as the academic ones. Christians who homeschool are probably going to have an easier time finding others homeschooling through their church than atheist parents can find through some alternative. How does the atheist parent attend to social development and prevent his or her child from being woefully unprepared to form positive peer relations?

The simple answer to this is you form your own homeschool groups or find inclusive and secular ones. There are also recreational sports teams/drama clubs/chess clubs etc. your children can join.

While I do not see this as a major barrier, I also wonder if it could be argued that an atheist parent who homeschools might be doing his or her children a disservice by depriving them of the opportunity to learn how to navigate the challenges of living as an atheist among a largely religious populace.

Funnily enough the opposite argument (it could be argued that a CHRISTIAN parent who homeschools might be doing his or her children a disservice by depriving them of the opportunity to learn how to navigate the challenges of living as an CHRISTIAN among a largely secular/materalistic populace) is often made in reference to religious homeschoolers who feel the public schools are a cesspool of secular humanism. Homeschoolers do not live in splendid isolation. We meet all sorts of people from various backgrounds merely by going about our daily lives. It's also ironic that VJACK assumes that his children will share his atheist beliefs, but then I suppose he intends to brainwash or indoctrinate them with his beliefs.

And before I start getting a lot of hostile comments for that bit of snark let me elaborate. All parents have the desire to pass their beliefs or values on to their offspring. We all believe our beliefs are the "right/correct" ones. But for some reason when Christians share their beliefs with their own children atheist often decry it as brainwashing/indoctrination. Ironically they are guilty of the same thing with their children but they don't consider it brainwashing or indoctrination because they are certain their beliefs are the only sane rational way to live. In a truly tolerant and diverse society both the Christians and the Atheist would respect each others beliefs and respect their right to pass their beliefs on to their own children.

Alasandra, The Cats & A Dog: Cats needing rescue in the Chicago Area

Alasandra, The Cats & A Dog: Cats needing rescue in the Chicago Area

Check Out The Blarney Edition of The Carnival of Homeschooling

The Blarney Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling is hosted at The Homeschool Cafe.

Divorce at root of homeschool decision

I am baffled why Venessa Mills didn't think a judge would get involved over the couples dispute over the decision to send their children to public school or continue homeschooling when she is in the middle of a divorce.

This really doesn't seem to be much of a homeschooling issue although many homeschoolers are already up in arms about the judge ordering the kids back to public school.

Sadly the parents do not agree on what the best educational choice is for the children. The Father wants them to go to public school where they will learn about evolution. The Mother wants to homeschool them and teach them creationism. Someone had to decide which parent would win; and in cases of divorce it's usually a judge. If the couple were not divorcing then it would be up to the parents to reach a compromise, unfortunately when marriages dissolve judges wind up making many decisions regarding the children that are caught in the middle.

The Torment's of the Modest,Secluded Farm Life

Poor Doris Anne Beaulieu had strict parents who sent her to a PRIVATE SCHOOL, so now that she is all grown up she is writing books attacking homeschooling and parents who choose to homeschool their children.

If I had the time I would write a book chronicling the shitty experiences I had in the PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM and how I am emotionally damaged because of them. But I would never assume that my experiences were shared by every public school student in America or demonize parents who send their children to public schools.

I am sorry that Ms. Beaulieu didn't have the childhood she thinks would have most benefited her but to assume that her life experiences are the norm for homeschoolers is ludicrous especially as she wasn't even homeschooled and she seems to know very little about homeschooling.

Her biased and prejudiced opinions deserve to be ignored as the rantings of a embittered woman who wants to "punish" homeschoolers because she didn't have the childhood she wanted.

Go orange for the animals

This April, the ASPCA will kick-off Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month on April 7 when iconic buildings and landmarks across the country will support the ASPCA’s life-saving work as they light up in its signature color and “Go Orange for Animals.”

But before you contribute to your local SPCA be sure to check them out some SPCA's having been using their power to steal pets from their owners. Even though the animals are well cared for and loved. Read more about it at Jan's Funny Farm.