Ruben Navarrette's ~California court overreached on homeschooling case

When you think about it, much of education reform revolves around this notion of escaping. Those who advocate vouchers, or call for failing schools to be shut down, or - in this case - defend the right of parents to homeschool their children want to give students a means of escape from low-performing schools, poorly managed districts and all the rest. Those who resist such efforts have constructed all these elaborate arguments against reform efforts, but mainly what they want is to keep students from escaping in order to keep power concentrated in the public schools and the bureaucracies that run them.

Luckily homeschoolers have powerful allies.

And they have a heavyweight in their corner. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger immediately denounced the appeals court ruling and promised to change state law to guarantee that parents have the right to teach their children at home. Parents should decide what is best for their children, he said, and "not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education."

The governor is quite correct, and I'm glad to see him in this fight. Homeschooling isn't perfect. But look around. Neither is the public school system, which needs all the reform it can get. That's why we can't stop looking for viable alternatives that augment traditional teaching - and, just as importantly, challenge traditional thinking.

Read the whole column here.

Enlightening

What Makes a Creationist Tick?

30 percent of the nation's public schools aren't making adequate yearly progress

About 30 percent of the nation's schools aren't making adequate yearly progress - mostly because students didn't make steady gains in required math and reading exams given in grades three through eight and once in high school. Schools are judged not just on average scores but according to how groups of students perform, such as those with disabilities, limited English skills or minorities.

115th Carnival of Homeschooling: Oh, The Things That You’ll Do!

115th Carnival of Homeschooling: Oh, The Things That You’ll Do! hosted by Janice Campbell.

Enjoyable Column by Daniel Leddy

Putting the shallow pretense aside, opposition to home-schooling is really driven by its implications for the nation's public school system. However, rather than denying parents what must be deemed a fundamental right, the focus should be on making public education so attractive that more parents will select it.

Instead, the trend is in the opposite direction. Among other things, obsessive secularists and alternative lifestyle advocates have commandeered public education and are holding students hostage to their agendas.

For fed-up parents, home-schooling is one way out. No wonder so many of them are taking it.

Daniel Leddy's On The Law column appears each Tuesday on the Advance Op-Ed Page. His e-mail address is JudgeLeddy@si.rr.com.

Read the rest of Home-school decision gets a failing grade.

Home school student wins bee for second time

Home school student wins bee for second time read the rest of the story here.

According to Time

Sugarman said the fact that both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state superintendent have spoken out against this ruling means that, chances are, even if the case is held up in the California Supreme Court, uncredentialed parents will still be allowed to educate their children — that there is nothing that requires the state to aggressively go after people. Indeed, the education department (which is not involved in the lawsuit) will not want to waste their resources going after such parents, despite the "illegality" of their actions, leaving the Second District Court of Appeals opinion of the law unenforced.

Carnival of Homeschooling

The Spring into Action ~ Carnival of Homeschooling is up at, AT Home with Kris.

Ignorant College Editorial About Homeschooling

TITAN EDITORIAL: Ignorant education
Homeschooling advocates, headed mainly by Christian zealots, are calling for Gov. Schwarzenegger's protection of their fundamental right to teach their children to be bigots and idiots.

Obviously the Editorial Board is composed of bigots and idiots, with poor writing skills. Go read the article and comments and see for yourself.

Graphics Contest

The Homeschool Blog Awards need medium sized graphics for 2008. We will need a graphic for nominees and one for the winners. The same graphic may be used for both nominees and winners.

Here is how to enter.

• Post the icon on your blog and leave a comment telling me how to get the icon. (or)
• email the icon to me at osso(at)cableone(dot)net

I want to make sure people have enough time to be creative, so the first stage will last until the 28th of April, 2008. I am hoping for a couple dozen entries

Then in May I will display the icons and allow people to vote on the one they like best.

The rules for the contest are:

• The graphics have to be available for others to use. The only options I can think of are 1.) you created the graphic or 2.) the graphic is public domain.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supports homeschooling

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he will step in if the home schooling ruling is not overturned.

In a statement released Friday, the Governor says, "Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their child's education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts, and if the courts don't protect parents' rights, then, as elected officials, we will."

Henry Cate isn't worried about CA ruling

Henry from Why Homeschool was interviewed by a reporter for The Mercury News.

While many home-schoolers are fearing the worst, Cate said he is not
worried. "The U.S. Supreme Court has said again and again that parents can
home-school their children."

Things not as bleak for California homeschoolers as paper implies

From The Madison Project

The LA Times got it wrong in the first sentence of their article. Parents without teaching credentials can still educate their children at home under the various exemptions to mandatory public school enrollment provided in § 48220 et seq. of the Cal. Ed. Code. The parents in this case lost because they claimed that the students were enrolled in a charter school and that with minimal supervision from the school, the children were free to skip classes so the mother could teach them at home. There is no basis in law for that argument. If only the parents had attempted to homeschool their kids in one of the statutorily prescribed methods, they would have prevailed.

Drop by Doc's to read her take on the issue.

Learn More about Helen Keller

at History is Elementary

Public school officials expect that the decision will be overturned

Public school officials said they do not expect the ruling, which will be appealed to the California Supreme Court, to stick. Frank Lynch, superintendent of Lompoc Unified School District, said he doesn't like to speculate on what might happen if the ruling is upheld."Once it's at the Supreme Court, I expect that the decision will be overturned," Lynch said

Homeschoolers' setback in appeals court ruling

From the San Francisco Chronicle

Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. "Parents have a legal duty to see to their children's schooling under the provisions of these laws."

Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said.
"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue.

This is one scary guy, note he doesn't think the primary purpose of the educational system is to EDUCATE CHILDREN, but to train them to be servants of the state.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued a statement saying he supports "parental choice when it comes to homeschooling."

Homeschoolers have at least one friend in the educational system.

But Leslie Heimov, executive director of the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, which represented the Longs' two children in the case, said her organization's chief concern was not the quality of the children's education, but their "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."

In fact the children's own lawyer isn't concerned with the children actually getting an education. She just wants them observed by people, other then the parents.

Be sure to read the article and comments.

The Mercury News gets homeschoolers aren't all the same

Once largely the province of the radical left and conservative Christians, home schooling has grown rapidly in recent years and in some circles is considered mainstream.

Much of the growth has been fueled by the Internet, which allows parents to shop for online lessons in geography and history, swap teaching responsibilities with other parents, and access countless homeschooling blogs, listservs and conferences.

How refreshing.

Why Homeschool: Phase two of the contest for Carnival of Homeschooling images

Why Homeschool: Phase two of the contest for Carnival of Homeschooling images

Hundreds of public school teachers in California are teaching with emergency credentials

First,due to a shortage of credentialled teachers, hundreds of teachers in California are teaching with emergency credentials. That is, they have passed a test (the California Basic Educational Skills Test CBEST) but do not have a teaching credential.

So apparently you can teach in the California public schools without being properly credentialed, but you can't homeschool.

Read Lois Kazakoff: Should homeschool teachers have credentials? and feel free to leave a comment.

More on the California Homeschooling Issue

A Judge in California has made it illegal (pending appeal) for parents to homeschool their young-uns. This begs the question - how should the 166,000 homeschool families that reside in California react? What would you do if you were in their situation? WAVA-FM/780 AM will take your calls toll free beginning at 5pm EST - 888.293.9282. They will also attempt to simulcast the broadcast for those outside the DC area, click here and joining the chat room.

The show can be listened to at 5pm EST, and the podcast can be listened to anytime after 7pm by going here.

13 facts about the Pequot War

From the History is Elementary blog

I wish more teachers would spend a little of time discussing the Pequot War since it is one of the first major interactions between colonists and Native Americans. While it is mentioned in many of today’s textbooks being used in lower middle grade classrooms the war is not generally covered at an adequate level and it is usually grouped with King Phillip’s War which occurred almost thirty years after the Pequot War.

Drop by to read 13 facts about the Pequot War.

State appellate court says those who teach children in private must have a credential.

From the Los Angeles Times

Homeschoolers are appalled by the courts decision.
"This decision is a direct hit against every home schooler in California," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the Sunland Christian School, which specializes in religious home schooling. "If the state Supreme Court does not reverse this . . . there will be nothing to prevent home-school witch hunts from being implemented in every corner of the state of California."The institute estimates there are as many as 166,000 California students who are home schooled. State Department of Education officials say there is no way to know the true number.

But homeschoolers are not the only ones interested in what the state Supreme Court will do.
Teachers union officials will also be closely monitoring the appeal. A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said he agrees with the ruling."What's best for a child is to be taught by a credentialed teacher," he said.

Sounds as if Duffy is afraid of losing his cushy job in the public school system if the ruling is reversed.

Parents this isn't just a homeschooling issue; this is a parental rights issue. If they take away your freedom to choose how and by whom your child will be educated, what other choice will they take away 'for the good of the child' ?

More on the CA Legal Drama

Annette M. Hall had this to say about the California Legal Drama

What I learned after speaking with Mr. Long and reading through miles of documents was that this case is anything but straightforward. Each parent and the children were supplied with court appointed attorneys, who it is obvious by the court records had a superficial knowledge of homeschool (read private school) laws in the state of California.

In the coming days I will be covering certain aspects of the appellate courts ruling and what it means for the future of homeschoolers living in California. Phillip Long is acutely aware of the situation we are facing and had this to say, "This isn't really about us, it's about homeschooling. We're not happy about it, but it's much bigger than us."

Having worked in the past with California Homeschool Network's legal team and in turn with the other homeschooling organizations, I can assure you there are some great legal minds at work on this and I am confident that this matter will be handled expeditiously and the appellate court taken to task over this error of judgment.

Public School The Finnish Way

High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no tardy bells and no classes for the gifted. There is little standardized testing, few parents agonize over college and kids don't start school until age 7.

Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world.

Aloha ~Carnival of Homeschooling

The 114th Carnival of Homeschooling is up at PalmTree Pundit. We had a hail storm last night so a visit to Hawaii is very welcome this morning.

Poorly informed decision hurts CA homeschoolers

Bruce Shortt, a Houston attorney involved with the Exodus Mandate, a group that is calling on California parents to remove their children from state public schools as a result of the recent passage of SB 777, which prohibits schools and teachers from “reflecting adversely” on gays and lesbians, criticized the decision as “arrogant” and “poorly informed,” and said that he was confident that the decision would not stand given the “federal issues” involved.

Saying that the decision, if upheld, would “reduce the choices of parents,” Shortt said that his group would continue its call to remove children from public schools and that the decision would merely cause the group to push in a “different direction.”
The case is In re Rachel L., 08 S.O.S. 1340.

Homeschoolers everywhere need to keep a close eye on this case. I am very concerned about the reported physical and emotional mistreatment by the father. I have several ?'s concerning that.

• If the father is physically and emotionally abusing the children why haven't they been removed from the home?
• If the father isn't physically or emotionally abusing the children why can't the family continue to homeschool? They followed the law and were registered with an umbrella school.

Advanced Placement Vs. State History

His son hoped to take Advanced Placement courses in chemistry and calculus; instead the boy had to waste school hours repeating physical education and state history courses usually taught to freshmen. California was the third state in which he attended high school, and he had to take three classes in basic state history.

"He was denied AP Calculus and AP Chemistry. He took badminton with 9th graders and a third history course," Hering said.

It's a no brainer, state history should not be required for graduation. It's unfair to those students who wind up moving from state to state during their high school years. State history should be waived not just for those students whose families are military, but for all students. With the economy like it is many students are uprooted during their high school years, not just those whose families are in the military.

Bending the Twigs: CA Judges: "Parents Have No Constitutional Right to Homeschool"

Bending the Twigs: CA Judges: "Parents Have No Constitutional Right to Homeschool"

BNN Homeschool Community is up and running

The BNN homeschool community! is now live. It's very impressive. Drop by to check it out. Dana did a wonderful job on it.

Nice

A nice piece about a SECULAR homeschool group.

Oh Brother, If It's Not the "S" Word, It's the Money

Homeschooling: Education not confined to school walls
A financial impact on school districts By Bryan Marshall



There are 365 homeschool students who would regularly attend a school in the Madison County School District, said Assistant Superintendent Paul Baker.



Based on the average daily attendance rate, the district would receive $4,435 per student if they attended school.“We’re not receiving $1,618,831,” Baker said. “That’s what homeschool costs us.”



At least he was honest enough to admit that after hiring more teachers and buying more materials they wouldn't get the full amount.



“However, I don’t know that we would receive all that money as a plus because with 365 more kids, we’d have to have another 10 or 12 teachers hired,” he said. “You have to figure that, plus you have to have more materials and things like that. Of that $1.6 million, we would gain probably $800,000.”

It really ticks me off when public school officials imply that homeschoolers are costing them money. Why not accuse couples who choose not to have any kids of costing the public schools money, it's just as logical. Homeschoolers like everyone else pay property taxes that support the public schools, without for the most part receiving any of the benefits. And why don't they ever mention how much private schoolers are costing them? Why single out homeschoolers?

Perhaps one of the biggest problems with the public schools is this feeling of entitlement. They seem to see children as nothing more then a warm body to provide state funding to the school district. And they seem to believe they are entitled to your child's warm body even if they don't do an adequate job educating the child or keeping the child safe.

Children are more then a source of state funding and their parents should be able to choose the best educational option for their child.

Bending the Twigs: Homeschooling and "The Mommy Myth"

Bending the Twigs: Homeschooling and "The Mommy Myth"

The authors' bias is obvious in their treatment of the National Center for Educational Statistics study statistic about 30% of the homeschoolers surveyed citing the desire to "provide religious or moral instruction" as their primary motivation for educating their kids at home. Now, those of us inside the homeschooling community know how broad that statement is, and how extremely diverse the group of families are who might concur with it. No one group has a monopoly on morality and people of any faith or none whatsoever might decide to homeschool in order to teach their children in accordance with their family's values.

In my inclusive homeschool group we have pagans, atheist, agnostics, Muslims and many different beliefs represented. Some of them choose to homeschool to "provide religious or moral instructions" to their children. But authors of books like "The Mommy Myth" never take these groups into consideration when writing their dribble. In fact one of the pagan parents in our group confided that she homeschooled because of the Christian bias in the public schools and that one public school teacher told her daughter that she was going to hell because she was a pagan.

Yet to Drs. Douglas & Michaels, they're all ultraconservative fundamentalists motivated by:

"an insistence that their kids never encounter the words 'evolution', 'birth control', or 'Oscar Wilde'."

Guess we aren't real homeschoolers then because I teach evolution, which included having my students read Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, not only have I taught my children about 'birth control' I am pro-choice and we enjoy Oscar Wilde.

Please stop by Bending the Twigs to read her whole post.

The "S" Word is Back

Dana post about Those Socially Inept Homeschoolers. Lively discussion going on in the comments.

Carnival of Homeschooling

Super Angel is hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling: Political Parties Of Our Government Edition.

Food for Thought at Mother Crone's Homeschool: Musing: When Our Choice Becomes Their Problem

Angela explains how our choice to homeschool can sometimes make our friends feel bad when they don't put their own kids first in her post Mother Crone's Homeschool: Musing: When Our Choice Becomes Their Problem

Not all "Homeschool Kids Love Huckabee"

I am a homeschool Mom and I can't stand Huckabee, neither can my kids. I am so tired of people lumping all homeschoolers together.

According to Peter Nuhn of the No God Blog "Homeschool Kids Love Huckabee". No we don't. Some homeschoolers might love Huckabee just like some public school kids might love Huckabee. We don't march in lock step, we are not clones in fact there are even atheist homeschoolers. So please folks stop implying that all homeschoolers are for Huckabee, many of us aren't and we resent the media and others implying that we are.

Abusive Teacher finally retires

We had a situation in our local school district where there was an harmful elementary school teacher. She delighted in tormenting the students. Students who had her came back as adults to testify against her. Parents asked for her removal. But the school board was unable to fire her. She finally retired.

From: Why Homeschool: Matt Miller wants to have national funding of public education

Public School Student Killed by Father

Miguel Matias torment peaked last week when he grew so enraged that his 14-year-old daughter, Ana, was sending text messages to a boy that he choked her and stuffed her body into a burning furnace boiler.

Read more here.

Debunking the faulty research by Kati Criss on homeschooling

Dana at Principled Discovery wrote The life and death of homeschooling, a eulogy. Please drop by her blog to read it. She wrote it in response to Katie Criss' post Home-schooling Researched . Since there is very little research involved in this hatchet job, perhaps a better title would be Katie Criss' Bias Against Homeschooling.

She says
One reason that I frequently found through research was that parents home schooled their children because of the violence found in public schools.

If you are afraid of your child being bullied, what will happen when your child becomes an adult and meets a bullying boss? This is a real-world story; children need the exposure to different people. Why? Simple, because nobody in this world is the same.

Comparing a child being bullied in the public schools by another child or in some cases by a teacher to an adult with a bullying boss shows a huge lack of understanding about the problem of bullying in our public schools. For one thing the government does not require you to work at a certain place. If you encounter a bully in the work place you have options. You can 1.) Report him to his/her boss or 2.) Seek employment elsewhere. A child in the public schools who is being bullied has few IF any options. Reporting the bullying child to a teacher gets you nowhere. The teacher is unable to act unless she/he actually sees the bullying. And teachers often look the other way. If the bullying escalates into violence both children are often punished. If the teacher is the one doing the bullying the child is at a distinct disadvantage. And unless the family is willing to leave their home the child is unable to leave the public school where the bullying is taking place for a friendlier public school.

She also seems to be labouring under the misguided idea that homeschoolers live in isolation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Homeschoolers meet and interact with many different people through the various activities they are engaged in.

I am sure if you are living in Harlem, New York compared to South Park, Pennsylvania there is going to be an immense difference in the crime of the area.


Violence in our public schools is escalating to new levels and living in a 'nice' neighborhood is no longer enough to guarantee your child will be safe at their public school. As this depressingly long list of school shootings show, they can and do happen anywhere in the United States.

• Columbine High School Massacre -On April 20, 1999, in the small, suburban town of Littleton, Colorado, two high-school seniors, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, enacted an all-out assault on Columbine High School during the middle of the school day. The boys' plan was to kill hundreds of their peers. With guns, knives, and a multitude of bombs, the two boys walked the hallways and killed. When the day was done, twelve students, one teacher, and the two murderers were dead.


• Oct, 2007 - Two students and Two teachers were shot at Cleveland area High School. The injuries were not life threatening. The culprit was a 14-year-old student, Asa H. Coon who later shot and killed himself.


• Jan, 2007 - Douglas Chanthabouly, 18, shot fellow student Samnang Kok, 17, in the hallway of Henry Foss High School.


• September 2006, Cazenovia, Wisconsin - Weston School principal John Klang was killed by a 15-year-old student.


• September 2006 - Six students were held hostage at Platte Canyon High School. One of the hostages, Emily Keyes (16), was then shot and killed.


• April 2006 - Two teachers were shot at Essex Elementary School resulting in the death of one of the teachers.


• November 2005 - The assistant principal at Campbell County High School was shot and killed and two other administrators were seriously wounded, by the 15 year old shooter.


• March 2005 - Red Lake, Minnesota, Jeff Weise, 16, killed himself after killing his Grandfather, a school a teacher, a security guard and 5 students.


• September 2003 - Cold Spring, Minnesota, two students are killed at Rocori High School.


• April 2003 - Principal Eugene Segro of Red Lion Area Junior High School was killed by James Sheets, 14, who also killed himself.


• April 2003 - One 15-year-old killed, and three students wounded at John McDonogh High School by gunfire.


• January 2002 - Two students were wounded at Martin Luther King Jr. High School.


• March 2001 - Gary, Indiana One student killed by Donald R. Burt, Jr (17), who had been expelled from Lew Wallace High School.


• March 2001 - One teacher and three students were wounded at Granite Hills High School by Hoffman. Hoffman was shot and wounded by a policeman.


• March 2001 - Kimberly Marchese, a student, was wounded in the cafeteria of Bishop Newumann High School by14 year old Elizabeth Catherine Bush who was depressed and frequently teased.


• March 2001 -Two killed and 13 wounded when Charles Andrew Williams, 15, fired from a bathroom at Santana High School.


• January 2001 - One student shot and killed in front of Lake Clifton Eastern High School.


• September 200 - Two students wounded with the same gun during a fight at Woodson Middle School.


• May 2000 - One teacher, Barry Grunow, shot and killed at Lake Worth Middle School with .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol on the last day of classes by 13 year old Nate Brazill.


• March 2000 - Two students killed while leaving a dance sponsored by Beach High School.


• February 2000 - Six-year-old Kayla Rolland shot dead at Buell Elementary School near Flint, Mich. The assailant was identified as a six-year-old boy with a .32-caliber handgun.


• December 1999 - Four students were wounded when Seth Trickey, 13, opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun at Fort Gibson Middle School.


• November 1999 - Araceli Tena, 13, was shot and killed in the lobby of Deming Middle School by 12 year old Victor Cordova Jr.


• May 1999 - Six students were injured at Heritage High School by Thomas Solomon, 15, who was reportedly depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend.


• Jun, 1998 - Richmond, Virginia, One teacher and one guidance counsellor wounded by a 14 year old who carried out the crime in the school hallway.


• May 1998 - Two Students killed. 22 others wounded in the cafeteria at Thurston High School by 15 year old Kip Kinkel who had been arrested a day earlier for bringing a gun to school. The Killer killed his parents too.


• May 1998 - One student killed in the parking lot of Lincoln County High School just 3 days before he was to graduate. The victim was dating the ex-girlfriend of the killer, 18 year old Jacob Davis, an honor student.


• April 1998 - Teacher, John Gillette killed and two students wounded at a dance at James W. Parker Middle School by 14 year old Andrew Wurst.


• March 1998 - 13 year old Mitchell Johnson and 11 year old Andrew Golden shot at their classmates and teachers from the woods. Four Students and one teacher were killed, ten others were wounded. This occurred outside Westside Middle School as school was being emptied during a false fire alarm.


• Dec, 1997, Stamps, Arkansas -Two Students were wounded as they stood in the parking lot by 14 year old Colt Todd who was hiding in the woods.


• December 1997 -Three students were killed and five wounded as they participated in prayer circle at Heath High School by 14 year old Michael Cameal.


• Oct, 1997, Pearl, Mississippi -Two students were killed and seven others were wounded by 16 year old Luke Woodham. He and his friends were said to be outcasts who worshiped Satan. He also killed his Mom.


• Feb, 1997, Bethel, Alaska -Principal and one student killed, two others were wounded by 16 year old Evan Ramsey.


• Feb, 1996, Moses Lake, Washington - Two Students and one teacher killed and one other wounded by 14 year old Barry Loukaitis when he opened fire on his Algebra Class.

Using Katie Criss' logic this depressingly long list (gathered from Recent World Wide School Shootings) would be enough to have us crusading against public schools.

But if the recent public school shootings aren't enough to have you questioning the safety of students in public schools there are all the teachers who are sexually abusing the children under their supervision.

• A former middle school teacher was sent to prison for six years Tuesday for having sexual encounters with five teenage boys. Authorities said Allenna Ward, 24, met 14- and 15-year-old boys at the school where she taught as well as at a motel, a park and behind a restaurant.


• Lafave, 26, is serving three years of house arrest and seven years of probation after pleading guilty to having sex with the (14 year old) boy in a classroom and her home in June 2004.


• AP reporters in every state and the District of Columbia identified 2,570 teachers who were punished for sexual misconduct from 2001 to 2005 alone, for actions that ranged from fondling to viewing child pornography to rape.


• Richland High School teacher was sentenced to 40 years for having sex with two students. A teacher in Tupelo got 18 years for a similar crime. But a teacher in Clarksdale, who was accused of giving an eighth-grade student gonorrhea, struck a deal with prosecutors and walked out of court a free man. More than a dozen teachers in Mississippi have been convicted of sexual crimes since 2000. The sentences handed down vary widely from case to case.


• A man honored as among the best teachers in Utah pleaded guilty Thursday to felony sex charges involving 11 students at his suburban classroom. Frank Laine Hall, 37, who taught first grade in the Salt Lake City suburb of Riverton until his arrest last March, could get up to 30 years to life in prison, prosecutor Rodwicke Ybarra said.

She justifies her harassment of homeschoolers by questioning the safety of homeschooled children.

• In the Warren case she cites, she fails to mention that county workers got an anonymous tip: better check on those kids. Someone knew there was a problem and reported it to the proper authorities.


• Since she didn't even provide names in the Iowa case it is impossible to find any further information.


• Many people were aware of Andrea Yates' mental illness. In fact her husband was desperately trying to get her medical care. Also the Yates' children were Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, Mary, 6 months old. Under Texas compulsory attendance laws only Noah (age 7) was school age.

  a child who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not completed the academic year in which the child's 18th birthday occurred shall attend school.

Ms Criss is erroneous in her belief that homeschooling bore any responsibility in these children's deaths. She also fails to acknowledge that some public school parents abuse their children undetected by school officials, and that some of the public school teachers are abusive.

I have concluded from this information that a child can only go as far as their parents have, and in some instances that may not be very far. Therefore these children are being cheated out of a valuable education.

Homeshooled children are not being cheated out of a valuable education. Often parents choose to learn along with their children, they hire tutors or form cooperatives (where classes are often taught by former public school teachers), they enroll in distance learning programs. Homeschool parents have many options when it comes to educating their children.

She also fails to address the public school students who are not receiving an education, see Stupid in America by John Stossel

Also I have questioned, having a parent as a teacher... are they teaching their children their bias's? In an institution goals are made to make sure that the material being taught is bias free.

Public schools are full of bias.

• Florida's current standards require the teaching of evolution using code words like "change over time." Thankfully the nonsense of using 'code words' has finally come to an end. Florida's State Board of Education has voted to use the term "scientific theory of evolution" in new science standards. It's the first time the word "evolution" has been included. Maybe Ms Criss should spend sometime worrying about the poor kids that were trapped in the Florida schools that refused to teach evolution until recently. Florida isn't the only State that has balked at teaching evolution.


• Bias in Textbooks


• Civil rights organizations representing broad sectors of communities joined together on Oct. 23 to call attention to incidents of bias-related harassment plaguing California’s public schools.


• Study Finds Racial Bias in Public Schools.

Ms Criss also seems unaware that homeschoolers are a diverse group and that there are many inclusive homeschool groups where homeschoolers associate with homeschoolers of differing beliefs and backgrounds.

However in a home a parent, especially with no education on how to educate, would use only one teaching method.

Ms Criss couldn't be more wrong. Homeschool parents educate themselves on the different teaching methods and use the method that works best for their child. I used different methods with both my children as both children had different learning styles.

how will a child develop his or her socialization skills if they are not exposed to different people? The school environment is much like one's work environment.

Homeschoolers socialize with many different people. They join recreational sports teams, scouts, robotics teams, and many other groups.

The school environment is nothing like the work environment. I don't know of any company that segregates their employees by age.

These children will not have the experience that public school provides, they will not have the experience that unites us citizens and provides us with a common background. They will not get to experience the simple things like go to prom's, participate in sports in which an entire school is benefited, have a school lunch, a lock on their locker, a ride on a school bus, recess, watching for their school to be cancelled on TV from snow days, and all the other little but character building events that take place in a public school students life.

I hate to break it to her but many public school students don't go to proms either. Some homeschool orgainzations have proms, most homeschoolers participate in sports some homeschool groups even have their own sports teams.

Homeschooling is a viable choice and provides a solid education for many homeschooled students. Parents have the right to choose the best educational option for their child, without government interference.

More Violence in our public schools

A Blount High School freshman was taken to a hospital after being stabbed in the face with a knife during an on-campus fight with a classmate, authorities said.

The 17-year-old victim in the Thursday morning stabbing later was released from the University of South Alabama Medical Center. School officials said teachers subdued the attacker, a freshman who was arrested by police.

Is this what the critics of homeschooling mean by socialization?

Home Spun Juggling: Putting out Fires

Home Spun Juggling: Putting out Fires

Home schooling now gaining respect

It's about time. Read the article here.

This is a terrible tragedy

Eighth-grader Lawrence King was shot Tuesday during a class at E.O. Green Junior High, police said.

Police have not alleged a motive for the shooting, but said there appeared to have been "bad blood" between the teens. Police said a handgun was used in the attack, which occurred with more than 20 other students in the room.

Thankfully none of the other public school students were hurt.

Carnival of Homeschooling

The Voice of Experience is hosting the Cabin Fever edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling.

Can your child's teacher read?

John Corcoran graduated from college and taught high school for 17 years without being able to read, write or spell.

Corcoran's life of secrecy started at a young age. He said his teachers moved him up from grade to grade. Often placed in what he calls the "dumb row," the images of his tribulations in the classroom are still vividly clear.

Read the rest here.

Darwin Day

Our homeschool celebrates Darwin Day and studies the theory of evolution. Here are some links and book recomendations to help you with your Darwin Day celebration.



Celebrations

DarwinSBU.Org

Darwin Day Celebration Activities



Lesson Plans

Teachers' Domain

Discovery Education



Charles Darwin

About Darwin

Charles Darwin Naturalist

BBC



Books

Books by Charles Darwin

Gutenberg Project

The Language of God by Francis S. Collins, read my book review here.

Member of the Jena 6 back in trouble

A defendant in the Louisiana "Jena Six" case was arrested on suspicion of slamming a student's head into a bench at his new school in Texas, police said.

Bryant R. Purvis, 19, was arrested on a charge of assault causing bodily injury Wednesday after an altercation at Hebron High School. It began because Purvis believed a student had flattened his tires, Sgt. John Singleton said.

Seems like this kid has anger management issues he needs help with.

Useful info for those of us with college students

Balancing Student Privacy and School Safety: A Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act for Colleges and Universities you can get the guide here.

Another Push Out

A newly arrived Kilgore mother is picketing Kilgore Independent School District after being told her son must remove his two earring studs before attending the school.
Sherrie McGinty said she was informed by Kilgore Intermediate School personnel Thursday that her 10-year-old son, Alexander "Little Berry" McGinty, would need to remove his earrings to attend classes. She and her son moved to Kilgore from Washington a few weeks ago and are living in a hotel while trying to find a place to live, she said.

"We are not living in 1940 anymore," McGinty said, adding that her son's school in Washington did not have a problem with his earrings.

She said she went to the school district's administration building to ask why her son could not have his earrings. She said the superintendent accused her of being argumentative and asked her to leave. She signed some paperwork to homeschool her son and left, returning shortly after with a picket sign.

She probably has a case for discrimination too; as girls are allowed to wear earrings. You can read the rest here.

World War I

Great new blog for History buffs WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier .

Carnival of Homeschooling - Acrostic Edition

Beverly's Homeschooling Blog is hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling - Acrostic Edition.

Another reason for the Bitter Homeschooler to be Bitter

Well the Bitter Homeschooler has something else to be bitter about. Not only does she have to contend with idiots implying that homeschooling is somehow wrong/bad parenting/against the law ect., other bloggers have stolen her wish list. Read her post I'd Rather be Hated Than Used at Diary of a Mad Editor.

Deborah Markus, from Secular Homeschooling Magazine wrote The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List. The list probably struck a chord with every homeschooler on the planet. It's been circulated in blogland over and over again, it even got mentioned in Fark, which should have been good news for Deborah Markus and Secular Homeschooling Magazine. But it wasn't, Why? because another blogger had posted the wish list and was getting credit for it. When she asked him politely to not post the whole article and provide a link to her site this was his response.

They hadn't agreed, and weren't going to agree, to my request to trim and link because -- well, had I noticed how many comments had been posted to the bitter wish list's posting? Hundreds. Those were hundreds of people who were staying on their site to talk about what they'd read. (Hundreds of people who should have been at Secular Homeschooling Magazine reading the list)

If they trimmed and linked to mine, that would be all those people leaving their site and going to mine. And they really didn't want that.

What nerve.

Secular homeschooling can feel very lonely sometimes. Deborah Markus was kind enough to start a magazine for secular homeschoolers. She took a lot of flake from religious homeschoolers, many of whom copied the wish list without giving her credit. She has this to say about that.

I sort of expect, or at least can't really be shocked by, the religious bloggers who don't mention my magazine, or mention it but say things like "I don't endorse or support SECULAR Homeschooling Magazine." As I mentioned in my previous posting, I've started to notice that for some people, secular doesn't mean non-religious, it means anti-. It's the "s" word, and they don't like it.

But the offender in this instance was another secular homeschooling family.

Why Homeschool: A public school double standard

Why Homeschool: A public school double standard

Public School Student Kills Family

A 15-year-old boy fatally shot his parents and two younger brothers as they slept, then spent more than 12 hours with friends before returning home and calling 911 to report that his father was dead, police said Sunday

The tall, gangly sophomore at Dulaney High School in neighboring Timonium was denied bail; a bail review hearing was scheduled Monday. He was being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center in a special section for juveniles.

Who Watches the Watchers

A spokesman for the state agency (FL) that oversees the welfare of children was arrested Friday on charges that he solicited minors, at least one of whom may have been in state custody, to create pornography, authorities said.

Al Zimmerman of the state Department of Children & Families has been fired, agency officials said. The 40-year-old was charged with eight counts of using a child in a sexual performance and faces up to 120 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Read the rest in The Sun Herald.

Why Homeschool: Then what would we do?

Why Homeschool: Then what would we do?

Thoughts on the Independents Article on Homeschooling

First why do they always showcase Fundamentalist Christian Homeschooling Families and their Bible Studies? There are plenty of secular homeschoolers who do not start the day with Bible Studies. It would be nice IF articles on homeschoolers showcased the wide diversity amongst homeschooling families instead of making it sound like only Fundamentalist Christians Homeschool.

For some reason the reporter felt in necessary to mention anti-homeschooling Rob Reich's criticisms of homeschoolers.

For the few independent researchers looking at homeschooling, Reich points out, there's simply no good data. Most discussion centers around what Reich calls the "glorified anecdote." Kids have won national spelling competitions and aced the SATs based on what they learned at the kitchen table. Some take these examples and conclude homeschooling must work.

But, Reich asks, "What's the average homeschool? The answer is, "We have no idea.'"

Answer there is no average homeschool. Each homeschooler is FREE to tailor their methods to suit their child's individual learning style. Some methods homeschoolers chose to use; the Charlotte Mason Method, Classical Education, Eclectic Homeschooling, Enki Education Method, Montessori Homeschooling, Unit Studies, and the Waldorf Method. That's the beauty of homeschooling being able to use what works best for your child. There is absolutely no reason homeschoolers should have to use the same methods as failing public schools and submit to regulations and testing just so educators like Reich can have the data they want. Public Schools which are regulated regularly fail the students they are suppose to be educating even though they provide the Reichs of this world with plenty of data.

At least the reporter did mention why homeschooling is so popular today.

It wasn't until the 1960s and '70s that John Holt and other educators started making a case that schools failed many children. Holt's notion that kids learn best when allowed to pursue their own interests lies at the heart of the modern "unschooling" movement.

And Lane at least mentioned that all homeschoolers are not Fundamentalist Christians.

Yet it's not fair to say all homeschool families believe the same things or are motivated by a religious worldview. In a 1999 federal survey, religious reasons were the second most common explanation given for homeschooling, at around 38 percent; 49 percent responded they believed they could do a better job at home.

Unfortunately he didn't choose to elaborate on what a wonderfully diverse bunch homeschoolers really are. In fact ANTHONY LANE seems to be completely unaware that there are atheist, liberal and Democrat homeschoolers. He apparently buys into the malarkey spread by Michael Apple that the majority of homeschooling is done by Christians wishing to brainwash their children.

Lane then finds it necessary to bring up the Murray tragedy.

Several homeschooling families intersected Dec. 9 when Matthew Murray ended his murderous rampage at New Life Church. Having killed two people at a missionary school in Arvada, the 24-year-old shot his way across the New Life parking lot as Sunday services let out, killing Rachel and Stephanie Works, teenage sisters who were homeschooled. Their father was also injured. Judy Purcell, administrator of the High Country Home Educators enrichment program that meets at New Life, was shot in the shoulder as she and her family prepared to leave that day.

Murray, who raged in multiple Web postings against his homeschooled upbringing in a strict Christian family, killed himself after he was shot by a New Life security guard.

We all know about Columbine, we have all read about children who have killed themselves after being bullied in public schools, but nobody blames public schooling for these tragedies. Why when tragedy befalls a homechooling family does the media rush to blame it on homeschooling?

Kerry Kantor sums up nicely why regulation of homeschool families is unnecessary.

Kerry Kantor, with the Colorado Academy of Independent Learners, says regulations are unnecessary to ensure most homeschooled kids get a good education.

"Parents really do have their best interests at heart," she says.

Public School Teacher makes terroristic threats

A teacher who was upset because she didn't get her preferred classroom assignment left more than a dozen scribbled threats at her elementary school and a suspicious device in a student's desk, authorities said.

Susan Romanyszyn, 45, was charged Thursday with 17 counts of making terroristic threats in connection with the incidents at Longstreth Elementary School in Warminster in October.

Read the rest in The Sun Herald.

Do we really want our children taught by people like this?

Just how different is a homeschool education?

Dana over at Principled Discovery ask Just how different is a homeschool education?

Teacher admits sex with student

A Biloxi teacher, who was suspended after sexual battery charges were filed against her, admitted to police she had sexual relations with the 15-year-old, according to court documents provided by the county attorney. In one communication she called the juvenile her little "sex fiend."

Rebecca Dawn Bogard, 27, was charged with sexual battery of a teenage male student Jan. 18, and released on $50,000 bond. She was suspended by the Biloxi School District with pay Jan. 23.

Why are tax payers being forced to continue to pay her salary? She admitted she had sex with a 15 year old, she abused her position as his teacher. She should be fired immeadietly and all 'pay' should stop.

Carnival of Homeschooling

Life on the Road is hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling this week.

persistent problem with sexual misconduct in U.S. schools

Heeding a steady drumbeat of sexual misconduct cases involving teachers, at least 15 states are now considering stronger oversight and tougher punishment for educators who take advantage of their students.

Lawmakers say they are concerned about an increasingly well-documented phenomenon: While the vast majority of America's teachers are committed professionals, there also is a persistent problem with sexual misconduct in U.S. schools. When abuse happens, administrators too often fail to let others know about it, and too many legal loopholes let offenders stay in the classroom.

This seems to be a step in the right direction to making public school safe and getting predatory teachers out of the classroom.

Are Homeschoolers for Huckabee?

So far the evidence says NO. 68 people have voted in my poll over at Alasandra & The Cats (it's in the sidebar scroll down if you want to vote). 58 (85%) of the homeschoolers voting have indicated that they would NOT vote for Huckabee. 10 (14%) of the homeschoolers have indicated they would vote for Huckabee. There are 4 days left to vote.

Why Homeschool: My heart pains for the poor parents

Why Homeschool: My heart pains for the poor parents

I can identify with the boy Henry's post is about. I had a 4th grade teacher who verbally abused me. If my music teacher had not walked in during the middle of one of her tirades telling me how stupid, worthless and retarded I was and rescued me from the class permanently this could have been me. I felt helpless and I didn't know of a way to escape from the abusive teacher. Without my music teachers intervention I wonder how long it would have been before I thought death was preferable to having to endure the 4th grade teachers abuse?

Is Michael Farris a False Prophet?

Rudy Takala's take on Michael Farris

The defense of homeschooling isn't why Farris instituted the college, nor is it why he is engaged in the homeschool movement. What he did was understand the energy potential of people who were willing to take their children out of the public system of education, and he wanted to utilize that energy to his own ends. He wanted to have a personal voice in Washington.

Read his entire post False prophets here.

HT: HE&OS

Homeschool Blog Network

Would you like to be part of a homeschool blog network? Drop by Principled Discovery and find out how to join.

Drawing the line in Mississippi

Natalie explains how the blurring of lines between independent home education and virtual public schools may be causeing problems for independent homeschoolers in her post Drawing the line in Mississippi

Blurring the line between independent home education and public school at home has real consequences, and there are a lot of people (VPS service providers, state education departments, legislators, etc) who benefit from the confusion. If VPS makes public schoolers look like homeschoolers, efforts to make homeschooling look like public school may gain momentum. Mississippi Senator Sampson Jackson II has submitted a bill that would require homeschoolers in Mississippi to conform to public school benchmarks and submit to standardized testing. After four consecutive years (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008), Senator Jackson’s persistance may finally pay off. HSLDA has issued an emotional elert to combat this bill for the first time, resulting in a slew of emails to “stop this horrendous bill.”

Clarity in language is a tool that must be utilized to combat confusion, educate families and expose opportunists. Other states have fought to make this distinction clear. The time has come to draw the line in Mississippi.

Please read her entire post at Home Eduction Magazine.

Carnival of Homeschooling ~ American Literature

I am hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling, please stop by Alasandra and check out the Carnival of Homeschooling ~ American Literature Edition.

Letter to the Editor

According to PATTI HOPSON the Public Schools are encouraging low preforming students to drop out. Could this be how they maintain their high ranking?

School seems to be encouraging dropouts

I have a daughter who is a great person but not a great student. She has always taken a sluggish attitude toward school. She has never been in trouble. My concern is that all of her friends have dropped out of school.

I received a call from the school in November of her junior year informing me that she would not be able to graduate with her class and possibly not even the following year. Unknown to this person, I had attended a conference at the school the previous week. The caller's information was incorrect, due to grades not yet entered by the teachers. Yet, I was told that there was nothing the school or my daughter could do. I essentially was given the message that she shouldn't waste their time.

Why would a school call at the beginning of a student's junior year to say that further effort is useless? What kind of message is this? Where is the optimism? Should we not at least recommend working with a counselor to seek a solution?

At that time we made a list of about 50 students who had dropped out in just three years. I mentioned this and it was quickly denied. Yet, of the large group of friends who started grade school with my daughter, only two will be graduating this year.

I'm proud that my daughter will indeed graduate with her class. But, how many other parents have received this message? No wonder they decide that it's too late; just quit and get your GED.

How are the schools covering up all of the dropouts? The caller never offered a solution, just said that there was nothing they could do. What can we do to uncover the problems we are having with our public school system?

PATTI HOPSON
Ocean Springs
patifountain@gmail.com

Why Homeschool: Carnival of Homeschool: Week 105 - The 2nd Anniversary

Why Homeschool: Carnival of Homeschool: Week 105 - The 2nd Anniversary

Doc's Sunrise Rants wins the Homeschool Blog Awards for Best Individual Homeschool Blogger

I decided that the Homeschool Blog Awards deserve their very own blog. The winners of this years blog award Doc's Sunrise Rants ~ Best Individual Homeschool Blog, Why Homeschool ~ Best Group Blog, and Cocking A Snook Too! ~ Best Child/Teen Blog will all be invited to be a part of this blog.

Homeschoolers Not for Huckabee

Get your Homeschoolers Not for Huckabee badge at Imperceptibility, there are tons to choose from.

Doc's Sunrise Rants: Goal Setting vs. Scheduling

Doc has a wonderful post on Goal Setting vs. Scheduling on her blog. This is just what I needed to get orgainized for 2008.

Special Projects

Home-schooling has allowed us to do several projects. Two of our favorites:

1. We created a wildflower garden. Bonus we had lots of butterflies come to visit. A good reference book for this project is "Wildflowers of Mississippi" by S. Lee Timme.

2. We joined Friends and Flags. We learned a lot preparing our packet about the US, our partner countries were Israel and Belarus and they did a wonderful job educating us about their countries. One of the things we learned was that Kosciusko, MS was named for a famous Belarusian, Tadeusz Kosciuszko. (Important note at one time Belarus was part of Poland)

First posted July 2005

New Look

I decided since Alasandra is getting a new look for Christmas, I would give my old blogs a new look too. Most of my posting will be done on Alasandra, so if you enjoyed Home~Schoolers Rule drop by Alasandra for a visit.

Why It's Important to Teach Facts NOT Feelings

When my kids started kindergarten the latest fad in education was the writing to read program. The students were encouraged to write stories, and were told that spelling wasn't important, to just spell the word however they felt it should be spelt. My youngest who loves telling stories loved it. Then he hit first grade, all of a sudden he had to spell words a certain way, not the way he felt they should be spelled. He was miserable and confused. It took years of homeschooling to convince him that spelling words the way everyone else does is important.

Some parents feel that the theory of evolution challenges their religious beliefs. These parents want to discard teaching evolution because it contradicts the bible stories they were taught as children, what's the harm?
From The Bible Belt's Assault on Education By: Robert W. Tracinski

Some of these religious activists claim that they reject the teaching of evolution because it is "unproven," since it lacks "sufficient evidence." Yet their arguments systematically reject the need for proof and evidence. Scientists can point to a billion-year-long fossil record of continuous changes across all species as they develop from more-primitive to present-day forms. They can point to the natural variations among members of a species, variations that change from one climate to another as species adapt to their environments. But the Creationist categorically dismisses the evidence--because it contradicts Biblical dogma. The central issue is not whether there is enough scientific evidence to validate a particular conclusion--but whether science as such, rather than faith, is the basis for arriving at conclusions. There can be no scientific debate between these two positions. There can be no rational argument between a view that rests on observation and reason, and one that rests on blind faith--i.e., on its adherents' desire to believe something, irrespective of logic. If the Creationist approach were taken seriously, what would remain of education? If evidence and reasoning are to be "balanced" by faith or feelings--what, then, would not belong in the curriculum? Even the theory that the earth is flat has proponents who feel it is true. More to the point, what is to stop teachers from presenting any other non-rational view of the origin of man? Why not give equal time to, say, the Nazi claim that the white race descended from the superior Aryans? The most ominous implication of the Creationist position is its belief that, in judging the truth of an idea, one can simply ignore rational evidence--if it clashes with one's desire to believe otherwise.

I can only wonder how kids who have been denied a "real" science education feel when they go off to university and find themselves being confronted with "facts" they have never heard of. Maybe they should be introduced to The Language of God by Francis S. Collins.

Thus Collins a devoutly Christian geneticist and leader of the Human Genome Project, can comfortably accept that "a common ancestor for humans and mice is virtually inescapable" . ~Scientists on Religion by George Johnson in Scientific American

Or the book Why Darwin Matters by Michael Shermer (publisher of Skeptic)

In Why Darwin Matters, historian of science and bestselling author Michael Shermer diffuses our fears by examining what evolution really is, how we know it happened, and how to test it. Shermer then discusses what science is through a brief history of the evolution-creation controversy from the Scopes “Monkey” trial of 1925, through the U.S. Supreme Court case of 1987, to the ongoing trials today, demonstrating clearly how and why creationism and Intelligent Design theory are not science. Dr. Shermer also builds a powerful case for evolution as the scientific theory that most closely parallels the Christian model of human nature and the conservative model of free market economics.

In "The Bait and Switch of "Intelligent Design", Keith Lockitch explains why "intelligent design" isn't real science.

The supposedly nonreligious theory of "intelligent design" is nothing
more than a crusade to peddle religion by giving it the veneer of
science--to pretend, as one commentator put it, that "faith in God is
something that holds up under the microscope."The insistence of "intelligent
design" advocates that they are "agnostic regarding the source of design" is a
bait-and-switch. They dangle out the groundless possibility of a "designer" who
is susceptible of scientific study--in order to hide their real agenda of
promoting faith in the supernatural. Their scientifically accessible "designer"
is nothing more than a gateway god--metaphysical marijuana intended to draw
students away from natural, scientific explanations and get them hooked on the
supernatural. No matter how fervently its salesmen wish "intelligent design" to
be viewed as cutting-edge science, there is no disguising its true character. It is nothing more than a religiously motivated attack on science, and
should be rejected as such.

I feel the Flying Spaghetti Monster should be the intelligent designer, because it's cute and I like eating spaghetti. Which goes to show why feelings shouldn't enter the classroom doors. Since everyone's feelings are valid if we teach strictly what parents feel is "right" then we open the door to any half-backed idea circulating at a particular time. IF on the other hand we stick to teaching "facts" our children will get the education they deserve.

Originally posted October 2006

Is Harry Potter “Real” Literature?

Webster’s defines literature as fiction, poetry etc. of lasting value. Only the readers can tell you if the Harry Potter series has been of lasting value to them. But using Webster’s definition of literature, it is definitely “real” literature to my family.

Poor Harry has been beset by critics from day one. First there are the Christians who denounce the Harry Potter books as evil because they involve witches and wizards. Never mind that these same Christians encourage their children to read Lord of the Rings which has wizards, elves, dwarfs, and hobbits or The Chronicles of Narnia which involves witches and giants. They were written by Christian writers, which apparently makes them acceptable to read. (Today after actually reading the books some Christians are supporting Harry).


Then there are the literary snobs who claim that Harry Potter isn’t real literature and therefore children (and their parents) shouldn’t waste their time reading him. (I am not ashamed to admit at almost 40, I love Harry as much as my kids do, and how refreshing it is have a book the whole family can enjoy). Most kids enjoy books where they can identify with the characters. The first book came out when my youngest son was six and my oldest was 8. How magical for them to have a book to read about a boy who was only a little older then they were. And the first Potter book was short enough that they were not intimidated by it. Then as they grew up Harry grew up too and the books got longer and more complex. In The Order of the Phoenix, Harry is a typical pre-teen, and now in Harry and the Half-Blood Prince, he is well on his way to becoming a charming young man. Quite Frankly I can’t wait for the next Harry Potter book to come out.

Of course my children’s reading didn’t stop with Harry, they have since gone on to read Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other classics. But Harry earns my thanks for getting them started on the wonderful adventure of reading.

Originally posted July 2005

Why Homeschool: Carnival of Homeschooling - Week 44

This Carnival is a real treat, so jump right in to learn some homeschooling tricks, and enjoy some homeschooling treats.

I was having trouble posting to blogger, so I tried out their new beta version. It has a lot of features I really like so for now you can find me at Alasandra.

Once I am able to do so I will swithch Home~Schoolers Rule to the beta version, don't worry I'll be sure to tell you how to find me.

Recommended for Teens

Timeweb

by Brian Herbert

Book 1 of the Timeweb Chronicles. I enjoyed the prequel and sequel to the Dune series better. The narrative didn't flow as smoothly as in the previous books I had read by him. Still an enjoyable read and suitable for teens.

Late Start to OSSO Season Causes Problems Finding Leagues to Play

As a homeschooler I rely heavily on the recreational leagues for my son to have a chance to play sports. This makes OSSO's treatment of the U16 team especially frustrating and irritating for me.

First off I do want to say that I think Sean has a terrific coach and assistant coach. This post should no way reflect unfavorably on them; as they have no control over the decisions the OSSO Board makes.

The U16 team still doesn't have uniforms, although the other OSSO divisions got theirs over two weeks ago.

The U16 team has yet to play a game and still doesn't have a schedule even though the other divisions have been playing for weeks. Part of the problem is Brian Parton's refusal to start when the other leagues we normally play in the fall do. East Central and George County will be ending their fall season November 4th. We on the other hand are just starting ours.

Honestly I don't see how we are going to get the 8 games in the fall & 8 games in the spring we are suppose to get and that the other divisions will get. I am going to take a wait and see attitude, but it looks like once again Brian Parton and the OSSO Board could care less about providing the U16 with a quality experience although they were happy enough to take our money. The Vice President is doing her best to schedule games for the U14 & U16 teams, but with OSSO starting after the other leagues that normally play in the fall she is going to have a needlessly tough job. The whole problem of not having anyone to play could have been avoided by OSSO starting at the same time as East Central & George County as we have done in the past.

School Districts Trying to Lure Homeschoolers With Virtual Schools

The Madison Metropolitan School District is developing a virtual campus and curriculum. The idea has been in the works for several years, but the district hopes to make it widely available for the 2006-2007 school year. The district is trying to bring back state aid for the more than 400 students currently home-schooled in the district.

While I think virtual schools should be an option, it needs to made clear that IF you choose to enroll your child in a PUBLIC virtual school, you are NO LONGER homeschooling. You will lose much of the freedom you enjoy as a homeschooler and your child will be subject to the same requirements as public school students including NCLB.

Sensationalism & Dr. Phil

The Homeschool Scuttle had an interesting post on the Dr. Phil show " The Great School Debate". It's too bad he choose to portray homeschoolers in an unflattering light.

Presenting, "Radical Unschoolers," as the norm of homeschooling to the mainstream world, implies that all homeschoolers are radical, controversial, Unschoolers. Unschooling is by far the least understood and radical concept of homeschooling, and the easiest target for critics to judge and condemn. To use this family as representative of the homeschool population is sensationalism at best, and deceitfully manipulative, at worst. The film portrays the Unschoolers as spending all of their days basically playing and hanging out. To seasoned homeschoolers, that may not seem a bad thing, and, to some, would even seem a good thing. But, to every mainstream American, who does not understand homeschoolers and homeschooling, let alone Unschooling, the film and the footage shown of the family serves to reinforce every negative stereotype mainstream America has about homeschooling.

I would have certainly thought that the unschooling approach should have been balanced with other homeschooling approaches. There are many ways to homeschool and unschooling is just one of them.

An angry schoolteacher states that she never wants to see her country led and governed by homeschoolers and unschoolers, and that they could never be future decision makers for her and her country.

I certainly hope she wasn't a history teacher. These presidents were homeschooled:
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Madison, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Abraham Lincoln, Theordore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, & Franklin Delano Roosevelt. So unless she lives in a country other then America it has already been led and governed by homeschoolers.

their first request was that I not bring anyone, "Under the age of eighteen."

My seventeen year old is in his second year of college, but he would not have been welcomed at Dr. Phil's show??? (Of course having a formerly homeschooled 17 year old college student there might have shown how successful homeschooling is).

My close, homeschooling friend, my family, and I arrived on the big day, dressed as the Dr. Phil show had instructed us to dress: "Professional; Preferably in dark colors. Nothing white or beige, and no prints." We were to be, "Camera Ready."

A careful review of my closet reveals that I would not have been able to comply with their request. It's not that I don't have any professional attire it's the dark colors. My closet is filled with jewel tones and prints.

a huge group of what appeared to be high school students began arriving in ever-increasingly large lots.

Wait a minute I thought they didn't want anyone under 18???? Was this an attempt to make it look like parents favoured homeschooling while their children hated it? After all how is the TV audience going to know where these teens came from. One would have thought public school students would have been in school.

It's a shame that Dr. Phil choose sensationalism over educating his audience about homeschooling.

This N' That

At the New York Times read Artifacts Unearthed in Syria Hint at Ancient Burial Rituals of Elite then use the handy lesson plans.

Visit About Homeschooling , Beverly is hosting the 43rd COH, not only can you read some interesting post, you can find out more about Benjamin Franklin.

Why Homeschool: Carnival of Kid Comedy, week 29

If you need a laugh drop by Why Homeschool: Carnival of Kid Comedy, week 29, where you will find something to tickle your funny bone.

Arkansas Blog

The Arkansas Virtual School -- a byproduct of a little scam cooked up by Bill "Slots" Bennett to funnel public tax dollars to home schoolers and organizations that sell services to the home schoolers -- has claimed another famous victory in test scores. Home schooling works fine. That doesn't mean the state should pay public school dollars to support home schoolers.

Once and for all these aren't homeschoolers, they are public school at home students. And this is why it is so important to make the distinction. And yes, I am sure some homeschoolers did re-enter the public school system after they were lured with the spiel that they could keep their children in the home and use tax money to school them.

21 Years Ago

Wiseman was first a public defender in Newport and St. Johnsbury before she joined the Twelve Tribes. The video, called "The Children of the Island Pond Raid: An Emerging Culture," uncovers what she called the illegal, unconstitutional actions in the raid, and the anti-cult scheming behind it.
Mike LeClair, a retired state police captain, was just a trooper during the raid."A kid said "Good morning sir,'" LeClair recalled on the video. There were no signs of abuse, just happy, healthy, respectful kids, according to LeClair and others involved.
Headlines said it all. "Judge Mahady: State Didn't Have Single Piece Of Evidence" cried The Caledonian-Record.

Could this happen today? I certainly hope not, but forewarned is forearmed.

Follow Up

This is a follow up to my post The Slippery Slope of Censoring Books. The relationship section at Waldenbooks is back.

"We went through the process and returned the section once we found that we were within our legal rights to have it, well within the local ordinances," Roman said. "We think it's our customer's right to choose what to read and what to buy. But we wanted to balance that with local laws and be sensitive to the local community."

It's a pity Waldenbooks had to go through the hassle, because one customer wanted to decide what was fit for everyone to read.

Living Math Forum

A group for discussing math, homeschoolers welcome.

Emergency Homeschooling

A group to help people who are pushed into homeschooling by unexpected circumstances.

The Person Behind the Theory

An exhibit at the Franklin Institute introduces museum visitors to the person behind the theory, Charles Darwin.

Instead of becoming a doctor, Charles Darwin studied to be a clergyman. But his real love was collecting beetles.

This love of collecting led to Darwin's theory of evolution.

The Black Rose

by Thomas B. Costain

Join Walter in Oxford where he hears a lecture by Roger Bacon, which inspires him to use his inheritance to take a trip to Cathay. Travel with him on the caravan with Bayan of the Hundred Eyes. And find out if Edward the First forgives him for the rash remarks he made about the King in the beginning of the book.

NEA Wants to Make a High School Diploma Mandatory

Reg Weaver the president of the National Education Association, wants a high school diploma to me mandatory for those below the age of 21.

With 30 percent of high school students slipping through the cracks of our educational system, educators and political leaders are looking for solutions. One answer worth exploring is making a high school diploma or its equivalent mandatory for all students below the age of 21.

This is so stupid! What about kids who do well on the ACT and obtain early admission to college. Will the NEA insist they waste their time in high school, just so they can get the mandatory high school diploma?

We can use my eldest son and his cousin for an example. Both started college at 16, neither will ever have a high school diploma or it's equivalent. Will this hurt there earning power as Reg Weaver maintains? I sincerely doubt it as both will have college degree's (which are much more important then a high school diploma). My son at 17 is a sophomore in a Computer Science program, his cousin is working on her masters as well as working in a field she loves.

How would requiring students to have a high school diploma effect homeschoolers? An important question to ask before any legislation is enacted.

Related Tags: NEA, High School Diploma, mandatory diploma

Shannon at Homeschool Hacks is hosting the 42nd Carnival of Homeschooling. I hope you'll check it out, some very interesting post were submitted.