Homeschool article full of errors

Tammy Carter asked: Why Parents Choose a Home School Education. She did OK on the advantages. But when she got to disadvantages her article was full of errors. The first and most outrageous one.

Providing a home school education is not simply a matter of parental choice. In most cases the state education board of the state in which the family resides will have to approve a decision to give a child a home school education. The person taking on the responsibility of homeschooling must be certified to be a home teacher, the curriculum must follow the state curriculum, and the text books and other educational materials to be used must be approved by the state. Although this might seen like undue interference in what is a matter of personal choice, the state has a responsibility to ensure that all children receive an adequate standard of education and checks will be made to ensure that any child being kept away from public school is being properly educated.

No state requires that the person taking on the responsibility of homeschooling be certified to be a home teacher. Each state has their own requirements. Visit State Homeschool Requirements A Breakdown of Each State's Regulations By Charlotte Gerber
Each state in the U.S. varies in their individual requirements for homeschooling. There are currently four separate categories of state homeschool requirements. They are:
1. States requiring no notice - do not require parents to initiate any contact.
2. States with low regulation - only require that parents notify the school district that they are homeschooling.
3. States with moderate regulation - require parents to provide the school district with notification of intent to homeschool, test scores and provide a professional evaluation of the student's progress.
4. States with high regulation - require all of the previously listed information and the states provide the parents with the required curriculum or the parents are required to provide a curriculum for approval. These states also require the parent to allow visits by state officials to check the student's progress.

Ms. Carter states, " the state has a responsibility to ensure that all children receive an adequate standard of education and checks will be made to ensure that any child being kept away from public school is being properly educated." It's too bad that 'they' don't ensure that the children enrolled in public schools are properly educated. The state has no right to interfere in a parents choice to homeschool their children in the absence of abuse or neglect.

A home school education might mean that a child is deprived of certain opportunities which would have been available within the public school system. There could be difficulties in providing facilities for athletic children to realize their potential. Musically talented children could be similarly disadvantaged. In some states there is provision for children receiving a home school education to take part in amenities such as being able to attend sports lessons and join after-school clubs. However, the level of assistance provided to homeschooling parents is not uniform and varies a lot from state to state.

Ms. Carter assumes that without the aid of the state parents can not provide athletic or other opportunities for their children. Nothing could be further from the truth. Homeschoolers often band together so their children can pursue their interest.

The final potential disadvantage to affect children receiving a home school education is that they will not develop the social skills which will be important as they grow up. Social interaction with their peers and with adults outside the family is essential if a child is going to grow up with a properly balance personality and a reasonable level of social skills. These developmental issues can be fairly easily overcome if the child lives in a state where homeschooling parents are given support and the child receiving a home school education is accepted into classes and extra-curricular activities.

Oh please,socialization is so not a problem. Perhaps Ms. Carter should do more research before writing articles.

If you want to share give the author credit

Some Christian homeschoolers have a problem linking to secular or inclusive homeschool sites. Apparently they are ashamed for their friends to know that they visit inclusive & secular homeschool sites. On the other hand when they see something they like they don't mind posting it on, on their site without giving proper credit to the author. Some of them even have the chutzpah to submit it to the Carnival of Homeschooling where it will attract attention. Apparently it never dawns on them that those pesky secular & inclusive homeschoolers will read the Carnival of Homeschooling and will notice when their friends work has been used without giving proper credit to the author. When we have the nerve to mention who wrote the parody, list or whatever our comments are deleted, how dare we point out they are using someone else's work without giving them credit. Christian Homeschoolers are by no means the only ones guilty of this a secular homeschooler pilfered the Bitter Homeschoolers Wish List giving Deborah Markus yet another reason to be bitter.

So here are some tips for sharing things on your blog:

If you see something you like link to it. Instead of posting the whole thing on your blog give a teaser. For example: I saw this great parody of I Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling) at Natalie Criss' blog Rambling Rants and Remedies ~

First I was afraid
I was petrified.
Kept thinking I could never teach
’Cause I’m not certified.

to read the rest click here.

Be sure to give the authors name and a link to their site. If you can't do that because you don't believe in linking to inclusive or secular sites then as much as you might like their post don't share it on your site. Even if you don't claim it as your own work, not giving credit just isn't right. If you don't know who wrote it do a Google search. A Google search on I Will Survive (the first year of homeshcooling) pulled up these results. Natalie's blog was the very first one, so it is easy enough to find out who wrote the parody.

If you do share something without crediting the author (presumably because you didn't know who the author was), when someone lets you know who the author is acknowledge it and apologize. We all make mistakes and I am sure the author will be understanding. Don't delete the comments and refuse to credit the author. It makes you look small and if you are a Christian blogger it makes you look hypocritical especially when your blog is loaded down with bible verses and how Christian you are.

Musings of A Homeschool Mom

Great article on Homeschooling, Homeschooling not easy, but rewards are many at The Hickory Record.

Natalie Criss wrote a parody of I Will Survive and posted it on her blog Ramblings, Rants, and Remedies. Now it's showing up at Graceful Girlhood (who even submitted it to the CoH ) with no credit being given to Natalie. Properly crediting something is very important and it's one of the things TEACHERS (be they homeschool teachers, public school or private school teachers) should strive to teach their students. Assuming that she just didn't know who to give credit to I left a comment telling her who wrote the parody, did she give Natalie credit. Nope!!!!, she just deleted my comment. What is it with these so called Christian homeschoolers using others work and refusing to give proper credit? Deborah Markus, from Secular Homeschooling Magazine had the same problem with The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List .

At least the writer of Graceful Girlhood had the decency to take the post down since she refused to give Natalie credit for the song.

To learn how to properly share someone else's terrific post read If you want to share give the author credit.

There’s More to School Than Textbooks! ~Carnival of Homeschooling

There’s More to School Than Textbooks! and you can read all about it at this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling

The Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers #7

The Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers #7 is up at Homeschooled Twins.

Don't be shy, contribute your own post for issue #8. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the carnival of cool homeschoolers using the carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.

Carnival of Homeschooling

This weeks Carnival of Homeschooling is up.

Natalie Proclaims I Will Survive

Ramblings, Rants & Remedies: I Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling)

The Not Back to School, Carnival of Homeschool

Grab a cup of coffee and some pie and head over to The Homeschool Cafe, where you can Celebrate Not Back to School with Natalie's CoH.

The High Cost of Testing

The principal of Rocky River Middle School in Ohio is sorry.
His school made AYP, earned an “excellent” rating from the state, and passed the 2008 Ohio Achievement. But principal David Root gave Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett a remarkable two-page, single-spaced apology, addressed to students, staff and citizens of Rocky River, detailing the cost of those accomplishments.

Uncertified guidance counselor hired by public school

A teacher at Long Beach Middle School is suing the school district, the school board and the superintendent because she said they hired an uncertified guidance counselor when there were more qualified, certified applicants.

Nicole Wilson's attorney filed suit this week in Chancery Court and is asking for the district to cancel the contract of the person hired and for the board to hire one of the certified applicants.

The Overachieving Homeschooler's Quiz

The Overachieving Homeschooler's Quiz
By Deborah Markus, from Secular Homeschooling, Issue #3, Summer 2008

Hey, reader! Yeah, you! Are you one of those overachiever homeschooling types that make the rest of us look bad? Take this simple quiz to find out!

Crichton's characterization of homeschoolers disappointing

I really used to enjoy reading Michael Crichton's books, but the way he portrays homeschoolers in NEXT is outrageous.

page 262 "It's David," the principal said. She was a woman of forty. "The child you are homeschooling. Your son Jamie brought him to school for the day. "yes, to see how he did..." "And I am afraid he did not do well. On the playground he bit another child. "Oh dear." "He very nearly drew blood." "That's terrible." "We see this in home-schooled children, Mrs. Kendall. They severely lack socialization skills and inner controls. There is no substitute for daily school environment with peers."

By the way, David the child in question is a transgenic chimp who is being passed off as a human child with Gandler-Kreukheim syndrome (which is a totally made up syndrome to explain David's appearance).

Social Workers Charged in Death of 14 Year Old Girl

Four social workers were among nine people charged Thursday in the death of a disabled 14-year-old girl who authorities say wasted away from neglect before dying at 42 pounds

The Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers #6 is Up

Carnival Of Homeschooling - The Boy Scout Edition

Consent Of The Governed: Carnival Of Homeschooling - The Boy Scout Edition

Homeschooling is not odd, it's about opportunity

Kelly Flynn is wrong on home-schooling issue; It's not odd, it's about opportunity, says Flint Journal guest writer Ed Tate
Click here to read his column.

Funding losses are not Ohio homeschooler’s fault…..

Drop by The Informed Parent and read Funding losses are not Ohio homeschooler’s fault…..

It was reported locally that the administrator’s comments followed a remark about the loss of funding to private schools and home educators. Perhaps the local public school administrator is confusing those enrolled in a public virtual school with home educators? He or she wouldn’t be the first. Except for tax dollars paid by the parents of home educated children, Ohio home educators do not bring money into a district, nor do they take money away from it. They simply happen to live in the district. However, public e-schoolers who live in the district and are enrolled in a statewide e-school that originates somewhere else in the state or country do require local funds to leave a district.

My response - THE HOMESCHOOL DEBATE and HOMESCHOOLERS, HELP ME

THE HOMESCHOOL DEBATE and HOMESCHOOLERS, HELP ME over at I'm Just Sayin'.

They would not have seen these things, if I home schooled them, because they would only be seeing people just like them. They would only be exposed to people with the same family life, the same values, the same religious beliefs.

Nothing of course is further from the truth. Homeschoolers are a diverse bunch. Family Life - There are single parents, homosexuals, and traditional families in the homeschooling community and believe me we do not all share the same values. Religious Beliefs -There are Pagans, Wiccans, Atheist, Christians, Hindus, Muslims and many, many others of different religious backgrounds who homeschool. By belonging to an Inclusive Homeschool Group we are able to interact with people from many different backgrounds and beliefs.

Since she asked nicely and she isn't attacking homeschoolers at all, I thought I would answer her questions.

1. What was your motivation for homeschooling? Was it based on religious reasons? Was is it based on curriculum - did you want more freedom in choosing what your children were being taught? Was it based on socializing - wanting to have more control in the people with whom your children came into contact with? Was it based on logistics - the nearest school being 20 miles away? What made you finally decide to go this route?

Mandatory Public School Uniforms with no opt out for parents that were opposed to them. I also realized I could give my children a far better education then my eldest son was getting from his 5th grade, second semester teacher who couldn't control her class, didn't know how to do Algebra and wanted to teach kindergarten but got stuck with a 5th grade class because there were no spots in kindergarten open. While the majority of my children's public school teachers were excellent or at least satisfactory, I didn't want to waste anymore of my children's time with unsatisfactory teachers.

2. Don't hate me for asking this. How to you handle socialization? What steps do you take to make sure your children are around other children and adults? Are you active in a home school group? Do you spend a lot of time at church activities? Maybe you utilize the local Y for activities and they meet friends there?

At various times we have done various things, Cub & Boy Scouts, Recreational Soccer, field trips with our homeschool group, and of course there is always the Internet and phone to help them keep in touch. Now that they are older both my boys work and often get together with their co-workers after work to socialize.

3. Do you use the public school system for any part of your child's routine? Some children here come to the school for band or chorus, or maybe for science class. Do you send your child to the public school to take advantage of any of their programs?

Not really, my youngest son does belong to a robotics team that is located at a public school but the school isn't even in the same county we live in much less the school district and the robotics team is open to all public school, private school and homeschooled students.

4. Do your children begin and end school at the same time each day? Do they have a strict schedule, at least as far as waking up and reporting to the school area of your home? If not, when/how will you transition your children into following a more rigid schedule - awaking at the same time each day so that they can follow a routine outside of the home like for college and work?

Well my eldest son does since he is in college now, but NO one of the things I LOVE about homeschooling is it's flexibility. They always knew that there were certain times that we had to be somewhere at a certain time, thus they didn't have any problems when they started working or college. I think that's one of the big myths that anti-homeschoolers use, that our kids will not be able to function in a work/ college environment and that's so not true.

I am skipping 5, so moving on to ...........

6. Do you have a sense of humor? It's probably a little late for me to ask that but...

Yes

7. Where do you find your curriculum? Do you shop for it and order it? Do you create your own?

I use the Internet to find and order curriculum. If I can't find something I think is challenging enough I create my own. I created my own American Literature program for my youngest son to use in 11th grade. My eldest son started college at 16 so we skipped American Literature.

8. Do you have any worries at all about teaching your teenagers the higher level math and sciences? I, for one, could not teach chemistry to my children but I could probably teach them calculus. Is this a concern for you?

No, if there is a subject I can't handle like higher Math, Dad teaches it. We kinda divided the subjects between us. Other families use co-ops and tutors.

9. What bothers you the most about the reputation homeschoolers have? What things do you hate to hear people say about you for your choice? I really hope you don't say that it's my previous post.

Your previous post was OK, I felt you were very respectful of a parents right to make the best educational choice for their child. Some of these past post here and on my main blog will shed light on the things homeschool critics say that really irritate me.

10. Be honest, do you, at least in your mind sometimes, judge those of us who choose public school? Do you ever think we are making a bad choice for our children? Are you vocal about that disapproval?

I think each individual child's educational needs are different. Homeschooling happened to work for both my children. I know some homeschool families that have one or more children in public school while they homeschool the others.

11. Is "home school" one word or two?

Beats me. I think it's a personal preference.

Wouldn’t this be a better world if you and people like you could stop being so bigoted and open your hearts to those that are different than you

This Pagan seems to be on the right track
"Wouldn’t this be a better world if you and people like you could stop being so bigoted and open your hearts to those that are different than you. I am a pagan I don’t believe in heaven or hell, god or the devil."

Honestly why do Christians have to try to ram their beliefs down others throats?

Linda P. Harvey in Heresy in the Hood II: Witchcraft among Children and Teens in America is back to Bashing Harry Potter and other popular, books, movies and TV Shows.

Ironically, God is in charge even if the fictional Harry Potter or his friend Hermoine cast "spells." Yet Potter fans will never hear about God’s real, omnipotent power by reading the Christ–less Rowling books or seeing the Potter movies. One of the biggest and most artificial aspects of these stories is this pretense. In this sense, they truly are fantasies.

I wonder if she has even bothered to read the Potter books, especially the last one.

Is Harry Potter Real Literature?
and other related post at Alasandra & The Cats.

Great column about homeschooling in California

Why Homeschool: Great column about homeschooling in California

Public School Administrator request newspapers do an exposé on home schooling

In defense of home schooling
By RORY RYAN
Publisher and Editor

A request was made by a local public school administrator at a recent board of education meeting that the newspaper "do" an exposé on home schooling.

Such a request, and one made in a public forum by a school board president, at the very least implies some knowledge of something amiss.

If this administrator is aware of anything which ought to be "exposed," maybe he should simply contact the proper authorities. If he suspects cases of abuse, there's Children Services, the police, the Highland County Sheriff's Office, the Juvenile Court judge, all of whom would, no doubt, respond to the legitimate complaints of a school administrator.

Why challenge the newspaper? We are not the home school police. Frankly, we have enough to do to keep up with those public bodies that spend more and more of taxpayers' money each year. But I digress.

Read the rest here.

CA & Homeschooling

(Greenhut, Steven) columns argued that parents had much to fear from the ruling, which could give local school districts the rationale to declare homeschooled kids truants. The case needs to be overturned, but two significant things happened in the ensuing weeks.

First, although the California Teachers Association celebrated the ruling, prominent Republican and Democratic politicians rebuked it. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed to push for a legislative fix, but he seems unclear on what course his administration is going to take. More important, the superintendent of public instruction, Jack O'Connell, declared that homeschooling is legal and that his department would respect the choices made by homeschooling parents.

Second, in the wake of such political and public outrage, the court of appeal vacated the ruling and said it would rehear the case. It will take months to get a new ruling, but homeschool families are safe for now, and it's likely that any new ruling will be tailored in a narrower manner. Homeschoolers still have reason for worry, though, so it's worth looking closely at how such a basic freedom could come under a sustained government assault.

Read the rest here.

Homeschool Survey

Learning is for Everyone, Inc. is hosting the Tapestry of Homeschool survey in an effort to counteract modern day mythologies about homeschooling that range from misperceptions about socialization to assumptions about religious beliefs.

There are a lot of opinions about what homeschoolers want, who homeschoolers are, and how homeschoolers teach and learn. Unfortunately, many of those opinions come from people who don't homeschool, or who may have a particular interest in portraying homeschoolers a certain way.

Learning is for Everyone encourages homeschoolers to speak for themselves, instead of for government statistical surveys, or for the private agendas of special interest groups.

Homeschoolers comprise a diverse and multifaceted community. Getting a better picture of homeschooling can help homeschoolers improve support within their communities, and better protect their collective right to direct their children's educations.

Read more and take the survey here.

Embracing the Joys of Summer, with Kids

It sounds as if Jennifer Graham got the kids she deserved; Summer of Our Discontent Embrace the vacation horror. By Jennifer Graham. One day we will probably read a piece by one of her kids extolling the horror of having to put up with aging Mom Jennifer Graham or maybe they'll just throw her in an old folks home.

If it’s that of the children — newly released from the rigors of the public-school system, where, this past year, one of mine watched A Bug’s Life in eighth-grade English class — I’ll pass. I’ve been to Chuck E. Cheese and surveyed the population; we can afford to lose a few thousand of ‘em without jeopardizing the replacement rate.

I can't believe someone could be so glib about the loss of a child. I treasure my children and can't imagine my life without them.

The alarming outbreak of children affects us all. It’s us against them, and many of them are on skateboards, headed straight for our BMWs.

What a sad mentality Ms. Graham has. My children and I are on the same team.

The dirty little secret of parenting is that there’s so little actual parenting involved. Mostly, “parenting” is a euphemism for “housework in the presence of children,” which quadruples when the temperature hits 90. The businesswoman daydreaming of her fireflies and lemonade stand edits out the image of her own disheveled mother beginning her sixth load of laundry (do wild blackberry stains ever really come out?), applying Band-Aids and zinc oxide, breaking up fights, mopping up spills, and perpetually sweeping, like a crazed Lady Macbeth: “yet here’s a spot … what, will these floors ne’er be clean?”

Maybe that's Ms. Graham's problem, instead of actually parenting her children she abrogated her parental responsibilities in favor of housework. The housework will always be there your children won't. I am so glad that I took the time to spend time with my children when they were small instead of leaving them to fend for themselves while I maintained the perfect house. And remember that "team" I mentioned, well me and the kids tackled the housework together so we could play. Even when they were small there were simple task they could help with.

Some families actually do enjoy family vacations, my family certainly does and I don't touch a shred of laundry the whole time we are gone.

When it spills a pitcher of homemade lemonade all over the newly mopped floor, I let it.

There is something inherently wrong in referring to your child as 'it'. Accidents happen but even the littlest child can help clean up the spilt lemonade.

When it knocks the $200-and-near-impossible-to-replace Wii off the shelf, I let it.

I choose to teach my children to respect the property of others and how to behave inside.

When it picks all the annuals in my flower garden, I let it.

I taught my children how to help care for the plants in my flower garden and not to pick the flowers without my permission.

When it hits its brother on the head, I let it.

I choose to teach my children that violence isn't the answer and how to resolve their differences in a peaceful manner.

Like Steve Buscemi’s character accepting the imminent destruction of Earth in the movie Armageddon, we must learn to embrace the horror. Without summer vacation, there would be no school teachers, and we’d have to hang out with our kids all year.

Maybe the parenting choices I made is why I actually enjoy being with my kids all year.

Homeschooled twins: Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers #5

Visit Homeschooled twins to enjoy the Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers #5

Nationalized Education

Spunky on Federalizing Education

He (Lee Carey) believes that the response from most involved with education will be positive, except that of the homechooler,

"Home Schoolers: They'll see nationalization as a threat to their independence, because it is. But they're dedicated and resourceful people. They'll survive, and perhaps even flourish after a favorable court decision. (Maybe) "

The Herculean CoH

Carnival of Homeschooling

What's in a name?

From Beverly's Homeschooling Blog
CHEA, CHN, HSC, HSLDA and Private and Home Educators of California are recommending that California private school programs, also known as Independent Study Programs (ISPs), stop using the term "Independent Study Program" and begin using the term "Private School Satellite Program" (PSP).

Mississippi school board prohibits teachers from texting students

A new school district policy in southern Mississippi prohibits teachers from texting or communicating with students through Internet social network sites such as MySpace.

The Lamar County school board approved the policy earlier this month after becoming concerned that casual contact between teachers and students would be unprofessional.

The Graduate's not-so-happy sequel, Home School

The Times had this to say about Home School.

Both parents' and childrens' educational rights need to be protected in homeschooling

Excerpt from Both parents' and childrens' educational rights need to be protected in homeschooling by Kelly Flynn.

Most parents have their children's best interests at heart. We trust parents to make appropriate choices about their children's health, safety, diet, and discipline. Why wouldn't we trust them to make appropriate educational choices, too?

In this case, my belief in the rights of parents is stronger than my belief in the beauty of the public school system. And I have never believed that there is only one way to do anything.

While she may not understand and see the beauty of homeschooling she at least respects our right to homeschool our children. I do wish she and others didn't see it as an odd educational choice though.

homeschooling is, to me, an odd educational choice. I don't understand why a parent would choose to separate a child from the rich and varied world that a public school offers, or shelter them from the very society that they will ultimately have to live and work in.

But even though homeschooling would not be my first choice, I do believe, emphatically, that parents should have that choice.

Ironically I believe that homeschooling provides a richer and more varied world then public schools offer, and most homeschoolers are out in the society that they will ultimately have to live and work in, while public school students are enslaved in a artificial environment where people are separated by their age. Thankfully my choice to homeschool is respected by most, even if it is considered an odd educational choice by some.

Book List

Drop by the Objectivist Roundup for a list of summer reading material.

Levy on Homeschooling and Racism

I think homeschooling has more to do with the quality of the public schools in an area, but check out Levy on Homeschooling and Racism.

The Graphics Winner

Graphic A was the winner of the graphics contest by a hair. Now that we have a graphic it's time to move along to phase 2. Please nominate your favorite homeschool blog. These are the categories;

• Adult homeschool blog


• Teen homeschool blog


• Child homeschool blog


• Group homeschool blog

Please leave a comment to nominate your favorite blog, leave a link to the blog and the category. Last years winners:

• Doc's Sunrise Rants - Adult homeschool blog


• Why Homeschool - Group homeschool blog


• Cocking a Snook Too! - Teen homeschool blog (last year the teen and child blogs were combined).

are not eligible for this years contest. Nominations will end October 17th. I hope to have the poll ready for voting to begin November 1st.

Parent Educators and Kids (PEAK) is hosting a fun-filled retreat

I am so excited the homeschool group I belong to is hosting a fun filled retreat. See HEM's Parent Educators and Kids (PEAK) is hosting a fun-filled retreat for more details.

It's about time

A janitor whom a university official had accused of racial harassment for reading a historical book about the Ku Klux Klan on his break has gotten an apology - months later - from the school.

Charles Bantz, chancellor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, apologized to Keith John Sampson in a letter dated Friday, saying the school is committed to free expression.

"I can candidly say that we regret this situation took place," Bantz wrote.

Mother Crone's Homeschool: That Nasty "S" Word...

Mother Crone's Homeschool: That Nasty "S" Word...

Get over it ~ this isn't a hate crime

Webster Cook says that, instead of eating a Eucharist wafer as he was expected to do during the Sacrament of Holy Communion, he smuggled the blessed piece of bread out of mass. Once blessed, the piece of bread is viewed by Catholics as the true Body of Christ. (click here to learn more)

Catholics worldwide became furious.

Webster’s friend, who didn’t want to show his face, said he took the Eucharist, to show him what it meant to Catholics.

Webster gave the wafer back, but the Catholic League, a national watchdog organization for Catholic rights claims that is not enough.

“We don’t know 100% what Mr. Cooks motivation was,” said Susan Fani a spokesperson with the local Catholic League. “However, if anything were to qualify as a hate crime, to us this seems like this might be it.”

HT: IT'S A FRACKIN’ CRACKER!

Accusations of Neglect and Abuse of Power: The Shaman Case

Ragamuffin Studies: Accusations of Neglect and Abuse of Power: The Shaman Case

Homeschooled twins: Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers #4

Homeschooled twins: Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers #4

Stricter regulations for daycare needed

Police in Florida say a 4-year-old has died after a fire at a Tallahassee day care.

Judge dismisses home-schooling credentials case

A controversial legal ruling that outlawed most forms of home schooling in California will face greater scrutiny because the underlying family court case was dismissed earlier this week.

Read more here.

Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals

On the 2006 National Assessment of Educational Progress Civics Test," the report notes, "the majority of eighth graders could not explain the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. Only 5 percent of seniors could accurately describe the way presidential power can be checked by Congress and the Supreme Court."

If they don't understand the checks and balances the Founding Fathers devised to keep the President, Congress and the Supreme Court in check America may be headed for serious trouble in the years ahead. The author of "Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals" goes on to say.

I have not worried about the fundamental commitment of the American people since 1974. In that year, they were confronted with the stunning evidence that their president had conducted a criminal conspiracy out of the Oval Office. In response, the American people reminded Richard Nixon, the man they had just recently overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term, that in this country, no one, not even the president, is above the law. And they required him to yield his office.

That was 34 years ago. I wonder if today's generation inured by countless scandals would turn a blind eye to a popular President's wrong doing. After all we don't seem to be holding an unpopular President accountable for his actions.

"Kids may be short on history, but they get the fundamentals" , I am not so sure they do.

Freshwater taught creationism in Ohio public school

Freshwater, 52, was fired last month after an outside consulting firm released a report concluding that he taught creationism and was insubordinate in failing to remove a Bible and other religious materials from his classroom.

He also faces a federal lawsuit filed by the family of a student who says Freshwater burned a cross on the child's arm with an electrostatic device and that the burn mark remained for three or four weeks.

Since then, Freshwater's supporters have rallied on the town's public square urging school board members to resign. A much-viewed sign planted along a roadside about a mile from town reads: "If the Bible goes, the school board should follow."

Carnival of Homeschooling

Amanda is taking us to the ice cream parlor for her Carnival of Homeschooling , hosted at the Daily Planet. I think I'll take a double helping of the Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk.

Are you a cool homeschooler?

Check out the 3rd edition of the Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers.

Public Schools: the school of last resort

What should policy-makers, educators and the public make of a new poll suggesting 83 percent of Oklahomans wanting the best education for their children would choose a learning environment other than a public school? At a minimum, we'd hope the findings would cause them to step back and ponder why so many parents think that way. Ideally, the education establishment will embrace the challenge of make public schools the place to be, instead of the school as the second, third or perhaps even last resort.

Read the rest here.

Home schooling has "branched out far and wide

Although single parents who home-school are relatively rare, they represent a "small but noticeable trend" as home schooling becomes mainstream and options such as online classes have made the endeavor easier, said Brian Ray, president of the Home School Education Research Institute.

From 1999 to 2003, the number of single-parent households that home-school increased by 7 percent, according to the national statistics. Single-parent households represent about 18 percent of all home-school families.

Because those figures are five years old and home-school support services have grown since then, some believe the numbers are even higher today.

"Single parents are getting more and more common," said Carl Lucas, the vice chairman of the Nevada Homeschool Network. "They find ways to do it."

Plaisted, a self-described pagan who blogs about home schooling and mystic experiences on the Internet, said the stereotype that home-school parents are Christian fundamentalists is "very dated." Home schooling has "branched out far and wide," she said.

Teacher pleads guilty to federal charges

A former teacher accused of having sex with a 13-year-old student and fleeing with him to Mexico is expected to plead guilty to reduced charges, her attorney said Tuesday.

James Martin Davis, the attorney for 26-year-old Kelsey Peterson, said his client will plead guilty Wednesday to federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of sex.

Sean Paddock and Tyler McMillan weren't even homeschoolers, so why are their deaths being used to harass homeschoolers?

In America one is generally considered innocent until proven guilty, but this editorial, Our View: Help protect home-school children implies that homeschoolers are guilty until proven innocent.

The editorial writer ignores the fact that Sean Paddock was four years old and thus not school age. The editorial also fails to mention that Sean Paddock was adopted. Wasn't some sort of government agency involved in the adoption process? Wasn't it their job to insure the adoptive Mother would provide a loving home? Why isn't the editorial calling for more oversight before people can adopt? instead of implying that legitimate homeschooling families can't be trusted and therefore need a government watchdog. What's next government watchdogs for stay at home moms who don't put their newborns and preschoolers in day care?

As for the Tyler McMillan case. The bare bones seems to be that his Mother died of cancer in 2004 and he lived with his Father and Step-Mother. According to a neighbor the family moved from Florida to North Carolina about 3 months ago and oh yeah, they homeschooled, which considering the public schools would have been out for summer break in most areas in June is a moot point. What is more to the point is why didn't any of their neighbors notice this child was tied to a tree not ONCE but TWICE??? There also seems to be some doubt he was actually homeschooled according to this article "The teen began his education at Greenville Christian Academy and then attended Trinity Christian School." For those who are unfamiliar with Greenville Christian Academy and Trinity Christin School, both are private schools in North Carolina. So again we have the death of a child who wasn't even being homeschooled used to call for the harassment of legitimate homeschoolers.

When a public school student dies at the hands of a parent no one suggest they should increase the oversight of public schools, so why do they use these tragedies to harass legitimate homeschoolers? Why did they rush to the conclusion that these children were homeschoolers when one was to young for kindergarten and the other attended a private school?

Carnival of Homeschooling ~ 4th of July edition

Celebrate the 4th of July at About.com's Carnival of Homeschooling.

Thinking Parents: Should every kid go to college? (Due July 15)

Question: Do you agree that college for all is a worthy goal? Why or why not? Is it even a reasonable goal for all students to be "college ready"?

Answer:
I really think kids today need some sort of preparation before joining the work force be it a community college 2 year program or a 4 year university program. More and more high school diplomas do not indicate that students have even the basic skills necessary for most jobs. Since a college degree gives students a chance at a better life all children that are "college ready" should be given the opportunity to attend college.

Are all children college material? Unfortunately "No" and we must have some sort of program in place so these children can get the training they need to find employment.

Books Art Bash

The Book Arts Bash is a brand new writing contest for homeschoolers, unschoolers, upschoolers, and outschoolers! Our goal is to have fun writing and illustrating, and to stretch book arts across the curriculum.

Click here for more information.

Why does Rep. John Gingrey [R-GA] & HSLDA Hate Women?

H.R. 1153: Parental Right to Decide Protection Act

To prohibit Federal funding or other assistance for mandatory human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs.

So the women who would benefit from the vaccine most will not be able to afford it.

HSLDA had this to say about their support of the bill

Those who are most likely to get HPV are those who have sex at an early age, have many sex partners, or have a sex partner who has had many partners.

In other words people HSLDA and the religious right believe deserve to get HPV, the clear message is if you just behave the way we want you to you will not need Gardasil, so why should our tax money be used to provide a vaccine to help those sinners who will not live the way we want them too. If a good Christian woman who waited until marriage to have sex, and has never had sex with anyone other then her husband contacts HPV because her husband had another sexual partner prior to his marriage that's too bad, but it servers her right for marrying a sinner instead of a good Christian man. If a woman believes she is in a monogamous marriage and her husband betrays her and she contracts HPV, then it serves her right for marrying a Godless Sinner. Apparently women are not only suppose to PAY for their own sins but the sins of their spouses too, according to Rep. Gingrey and HSLD. Heaven forbid they should receive a vaccine that could protect them.

However, the only FDA approved HPV vaccine, Gardasil, is not a cure for HPV or cervical cancer. Instead the vaccine seeks to prevent the four specific types of HPV (6, 11, 16, and 18) which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. There is currently no cure for these sexually transmitted viruses. Even the FDA and the CDE admit the only “cure”(actually abstinence before marriage and a monogamous relationship during marriage isn't a "cure" anymore then Gardasil is; it's a preventive measure just like Gardasil, and I sincerely doubt the FDA & the CDE called it a "cure") is abstinence before marriage and a monogamous relationship during marriage.

Since there isn't a cure preventing the contraction of HPV ( a non-curable STD) should be of paramount importance to everyone. Instead Rep John Gingrey and HSLDA seem to be intent on women risking their health rather then allowing them to receive a vaccine that can prevent the four specific types of HPV that are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. This bill has nothing to do with protecting parental rights and everything to do with forcing the religious rights agenda on everyone while victimizing low income women who will be unable to afford the vaccine without federal funding or some sort of assistance with the vaccination program.

All women should be able to decide for themselves if they want to be vaccinated against HPV.

Disciplining a tenured teacher can be a long and expensive process

Few people know better than school superintendent Allan Gerstenlauer that disciplining a tenured teacher can be a long and expensive process.
An English teacher in his Long Island district remains on the payroll, earning an annual salary of $113,559, even after pleading guilty earlier this month to drunken driving charges - her fifth DWI arrest in seven years.

The teacher will remain on paid leave at least until a disciplinary hearing in August, and it will be up to an impartial arbitrator to decide whether she needs to be fired as she faces a likely prison sentence.

Why aren't they calling for more oversight before people can adopt?

A state task force that examined the death of a 4-year-old boy who died in 2006 has called for more oversight for children taught at home.

Four year old children do not attend public school. Therefore technically he was not being homeschooled, so why is the state task force using the tragedy of his death to harass legitimate homeschoolers?

The N.C. Department of Social Services made the recent recommendations in its report on the death of Sean Paddock, a Smithfield boy killed by his adoptive mother. Lynn Paddock, who was convicted of first-degree murder and felony child abuse in the case

Adoptive Mother???? wasn't some sort of government agency involved in the adoption process? Wasn't it their job to insure she would provide a loving home? Why aren't they calling for more oversight before people can adopt?

When a public school student dies at the hands of a parent no one suggest they should increase the oversight of public schools, so why do they use these tragedies to harass legitimate homeschoolers?

Education alternative helps families
State task force: Home schools need monitoring

Exorcism protected by law

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday threw out a jury award over injuries a 17-year-old girl suffered in an exorcism conducted by members of her old church, ruling that the case unconstitutionally entangled the court in religious matters.

In a 6-3 decision, the justices found that a lower court erred when it said the Pleasant Glade Assembly of God's First Amendment rights regarding freedom of religion did not prevent the church from being held liable for mental distress triggered by a "hyper-spiritualistic environment."

Laura Schubert testified in 2002 that she was cut and bruised and later experienced hallucinations after the church members' actions in 1996, when she was 17. Schubert said she was pinned to the floor for hours and received carpet burns during the exorcism, the Austin American-Statesman reported. She also said the incident led her to mutilate herself and attempt suicide. She eventually sought psychiatric help.

Read more here.

re Public Opinion v California homeschooling

Drop by Principled Discovery to read re Public Opinion v California homeschooling.

Scientists unearth key fossil of primitive creature

Scientists unearthed a skull of the most primitive four-legged creature in Earth's history, which should help them better understand the evolution of fish to advanced animals that walk on land.

The 365 million-year-old fossil skull, shoulders and part of the pelvis of the water-dweller Ventastega curonica were found in Latvia, researchers report in a study published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

HT: HERP&ES

Dr. William Bainbridge is full of baloney

After watching the FOX discussion between Laura Ingraham and education expert, Dr. William Bainbridge regarding the California ruling, I couldn't help thinking what a condescending jerk Dr. Bainbridge is.

The statement that really got my blood boiling was "If they are so smart they can work hard and afford to put their children in private or charter schools". This may come as a huge surprise to him but even parents who can afford to send their children to private schools may opt to homeschool. In my area the only private schools are Catholic. While I don't have anything against Catholics, not being Catholic, why would I choose to send my children to a Catholic school to be indoctrinated with a religion different from my own? There are no charter schools in my area. So my choices were limited to a public school system that couldn't meet my children's needs, a Catholic private school or homeschooling.

I was also enraged when he compared homeschooling to parents smoking in a car with their children in the car. What an outrageous statement and I dare say more public school parents are guilty of smoking in the car with their children in it then homeschool parents ever will be.

I got a laugh when he choose to use teaching Japanese as an example of why parents couldn't homeschool highschool. Knowing that colleges require a foreign language I asked my eldest son what language he would like to take and he choose Japanese. I got online and did some research and ordered Japanese Ultimate, and we learned Japanese together. Funnily enough IF he had still been stuck in public school he wouldn't have been able to learn Japanese as the public school in our school district doesn't offer it. We reinforced our language studies with a trip to Oahu, where we were able to converse with the Japanese tourist.

He went on to say children have the right to choose? OK, what IF they choose to be homeschooled? Mine did as they readily saw the advantages. At 16 my eldest son had earned early admission into college and had started working on a computer science degree. At 19 he is a senior in college.

Before Dr. Brainbridge sets himself up as an expert on homeschooling, perhaps he should do some research and discover all the advantages homeschooling has to offer, even to high school students.

HT: Spunky

Homesick Campers' Edition ~COH

Dewey's Treehouse: Carnival of Homeschooling #130: Homesick Campers' Edition

Is this what they mean by socialization?

A pact made by a group of teens to get pregnant and raise their babies together is at least partly behind a sudden spike in pregnancies at Gloucester High School, school officials said.

The Father of Homeschooling

Although this system (public schools) always had its detractors, school reformers became more vocal in the mid-1960s, criticizing what they considered an overly restrictive, lock-step method of teaching.

John Holt emerged as the father of the modern home-school movement. Holt, a former teacher, began by urging more freedom within the classroom and ended up promoting home schooling. He believed schools were too large, inflexible and bureaucratic to be sensitive to individual children’s needs and interests, and that this led many children to struggle needlessly. Just as disturbing, he said, children often lost their zest for learning when forced to fit into the narrow confines of the conventional classroom.

You are invited to a homeschool mixer

Cherish at Faraday's Cage is where you put Schroedinger's Cat has a cool idea.


Homeschool stereotypes and how we don't fit into them...
Jun. 12th, 2008 at 4:36 PM


Now prepare yourselves for the insanity, but I think it would be cool to start a "homeschool mixer" of sorts (online, of course). I know a couple people who read this blog homeschool...so perhaps you can tell me if this is crazy or not. I just had the notion that if people could learn more about the complexities of homeschooling (rather than some of the stereotypes), it might help people realize that maybe homeschoolers can't always be pigeon-holed so easily. It also may help people to see that there are some people who don't fit into their preconceived notions. And yeah, I know this entirely unscientific...and simply won't work for some people. If you feel interested in being involved (as a homeschooler), all you need to do is answer some questions by responding to this post with a comment (with as much or little detail as possible). If you are interested in finding out about (other) homeschoolers, you can ask questions (politely, of course).So, some questions I think are relevant:

So, some questions I think are relevant:

• Why do you homeschool? We started off homeschooling because of the mandatory public school uniform policy with no opt out the Jackson County School Board implemented over the objections of many parents. There was even a law suit. My eldest son's 4th grade teacher had also stated that I should consider homeschooling him because he already knew all the material being covered by his class and the school board would not allow her to promote him to the next grade, because they didn't want to lose state funding for him any sooner then they had to. Then there was his 5th grade teacher, second semester, a total screw up. He had a wonderful teacher 1st semester. Unfortunately teachers in public schools are on the bottom of the pay rung, the best and brightest teachers leave to become guidance counselors and principals. He left to become a guidance counselor at the same school, because he needed the higher pay, and they hired Ms. Winn fresh out of college and with a brand spanking new teaching certificate. She couldn't do algebra (she wanted to teach kindergarten you see, and you don't need algebra for that), she couldn't maintain discipline in the classroom, she couldn't spell or string together grammatically correct sentences, as a 5th grade teacher she was a total loser. So between being upset about the mandatory school uniforms and Ms. Winn the decision to homeschool was an easy one for us.


• What technique or curriculum do you use? I use different things. This is what we did Fall 2007 - Spring 2008.


• Do your kids work above or below grade level (or both!)? Above. But when we started it was some of both, as my eldest son was a semester behind in Math thanks to his 5th grade public school teacher, Ms. Winn. We were able to catch up to his correct grade level and then get ahead. By the way my eldest son started college at 16, he is in his third year of a Computer Science Degree.


• What is your educational level? Both my husband and myself are college graduates.


• Do you feel this has an effect on your teaching (both limits and abilities)? Since my husband has a college degree he has a well paying job which has allowed me to homeschool full time. Being a full time stay at home Mom and able to devote myself full time to homeschooling is certainly a big plus. I also think my having a college degree helped me prepare my boys for college.


• What does your daily schedule look like? Our schedule varies day to day. That is one of the things I love about homeschooling the ability to be flexible and take advantage of field trips, community events ect. as they are available to us.
  
• Are your kids always polite and ready to learn? (*snicker*) I wish, but with teenagers I have discovered giving them choices makes a huge difference in their willingness to cooperate.


• Do the kids (or you!) get frustrated? Sometimes, we are human. Everyone gets frustrated sometimes. But being able to take a break when we need it helps keep the frustration levels low.


• How has this affected your parenting? It hasn't really.


• How much free time do they have? That varies too, both have jobs and are involved in different organizations and activities.


• What do they do during their free time? Read, play video games, visit the beach.


• What hobbies do they have? My youngest son is involved in Team Fusion 364, both boys were involved in soccer. My eldest son maintains a Digimon Website.


• What difficulties and challenges do you have with homeschooling? The attitude of the anti homeschoolers


• What makes homeschooling enjoyable? Having the chance to learn new things and see my children's enthusiasm for learning.


• How do you get involved in the community? We belong to the Civic Association in our community. Our kids played on recreational soccer teams and were involved in scouts, my husband and myself were involved in leadership positions with both groups.


• When do you have opportunities to interact with public or privately schooled children? All the time. One of the things I love about Team Fusion is that it is composed of public, private and homeshooled kids and they all get along great. But we are very active in our community so we interact with people from different backgrounds all the time.


• Would you like more of these opportunities? Yes.


• How can they be created? By public schools being more willing to include homeschoolers in their after school activities.


• What is your least favorite homeschool stereotype? :-) That we are with our kids 24/7.

Drooling Home-Schooling Ruling

This is so funny, Drooling Home-Schooling Ruling.

Let's go to the movies

This weeks Carnival of Homeschooling has a movie theme.

D.C. Homeschoolers upcoming regulation proposals discussed on the Kojo Nnamdi Show

Visit the Informed Parent for information concerning D.C. Homeschoolers upcoming regulation proposals discussed on the Kojo Nnamdi Show. You can listen to the interview here.

We wanted them to be traumatized

"You feel betrayed by your teachers and administrators, these people you trust," said 15-year-old Carolyn Magos. "But then I felt selfish for feeling that way, because, I mean, if it saves one life, it's worth it."

Officials at the 3,100-student school officials defended the program.

"They were traumatized, but we wanted them to be traumatized," said guidance counselor Lori Tauber, who helped organize the shocking exercise and got dozens of students to participate. "That's how they get the message."

The plan was to tell the truth to the students at an assembly later in the day. But word that it was all a hoax began to spread before the gathering. Tauber said some counselors and administrators revealed the truth to calm some students who had become upset.

Should we pay students?

In New York, about 5,500 students can earn money for getting good test scores. The program is open to fourth-graders, who can earn up to $250 a year, and seventh-graders, who can end the year with $500 in the bank.

"We'll soon give out over $1 million to fourth- and seventh-graders this year," said Roland Fryer, a Harvard University economist leading the experiment. He said he is happy with the results so far.

Who does high tution hurt?

The last dimension worth study is who, if anyone, anyone takes a hit from increasing Pell grants. The answer, it seems clear, is students with family earnings too great to qualify for the grants, so their university years must be paid for solely with earned cash or student loans.

As usual those of us who are responsible stewards are hurt by government programs.

McCain Supports Homeschooling & Vouchers

From JohnMcCain.com, McCain states that Public education should be defined as one in which our public support for a child's education follows that child into the school the parent chooses. The school is charged with the responsibility of educating the child, and must have the resources and management authority to deliver on that responsibility. They must also report to the parents and the public on their progress. The deplorable status of preparation for our children, particularly in comparison with the rest of the industrialized world, does not allow us the luxury of eliminating options in our educational repertoire. John McCain will fight for the ability of all students to have access to all schools of demonstrated excellence, including their own homes.

With regards to standards, McCain believes that we can longer accept low standards for some students and high standards for others. John McCain believes our schools can and should compete to be the most innovative, flexible and student-centered - not safe havens for the uninspired and unaccountable. He believes we should let them compete for the most effective, character-building teachers, hire them, and reward them. If a school will not change, the students should be able to change schools. John McCain believes parents should be empowered with school choice to send their children to the school that can best educate them just as many members of Congress do with their own children. He finds it beyond hypocritical that many of those who would refuse to allow public school parents to choose their child's school would never agree to force their own children into a school that did not work or was unsafe. They can make another choice. John McCain believes that is a fundamental and essential right we should honor for all parents.

John McCain will place parents and children at the center of the education process, empowering parents by greatly expanding the ability of parents to choose among schools for their children. He believes all federal financial support must be predicated on providing parents the ability to move their children, and the dollars associated with them, from failing schools. Plainly stated McCain supports vouchers.

On the other hand Barack Obama wants universal preschool.

BarackObama.com The plan will be promoted by Early Learning Challenge Grants to help all states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school. Early Head Start would quadruple under an Obama administration, and he promises affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden on working families.

HT: History Is Elementary

Carnival of Homeschooling

Drop by the Common Room to read this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling.

Beware Texas

Head over to Guys Lit Wire and read How Texas affects everyone else's textbooks.

It has always amazed me that those who are anti-homeschooling out of the mistaken belief that all homeschoolers teach creationism never acknowledge that many of our public schools fail in teaching evolution.

Starting this summer, the state education board will determine the curriculum for the next decade and decide whether the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution should be taught. The benign-sounding phrase, some argue, is a reasonable effort at balance. But critics say it is a new strategy taking shape across the nation to undermine the teaching of evolution, a way for students to hear religious objections under the heading of scientific discourse.

If Texas dumps evolution it'll be hard to find a decent science textbook.

At least he is honest about why he and others hate homeschoolers

SONNY SCOTT:Home-schoolers threaten our cultural comfort

Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?

Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the home schooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.

Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar’s be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.

Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state’s bureaucrats on these “trouble makers.” Their implicit rejection of America’s most venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. “Individualism”) spurs us to heat the furnace and feed the lions.

HT: HERP & ES

Clinton Recognizes Homeschooled Teen

Sparky, who is home-schooled, got involved with the campaign in January after seeing Bill Clinton campaign for his wife in Cleveland. She and her mom, Debbie Irvine, arrived two hours before the doors opened and it earned them third-row seats in front of the podium. "It felt like he was talking to me, like I was the only person in the room," Sparky said.

Afterward, she took a flier and volunteered. She answered phones and typed. And then one day the person who mapped door-to-door routes for canvassers was busy.

Sparky stepped up and soon the teen was working 12-hour days plotting courses for hundreds of volunteers to knock on thousands of doors in northern Ohio.

Homeschool Blog Awards ~ Pick a Graphic

Graphic A

Graphic B

These were the graphics that were submitted for the HBA contest. And yes, I am late holding the run off. I was really hoping for more submissions. But I like both of these, so now all that's left is for you to decide which one will be used for 2008. To choose vote in the poll in the sidebar.

The eavesdropper

After reading The Moms who Homeschool Squadron Meeting , I stumbled across Cherish's Homeschool Hype. What a terrific response.

Finally, I came across a post by an outsider who overheard a meeting of homeschool moms. The gist of it was that these moms were in the stereotype group #5 (Homeschooling parents are the well-educated, financially elite of the community.) and their nagging would be better aimed at public schools to benefit all kids. You see, if you homeschool, you are automatically taking away resources from the public schools and making life much worse for the rest of the kids because school scores go down, there aren't enough parents to be involved in PTA, and the school loses funding because your child isn't enrolled.

I have a big problem with those people who think I should sacrifice my children for the good of those children stuck in public school. I also find it ironic that those same people who whine that I should be making a difference in the public schools don't have any problem with public school parents who choose to contribute nothing to their children's education or schools.

And I have to wonder what a post based on some comments I have overheard public school parents make would look like. Here are a few I have overheard recently.

• "I don't know what I am going to do with my children during the summer, babysitters are so expensive" - Implying that the public schools are nothing more then a free babysitting service.
• "Sally got sent home for wearing thong underwear to school" - Uh how did the teacher know what kind of underwear Sally had on?
• "Amber is crushed she didn't make cheerleader "
• "Joe missed the school bus again, I don't know why the driver can't wait for him, she won't even blow the horn and give him five minutes to get outside" ~ Jeez, I thought the kids were suppose to be waiting at the but stop.
  

Luckily I don't judge all public school families by the stray remarks I have overheard some public school parents make.

Just Enough, and Nothing More ask Are YOU a Stereotypical Homeschooler? Guest Post by MaryAnna Cashmore. I came to the conclusion long ago that there is no typical homeschooler anymore then there is a typical public school family. Homeschoolers are a divers group and we don't fit into any one slot, anymore then public school parents and students do.

Public School gives proof of educaiton on their diplomas

A Cleveland-area principal says he's embarrassed his students got proof of their "educaiton" on their high school diplomas.

Homeschoolers win big at FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship

On April 17-18, 2008, a team of seven homeschooled high schoolers swept the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) World Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, taking home a Winning Alliance Team trophy and the Amaze Award (awarded by the judges to a team whose uniqueness sets it apart from all other award categories). Team Overdrive, from Bridgewater, New Jersey, won four regional tournaments (an FTC record) during the season and racked up the two highest scores ever in the championships.

Well I wish Team Fusion 364 had won, but since they didn't I am glad to know that a homeschool team won.

A Libertarian Solution to Evolution Education Controversy: No More Public Schools

Check out A Libertarian Solution to Evolution Education Controversy: No More Public Schools over at Wired Science

Kids thrive despite others' assumptions

Kids thrive despite others' assumptions

Home-schooled kids aren't all social misfits who peer through thick glasses, sport pocket protectors and talk through their noses like Steve Urkel. Nor are their parents all isolationist extremists, they said.

Members of the Milford And Surrounding Towns (MAST) home-schooling support group, which draws people from as far away as Newtown, have home-schooled their kids for a myriad of reasons that range from special needs to religion.

Many acknowledged that home schooling isn't for everyone, but they said it's working for them and they wish they weren't labeled.

Read more here

13 year old unwelcome in church

Carol Race thinks it's important for her 13-year-old son to be in church on Sundays for Catholic Mass.

Leaders of the Church of St. Joseph once felt the same way, but not anymore. They say Race's autistic son Adam is disruptive and his erratic behavior threatens the safety of other parishioners.

The northern Minnesota church has obtained a restraining order to keep Adam away, an action that has been deeply hurtful to the Race family and has brought them support from parents of other autistic children

From Principled Discovery

Homeschooling without credentials leads to educational anarchy

Should Home-Schooling Be Illegal?

Parade magazine has a poll asking if teaching credentials should be a requirement for homeschooling. At the moment 93% say NO. Click here to vote.

Educational anarchy

Teachers Union Attacks Homeschoolers - PJI Responds



The California Teachers Association claims in its brief that allowing parents to homeschool their children without requiring a teaching credential will result in "educational anarchy."



What exactly is "educational anarchy"?

Dictionary.com doesn't have an entry for educational anarchy. But this is the definition for educational;
ed·u·ca·tion·al
Audio Help Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ej-oo-key-shuh-nl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1.
pertaining to education.
2.
tending or intended to educate, instruct, or inform: an educational show on television.
and this entry for anarchy
anarchy 1 [ˈӕnəki] noun
the absence or failure of government

So educational anarchy would be the absence of government in instructing students. Sounds pretty good to me. I suppose the California Teachers Association thought that using the word anarchy which has negative connotations for a lot of people would lead most people to assume that educational anarchy was something bad.

On the other side of the ledger, a brief filed by Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown recognizes "that home schooling has a long and positive history in California and across the nation."

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented on the recent developments as follows: "Contrary to the outrageous position of the California Teachers Association, homeschooling is not educational anarchy - it is educational opportunity. We are pleased that the Governor and many other influential voices are weighing in on this important debate, and we look forward to presenting the Court with the best possible defense of both homeschoolers and independent-study private schools."

Teacher, student get into brawl at Ga. school

Police say the 52-year-old Jones kicked the student, which prompted the fight.

Now here is a good reason for Homeschoolers to write letters

Five people in Tennessee, who hold homeschool diplomas, have recently been deemed unqualified for certain positions of employment because of their homeschooling. Since last year, the Tennessee Department of Education has begun withholding approval of such diplomas, but Representative Mile Bell has been fighting to gain back the recognition these diplomas previously enjoyed.

Bell told LifeSiteNews.com that until last year, no person in Tennessee had ever had an issue with an employer for holding a category IV diploma - the official title of diplomas issued to private church-related students, including homeschooled students.

Recently, however, employers that are required by statute to hire only those persons with a high school diploma, including the police department, day-care workers and education workers, have either suspended or denied employment to five category IV diploma holders.

After graduating with a 4.0 average from a police academy, one Rockwood police officer lost his certification, possibly deeming all of his arrests invalid, "because the DOE refused to recognize his category IV diploma." Bell also mentioned that this occurred seven years after the officer received his category IV high school diploma.

Who Needs Subway

Certainly not homeschoolers who were EXCLUDED from their contest, Hey Subway: What's the Deal? . Homeschoolers have their very own contest at Silly Sandwiches. So drop by and submit your story and while you are at it why not enjoy a sandwich from a locally owned sandwich shop or visit a farmers market and make your own sandwich using fresh produce.

HT: Natalie

School board defines home-schooler terms

When is a homeschooler not a homeschooler?

The Mineral County Board of Education settled on 50 percent as the proposed in-school, class-load threshold to consider a home-school student a full-time public school student.

Under the proposed policy, any home school students who take more than half of their coursework through the Mineral County school system will be considered full time and subject to all course requirements such as class pre-requisites.

H$LDA Takes Subway to Task

Now HSLDA is sending Subway letters.

In the News

The Subway debacle is now garnering media attention.
AC (Associated Content) ~ Homeschool Families Call for Boycott of Subway Restaurants
While homeschooled parents across the web cry for a boycott and a public apology from Subway we can only wait to see if the proposed boycott will make a difference, and whether or not Subway can recover from this disastrous PR debacle.

We Never Forget by Linda Dobson

In the May- June 2008 Issue of Home Education Magazine, Linda Dobson has written a heartfelt article, We Never Forget. She writes about a recent gathering where the topic of discussion was school horror stories. She writes: Forty-even fifty years later- and we can recount school-related humiliation as if it happened yesterday. We haven’t forgotten.

Subscribe to HEM to read the full article.

Is this what they mean by socialization?

By Colleen Wixon (Contact)

Originally published 01:50 p.m., May 23, 2008

TCPALM

My heart bleeds for this poor little boy.

Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.

After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class.

Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February for an official diagnosis under the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marsha Cully.

Not only did this emotionally abusive teacher damage this poor child emotionally she also damaged his classmates. Surely some of them at least understood what they were doing was wrong and felt bad about it.

They said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said.

"He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."

HT: The RedMolly Picayune-Democrat

Ragamuffin Studies: But Is It Education?

Ragamuffin Studies: But Is It Education?