Comments on Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008TypePad2008-04-22T17:59:00Ztoddmundthttps://jackshow.blogs.com/jack/tag:typepad.com,2003:https://jackshow.blogs.com/jack/2008/04/essay-homeschoo/comments/atom.xml/Phelps29Krystal commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e201311008d9e5970c2010-04-01T18:10:55Z2010-04-01T18:10:55ZPhelps29Krystalhttp://www.lowest-rate-loans.comA lot of specialists claim that credit loans aid people to live the way they want, just because they can...<p>A lot of specialists claim that credit loans aid people to live the way they want, just because they can feel free to buy needed goods. Furthermore, some banks present consolidation loan for young and old people. </p>Kiani Kasper commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e20105361b841a970c2008-11-24T00:12:50Z2008-11-24T00:12:50ZKiani KasperMr. Lessenberry, I have just finished reading your essay on home schooling and I am greatly disturbed. I have been...<p>Mr. Lessenberry,</p>
<p>I have just finished reading your essay on home schooling and I am greatly disturbed. I have been home schooled through middle school and high school and I am now in college. I feel that your essay is extremely biased and uninformed. Have you ever even talked to someone who was home schooled or has home schooled their child?</p>
<p>"Actually, this bill doesn’t go far enough. We need a strong package of bills firmly regulating home schooling. They should prescribe a curriculum and require home schoolers to prove they are qualified to teach. We owe it to our kids and ourselves."</p>
<p>For your information, there are some states that have stronger laws on home schooling, such as putting together a portfolio of your work for that year and turning it into your school district for approval. On top of this many home schoolers use a curriculum that is provide by a college in the United States, such as Pensacola Christian College or Bob Jones University.</p>
<p>"And yes, homeschooling is necessary. But as a supplement, not a substitute."</p>
<p><br />
In some cases it is needed as a substitute. Many people are home schooled because their academic level surpasses others in their grade. Another reason is if the child is being abused by other students. Unfortunately, this can be easily found in the public schools today. And what does the school district do? Give the abusive child detention or notify the parent? Wow that will sure teach him! Parents want what is best for their child, that is the main reason for home schooling!</p>kenquethomas commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e553bcc51888332008-07-27T15:46:54Z2008-07-27T15:46:54Zkenquethomasi would to join your school.<p>i would to join your school.</p>R.Medvedenko commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e553ad73c988342008-07-09T22:28:16Z2008-07-09T22:28:16ZR.MedvedenkoMore people need to realize that Mr Lessenberry's perspective (on this and many other issues) comes right out of the...<p>More people need to realize that Mr Lessenberry's perspective (on this and many other issues) comes right out of the Communist Marxist playbook. Here are a few paragraphs from a 1920 Soviet book called the "ABC of Communism": </p>
<p>The old school was intimately associated with religion - by compulsory religious teaching, compulsory attendance at prayers, and compulsory church-going. The new school forcibly expels religion from within its walls, under whatever guise it seeks entry and in whatever diluted form reactionary groups of parents may desire to drag it back again.</p>
<p>In bourgeois society, the child is regarded as the property of its parents - if not wholly, at least to a major degree. When parents say, 'My daughter', 'My son', the words do not simply imply the existence of a parental relationship, they also give expression to the parents' view that they have a right to educate their own children. From the socialist outlook, no such right exists. The individual human being does not belong to himself, but to society, to the human race. The individual can only live and thrive owing to the existence of society. The child, therefore, belongs to the society in which it lives, and thanks to which it came into being - and this society is something wider than the 'society' of its own parents. To society, likewise, belongs the primary and basic right of educating children. From this point of view, the parents' claim to bring up their own children and thereby to impress upon the children's psychology their own limitations, must not merely be rejected, but must be absolutely laughed out of court. Society may entrust the education of children to the parents; but it may refuse to do anything of the kind; and there is all the more reason why society should refuse to entrust education to the parents, seeing that the faculty of educating children is far more rarely encountered than the faculty of begetting them. Of one hundred mothers, we shall perhaps find one or two who are competent educators. The future belongs to social education. Social education will make it possible for socialist society to train the coming generation most successfully, at lowest cost, and with the least expenditure of energy.</p>
<p>The social education of children, therefore, must be realized for other reasons besides those of pedagogy. It has enormous economic advantages. Hundreds of thousands, millions of mothers will thereby be freed for productive work and for selfculture. They will be freed from the soul-destroying routine of housework, and from the endless round of petty duties which are involved in the education of children in their own homes.</p>
<p>Wow! Sounds just like you Jack. </p>
<p>Less than one hundred years ago a different group of progressive elitists thought they knew what was best for "The People" and in the next 80 years well over 100 million people were killed worldwide. Some of which were relatives of mine. </p>
<p>But, even with all of this, the truth of the matter is that homeschooling is a sacrifice that people make because they love their children dearly and want them to grow up to be good productive citizens. </p>
<p>Maybe it's time to bring back the slogan, "Live Free or Die".</p>
<p>At least that's how I feel.</p>
<p><br />
</p>David Page commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5532d6dd388332008-06-09T22:17:16Z2008-06-09T22:17:16ZDavid PageJoy said: "I challenge you to find ten different homeschooling families. Talk to the children and parents. Then tell us...<p>Joy said: "I challenge you to find ten different homeschooling families. Talk to the children and parents. Then tell us if you still think it's more socially deconstructive than internet porn."</p>
<p>Is that the choice, Joy, Homeschooling or internet porn?</p>Mandy commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e553142a5588342008-06-07T09:01:34Z2008-06-07T09:01:34ZMandyAND SINCE WHEN ARE THEY YOUR KIDS? THEY ARE NOT YOURS! THATS WHAT HITLER DID, MAKING ALL CHILDREN LEARN WHAT...<p>AND SINCE WHEN ARE THEY YOUR KIDS? THEY ARE NOT YOURS! THATS WHAT HITLER DID, MAKING ALL CHILDREN LEARN WHAT HE WANTED THEM TO LEARN!! FREEDOM! THINK IT OVER! </p>
<p>FREEDOM..</p>
<p>ECHOS IN ETERNITY!</p>Mandy commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e553140de688342008-06-07T08:57:20Z2008-06-07T08:57:20ZMandyFreedom, what does this mean? Does it not mean that we have the freedom to live our lives as we...<p>Freedom, what does this mean? <br />
Does it not mean that we have the freedom to live our lives as we wish, NOT as the government wishes? <br />
We have the right to bring our children up the way WE want! A child spends 6-7 hours a day in school, what if we don't want our child spending that amount of time with delinquents. Schools expell all Christian doctrine from the corriculum, what if we want our children to be brought up with good Christian MORALS, teachings etc. A child pretty much does what he's told, if your telling him evolution blah blah blah, he doesn't know any better. Its our right, its our freedom to bring our Children up as WE want!</p>Alex Barson commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552841bab88332008-05-28T01:46:20Z2008-05-28T01:46:20ZAlex BarsonAfter reading Mr. Lessenberry’s notes on his opinions of homeschooling, I was unsurprised and actually quite expectant, to be honest....<p>After reading Mr. Lessenberry’s notes on his opinions of homeschooling, I was unsurprised and actually quite expectant, to be honest. As a homeschooler for the past eight years, I have come across a myriad of situations and accusations that are the same as Jack’s blog. <br />
How do people know you are really learning at home and not just running wild? Simply put, examine our test scores. Several colleges, including Spring Arbor University, are adamant supporters of homeschoolers because of their incredible work ethic and knowledge base before even entering their doors. Though, there are some cases of the “wild ones”, but how is this any different than a student being public schooled and not doing the work there? Or a public school student who has dropped out? <br />
What about social interaction? This is the most commonly abused and stereotypical excuse, question, and reaction to those unknown to our world. Practically any homeschooled family I know would testify against their homes being completely underground. Because a child does not go to school, does not mean he or she lives in their basement their entire adolescence. Lessenberry is taking great leaps and bounds in assuming that homeschoolers are inept at social understanding. I would very much like to socialize with him. <br />
But schools have a better system, especially in the fields of science. Indeed, but a school is not always the only place to look into a microscope, or brew a reaction. Homeschoolers substitute or create their own personal labs, or have the connections to society to use facilities elsewhere. Lessenberry also claimed that people homeschool because of the many failures of public schools. Finally a fact I can agree on, but by him saying that public schools have better facilities to learn, then to in the next paragraph admit that the same schools are failing is quite a contradiction. <br />
The imbalance of education could create an identity crisis for society. If by homeschooling a child and allowing him to advance beyond what a public school can teach him is going to somehow offset the balance that a public school provides and later create turmoil is a problem, then I believe Mr. Jack needs an education of his own. </p>Alex Barson commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5529cbbba88342008-05-28T01:46:08Z2008-05-28T01:46:08ZAlex BarsonAfter reading Mr. Lessenberry’s notes on his opinions of homeschooling, I was unsurprised and actually quite expectant, to be honest....<p>After reading Mr. Lessenberry’s notes on his opinions of homeschooling, I was unsurprised and actually quite expectant, to be honest. As a homeschooler for the past eight years, I have come across a myriad of situations and accusations that are the same as Jack’s blog. <br />
How do people know you are really learning at home and not just running wild? Simply put, examine our test scores. Several colleges, including Spring Arbor University, are adamant supporters of homeschoolers because of their incredible work ethic and knowledge base before even entering their doors. Though, there are some cases of the “wild ones”, but how is this any different than a student being public schooled and not doing the work there? Or a public school student who has dropped out? <br />
What about social interaction? This is the most commonly abused and stereotypical excuse, question, and reaction to those unknown to our world. Practically any homeschooled family I know would testify against their homes being completely underground. Because a child does not go to school, does not mean he or she lives in their basement their entire adolescence. Lessenberry is taking great leaps and bounds in assuming that homeschoolers are inept at social understanding. I would very much like to socialize with him. <br />
But schools have a better system, especially in the fields of science. Indeed, but a school is not always the only place to look into a microscope, or brew a reaction. Homeschoolers substitute or create their own personal labs, or have the connections to society to use facilities elsewhere. Lessenberry also claimed that people homeschool because of the many failures of public schools. Finally a fact I can agree on, but by him saying that public schools have better facilities to learn, then to in the next paragraph admit that the same schools are failing is quite a contradiction. <br />
The imbalance of education could create an identity crisis for society. If by homeschooling a child and allowing him to advance beyond what a public school can teach him is going to somehow offset the balance that a public school provides and later create turmoil is a problem, then I believe Mr. Jack needs an education of his own. </p>Rachel Slocum commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55227ebac88342008-05-06T02:37:17Z2008-05-06T02:37:17ZRachel SlocumDear Sir, I am a 17 year old home schooled student…and I AM PROUD OF IT!!! I have read your...<p>Dear Sir,<br />
I am a 17 year old home schooled student…and I AM PROUD OF IT!!! I have read your essay and the comments that follow and I decided that since you are discussing MY education and that of my peers, then I should offer my OPINION (backed up by facts of course) as well.</p>
<p>First of all I was wondering if you had researched any statistics concerning homeschooling before you wrote this essay. You say that “our kids need higher learning to survive,” and that “they should require home schoolers to prove they are qualified to teach.” The fact you say these things proves that you have not done your research, at least not on BOTH sides of the issue as my high school debate class teaches me to do. Since this is the case, I will offer some statistics that I found by searching “home school statistics” on Google (this information can be found at <a href="http://www.fdrs.org/home_school_statistics.html)." rel="nofollow">http://www.fdrs.org/home_school_statistics.html).</a> The National Home Education Research Institute performed a study and these are the results of that study: <br />
• The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests <br />
• Home school students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income <br />
• Degree of state control and regulation of homeschooling is not related to academic achievement <br />
• Home-educated students typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests that colleges consider for admissions <br />
• Home school students are increasingly being actively recruited by colleges</p>
<p>If this is the case, then wouldn’t it be correct to say that home school parents are just as qualified to teach their children as public school teachers, if not more so (no offense to “the person you sleep with”)? You say, “Mom and Dad need to take part in homeschooling every night…They should also get involved with their school.” How much more involved can you get?</p>
<p>Before I go on I would like to address an argument Mr. Thrasher made — that we are indoctrinated. The direct quote is “They are on a mission to indoctrinate minors who lacked the protection of the state to secure thier rights.” I have read both public school and home school text books and it seems to me that the only students being indoctrinated are the ones in public school. The public school text books that I have read have been completely one sided with no mention of what the other side might be, or even that there is another side. For example, all that is mentioned in the science textbook is evolution with no mention of creation other than to bash it. On the other hand my science text books address both evolution and creation. In the area of Social Studies, I am currently taking a class which examines six of the major world views and what their beliefs are concerning twelve different areas such as: psychology, fine arts, sociology, etc. So who is being indoctrinated?</p>
<p>Another argument you make, Mr. Lessenberry, is that “Education involves hard-to-quantify things like social education.” I am concluding from this statement that you believe children would receive a better social education in a public school rather than if they were home schooled (if I am wrong please correct me). With all due respect to your opinion I have no desire for the type of so-called “social education” that my peers are receiving in the public school system. Especially since I know from my friends’ descriptions that children in public schools spend all day in a classroom with their peers, many of whom experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex, use profane speech, disrespect their peers and those in authority, cheat on their homework, and who knows what else. My friends make it clear that this is literally the only “social education” they are receiving in the public school system. How is this preparing them for life after school? (Talk about myopic! :o) </p>
<p>As home schoolers, we have the freedom to meet new people and experience new challenges because we are not in a classroom all day. We have opportunities to participate in organized sports and music programs, gym, field trips, and more. I, for example, have volunteered at a hospital reading to children in the waiting room. I have interned for a U.S. Congressman (after I helped with his and a former State Representative’s campaign), and right now I am volunteering at our public library in hopes of getting a job there. I have traveled to 26 states and Canada. I have met so many wonderful people from all walks of life during these experiences, and I would not have had these experiences if I was in a public school. I have friends who are African American, Hispanic, and Chinese (hmmmmm…racist?!) I am not telling you these things to brag but rather to show you that home schooled children do not spend all day holed up in their home secluded from the world as is the popular misconception. In fact, we often have so much going on that we can just barely fit in our “school work.”</p>
<p>So Mr. Lessenberry (and Mr. Thrasher), you are entitled to your opinion, but you also need to know “the rest of the story.” Thank you for allowing me the privilege of sharing it with you.</p>
<p>Respectfully,<br />
Rachel Slocum<br />
</p>Michelle Guenther commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55226aa6688342008-05-05T15:31:19Z2008-05-05T15:31:19ZMichelle GuentherDear Mr. Lessenberry, You and a homeschooler have something in common. You both have reported for Michigan Radio. Check out...<p>Dear Mr. Lessenberry,</p>
<p>You and a homeschooler have something in common. You both have reported for Michigan Radio. </p>
<p>Check out Alyse Guenther's audio blog on your company's website. <br />
<a href="http://www.michiganradio.org/grading.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.michiganradio.org/grading.html</a></p>
<p>She was the unschooler that helped earn Michigan Radio a national award for their report on Michigan Schools. </p>
<p>You might also want to talk to reporter Sarah Hulett who spent a day with Alyse. Sarah was impressed with Alyse and asked her to create a radio diary as a special segment of the report.</p>
<p>After Alyse's piece aired, she toured the Michigan Radio studio. Your boss and many of your co-workers expressed how they were quite impressed with this homeschooler. Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet you.</p>
<p>Maybe if you spend more time with the people you report on, you might be surprise how uneducated you sound. Perhaps a little chat by the water cooler at Michigan Radio will offer a different view on homeschoolers. </p>
<p>The choice is yours. And we would like to leave our educational choices open so that we can give our children opportunities like the one Alyse had with Michigan Radio. </p>
<p>Your bio on this website states:</p>
<p>Jack has always said that the thing he loves about journalism is the fact that it's all about people-about connecting with and learning from them.</p>
<p>"I want to create intelligent dialogue about the problems we face. I think we need to think about and talk about who we are as a country and people, and explore those things."</p>
<p>If you really want to connect and learn from others, we who homeschool would prefer to share than debate.</p>
<p>I am willing to start over again if you want to begin with an intelligent dialogue, instead of your essay on homeschooling.</p>
<p>Finally, please don't compare the highest form of parental involvement in their children's education to anything on the internet. That's just sensationalism, which I prefer to keep separate from anything I hear on NPR.</p>
<p>Thank you.<br />
Michelle Guenther</p>RM Stac commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55207959888332008-05-01T10:54:08Z2008-05-01T10:54:10ZRM StacSir, What utter tripe! Your ability to fat-finger stupidity onto a computer screen is mind-boggling. Have you actually researched your...<p>Sir, </p>
<p>What utter tripe! Your ability to fat-finger stupidity onto a computer screen is mind-boggling. Have you actually researched your topic? Do you know any homeschoolers? So far the bulk of the defense of your article has been based on spelling mistakes by a few posters; where pray tell did you learn this as a method of argument? <br />
My children, 8 and 9 years old, were pulled out of public schools three years ago. They now study the big three plus geography, geology, Russian, Latin, rhetoric, history, basic science, music and even chess. They play on soccer and basketball teams and are both scouts. <br />
Socially they are well adjusted, though I must confess that they have no idea what the "in" things are and have never had to worry about being in the right clique. At this age I control who they come in contact with because quite frankly there are kids who I do not want my children associating with. There is no benefit in having my children exposed to some of the behaviors and attitudes that are so prevalent in our schools today. When the time is right I will help them prepare to deal with the more unpleasant elements of our society but currently I intend for them to remain children, innocent and untarnished by so much of modern society. <br />
If by being socialized you mean for children to be mouthy, wear “cool” clothing, chosen by their peers , hang out at the food court and text message each other in class you are right, my children are not socialized. They call adults Sir, Ma’am, Mr. or Mrs., they play board games with their friends, wear jeans and tee-shirts but could not tell you the difference between Gap and Calvin Klein and do not use cell phones during their lessons.<br />
You state that “We live in an increasingly diverse society with an ever-more technologically complex civilization,” this is correct but on every comparison the US public school students lag behind other industrial nations. Why would you force my children into a failing system? Despite the comments of Hillsdale’s honors program director, homeschooled children are typically found to be far advanced of public school students. Five minutes on the net will provide you with an abundance of evidence of this truism. It is also interesting to note that he is the honors program director and only found fault with science.<br />
You further call homeschooling a fad. How dare you! There is little that is more important to me than my children’s education. The fad is expressed in the scores of teaching methods that have been employed in our schools since the 60s, the fad is the idea that children should not be graded in school, the fad is that idea that we should not insist that children learn, the fad is that idea that self expression should extend to improper use of English in school assignments, the fad is that excellence is not a goal. <br />
It seems to be that those who oppose homeschooling do so because they have an agenda, which frequently has to do with job protection on the part of teachers. These are often the same individuals who oppose teacher testing or anything else that would expose the utter disaster that our public schools have become. Just out of interest is your wife a member of the NEA?</p>
<p>Sincerely RM Stac<br />
</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55206baec88332008-04-30T23:44:05Z2008-04-30T23:44:06ZThrasherMtn Mama, Again your home schooling is failing you.. I stated "I do not want to be a part of...<p>Mtn Mama,</p>
<p>Again your home schooling is failing you.. I stated "I do not want to be a part of a discourse with you that involves you having your kids fight your battles.."</p>
<p>Your last posts have been about your obession over me not your KIDS..My replies have been about my efforts to educate you in spite of your home schooling profile..</p>
<p>Please stay focused and keep making me blush...</p>
<p>Oh yeah..</p>
<p><br />
LOL,LOL,LOL</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55205b29788332008-04-30T14:45:21Z2008-04-30T14:45:21ZMtn. MamaOh my, my, my, dear Thrasher...If I have no honor by changing my mind on posting to you, then I...<p>Oh my, my, my, dear Thrasher...If I have no honor by changing my mind on posting to you, then I say that is a wee bit of the pot calling the kettle black (no pun intended). For you see dear, you have done the EXACT same thing. </p>
<p>"@ Mtn Mama,</p>
<p>This is my last comment with you I do not want to be a part of a discourse with you that involves you having kids fight your battles..</p>
<p>My cultural DNA does not approve of that...</p>
<p>Posted by: Thrasher | April 25, 2008 at 04:41 PM" </p>
<p>LOL.</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521c9a0788342008-04-30T13:35:57Z2008-04-30T13:35:57ZMtn. MamaBwahahahaha....Seriously? Oh my, I am embarassed for you. You do realize that there are things out there to help you?...<p>Bwahahahaha....Seriously? Oh my, I am embarassed for you.</p>
<p>You do realize that there are things out there to help you? It is never to late to homeschool yourself. With a little diligence and a good program, even you can overcome what your schooling failed to provide you.(I can give you some recommendations if you would like)</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521c8c0c88342008-04-30T13:12:08Z2008-04-30T13:12:09ZThrasherMtn Mama, Again you have gone back on your word and you are still posting about me.. Have you no...<p>Mtn Mama,</p>
<p>Again you have gone back on your word and you are still posting about me.. Have you no honor..lol,lol,lol,<br />
BTW this is a chat forum not an english lit homeschool class.. I will never concern myself with spelling, syntax, grammar, whatever in a chat forum....what rules in a chat forum is the content and quality of the post and in that regard I am a legend in here and on the internet..</p>
<p>I will let my body of work and activism speak to my genius...</p>
<p>Keep the rage and rants coming..I do love the attention it makes me blush now and then..lol,lol,lol</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521c888288342008-04-30T13:05:54Z2008-04-30T13:05:55ZThrasherJose Santiago ( Why do use used this phony name to insult hispanics??), Again I am always flattered when people...<p>Jose Santiago ( Why do use used this phony name to insult hispanics??),</p>
<p>Again I am always flattered when people who have little intellectual capital attack me and are obessed over my skills and ability to dominate a chat forum. I will admit I do enjoy the attention now and then...lol,lol,lol</p>Michael Iott commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55204c91b88332008-04-30T02:35:00Z2008-04-30T02:35:00ZMichael IottJose Santiago... You are addressing me because....? Mitakuye Oyasin! Michael (Medicine Crow) Iott 784 Michigan St. Eaton Rapids, MI 48827...<p>Jose Santiago...</p>
<p>You are addressing me because....?</p>
<p>Mitakuye Oyasin!<br />
Michael (Medicine Crow) Iott<br />
784 Michigan St.<br />
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827<br />
517 663 7354</p>Deborah Krenzer commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55204bea088332008-04-30T02:14:05Z2008-04-30T02:14:06ZDeborah KrenzerAs a homeschooling mother of 5,soon to be 6, and a former public school teacher, I have some interesting insight...<p>As a homeschooling mother of 5,soon to be 6, and a former public school teacher, I have some interesting insight into your discussion. First of all, I homeschool my children because I find it to be an honor and a privledge that I claim for myself as well as the for the most benefit of my children. You sirs who seem to think that the sun rises and sets in teachers as if they are immune to being human, are frankly misguided and ill informed. In the many years that I taught in public schools, I did not encounter one teacher that I believed could do a better job of knowing and teaching my child better than myself. Not because I am a superior teacher, but because as a mother I have been given the grace and love to guide my children in a way an adult in a classroom with up to 30 children could never do. Last I checked, parents were the benefactors to being blessed with their children. It is a parents moral responsibility to raise healthy, well balanced, happy children. So much more is resting on a parents shoulders for the success of their children than for an adult performing a 8 to 4 job. </p>
<p>It is not my main concern to send my child to an Ivy league University, or being able to outscore others on a standardized test,(although they do run circles around public schooled children) for me, it is my primary focus to raise my children with love and discipline that is centered around making them accountable as persons who are filed with moral character, God given innocence, and personal respect, that is so very lacking in any governement run institution. </p>
<p>I raise my children for Heaven not Harvard, and I am not ashamed! Those that should be ashamed are those that drop their children off at a public institution like dirty laundry to be picked up later in the day, supposedly pressed and ready, READY for what is the real question. Read the newspapers, watch the news, talk to a public school student... failure is the culture... and all I have to say is... NOT MY KIDS!!! </p>Jose Santiago commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55204b55188332008-04-30T01:54:15Z2008-04-30T01:54:15ZJose SantiagoMr. Iott: A perfect description of Thrasher. He's a long-time pest on Jack's blog and he is a shameless bag...<p>Mr. Iott:</p>
<p>A perfect description of Thrasher. He's a long-time pest on Jack's blog and he is a shameless bag of wind. A close examination of his posts reveals a pathetic man full of rage. He is an undereducated, ill-tempered race baiter that loves to bully and weigh in on every social ill despite very little real world experience. No doubt that he feels inadequate and it manifests itself with baseless diatribes. Intellectually temperate and curious folk find that they have little time for his type and ilk. He's the family equivalent of the nutty Aunt that comes over for the holidays and you cannot wait to see leave. Thrasher is an irritant but really quite inconsequential. Don't take him seriously.</p>Jose Santiago commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521bb7f988342008-04-30T01:44:13Z2008-04-30T01:44:14ZJose SantiagoMr. Iott: A perfect description of Thrasher. He's a long-time pest on Jack's blog and he is a shameless bag...<p>Mr. Iott:</p>
<p>A perfect description of Thrasher. He's a long-time pest on Jack's blog and he is a shameless bag of wind. A close examination of his posts reveals a pathetic man full of rage. He is an undereducated, ill-tempered race baiter that loves to bully and weigh in on every social ill despite very little real world experience. No doubt that he feels inadequate and it manifests itself with baseless diatribes. Intellectually temperate and curious folk find that they have little time for his type and ilk. He's the family equivalent of the nutty Aunt that comes over for the holidays and you cannot wait to see leave. Thrasher is an irritant but really quite inconsequential. Don't take him seriously.</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55204a17e88332008-04-30T01:02:18Z2008-04-30T01:02:19ZMtn. MamaYes, Thrasher, I...me and only me...called you a racist. I stand by that assertion. Not only do I think you...<p>Yes, Thrasher, I...me and only me...called you a racist. I stand by that assertion. Not only do I think you are racist, but I think you're a hypocrit and a liar as well. </p>
<p>I also am beginning to think you may suffer some illiteracy as well. I don't mean a few typos, I am talking some serious grammar deficiencies. You obviously cling to the same few words and have shown a lack of ability to read anything other than things that are directly aimed at you. You have failed to bring anything to the discussion but the same monotonous diatribe with the repeated failure to give a single fact or example.</p>
<p>Yes, it is becoming all to clear that your competence to differ fact from fantasy is a major issue for you.</p>
<p>Just to be clear....THIS is an attack. In rebuttal to all yours. Touche'.</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552048f6288332008-04-30T00:24:20Z2008-04-30T00:24:21ZThrasher@kristina, I could post the exact same statement about you and others in here with regard to thier emotional defense...<p>@kristina,</p>
<p>I could post the exact same statement about you and others in here with regard to thier emotional defense of home schooling.. I have been called all types of names in here..</p>
<p>I think some of your posts are ridiculous so there what that has gotten us?.. where has that moved the dialouge?</p>
<p>Again my premise remains the same the profile of home schoolers is one of isolationist, insular religious types devoid of social diversity..</p>Kristina commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552040be988332008-04-29T19:57:47Z2008-04-29T19:57:47ZKristinahttp://www.freedomloversacademy.blogspot.comThrasher, you're getting downright ridiculous. You have yet to show us how we're racist. Yet, it seems to me, that...<p>Thrasher, you're getting downright ridiculous.</p>
<p>You have yet to show us how we're racist. Yet, it seems to me, that you're making assumptions about me because of my race. Interestingly enough, that is the very definition of racism. No, I'm not calling you racist. I'm saying that you are coming across as racist. If you have something you want to tell us, please do. But right now, you're coming across as a racist.<br />
</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55203f81f88332008-04-29T19:27:06Z2008-04-29T19:27:06ZThrasherIt never fails the volume of excuses and rants from myopic people whenever one dares to shatter they phony and...<p>It never fails the volume of excuses and rants from myopic people whenever one dares to shatter they phony and speculative propaganda and disinformation...</p>
<p>I remain unimpressed by the nonsense I have read from those who support home schooling... </p>
<p>To read this amount of ignorance and fiction confirms for me why our country is in a meltdown ..</p>Stuart commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521ab43988342008-04-29T16:48:31Z2008-04-29T16:48:32ZStuartI would think Lessenburger and Thrusher would spend their time on their own government education centers. More kids fail to...<p>I would think Lessenburger and Thrusher would spend their time on their own government education centers. More kids fail to graduate from the government schools every single year than the grand total of homeschoolers of all ages, and they're worried about this small group of people? Amazing. How I survived government school without getting shot, sodomized, bullied into manic depression or hooked on drugs is amazing.</p>Maria commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521a8fe088342008-04-29T15:54:11Z2008-04-29T15:54:11ZMariahttp://www.eclecticallyyours.typepad.comI had to come over and see what all the bru-ha-ha was about. That's it??!! I mean, I was expecting...<p>I had to come over and see what all the bru-ha-ha was about.</p>
<p>That's it??!! I mean, I was expecting some well informed diatribe against homeschooling for all the attention this essay is getting. And it's just the same old junk food against homeschoolers we've been listening to for the last umpteen years. It's just packaged a tiny bit differently, but barely.</p>
<p>I suppress a yawn. </p>
<p>I also suppress spell check and an editor.</p>Linda commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55203736988332008-04-29T14:22:11Z2008-04-29T14:22:11ZLindaTo those that would like to see statistics and studies regarding homeschooling please go to this page. http://www.khea.info/kheafiles/homeschoolstats.htm there are...<p>To those that would like to see statistics and studies regarding homeschooling please go to this page.<br />
<a href="http://www.khea.info/kheafiles/homeschoolstats.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.khea.info/kheafiles/homeschoolstats.htm</a><br />
there are statistics and reports from many different states, private and national reports.</p>
<p><br />
</p>David Gelding commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521a445288342008-04-29T13:24:03Z2008-04-29T13:24:04ZDavid GeldingThis post and commentary has been very helpful. My wife and I are researching (careful with that word here) pulling...<p>This post and commentary has been very helpful. My wife and I are researching (careful with that word here) pulling my kids from the public schools to homeschool them after some serious issues with their last two teachers here in the Detroit area. One was arrested for molesting a student and the other (current teacher) seems to barely be able to read or write himself judging by the reports he sends home. That and the fact that Detroit public schools are now graduating less than 50% of their students. I have to wonder if we'll do better at home?</p>Cecilia Tombelli commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5520350f288332008-04-29T13:18:57Z2008-04-29T13:18:58ZCecilia Tombellihttp://www.cecilia-tombelli.blogspot.comMr. Lessenbery is opening up dialogue for all of us to discuss thoughtfully the rights and choices available to all...<p>Mr. Lessenbery is opening up dialogue for all of us to discuss thoughtfully the rights and choices available to all parents who direct the education of their children. Thank you, Jack.</p>
<p><br />
As my family celebrated Home School Family Day at the Michigan state capitol this month with a thousand parents and students gathered in Lansing, what we really celebrated was our the constitutional freedom to direct our children’s education. These guarantees are implied in the constitution, and outlined in the Declaration of Independence:</p>
<p> “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”</p>
<p> According to one constitutional law professor from a reputable college in Michigan, the “truths we hold to be self-evident” are such truths as a parent’s right to choose the upbringing of the child or children. In fact, he went further to say that this is revealed in Divine Law, as are the many other laws of this country regarding man’s ability, not the government, to direct himself.</p>
<p> This year’s gathering was significant because of our great concern about HB 5912 and its implications for home schooling families. HB 5912 does harm to the freedoms we enjoy in Michigan for a number of reasons. First, it would require all home schoolers to register with the local superintendent and home schoolers would have to turn in the names and ages of children being educated and address of the legal guardian. The bill may seem harmless, but it is understood that there seems to be a hostile environment towards home schoolers in the Michigan House as it cites a lack of accountability on the part home schooling families. The slippery slope argument is that once the Department of Education gets its hands on names, ages and addresses of home schooling families, it will then set up hoops to jump through and requirements that only add a burden to already over-taxed fathers and mothers who home school. As Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association stated, if home schoolers are the group with the record of success, why should we be told what to do by the public school system, which has not the same excellent record?</p>
<p> Fortunately, one recent report has indicated HB 5912 will likely never get out of committee this session, and one inside lobbyist has told me that HB 5912 will never see the light of day. Some say however, that there is a movement to take away parental rights, and that we need to understand better our constitutional rights, so that will not happen.</p>
<p> Constitutionally, we know that we have ground to stand on not only because of the Declaration of Independence, but the right to direct the education of one’s own children is implicitly stated in Michigan’s Mandatory Attendance Statute. Those who do not wish to send their children to public schools, have the right and indeed the obligation, to then direct somehow differently the education of their six to 16-year-old children living at home. That includes choices such as home schooling, private schools, or charter schools. Michigan’s compulsory attendance statute regarding homechooling both protects the fundamental rights of parents to direct the education of their children as guaranteed through the 14th amendment, and also upholds the understanding that we need to trust parents more than the government oversight. (MCL 380.01)</p>
<p> Home School Family Day was successful because home school families were able to communicate the effectiveness of home schooling and its benefits to lawmakers unfamiliar with our choice of home education, and it gave parents, students and pro-homeschooling lawmakers an opportunity to advocate for the freedoms we now take for granted in Michigan so that they will not be taken away from us.</p>
<p> The goals of those parents and pro-homeschooling lawmakers were not only to lobby against HB 5912, authored by Representative Brenda Clack, but also to raise awareness of the depth of care and concern by homeschooling parents to protect our right to direct the education of our children, to manage our resources and family time with great care, so as not to lose out on the opportunity to provide what is best for our children.</p>
<p> <br />
Fortunately, because of organizations such as the Home Education League of Michigan, Michigan Catholic Home Educators and other statewide and local groups and the national HSLDA, legislators are getting flooded with calls and letters to oppose this unnecessary bill. Rep. Joel Sheltrown has withdrawn his sponsorship from the bill due to phone calls.</p>
<p> Why oppose it? The HSLDA is advising that we utter the mantra that, “Since home schooling is successful and working in Michigan, since it is not broken, it does not need to be fixed.” We can certainly go above and beyond that by promoting the good things that happen when one family decides to home school. The savings to the state alone is approximately $7,400 per child who is home schooled. According to a recent national study by Dr. Brian Ray,</p>
<p> Michigan home-schooled children are, on average, performing above average on standardized tests, and since there is no increase in performance on standardized tests in states where home schooling is highly regulated, there is no proof that added regulation is justifiable.</p>
<p> Home schooling families in Michigan should also oppose HB 5594 which raises the age of compulsory attendance to 18 years (increase control of state over children for 2 years) Twenty-nine states only require schooling until a student has reached 16 years of age. Older kids in the classroom unwilling to learn could cause disruptions. Some kids are ready for college or the workforce. They should have the choice to stop at age sixteen. Another bill, HB 4662, lowers the compulsory attendance from age six to five. Opponents argue that this won’t reduce the dropout rate.</p>
<p>FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOMESCHOOLING IN MICHIGAN:</p>
<p>1) Michigan Catholic Home Educators <a href="http://www.rc.net/lansing/mch/" rel="nofollow">http://www.rc.net/lansing/mch/</a> (June 20-21 Lansing Center home school conference and book fair. All are welcome to come check it out).</p>
<p>2) Home Educator’s League of Michigan <a href="http://www.homeedmi.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.homeedmi.net</a></p>
<p>3) Information Network for Christian Homeschoolers (INCH) www.inch.org</p>
<p>4) In Lansing: CHURCH groups.yahoo.com/group/CHURCH_Lansing</p>
<p>CHESS www.lansinghomeschoolers.com/</p>
<p>5) Order copy of “You can home school” from Home School Legal Defense Association go to: hslda.org.</p>
<p>6) INCH conference (information network for Christian homes) conference May 2-3rd at Lansing Center.</p>
<p>Go to: INCH.org<br />
</p>Katrina L commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55202aed488332008-04-29T06:01:56Z2008-04-29T06:01:57ZKatrina LThis actually made my brain freeze up for a moment or two with its idiotic, one-sided prejudices. Mr. Lessenberry, I...<p>This actually made my brain freeze up for a moment or two with its idiotic, one-sided prejudices. </p>
<p>Mr. Lessenberry, I was homeschooled. As were all four of my siblings. And do you know what the number one question from the uninformed masses was? You guessed it; "What about socialization?" Well, let's see...while my peers were being sandwiched into age-segregated classrooms for eight hours a day, I was out in the real world, interacting with real people of differing ages and lifestyles. I learned to appreciate diversity. To this day, my public schooled friends tell me how "weird" they think I am for being able to hold a conversation with (and sometimes even forge a friendship with) someone who is two-three times my own age. I am also quite capable of getting along with peers and those who are younger than myself. </p>
<p>The question of socialization is the last desperate act of the public school supporters to try and scare parents out of homeschooling. And when you consider the disadvantages of age-segregation and the advantages of multi-age socialization in the real world, all you can do is laugh at the idiots who bring the issue up regarding homeschoolers. It's so ingrained into our society that some people don't even use common sense when they ask the question. Example: I once accompanied a public-schooled friend to her Jr. High School because she'd forgotten something in her locker. While we were there, we ran into one of her teachers. My friend introduced us and told the teacher I was homeschooled. After asking whether or not I liked being homeschooled, the next logical question this "qualified teacher" could think of was, "What about socialization?" Had I been a bit more gutsy in my youth, I wouldn't have had much of a problem shooting back, "Oh, I'm a paranoid hermit with no friends. Can't you tell?" As it was, I was struck dumb by his apparent lack of observational skills. </p>
<p>The homeschooled children one professor has seen are badly deficient in science education? So it's fair to label all homeschooled children deficient? Because ONE professor who's seen a mere HANDFUL of homeschooled students SAYS they're deficient in science education? </p>
<p>What about the fact that homeschooled children, on average, score higher than their public-schooled peers in nearly every other subject? I don't see many people raising a stink over the failure of the public education system in regards to literacy. The same professor who said homeschooled children are deficient in science education could just as easily have said the public-schooled children he sees are deficient in basic grammar and reading comprehension. Unless he's as ignorantly biased as you are. </p>
<p>My son has gone to public school for nearly three full years now. It's doing nothing but killing his natural enthusiasm for learning. He's dyslexic and ADHD and his accommodations single him out within his regular ed classroom, thus making him a target for ridicule. His spirit has been deadened, his lust for life dulled. And I'm tired of watching my child go from a bright, curious, capable student, to a depressed, cynical, lethargic robot with abysmally low self-esteem. And don't misquote me on that, I think his education is extremely important...merely stating that his feelings of depression and his tragically low self-esteem are severely impacting his behavior regarding actually learning anything. </p>
<p>Your proposed "prescribed curriculum" would completely defeat the purpose of homeschooling. My child has been subjected to the "successful" prescribed curriculum for nearly three years, and it has done him little-to-no-good. I'm choosing to homeschool him next year precisely BECAUSE the "prescribed curriculum" currently being employed in public education is not meeting his needs. He needs something different. </p>
<p>"For one thing, if we don’t know who is home schooling their kids, how can we know who is teaching their kids at home – and who are simply letting their kids run wild?"</p>
<p>And my question is; why is that any of your business? I understand the concern, but when did we become a nannying society where the rights of parents are continually superseded by a semi-fascist government, intent on taking control of every aspect of one's life? It's been such a gradual process that not many people have noticed, huh? </p>
<p>And just WHO is qualified to decide which children are being allowed to "run wild"? While one group of people tout the advantages of "Un-Schooling", another group is saying the children are being deprived of an education. Here's where it becomes a slippery slope. </p>
<p>The possible invasion of our rights as parents is a real threat, Mr. Lessenberry, and if you can't see it, I'm afraid you've already fallen into the trap of thinking like a fascist. I personally wouldn't have any problem with simply informing my school district that my name is such and such, my child's name and age is this and that, and I will be homeschooling him. But where would it end? Would they leave it at that, or would they use this legislation to introduce MORE legislation? It's possible that before too long, homeschooling parents could be under constant surveillance to ensure their children are "being taught appropriately". This of course takes us back to who decides what is appropriate. If I decide something is appropriate for my child, but the system doesn't agree, who has more rights in regards to MY child? If your answer is that the system knows better...you're not just thinking like a fascist, you ARE one.</p>
<p>"The solution for bad public schools is to fix them." Hold the phone! We have a genius on our hands! Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?!?!</p>
<p>I hope you're capable of detecting my sarcasm there, because I think it's pretty apparent. </p>
<p>Just who is going to "fix" our bad public schools? The federal government? Oh, we've seen what they're capable of doing: creating a "one-size-fits-all" education that, even in the best of circumstances, only serves to properly education a small percentage of the children within the system. The hands of the educators are now tied because they are bound, by our all-knowing government, to only do the things which are prescribed by said all-knowing government. Common sense and improvisation for the betterment of the students as a whole has been completely destroyed. Now, if a child doesn't "fit in" with the educational mold set forth by the government, they're considered "learning disabled". And if a large percentage of the children don't do well on tests (which involve nothing more than regurgitating facts, not actually using any critical thinking), the school is penalized.</p>
<p>"...we are evolving into a place where two kids the same age have wildly different educational experiences."</p>
<p>This is nothing new, and it's not necessarily bad. You said we are living in an increasingly diverse society. Well, just watch while millions of children are prescribed the EXACT same educational experiences, and that pesky diversity will soon fade away. Don't worry, it won't trouble you much longer.</p>
<p>Schools seek to churn out hordes upon hordes of identically educated young people. Where exactly is the diversity in that? And if our identification as a people and a nation relies upon our association with a failing educational institution, perhaps it's a GOOD thing we lose it. </p>
<p>Since when is homeschooling a "fad"? In the dictionary, a fad is defined as a "temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc." Notice the word "temporary". Homeschooling has been around a lot longer than public schooling. When comparing and contrasting the two, public schooling would be considered a "fad" long before homeschooling would. In fact, our current mode of compulsory schooling was an invention of the state of Massachusetts around 1850. An estimated 80% of the population resisted - sometimes with firearms. The last outpost in Barnstable on Cape Cod didn't surrender its children until the 1880's, when the area was seized my militia and children marched to school under guard.</p>
<p>In my opinion, public education is a joke. The work is continually dumbed down. German college students come to our universities and laugh because it's the kind of work they were doing in NINTH GRADE. I took high school courses through a correspondence school in order to obtain my high school diploma. I was provided with the same educational materials they currently use in public high schools....and the work was ridiculously simple. I could have completed it when I was 12. I graduated, with minimal effort, in two years with a GPA of 4.0.</p>
<p>And to the completely prejudiced, narrow-minded morons who foolishly believe all homeschoolers are "right-wing religious fanatics"...please, learn to use at least a SMALL part of the brain God gave you. Yes, I believe in God, but I abhor organized religion in all forms. I don't read the Bible, I don't go to church, and I continually question anything set forth by such institutions. As far as right-wing...I'm neither right-wing nor left-wing. I think it's impossible for any truly intelligent person to pigeonhole themselves into one political party. I think for myself, thank you. I do not have the desire to "indoctrinate" anyone as I really don't care WHAT choices they make regarding THEIR children. Why? Oh, perhaps because it's none of my business. </p>
<p>You may think my parents were awful, ignorant people who deprived me of a fulfilling life because of their decision to homeschool. I, on the other hand, have realized that they gave me the most important educational gift anyone could receive: the love of learning and the ability to teach myself. Those two tools alone set me far apart from my public schooled peers, who were taught to be intellectually dependent on their "qualified teachers", and look at learning as nothing more than a chore that must be completed. While they're busy dreading and avoiding homework, I'm voraciously reading books on how the brain processes and interprets information. Not because I've been forced to by some "qualified teacher", but merely because I'm interested in it. This has put me at odds with my public-schooled peers my entire life. As a child, I willingly watched the news and independently picked up educational books (on history, geography, science, mathematics, etc.) and none of my friends could understand WHY. Because to them, learning was something you were placed in a room and forced to do, not something you could enjoy doing on your own. And that, to me, is truly sad.</p>
<p>But by all means, continue to bash on homeschoolers and our apparent lack of education. I can read and write circles around people who went through four years of college English, but that doesn't count, right? Because I didn't acquire my skills in a streamlined, socially acceptable public school?</p>
<p>Please, Mr. Lessenberry, get a clue.</p>RAnn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55219b79888342008-04-29T05:19:11Z2008-04-29T05:19:11ZRAnnhttp://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/I'm not a homeschooler and have no desire to be one. In real life I don't know any homeschoolers. Through...<p>I'm not a homeschooler and have no desire to be one. In real life I don't know any homeschoolers. Through the internet I've "met" several. Some I think are doing a great job; others, well, let's say I feel for their children. On the other hand, I could say the same about any other kind of schooling--some public, private and religious schools do a great job, others don't. Some give the kids a well-rounded education, others are more concerned with indoctrination, whether the doctrine be religious, cultural or political. In my opinion the role of the state in education is to provide the opportunity for every child to be educated (public schools) and to assure that every child has at least some educational opportunity (enforcement of compulsory school laws). However, it is the role of the parents, not the state to decide the type of education their children receive. I think the state does need to register homeschoolers and provide some check to make sure they are really homeschooling. Standardized tests could do this simply without undue influence on what is taught; requiring copies of lesson plans and/or portfolios of work for those whose scores are below normal and/or not showing progress is not unduly intrusive. The fact of the matter is that MOST parents want the best for their kids. Some parents may not be successful homeschoolers, and my guess is that many of those who realize they are not will do what most parents with options do when option 1 doesn't work, namely try option 2. </p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55201fadd88332008-04-28T22:49:12Z2008-04-28T22:49:12ZThrasherI would not want a doctor was has an advance degree form University of Phoenix to perform any kind of...<p>I would not want a doctor was has an advance degree form University of Phoenix to perform any kind of surgery on me ..I would want a person subject to the isolation and lack of diversity inherent in the home schooling venues being on an urban jury pool etc..<br />
Again with regard to social issues and specialized professionals home schooling is lacking in a big way</p>Nate Sailor commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55218f7ec88342008-04-28T22:04:22Z2008-04-28T22:04:22ZNate SailorDear Sir, I was forwarded your blog page regarding homeschooling and was taken back. Obviously, you are neglecting to read...<p>Dear Sir,</p>
<p>I was forwarded your blog page regarding homeschooling and was taken back. Obviously, you are neglecting to read ALL/ANY of the facts. If you were to look at National Standardized tests (grades k-12) such as the Stanford Achievement Test, Iowa Test of Basic Skills etc. you would find that homeschooled students continually score higher than their public school counterparts. If you were to examine ACT scores you will find that home schooled graduates out perform even their private school counterparts! In 1998 a research article was published that found that full- and part-time community college home school students' average first year grade point averages were higher than non-home school graduates. The same researcher also found that home school students' out-performed their peers in reading and mathematics on the Texas Academic Skills Program. (<a href="http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/29/e6/38.pdf)" rel="nofollow">http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/29/e6/38.pdf)</a><br />
<br />
I could continue with more facts, and research articles that continue to prove that your source of information and arguments are as historically dead as George Washington. What is remarkable to me is that the information I presented in the above paragraph was found using Google Scholar and the cache "homeschool test scores" for which over 19,600 articles popped up, not exactly tough-stuff to find. If you were my student I'd give you an "F" on your ability to discuss an issue AFTER researching BOTH sides of the argument.<br />
<br />
With regards to your "socialization argument," please provide me with real world examples of situations where you are continually surrounded by people EXACTLY the same age, background, learning base, and schedule as you are?! The only example of such a situation would be found in our public school system where kids are put in the same room, with the same books and "socialized" with kids of relatively the same maturity or lack thereof. How then does that translate to preparing those students for a world and culture as diverse and different as we are?</p>
<p>Homeschooling is more than teaching children how to read, write and manipulate mathematics, it is teaching your children to THINK for THEMSELVES, and encourage independent learning (such as how to properly research both arguments for a paper) and interact with people of all ages. I was homeschooled K-12 and part of that experience included a number of intense experiences; I participated in debates with legislators and lobbyists (Speech 311), I worked on actual campaigns (Government 213) I volunteered in hospitals (Anatomy 303) and rest-homes (Listening 212), I had the job of cooking lunch for my siblings about twice a week (HomeEc), I was CEO of my backyard poultry business from age 8-14 (Economics and Business 211), I tutored my younger siblings in math, science, reading, writing, and on top of that "supplemental enrichment" I had all the other required curriculea to accomplish in order to graduate. In addition I experienced organized junior-varsity and varsity athletics, as well as all the experiences of the homeschool educational co-op we attended once a week (choir, drama, speech, debate, foreign language, writing, chemistry and biology labs etc..) and even better I have made some incredible friendships along the way, social interaction was never a problem. Sure just like with any school you can find the wierdos, and wackos, but that is life there is a margin to every page.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, as a society our minds have been so infected by the socialistic mass-transit, beaurocratic educational system of ideas and the proclamation that "bigger is always better" that we are afraid to try something a little old or a little new. The key to learning is to realize that there is more than one way to skin a cat and not to be so fearful of that "new way". Quality education occurs with information and wisdom being passed directly to the student and taylored to fit that students unique learning patterns and processing mechanisms. That kind of education is nearly impossible with one teacher and 30-plus students; each with his or her own unique learning style. Homeschooling encourages students to learn by tayloring the educational material to fit that students learning needs and abilities. If the student was a math whiz he could fly through his algebra book at a fast pace and crack into calculus without having to wait for the "rest" of his class. If he needed more time when it came to learning how to write than he could take his time and work out the kinks with a teacher who focuses their energy on that one student. How much more would you have learned in school if it was just YOU and the teacher?</p>
<p>Homeschoolers are not teaching their kids how to be doctors, they are teaching their kids how to read, write, AND THINK independently of culture, society and bias. They are equiping them to learn how to learn so that when they get to college, medical school etc...they can learn how to perform that appendectomy on a kitchen table in Zambia! I would love to talk with you further but I have some studying of my own to finish up. Thank you for your time and please do some homework on homeschooling before your "final draft"! <br />
<br />
Respectfully, <br />
<br />
Nathan Sailor </p>
<p>P.S. I do not pass this on to brag, but as to add proof to my thoughts. I graduated from Homeschooling in 2002, and went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude in 2006 from Spring Arbor University, with a B.A. in Human Biology and Health Science. I am currently finishing up my first year of medical school and am set to graduate in 2011 from Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine. My parents were hard working but by your "education standards" neither of them had a four-year degree. Their greatest qualification was that they knew me, and they knew what motivated me and how I learned. What else can you ask from a teacher?</p>Sunniemom commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552017fe188332008-04-28T20:03:48Z2008-04-28T20:03:48ZSunniemomhttp://sunniemom.wordpress.comI want to make one thing clear. 'The homeschool movement' is not really an accurate term. Homeschooling is not overseen...<p>I want to make one thing clear. 'The homeschool movement' is not really an accurate term. Homeschooling is not overseen or organized by any system or entity. There is no 'one way' to home educate. It is a lifestyle practiced by *individual* families. It can no more be exclusive or inclusive than a national park or driving a Volkswagen or eating at McDonald's. It is an educational opportunity that some families have embraced- from all ethnic groups, financial situations, locales, cultures, and religions. </p>
<p>It is very difficult for those who have been 'in the system' all their lives to conceive of what is actually involved in home education. The thing is, there is no particular methodology, curriculum, or environment necessary to homeschool. Home education is about the parent being completely in charge of from whom and where and when and in what manner their child will receive their academic instruction. Some parents use online programs, others use textbooks from public schools, while others employ tutors and mentors (Will Smith and the Edwards come to mind). There are courses on CD and DVD. We use our local library quite a bit to research various subjects, we visit places of interest- from local businesses to museums to historical sites, and are involved in community service.</p>
<p>So it is quite impossible to lump homeschoolers together as some kind of cohesive movement, except for one thing: home educators do believe that parents have the fundamental right and responsibility to oversee and guide in their children's lives, including their academic and moral instruction. That is the only commonality that could be used describe those who homeschool as a 'movement'.</p>
<p>This explains why folks who research home education have a hard time quantifying it. And to complicate things further, the more and more things come apart in public education, the more parents consider the opportunity to ensure that their child does not fall through the cracks academically, or become the victim of a bully or sexual predator. These are motives that every parent can understand and support. </p>Kristina commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55218c3bf88342008-04-28T20:03:25Z2008-04-28T20:03:25ZKristinahttp://www.freedomloversacademy.blogspot.com"A superior education encompasses academic, social, and real world lessons all of which to any serious depth and degree are...<p>"A superior education encompasses academic, social, and real world lessons all of which to any serious depth and degree are lacking in the home school movement.."-Thrasher</p>
<p>Academic-check<br />
real world-check<br />
social-check</p>
<p>Not having to learn that it's not okay to be different-check</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552016cdb88332008-04-28T19:40:37Z2008-04-28T19:40:37ZMtn. Mama"A superior education encompasses academic, social, and real world lessons all of which to any serious depth and degree are...<p>"A superior education encompasses academic, social, and real world lessons all of which to any serious depth and degree are lacking in the home school movement.."-Thrasher</p>
<p>We all know that in the "real world" we are stuck only with peers of our own age. </p>
<p>We all know that in the "real world" we don't have the option to quit a job and find another if it is not fulfilling our needs. </p>
<p>We all know that in the "real world" we are not allowed to learn about a subject matter unless it happens to be on an agenda prescribed by a higher power. </p>
<p>We all know that in the "real world" we can only be "social" with our clique. For that matter, the only time here in the real world I get to be "social" is the 5 minutes I get before the next class. </p>
<p>Here in the "real world" I can not read great literature if it has any mention of religion. After all, here in the "real world" religion doesn't exist.</p>
<p>Here in the real world...<br />
Wait a second. I live in the "real world" and the only time I encountered such experiences was in public school....silly me.</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552187d4388342008-04-28T19:03:31Z2008-04-28T19:03:31ZThrasher@ kristina, Sorry but again I will reiterate I am under no obligation to provide you or anyone with so...<p>@ kristina,</p>
<p>Sorry but again I will reiterate I am under no obligation to provide you or anyone with so called"proof" of my thoughts and opinions regarding this subject matter.</p>
<p>As an activist I will invoke my life experiences, literature, empercial data, networking information, any and all types and kinds of information and knowledge to augment my inferences..</p>
<p>Again the summary of my collective data,information, etc is that without question the home school movement is an insular, isolated reality which lacks racial inclusion and diversity on a number of levels, this shortcoming is adverse to the comprehensive objective of educationing our children.</p>
<p>A superior education encompasses academic, social, and real world lessons all of which to any serious depth and degree are lacking in the home school movement..</p>Kristina commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552186a6688342008-04-28T18:35:38Z2008-04-28T18:35:38ZKristinahttp://www.freedomloversacademy.blogspot.comAh, Thrasher. Still, you bring no proof. I can't see where I attacked you! Of course you don't need approval...<p>Ah, Thrasher. Still, you bring no proof. I can't see where I attacked you! Of course you don't need approval for opinions, so long as you understand they are opinions and not empirical data.</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552185ee988342008-04-28T18:21:52Z2008-04-28T18:21:52ZThrasher@ Kristina, I am tired on white folks like you in denial and making apologies for a racist movement. I...<p>@ Kristina,</p>
<p>I am tired on white folks like you in denial and making apologies for a racist movement. I do not need to seek your approval nor validation to have an opinion about racism in this country.<br />
It is very apparent and obvious that my comments have hit a embrassing aspect of the homeschool movement..you and others who have wage personal atacks on me is not new for Black activists of note like me in reality it is an occupational hazard... I will not be silenced..<br />
At the end of the day the home school movement has a deliberate blind spot about the issue of inclusion,diversity and racism in the home school movement.. I am so happy I have posted on this issue and I encourage others inside and outside this movement to discuss the issues of social isolation in this movement especially with regard to race and racism..</p>Kristina commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55217b4c688342008-04-28T13:45:06Z2008-04-28T13:45:06ZKristinahttp://www.freedomloversacademy.blogspot.comMr. Lessenberry, I'm a bit confused about your assertion that George Washington had slaves to do his 'heavy lifting' for...<p>Mr. Lessenberry,<br />
I'm a bit confused about your assertion that George Washington had slaves to do his 'heavy lifting' for him. My confusion rests in the question of whether you meant this physically or mentally. If you meant physically, then I cannot see how this has relevance to homeschooling. I also don't see where how he died has any relevance. </p>
<p>We are indeed a diverse society. Fortunately, homeschoolers have the ability to be out in that diverse society and meet people across all spectrums, not just the ones that go to the school where they live. </p>
<p>Others have spoken to why the bill is not necessary. I'll let you answer THEM.</p>
<p>People have repeatedly asked what curriculum you believe should be prescribed. The idea that one curriculum would fit all students is amazing. Once the schools have figured out which curriculum that is, maybe our children (in a very mobile society) will be able to move from one school to another (in the same county) and still be learning the same things at the same time!</p>
<p>You speak about a situation where two kids the same age have wildly different educational experiences. My family has lived in 4 different states since my oldest started school 6 years ago, thanks to my husband's job. I can guarantee you that there is no continuity in education in this country. </p>
<p>One of the BEST things about homeschooling is the ability to tailor the education to a student's abilities. You would have us ruin OUR children so that they can be like everyone elses'? That is one of the reasons homeschoolers don't like testing. We don't teach our students at the same pace as public schools. Sometimes we go faster. Sometimes we go slower. It all depends on what that particular child needs at that time. Besides, most teachers will tell you that testing does not accurately measure a child's learning. They hate testing. They don't like the fact that funding is tied into testing. They think that it is wrong to have as much riding on testing as they do. Really, the testing is not for the teacher. It is for the parent to be able to see how the student is doing. It is also for government oversight to know where tax dollars are going. I can guarantee you I don't get any of those tax dollars. And don't get me wrong. I have my children tested. They just don't take the normal tests that students their age take. It would, quite frankly, be a waste of their time. I have teachers in my family. All of them feel that testing is a waste of their time, and their students' time. Well, homeschooling families feel that way, too. </p>
<p>You are right that social interation is important. However, putting children in a group of age peers is not the solution to this problem. How many teachers do you know will search throughtout the country to find like minded friends for a 'quirky' student? They don't have the time. Do you really think the cliques present in school are teaching students anything about anything other than hatred and prejudice?</p>
<p>As to science, my sister was homeschooled from 6th grade on. She told me that the most important thing homeschooling taught her was how to learn. She felt she had some deficincies in her learning. However, she says that within the first semester of college, she was able to make up those deficiencies because she knew how to learn. She was a straight A honor student in college. So, I guess those deficiencies didn't come back to bite her.</p>
<p>As for homeschooling be necessary as a supplement, why should I teach my children after they've already spent 8 hours in school? Why can't the school accomplish in 8 hours what it takes most homeschoolers 3 or 4 hours to accomplish? After that 8 hours, my son has to come home and do 2 hours of homework? Homework that is just busy work for the sake of having homework? People wonder why their children are so tired, have little focus, and are overweight. Sure, watching TV and eating unhealthy has something to do with it. But, so does the inability to PLAY.</p>
<p>As for losing our identity as a people and a nation, it sounds like you're asking for conformity rather than diversity. If you want people to conform, then I can see why you want us all doing the same thing. But, please don't make a case for diversity while making a case for conformity. </p>Kristina commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55217a2cc88342008-04-28T13:20:23Z2008-04-28T13:20:23ZKristinahttp://www.freedomloversacademy.blogspot.comThrasher- That is the most hypocritical piece of writing I have seen in a while. I asked you for evidence...<p>Thrasher-<br />
That is the most hypocritical piece of writing I have seen in a while. </p>
<p>I asked you for evidence of your opinion. You gave none. Yet, you talk about us not giving evidence. Well, I can't speak to any research, because I'm not that kind of writer-I DO deal in opinion. </p>
<p>However, I CAN speak to the homeschoolers I know. In my homeschool group, we have Hindus, atheists, Pagans, Christians, and I am in the process of converting to Judaism. We have liberals and conservatives. We have dads and moms. We have unschoolers and classical homeschoolers. We have single moms, traditional families, and not so traditional families. I don't THINK we have any black families. That is not because they are not welcome, but rather because there are not as many black homeschoolers as there are white homeschoolers. But, hello!, there aren't as many black people in America as there are white!</p>
<p>I don't know how you can say that something that is open to anyone, is so individual, and is a way of life that allows you to be what you want is racist. IF you can explain that, PLEASE do. Otherwise, I'm getting a bit tired of your rants about something you obviously know nothing about.</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552165fd288342008-04-27T21:36:22Z2008-04-27T21:36:22ZThrasherHomeschoolers with thier fictional data and anecdotal proofs at the end of the day remain in denial.. the facts about...<p>Homeschoolers with thier fictional data and anecdotal proofs at the end of the day remain in denial.. the facts about student academic outcomes and the facts about the inherent insular underdeveloped social aspect of home schools will not be changed by the nasty emotional rants from the home school apologists in here..</p>
<p>On a separate note people who are intellectual cowards and hide behind keyboards and post under anonymous will always be dismissed by me.. I have zero respect for people who hide behind sheets and children..</p>
<p>At the end of the day not one homeschooler apologist on this thread has provided any demonstrative data , study, proofs that reject my premise about the myopic and segregated nature of homeschoolers the bulk of which are white and have contempt for racial diversity and inclusion..</p>
<p> The fact is like many whites after the Brown v Board of Ed case and the integration of our public schools whites have always ran away and hid thier kids in private and religious schools, the homeschool movement is just another version of white flight ..<br />
</p>Karen Braun commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521640cd88342008-04-27T20:07:16Z2008-04-27T20:07:17ZKaren Braunhttp://www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.com"It wouldn't matter even if he quoted Stewart perfectly. If he said anything less than homeschooling is a perfectly viable...<p>"It wouldn't matter even if he quoted Stewart perfectly. If he said anything less than homeschooling is a perfectly viable solution, the Homeschool Moms would throw out all kinds of research to refute it. Because these people are dealing with double the insecurities. Nobody wants to feel they are being called bad parents AND bad teachers... or that their kids are inferior or stupid because of it. "</p>
<p>I'm fine if Mr. Lessenberry or anyone else feels that that homeschoolers are inferior, bad parents, or bad teachers. It's just an opinion. That's all. But when opinion is used to enact policy that violates the rights of parents it's a whole different matter all together. </p>
<p>At the heart of the matter it is not the insecurities of homeschool parents, but of the established educational beauracracy that thrives on the notion that only those with a teaching credential are capable of teaching a child to read and write the same way as only a person who's an MD can practice medicine. Think about it, if a parent without a credential is doing as well, or better, than a credentialed professional the unions and teacher's colleges then become suspect. That's why the NEA has a homeschooling reolution every year. Here's the resolution for 2007-2008 </p>
<p>"B-75. Home Schooling<br />
The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice<br />
cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience....Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used."</p>
<p>So while it's easy to say that a group of dedicated parents are insecure when someone speaks poorly against them, the reality tells us that it is likely the other way around. The established education beauracracy becomes insecure when what they perceive as their domain is being threatened.<br />
</p>homeschool father commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521602cf88342008-04-27T18:20:16Z2008-04-27T18:20:16Zhomeschool fatherMr. Lessenberry's essay is based on a single anecdote from one liberal arts college. It may be enough for him...<p>Mr. Lessenberry's essay is based on a single anecdote from one liberal arts college. It may be enough for him but should not be enough for anyone willing to reflect on the nature of a public institution that shuts children up from the outside world for years and years, forcing them to pursue one abstraction after another. Even if the observation of a single educator in one corner of the state could stand in for hard scientific data about the preparedness of home school students for college science, it doesn’t follow that the whole enterprise is questionable. Of course older kids need to learn science in laboratories and most parents can’t teach it well. Why should Mr. Lessenberry’s wife and her cohorts need my child eight hours a day from birth on in order to accomplish that? <br />
<br />
It’s strange that a man like Jack Lessenberry, who must enjoy his broad working knowledge of human affairs, would ignore the frightening fact that most young people come out of our K-12 schools bored, distracted, ignorant of history and with little or no use for knowledge. They don’t know where Iraq is. (Are his students any different from those of Mark Edmundson? <a href="http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i27/27b00701.htm.)" rel="nofollow">http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i27/27b00701.htm.)</a> Instead, he employs a lame political framework about rigorous science education that foolishly assumes education is jobs training. Can he not see the danger of a populace bereft of convictions based on wisdom and knowledge? Maybe it’s okay with him if students riot in East Lansing over sporting events so long as they keep up with their organic chemistry in order to create a life-sciences job someday. Who’s running wild here?</p>
<p>Since sweeping conclusions based on a single anecdote are standard in this forum I’ll make one myself. As I write, ninety-three people have commented on this essay, many to say how out of touch with reality the author happens to be. Generally, Mr. Lessenberry’s pieces elicit a comment or two. Let that be warning to his friends in the managerial class. If they try to meddle with our right to make our children into serious adults by keeping them free of their mind-numbing education system with its insane tests and benchmarks, they will have a revolution on their hands. People who’ve been let out of cages don’t go back quietly. <br />
</p>Dawn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fed90788332008-04-27T16:29:55Z2008-04-27T16:29:56ZDawnhttp://www.daybydayhsing.blogspot.com"If he said anything less than homeschooling is a perfectly viable solution, the Homeschool Moms would throw out all kinds...<p>"If he said anything less than homeschooling is a perfectly viable solution, the Homeschool Moms would throw out all kinds of research to refute it."</p>
<p>Yup. Because we've generally done a lot of work before coming to our decisions and we know the research. </p>
<p>I've been thinking about this lately because the homeschooling crowd is getting to be known as quick to pounce on critics. It could and likely at times is defensiveness. A lot of us simply keep up on discussion surrounding the topic and are eager to engage in discussion. We're an active and engaged crowd. I don't think that's something to avoid. </p>
<p>In fact, I'm beginning to find it weird that people don't expect this response on more topics. That they don't expect or even want challenges and reasoned defenses when talking about other issues and don't find the lack of a passionate reponse in other subjects a little appalling. </p>Chuck commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551feaeb488332008-04-27T14:51:53Z2008-04-27T14:51:53ZChuckI don't know why Lessenberry would do a hot button discussion like this. I've never seen so many people come...<p>I don't know why Lessenberry would do a hot button discussion like this. I've never seen so many people come out of the woodwork.</p>
<p>It wouldn't matter even if he quoted Stewart perfectly. If he said anything less than homeschooling is a perfectly viable solution, the Homeschool Moms would throw out all kinds of research to refute it. Because these people are dealing with double the insecurities. Nobody wants to feel they are being called bad parents AND bad teachers... or that their kids are inferior or stupid because of it. Total hot button discussion.</p>Dana commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552158e2188342008-04-27T13:42:44Z2008-04-27T13:42:44ZDanahttp://principleddiscovery.comThanks for the clarification, Lessenberry. But it still doesn't address the fact that the Detroit Free Press apparently originally quoted...<p>Thanks for the clarification, Lessenberry. But it still doesn't address the fact that the Detroit Free Press apparently originally quoted Mr. Stewart out of context. That wouldn't be your fault since you are just relying on second-hand information. But since Hillsdale's student body consists of a lot of homeschooled and private schooled students, and they see no need for this regulation, I think it should be taken seriously.</p>
<p>This is what Mr. Stewart said to me in an email:</p>
<p>" Yes, there was more to my conversation with the Free Press than the single-sentence quotation. I am generally favorably-disposed towards home-schooling (indeed, two of my own children are currently home-schooled), and my 2002 comments to the reporter were positive. He was looking for balance, so I said something to the effect that if homeschoolers have a consistent weakness, it’s laboratory sciences: students are typically better prepared in math, history, English, etc. than in laboratory sciences. I also said that many parents recognize that deficiency and enroll their children in a local community college during the senior year of high school (which would be the short version of my advice to you as your children grow. The same solution also helps some parents with advanced foreign language studies.)</p>
<p> So, I asserted in 2002 that the Free Press reporter mis-quoted me and, more significantly, took my comments out of context. I also believe Lessenberry mis-represented his facts by stating I “recently” commented to the Free Press and failing to note that I have not been the Honors Program Director for several years."</p>
<p>He homeschools his own children.</p>Sunniemom commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fdc12a88332008-04-27T01:19:11Z2008-04-27T01:19:11ZSunniemomhttp://sunniemom.wordpress.comBTW, I am currently reading the Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (122 page .pdf file at www.ed.gov)...<p>BTW, I am currently reading the Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (122 page .pdf file at www.ed.gov) which states something very interesting on pages 65-66: "Overall, findings about the relationship between teacher certification (i.e.,<br />
licensure) and student achievement in mathematics have been mixed, even among the most rigorous and highest-quality studies. Research in this area has not provided<br />
consistent or convincing evidence that students of teachers who are certified to teach mathematics gain more than those whose teachers are not. The relationship between teacher certification status, the most inexact proxy for teachers’ content knowledge, and students’ mathematics achievement remains ambiguous."</p>
<p>There has yet to be a proven correlation between teacher certification and student success in any area of education. Most studies seem to indicate that verbal ability is the most important factor in teaching, but even that element can't be quantified. Assuming that an uncertified parent is unqualified to teach is inaccurate, because even the NMAP can't pinpoint the factors that make the most effective teachers. Parents certainly can't do much worse than the current system however, and the available research into home education supports the fact that parents do BETTER.</p>
<p>Which is why the home education option is so valuable for parents. We are free to find the resources that are most effective in educating our kids- whether it be curriculum or online instruction or a mentor. We aren't 'stuck' with whatever teacher the school assigns, regardless of their actual teaching ability.</p>Sunniemom commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fda60788332008-04-27T00:10:33Z2008-04-27T00:10:33ZSunniemomhttp://sunniemom.wordpress.comI am an educator interested in education. I look for articles and blogs that reflect on or discuss my interests....<p>I am an educator interested in education. I look for articles and blogs that reflect on or discuss my interests. I comment on the articles and blogs that discuss the issues I think are important. What is strange about that? </p>
<p>Are folks seriously suggesting that conversations about home education should not be commented on by those closest to the subject? How can you have an intelligent discussion about homeschooling without the participation of homeschoolers? </p>
<p>There is a difference between defending one's choices and being defensive. It would still be interesting to see some actual discussion of some actual educational issues instead of name-calling and off topic rants. <br />
</p>Karen Braun commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fd9b6488332008-04-26T23:49:16Z2008-04-26T23:49:17ZKaren Braunhttp://www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.comI am a Detroit resident and have always been. I am familiar with Mr. Lessenberry mostly through his editorial work...<p>I am a Detroit resident and have always been. I am familiar with Mr. Lessenberry mostly through his editorial work at the Detroit News which I delivered and read growing up. I have occassionally read his column at the Metro Times. </p>
<p>I first read about this particular essay on another blog and clicked over to see if it was the same Jack Lessenberry. I read his bio and found that it was. In his concluding paragraph of that bio he said, </p>
<p>"Jack has always said that the thing he loves about journalism is the fact that it's all about people-about connecting with and learning from them.</p>
<p>I want to create intelligent dialogue about the problems we face. I think we need to think about and talk about who we are as a country and people, and explore those things."</p>
<p>As a writer for a large homeschool magazine, The Old Schoolhouse, I share Mr. Lessenberry's desire for connecting with people and intelligent dialogue on the problems we face. So, I took him at his word and decided to connect and offer a comment.<br />
</p>KR commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fd82b588332008-04-26T23:02:45Z2008-04-26T23:02:45ZKROne thing I have noticed in the comments is that the homeschoolers are discussing the issues while the detractors just...<p>One thing I have noticed in the comments is that the homeschoolers are discussing the issues while the detractors just call them names. Curious...</p>Joey commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fd77ed88332008-04-26T22:41:05Z2008-04-26T22:41:05ZJoeyDo ANY of you regularly read Lessenberry's column, or do you all just Google "Homschooling" to find your soapbox du...<p>Do ANY of you regularly read Lessenberry's column, or do you all just Google "Homschooling" to find your soapbox du jour to spout your fanatical views???</p>Karen Braun commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55214a2c988342008-04-26T22:09:39Z2008-04-26T22:09:39ZKaren Braunhttp://www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.comThe problem with Mr. Lessenberry's essay, is that he articlates a problem, "educational malpractice," but he has yet to define...<p>The problem with Mr. Lessenberry's essay, is that he articlates a problem, "educational malpractice," but he has yet to define educational malpractice. And yet he purports to know the solution to this undefined problem. We must "fix" the public schools (our democracy depends on it) and severely regulate the homeschoolers where only the most qualified are allowed to participate and the rest of the dolts should send them off to school and "homeschool" them in the evening.</p>
<p>However, until we can adequately define exactly what constitutes educational neglect and conversely educational success we'll be like Michgan construction workers filling pot holes on I-75. We'll spend a whole lot of money and a whole lot of time doing what we always do, but we haven't fixed a thing. </p>
<p>Interestingly, during a symposium unveling the new graduation requirements in Michgan a few years ago, I asked the Michigan Superintendant of Public Instruction Mike Flannagan for his definition of a well-educated child. He stammered and sweated on the podium for a few minutes and then said that no one had ever asked him that before and he really hadn't considered the question! The audience gasped and so did I. How can an educator (and father) create goals and requirements for our state's children and not know what he's even aiming for? He eventually stammered out something, but it had little resemblence to the graduation requirements he just layed out. (The only thing I remember from his answer is that a well educated child should visit the Detroit Institute of Arts and read the classics!) </p>
<p>Similar to Mr. Flannagan, how can Mr. Lessenberry articulate a solution for educational malpractice when he has yet to adequately define the problem?</p>Dawn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55214705a88342008-04-26T19:37:26Z2008-04-26T19:37:26ZDawnhttp://www.daybydayhsing.blogspot.com"And I remain unalterably opposed to allowing uneducated and unqualified to home school their children..." What would be the qualifications...<p>"And I remain unalterably opposed to allowing uneducated and unqualified to home school their children..."</p>
<p>What would be the qualifications you'd imagine would be needed to homeschool? If you have a sense that qualifications are needed you must have some idea of what skills and knowledge a homeschooling parent needs. </p>
<p>The other things is that I can't find any evidence that homeschooling parents without qualifications, or who may seem uneducated, are failing their kids. Studies, though there aren't too many, don't seem to even hint at a problem in this regard. Are you proposing a solution to a that really exists? </p>
<p>"But very few parents can do that in today’s economy, where two-earner families are the norm, and everything that weakens the public schools financially weakens our democracy."</p>
<p>If (and that's a big if) homeschooling weakens public schools financially then why not look at how we fund public schools? </p>
<p>As for weakening democracy, that's a non-sequitur, at least as you stated it. Make that case.</p>
<p>"And I think the state SHOULD prescribe some basic curriculum, and require home schooled children to take tests to demonstrate they are performing up to capacity."</p>
<p>What would the basic curriculum be? What kind of choice will that remove from a homeschooling family? And do you mean curriculum or, as I suspect, scope and sequence? The problem is that you, and other critics, say it lightly, as if there could be no problem with this but we look at schools where curriculums are often bloated, subject to politics and completely removed from community or student interest. </p>
<p>Maybe you mean just basic things, reading and math? And yet this would still pose problems. Many homeschoolers delay formal academics until 8 or 9 (there's some evidence in favour of this), many use very different curriculums where different concepts and skills may be learned at different ages (sometimes this happens within a family. It will in mine where I have two very different learners)...How will testing account for this? If it doesn't, is it really not about being concerned about homeschooling kids' education and simply about standardizing them?</p>
<p>This makes me wonder about the critics. Why are the solutions to your worries so...bland? Why are they simply the same uninspired and barely useful tools we saddle schools with? </p>
<p></p>
<p><br />
</p>Dawn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521459df88342008-04-26T18:30:25Z2008-04-26T18:30:25ZDawnhttp://www.daybydayhsing.blogspot.comJanet - A lot of the people commenting here have blogs. One click on our names and you could have...<p>Janet - A lot of the people commenting here have blogs. One click on our names and you could have learned that a lot of us are anything but Jesus Freaks. Research skills.</p>Dawn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55214595088342008-04-26T18:28:26Z2008-04-26T18:28:26ZDawnhttp://www.daybydayhsing.blogspot.comWhoops, just saw the clarification.<p>Whoops, just saw the clarification. </p>Dawn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521457f088342008-04-26T18:24:27Z2008-04-26T18:24:27ZDawnhttp://www.daybydayhsing.blogspot.comWill Mr. Lessenberry respond to Prof. Donald Westblade and Chris Bachelder, the Associate Vice President of Hillsdale College? Prof. Westblade's...<p>Will Mr. Lessenberry respond to Prof. Donald Westblade and Chris Bachelder, the Associate Vice President of Hillsdale College?</p>
<p>Prof. Westblade's quote provided the spine of part of Mr. Lessenberry's argument. Now it seems it was an out-context remark from 6 years ago. <br />
</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55214506288342008-04-26T18:05:30Z2008-04-26T18:05:31ZMtn. Mama"We need the next generation to be as close-minded and ill-informed as you." Ummmm....you do realize that we, you and...<p>"We need the next generation to be as close-minded and ill-informed as you."</p>
<p>Ummmm....you do realize that we, you and I, got our educations in the same place, right? So one can say that perhaps the indoctrination of the public school system worked better on some than others? In that case, praise Jesus I fell through the cracks...</p>janet commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fcfb5f88332008-04-26T17:39:18Z2008-04-26T17:39:18ZjanetI love a bunch of illiterate Jesus freaks criticizing one of the top journalists in the state for his poor...<p>I love a bunch of illiterate Jesus freaks criticizing one of the top journalists in the state for his poor research skills. I wouldn't let any of you ignoramuses near my kids with a ten foot pole. Best get back to teaching your kids dinosaurs walked the earth with people. We need the next generation to be as close-minded and ill-informed as you. So get offline and do your duty for Jesus.</p>Karen Braun commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fcf90788332008-04-26T17:27:53Z2008-04-26T17:27:53ZKaren Braunhttp://www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.com"I have no sympathy for home schoolers who oppose even letting the authorities know that they are home schooling their...<p>"I have no sympathy for home schoolers who oppose even letting the authorities know that they are home schooling their children; that makes no sense in today’s world...everything that weakens the public schools financially weakens our democracy."</p>
<p>Michigan law recognize the right of the PARENT to determine and direct the care and education of their offspring. Our democracy is weakened when the state mandates that parents must comply with their determination and direction as to what would comprise a suitable education for children in violation of the natural and fundamental rights of the parents. </p>
<p>Without freedom to exercise our natural and fundamental rights, our country doesn't stand a chance of survival.</p>
<p>(If possible, I would like to know your definition of educational malpractice and the penalty for such a wrong and how it would apply to our Detroit Public schools.)</p>Anonymous commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55214430688342008-04-26T17:24:51Z2008-04-26T17:24:52ZAnonymousMtn. Mama, why don't you take your hysterics and go back to the other barefoot rubes in the mountains? And...<p>Mtn. Mama, why don't you take your hysterics and go back to the other barefoot rubes in the mountains? And quit antagonizing Thrasher. Everybody around here knows he's crazy, yet he always posts. Just ignore him like we do.</p>Anonymous commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521440eb88342008-04-26T17:19:41Z2008-04-26T17:19:42ZAnonymousThanks Mr. Lessenberry for the clarification. I didn't really expect you to give one, considering all the negativity & defensiveness...<p>Thanks Mr. Lessenberry for the clarification. I didn't really expect you to give one, considering all the negativity & defensiveness surrounding this discussion.</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55214409588342008-04-26T17:18:50Z2008-04-26T17:18:50ZMtn. MamaThrasher, Thrasher, Thrasher... "I have had the mispleasure of acessing a number of homeschool sites" Excuse me??????? Oh, so you...<p>Thrasher, Thrasher, Thrasher...</p>
<p>"I have had the mispleasure of acessing a number of homeschool sites" </p>
<p>Excuse me???????</p>
<p>Oh, so you indeed were blowing smoke about this "empirical data" after all. (Not that we didn't know that already *wink*)</p>
<p>You admit that you just now, after days of comments against homeschooling, decided to take a peek at what it actually is? </p>
<p>*shakes head and sighs deeply*</p>
<p>Seriously, if this is the best you and Jack can do then I am shaking....with laughter that is.</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552143ce388342008-04-26T17:09:47Z2008-04-26T17:09:48ZMtn. MamaJack, Again you display your very poor research skills. You said, "Pennsylvania prescribes a strict curriculum for home schoolers, by...<p>Jack,</p>
<p>Again you display your very poor research skills. You said, "Pennsylvania prescribes a strict curriculum for home schoolers, by the way, and education policy experts tell me it works very well." Tell me, did you bother to compare that to students test scores from states that do not impose such laws? Obviously not or you would learn that laws have little to no influence on the performance of homeschool students. I could provide you a link if I had the time or patience to search for it for you But you are the "so called" journalist so do yourself and all of us here a favor a show some competance and pride in your job. </p>
<p>Though I wasn't homeschooled myself, I must say that the most important life lessons I learned were through my parents and thankfully they taught me that if I wasn't going to give something worth doing 100% then not to bother doing it at all. Something that you neither learned at home or in school....</p>Jack Lessenberry commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552142de588342008-04-26T16:22:50Z2008-04-28T13:57:16ZJack LessenberryFirst of all, there WAS something I said in my essay that I would like to amend. I quoted a...<p> First of all, there WAS something I said in my essay that I would like to amend. I quoted a recent Free Press story as saying that Hillsdale College’s honors program director recently told the Detroit Free Press that the home schooled children he sees are deficient in science education. In fact the man who said that, David Stewart, actually said it in 2002. I do not think that is ancient history, nor do I think the situation is likely to have radically changed since then.<br />
But I would not have used the word “recent” if I had to do it over. Mr. Stewart is also no longer the honors director, and I apologize for that error. What I actually did was take that statement from another article. Here is what that article said. “David Stewart, director of Hillsdale College’s honors program, told the Detroit Free Press that home schooled children are typically deficient in science education: ’I can generally count on them for having almost no science and virtually no lab science.”<br />
Incidentally -- there is nothing wrong with totally disagreeing with me on this topic. Many of the postings, however, seem to be from people who did not do a very good job of reading my essay.<br />
I did in fact say that there were cases where home schooling makes sense. It is clear that many of the people posting here have done an excellent job home schooling their children, or at least are convinced that they have, though the defensiveness of some of the comments makes me wonder. However, I have seen examples of home “schooling” failures as well; students whose home schooling included no biology and lots of religious fanaticism. <br />
Students who are insufficiently socialized.<br />
Hats off to those parents who do in fact home school their children and somehow give them a well-rounded educational and social experience. But very few parents can do that in today’s economy, where two-earner families are the norm, and everything that weakens the public schools financially weakens our democracy. <br />
But I have no sympathy for home schoolers who oppose even letting the authorities know that they are home schooling their children; that makes no sense in today’s world. And I remain unalterably opposed to allowing uneducated and unqualified to home school their children, for the same reason I should not be allowed to practice medicine. And I think the state SHOULD prescribe some basic curriculum, and require home schooled children to take tests to demonstrate they are performing up to capacity. All of the people who have posted here that their home schooled children are performing far ahead of grade level should scarcely fear this.<br />
Pennsylvania prescribes a strict curriculum for home schoolers, by the way, and education policy experts tell me it works very well. And no, I am not talking about filling their little heads with liberal orthodoxy. I am talking about competence in most basic subjects, without which no child in Michigan stands a chance of survival.<br />
***</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fcdd2b88332008-04-26T15:45:50Z2008-04-26T15:45:50ZThrasherI have had the mispleasure of acessing a number of homeschool sites and it is truly an excercise in fiction,...<p>I have had the mispleasure of acessing a number of homeschool sites and it is truly an excercise in fiction, disinformation, deflection, right wing religious propaganda and devoid of anything of value and significance regarding diversity and a honest discussion of racism in the homeschool arena..</p>
<p>I remain amazed at the depth and degree of white racism in our country and how it is so pervasive and lethal in every manner and aspect of life here in America..</p>
<p>Given our country's continued legacy of contempt for people of color I will do my best to deter parents and others from homeschooling. The staggering failures of our public education still do not warrant children of color to engaged in the insular, myopic, unproven academic venues of homeschooling ..It is the most uneducated position and posture any family of color should pursue..</p>Tiffany commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552141c5a88342008-04-26T15:39:16Z2008-04-26T15:39:16ZTiffanyhttp://www.naturemoms.com/blogFrankly it isn't any of your concern, nor the concern of the government, who is "simply letting their kids run...<p>Frankly it isn't any of your concern, nor the concern of the government, who is "simply letting their kids run wild". Too many of our liberties are being stripped away by people like you...who should be minding your own business.</p>
<p>Prescribe a curriculum? I think it is YOU who are nuts. Big box, cookie cutter education is failing our society and our children. Parents who create their own curriculum and encourage children to develop their strengths and not focus entirely on their weaknesses, as public schols do, should be commended. Praise to them for not raising mindless, brainless drones.</p>
<p>And the social interaction you mention is a joke. Homeschool kids get heir interaction from REAL life.</p>
<p>And why should parents send their children to school for 6-8 hours a day to be educated "properly" and then be required to homeschool in the evenings. Either the schools are doing their job or they are not. You can't have it both ways. Homework and parental involvement is so important in public schools because they are NOT doing a good job educating our children.</p>
<p>I would rather homeschool my children, give them one on one attention, and make learning a fun experience for them. Since our country is filled with morons and lead by elected morons I think some fresh perspective from kids who are not "conditioned" by government schools is a GOOD thing. </p>Karen Braun commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fc9bd888332008-04-26T11:31:33Z2008-04-26T11:31:33ZKaren Braunhttp://www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.comRebecca, I have not stated or implied that this is facism nor have I stated or implied that the state...<p>Rebecca, </p>
<p>I have not stated or implied that this is facism nor have I stated or implied that the state is attempting to deny ALL individual rights. But I have said that the requirement of parents to submit to the state in the education of their children violates their natural and fundamental right as a parent. A right which is recognized by Michigan law (see citation in my first comment.) </p>
<p>I am not closed to opposing viewpoints. If you would like to tell me where I am wrong or "delusional" in my thinking or my knowledge of history that would be helpful and welcome. But making such assertions without any further information to support them is not. </p>Sunniemom commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55213b01088342008-04-26T10:45:23Z2008-04-26T10:45:23ZSunniemomhttp://sunniemom.wordpress.comRebecca- If you would be so kind as to point out the inaccuracies of Karen's post, it would help others...<p>Rebecca-</p>
<p>If you would be so kind as to point out the inaccuracies of Karen's post, it would help others understand your position. "You're delusional" doesn't really address the issues at hand.</p>rebecca commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fc93ba88332008-04-26T10:28:54Z2008-04-26T10:28:54ZrebeccaThis isn't fascism. It's common sense. Your obstinence is frightening and shows your delusional grasp on the law and American...<p>This isn't fascism. It's common sense. Your obstinence is frightening and shows your delusional grasp on the law and American history. So glad you're teaching young minds of tomorrow to be as closeminded and sanctimonious as you. Praise Jesus!</p>Karen Braun commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55213627c88342008-04-26T05:03:58Z2008-04-26T05:03:58ZKaren Braunhttp://www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.comRebecca said, "f you're doing your job, you shouldn't have anything to hide. " Thankfully, That isn't the way our...<p>Rebecca said, "f you're doing your job, you shouldn't have anything to hide. "</p>
<p>Thankfully, That isn't the way our country is set up. In America, we are innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the state to demonstrate probable cause that a specific parent is doing something criminally wrong in order for them to intervene. It is NOT the responsibility of the parent to report to the state and assure them that they are doing things correctly. </p>
<p>In a free society we are not required to report to the court house if we are not accused of a crime. We do not report to the Department of Health and Human Services if we are not on welfare. Likewise, we do not report to the Department of Education if we don't use the public schools. </p>
<p>The state of Michigan recognizes that the PARENTS not the state has the natural and fundamental right to determine and direct the care and education of their children. The parent is not in partnership with the state nor does the state rule over the parent in this regard. Therefore, it is not because homeschoolers have anything to hide that we refuse to report to the state, but because we have the natural and fundamental right to do so. </p>Rebecca commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fc452a88332008-04-26T04:10:14Z2008-04-26T04:10:15ZRebeccaIf you're doing your job, you shouldn't have anything to hide. The legislation is non-invasive and for the welfare of...<p>If you're doing your job, you shouldn't have anything to hide. The legislation is non-invasive and for the welfare of children.</p>
<p>Methinks all these homeschooling parents should get back to raising and teaching their children.<br />
</p>Dawn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fc400488332008-04-26T03:57:30Z2008-04-26T03:57:30ZDawnoops i just found the arrows<p>oops i just found the arrows</p>Dawn commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fc2dcf88332008-04-26T03:19:53Z2008-04-26T03:19:53ZDawnWhy are only 26 of the 63 comments listed?<p>Why are only 26 of the 63 comments listed?</p>Sunniemom commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552131dd188342008-04-26T00:10:49Z2008-04-26T00:10:49ZSunniemomhttp://sunniemom.wordpress.comI would really, REALLY like to see Mr. Lessenberry respond to those from Hillsdale who have refuted the out-of-context and...<p>I would really, REALLY like to see Mr. Lessenberry respond to those from Hillsdale who have refuted the out-of-context and out-of-date quote used to 'support' this essay. It would also be refreshing to see any kind of support for his assertions that home educators aren't competitive in a diverse and technologically complex society.</p>
<p>In spite of the fact that public education is the new kid on the block, those who believe that homeschooling is a fad that just popped out of nowhere and require data to prove that parents really do honestly care about providing their children with a well-rounded education and social life can check out the study done by Dr. Lawrence Rudner or check out the National Home Education Research Institute website. Five minutes with Google- is that too much to ask?</p>
<p>I have heard the analogies tossed around for the 13+ years that I have home educated my kids- the idea being that only 'professional educators' are 'qualified to teach'. Licensing may be required for those who provide a public service, such as household repairs, medical treatment, beauty treatments, nutrition, child care etc..., but one does not require a license or advanced training to perform the basics of these in one's own home. I don't consult with a doctor every time my child has an ache, fever, or injury. I make that call as the parent. Ditto haircuts, manicures, and meal planning and potty training. Those who have been thoroughly institutionalized can't imagine how a parent could be so arrogant as to think they are able to determine and direct their childrens' educations, in spite of the fact that most parents have spent at least 12 years being taught by professional educators. But those same people don't even think about clipping their kids toenails or giving first aid without training in cosmetology or going to medical school.</p>
<p>The home education movement is evidence of what is great about America- people are free to find solutions to the problems they face, express their individuality and creativity, and discover-often through trial and error- what path is best for them to take. Of course, this means people are free to be ignorant, bigoted, delusional, or greatly mistaken. But we can't outlaw making mistakes, or being clueless. The universe couldn't contain the legislation needed to control every aspect of human behavior, nor do we desire such controls if we really think about it.</p>Karen Braun commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fbd45288332008-04-25T23:44:06Z2008-04-25T23:44:06ZKaren Braunhttp://www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.comMr. Lessenberry, In your essay you stated, "Educational malpractice should be illegal as well." To understand your perspective more clearly,...<p>Mr. Lessenberry,</p>
<p>In your essay you stated, "Educational malpractice should be illegal as well." </p>
<p>To understand your perspective more clearly, could you please define your term "educational malpractice?" </p>
<p>And for the sake of argument, let's assume that the Michigan legislature adopts your definition of educational malpractice, what would be a suitable penalty for those that are guilty of such an act?</p>
<p>And once "educational malpractice" becomes illegal in our state, it will become insufficent to say that we must "fix" the public schools. If "educational malpractice" is truly illegal, we must apply the standard across the board, and prosecute ALL who are guilty of such malpractice. </p>
<p>Your essay asserts that the parents' role is to "supplement" the school so they are, at best, an accomplice to the alleged malpractice. Consequently, this leaves the teachers and the admininistrators primarily culpable in the alleged educational malpractice currently occuring in our Detroit public schools.</p>
<p>Further, considering that your wife is an educator, would you accept that she could be prosecuted for "educational malpractice" because a child who sat in her classroom and under her teaching every day for 180 days, failed to meet the educational standards set by the state? </p>
<p>Also, assuming your wife has done all within her power to teach her pupils, but the parent fails to "homeschool" him after school hours and the student flounders and fails the MEAP, would your wife be required to file a charge of "educational malpractice" against the parents so that she is not liable in the child's academic failure and thus guilty of "educational malpractice" as his teacher?</p>
<p>Lastly, your analogy between medicine and education is an interesting one if you consider, that as a parent, you are not required to report to the local health officials every year, because you MIGHT do something as stupid as take out his appendix on the kitchen table. No, the state assumes that you are diligently applying proper medical treatement to the various maladies your son acquires; that which require home treatment you provide, that which provide more knowledge you solicit outside help. But in Michgan, we are not required to report that as parents we are doing the right thing regarding our child's health in the state approved way. </p>
<p>The state does not require you to report annually to them, because they assume that your are doing the right thing until it is alleged that your are not. That's traditionally been considered "innocent until proven guilty." As a parent, would you accept a law that requires you to report your to your local health offical and follow their prescribed nutrition and medical procedures and if not be considered guilty of "medical malpratice?" Perhaps so.</p>
<p>However, I suspect many parents would find it outrageous to annually report to the state and submit to the their prescribed regiments for our children's health. To say that every child requires the same diet and the same care denies the basic fact that children are unique and cannot be treated equally for all diseases and that certain diets are better for certain children. </p>
<p>The state recognizes and accepts this truth and acknoweldges that the parent will do the right thing in most cases, thus no state mandated annual reporting is required. The state affords complete freedom to the parent. They provide nutrition and health guidelines, but do not require that they be strictly followed under penalty of presecution for medical malpractice. </p>
<p>For many parents, we believe the same is true in our child's education. There isn't a "one size fits all" standard that can be applied to ALL children. Therefore, just as in medicine the state must assume that we are acting appropriately until it is shown that we are not.</p>
<p>If the state is willing to risk the fact that we won't do an appendectomy on our children (or any other life threatening procedure) without yearly reporting, then it becomes easy to see why allowing them the freedom to teach them their ABC's and times tables without reporting to their local public school. </p>
<p>Lastly, any reporting requirement is absurd because the parents are NOT under the authority of the local school system. The schools are a service that the state provides because the people of this state gave their consent. The parents are (in theory anyway) the boss and the school personnel the employee. The employee can ask the boss to do something, but they do not have the authority to require the boss do anything. This is supported by our state law which says, </p>
<p>"Section 380.10: It is the natural, fundamental right of parents and legal guardians to determine and direct the care, teaching, and education of their children. The public schools of this state serve the needs of the pupils by cooperating with the pupil's parents and legal guardians to develop the pupil's intellectual capabilities and vocational skills in a safe and positive manner."</p>
<p>State law rightly recognizes that the parent has the natural and fundamental right to direct their child's care. The state's role is to cooperate with the parents, not the other way around. This means that unless they state can demonstrate probable cause that criminal activity has already taken place in the home, they do not have the authority to intervene or put upon the parents any further requirements that would include mandatory annual reporting to the local schools. </p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55212d84d88342008-04-25T21:11:26Z2008-04-25T21:11:26ZMtn. MamaAnd for the record...I don't have to tell a story about having "colored friends" (your words, not mine). I don't...<p>And for the record...I don't have to tell a story about having "colored friends" (your words, not mine). I don't have to look beyond the walls of my own house to see a very diverse set of people. I myself am German/Italian and I am married to a man who has a mixture of Irish/Native American Indian/Portuguese decent (most mistake him for a hispanic man though). One daughter clearly got the Irish decent in looks as she is pale skinned with freckles and my other daughter got the Portuguese look with dark hair and dark skin. Ignorant people such as yourself assume them to have different fathers....but nope...one dad, one mom and a "mutt" mixture of DNA.</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55212ccdb88342008-04-25T20:53:10Z2008-04-25T20:53:10ZMtn. MamaAt least I have talking points. What do you have but your desperate pride that has you blind to a...<p>At least I have talking points. What do you have but your desperate pride that has you blind to a world of colors? </p>
<p>Ha! Just as I predicted....you could never and would never understand anybody who embraces diversity. It crushes this thread of "woe is me" you cling so desperately to. Get over yourself. Get over your sickness of racist hatred for white people. It's sick and you are a disease on the plight of the people you claim to respect so much.</p>
<p>BTW, I did finally find something pertaining to a "Greg Thrasher" that is presumably this HUGE alter ego you have for yourself...but it came from this very website. How pathetic. Newsflash, commenting on blogs does not equate "published". Lol...that is so funny I about spewed my coffee. I quote a Mr. Jose Santiago who seems to have pegged you very well:</p>
<p>"Greg Thrasher has been a tiresome presence on this and other sites. He is a Birmingham resident but would have you believe that his roots are in the black community but alas he hides in a lily white upper middle class community. He likes it that way because he is a bully. Very scanty resume-no real challenging preparation. What is it Greg a BA in "Communications" from MSU. Think tank-please. This guy is a legend in his own mind. Brings no real insight or intellectual capability to the affairs of state. A very real race baiter, racial arsonist and real life scumbag. Ignore him-all talk and no action except countersigning that public sector paycheck."</p>
<p>Wow. lol. Right on, Mr. Santiago. </p>
<p>You wish I had never posted back. You should have left well enough alone. But then that is a fools pride for you. What's that swooshing sound? Must be the sound of the winds being taken out of your sails....</p>
<p>Oh, I believe you will stick around. While you do....please read and re-read every word I have written. Perhaps it will begin to sink in just how utterly ridiculous you are and make you dig deep to change your sick sick mind.</p>
<p></p>
<p><br />
</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55212c48088342008-04-25T20:41:19Z2008-04-25T20:41:19ZThrasher@ Mtn Mama, This is my last comment with you I do not want to be a part of a...<p>@ Mtn Mama,</p>
<p>This is my last comment with you I do not want to be a part of a discourse with you that involves you having kids fight your battles..</p>
<p>My cultural DNA does not approve of that...</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fb81a088332008-04-25T20:14:31Z2008-04-25T20:14:31ZThrasher@Mtn Mama, Please spare me the cum ba ya tales and stop using your children to butress your weak and...<p>@Mtn Mama,</p>
<p>Please spare me the cum ba ya tales and stop using your children to butress your weak and shallow arguments..You are truly pathetic offering up your kids to make point....The reason why you are obessed with my posts is because I nailed the racism in the homeschool movement..deal with it and please do not tell another good cum ba ya story what's next a post that 'some of your best friends are coloreds"..</p>
<p>Step up or get stepped on..again I have no problem dealing with ignorant white folks in denial and making excuses about thier racial pathlogies..</p>
<p>BTW you also speak with a forked tongue I thought you were never going to post about me..so much for your promises..get over me cause I am not leaving..your obession is making me blush..</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fb5f4a88332008-04-25T19:03:25Z2008-04-25T19:03:26ZMtn. MamaMay God grace you one day with the ability to see beyond black and white as He did Rosa Parks...<p>May God grace you one day with the ability to see beyond black and white as He did Rosa Parks and MLK. </p>
<p>Would it ease your fears to know that both my children are very aware of what the Civil Rights Movement is as well as the great people you speak of and their roles in it? I doubt it....after all, it is all to clear that you see me as a "myopic white person". To you, all white people are just that. To me, your just an uniformed, racist bigot. Nothing more, nothing less. If you feel the need to justify my assertion by injecting one of the names YOU used then know it is YOUR words....and NEVER mine.</p>
<p>Here is how deeply my children feel and how much learning about such issues has affected them. I am a huge Bob Dylan fan and one day while listening to the song Hurricane (a protest song written for Hurricane Carter) my 9 yo says to me, "Mom, I don't like this song". I asked her why. She says to me, "It speaks badly about black people." (Hence, it uses the "n" word in it) I asked her if she remembered us talking about Civil Rights. She aknowledged she did and I went on to explain the meaning of the song and that it was not being "mean" to black people, but in fact it was a protest to the injustices aimed at them. That eased her little burdened mind from fear she was listening to a song demeaning people. A mind that I intend to build with a strong foundation of knowledge before she one day has the burden of crossing paths with racist white people as well as racist black people(as yourself). And this is one small fraction of hundreds of examples I could give. I could also tell you about the first time my daughter heard the "n" word. From a black girl in her pre-k class(oh yes, they learned many, many things in the public school system...this being just one of them). If I am lieing then may God strike me dead as I type.</p>
<p>I will continue to reject your attacks on the homeschool movement as racist. I will continue to reject your ignorant opinions. You have no merit or facts to back up anything you say. For that matter, you can't even find a single quote I have given to label me racist....and you never will. </p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fb44f788332008-04-25T18:11:10Z2008-04-25T18:11:11ZThrasher@ Mtn Moma, I will continue to reject your personal attacks on me in a chat forum for daring to...<p>@ Mtn Moma,</p>
<p>I will continue to reject your personal attacks on me in a chat forum for daring to have a discussion about racism in the homeschool movement. Yes I will continue to object to myopic white people like you who told many other Black people inclduing MLK, Rosa Parks how they were a hinderance to our race becuase they dared to speak out and act out..</p>
<p>The sole reason for the creation of HBCU was the racist and segregated behavior of whites which created the need for my people to create HBCU's.</p>
<p>Sorry to disappoint you but the opinions of Blacks on a number of fronts including our opinions on homeschooling is not high on the list of the white dominated MSM outlets..BTW the absence of a fortune 500 office tower does not mean our country's orginial people were here after the country's original illegal aliens( pilgrims & puritans)from europe..</p>
<p>But more importantly your need to attack me on a personal level is not going to stop me for relating my truths about the profile of the home school movement sorry but I am (pick one)one negro/colored/afro/boy/african american that does not bend over or genuflect to the personal attacks of those who cannot measure up..Again my cultural DNA does not allow that</p>Dana commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e552125b4588342008-04-25T17:36:49Z2008-04-25T17:36:49ZDanahttp://principleddiscovery.comSeeing as the article in question regarding Hillsdale was written in 2002, it is hardly "recent." And David Steward hasn't...<p>Seeing as the article in question regarding Hillsdale was written in 2002, it is hardly "recent." And David Steward hasn't been the honors program director for years. He actually hoemschools his own children and what didn't make it into your essay here is that he also said that homeschoolers are generally more prepared in math, English, history, et., than other students. When pressed, he said that if they had a weakness, it was in science.</p>
<p>Hardly a ridicule of homeschoolers or a call for greater control. </p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521259b088342008-04-25T17:34:25Z2008-04-25T17:34:25ZMtn. MamaI made it personal? Oh no, no, no. YOU made it personal when you decided to lump every single person...<p>I made it personal? Oh no, no, no. YOU made it personal when you decided to lump every single person who homeschools into a catagory of a "myopic backward cultural". </p>
<p>Then you sealed your contempt for white people with this: </p>
<p>"The objectives of people of color who homeschool( Rosa Parks) are often not the same as the whites who homeschool especially wih regard to the religious and social objectives." -Mr. Greg Thrasher</p>
<p>Are you saying that only black people can homeschool for the proper religious and social objectives? Because lets face it, ALL people homeschool for various reasons. You, however, are the first I have ever seen put a boundary on the reasons based on race. It is ridiculous and you have NO facts to back up such ignorant statements. Not a single one. This so called "empirical data" exists only in your own myopic mind.</p>
<p>I stick by my assertion that you are indeed a racist and I am also beginning to assert that you are a classist as well. What is really sad is you naively confuse ignorance and delusion for passion. You are a hinderance to the race you claim to love so much.</p>
<p>By all means, continue to prove me right with another post of mindless, racist drivil. Continue to embarass yourself.... </p>Kristina commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fb146788332008-04-25T16:29:10Z2008-04-25T16:29:12ZKristinahttp://www.freedomloversacademy.blogspot.com"I will always reject myopic backward cultural paradigms than have contempt for me as a person of color." Can you...<p>"I will always reject myopic backward cultural paradigms than have contempt for me as a person of color." </p>
<p>Can you please tell me what backward cultural paradigms homeschoolers are teaching that have contempt for people of color? Apparently I am hanging out with the wrong homeschoolers. Can you tell me where you're getting this empirical data from? </p>
<p>I'm sorry, Thrasher, but I just don't see it. In my experience, yes anecdotal, homeschoolers are accepting of other homeschoolers. That's it. They don't care what color you are. All that matters is the desire to educate our children to their fullest abilities. Granted, there are SOME homeschoolers who are not open minded. But, oh my gosh, there are public school and private school families that are not open minded. I know. I was raised in one. But, that, contrary to your opinion, does not tipify homeschool attitude.</p>
<p><br />
"I will always reject ideas which seek to take funds away from the public education."</p>
<p>So, taking my children out of a school that refuses to provide them with the education they need takes away funds from the public education. Since my children would not fit into a regular classroom and would need special considerations to educate them well, I think I'm actually saving the school money. Oh, sure, they don't get my kids' test scores, but they can focus on the other kids left there.</p>
<p>I had 2 public school teachers tell me I needed to homeschool my children. Then, when she found out I had made the decision to do so, my oldest's private school teacher was ecstatic. She said he was wasting his time in school. It was not an easy decision. Who wants to be completely responsible for their child's education? It is so much easier to send them to school and then blame the schools.</p>
<p>Don't give me that. I have to do what is best for MY children. While I would love to send them to a public school and not have to worry about their education, I can say unequivically that that cannot happen. I can't wait for the school to change to give my children the eduaction they need. They have to have it now. </p>
<p>In the meantime, I'll continue paying my taxes and buying stuff from the fundraisers going around the neighborhood.</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551fb0b7e88332008-04-25T16:14:27Z2008-04-25T16:14:27ZThrasher@Mtn Mama, I am sadden that you would take a chat discussion on a provactive issue and make it personal...<p>@Mtn Mama, I am sadden that you would take a chat discussion on a provactive issue and make it personal by calling me a racist.</p>
<p>I have no hatred for human beings but I do have a great disregard for racism and bigotry of institutions and cultural conventions.</p>
<p>As a person of color I understand why whites and others who are a part of a movement would get bent out of shape over critical objections about one's industry, professional etc yet for you to wage this personal attack on me for daring to have a factual base on my views is again disheartening.</p>
<p>Your notice to me that you cannot measure up to my objective remarks and you are going to move on but you will call me a name before you retire from this discussion simply confirms my premise..</p>
<p>I will pray for you of course but please do not expect to see me at the next Homeschool Convention..</p>Cecilia Tombelli commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55211c35088342008-04-25T13:02:20Z2008-04-25T13:02:20ZCecilia TombelliClarification: The comments Jack Lessenberry makes about "the Honors Program Director" at Hillsdale College are inaccurate. I just spoke with...<p>Clarification: The comments Jack Lessenberry makes about "the Honors Program Director" at Hillsdale College</p>
<p>are inaccurate. I just spoke with Professor Don Westblade, the current Honors Program Director at Hillsdale<br />
College, and he said that he did not make these statements. In addition, he said that the statements<br />
referred to by the author of the WKAR homeschool essay, regarding a Detroit Free Press article were <br />
completely inaccurate, and taken out of context from an interview by the DFP with the former Honors Program Director 6 years ago.</p>
<p>If you wish to see the correct and accurate comments and further clarification, please contact the<br />
Hillsdale College public relations office, or go to their website.</p>
<p>Professor Westblade told me that there are many homeschooled students in his<br />
honors program at Hillsdale, and that those students are excellent. He also said that<br />
he is very chagrined that this author obviously misused comments and took positive<br />
comments that Hillsdale made 6 years ago about home schooled students, and turned<br />
them around so as to make them look like Hillsdale does not support home schooling.<br />
In fact, Professor Westdale said, Hillsdale does greatly support homeschooling.</p>
<p>Cecilia Tombelli<br />
CHURCH Moderator<br />
(Celebrating Home Under Rome-Catholic Home schooling)<br />
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CHURCH_Lansing" rel="nofollow">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CHURCH_Lansing</a></p>
<p><br />
cecilia-tombelli.blogspot.com<br />
</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55211bb3d88342008-04-25T12:52:32Z2008-04-25T12:52:32ZMtn. MamaThe only thing obvious about you, Mr. Thrasher, is that you are the one who is racist. I also have...<p>The only thing obvious about you, Mr. Thrasher, is that you are the one who is racist. I also have no reservations about calling out racism when I see it. Yours is seething and disgusting. </p>
<p>I see now that your arguement really has little to do with homeschooling. Your hatred goes far beyond that. </p>
<p>I wash my hands of this and this will be my last post. I pray that perhaps one day you find the courage to embrace people as a whole and then perhaps you will find true passion for your own race. I leave you with a quote.</p>
<p>"It is never too late to give up our prejudices."-Thoreau</p>
<p><br />
</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5521190e288342008-04-25T12:20:40Z2008-04-25T12:20:40ZThrasher@ Sharon since it is obvious you are not Black please refrain from speaking on our behalf this includes even...<p>@ Sharon since it is obvious you are not Black please refrain from speaking on our behalf this includes even your greatest homeschool mentors!!</p>
<p>Since I am Black there is no question that many Black homeschoolers would not only agree with me about my profile of the racism in the homeschool movement but many no doubt would provide me with more information to butress my premise.</p>
<p>It is obvious my comments are on the money given the defensive and emotional reactions by many on this site, of course as a Black activist it is never a surpise when I get attacks by whites becuase I offer no apologies when I confront, reject and defeat white racism.</p>
<p>Truth is at the end of the day the homeschool movement profile is full of myopic insular racism it is a natural result of white people who isolate themselves from the mainstream. The people of color who homeschool understand this truth . The objectives of people of color who homeschool( Rosa Parks) are often not the same as the whites who homeschool especially wih regard to the religious and social objectives. </p>
<p>I have no reservations about calling out the racism in home schooling . I hope more whites and people of color join me in this regard..</p>Anonymous commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55210ca7c88342008-04-25T03:59:40Z2008-04-25T03:59:41ZAnonymousI searched the Free Press website and couldn't find anything about Hillsdale and a science deficiency among students. I really...<p>I searched the Free Press website and couldn't find anything about Hillsdale and a science deficiency among students. I really wish Mr. Lessenberry would address this for those of us who look up to him as a journalist and are perplexed about his journalistic integrity being questioned.</p>Sharon commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551f9a56688332008-04-25T02:04:46Z2008-04-25T02:04:46ZSharonThrasher, my greatest homeschooling mentors are an African-American homeschooling family who have just graduated their youngest daughter. I find it...<p>Thrasher, my greatest homeschooling mentors are an African-American homeschooling family who have just graduated their youngest daughter. I find it personally offensive that you equate homeschooling with racism, and I would wager that my African-American homeschooling friends would find it offensive as well. </p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551f99aa188332008-04-25T01:39:34Z2008-04-25T01:39:34ZThrasherAs I have posted my mind remains open yet I will object, reject, defeat all paradigms that are racist 24/7..<p>As I have posted my mind remains open yet I will object, reject, defeat all paradigms that are racist 24/7..</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551f996dc88332008-04-25T01:30:07Z2008-04-25T01:30:09ZMtn. MamaYou're right. The attacks on character are inappropriate. I apologize. In my defense though I must say that Mr. Thrasher...<p>You're right. The attacks on character are inappropriate. I apologize. In my defense though I must say that Mr. Thrasher left me little to go on and angered me greatly with his stereotypes.</p>
<p>Bottom line is, home schooling my children just feels right to me. I know all to well that to some people that one thing alone makes me a terrible person in their eyes. It hurts me greatly to have people judge me based on the fact that I love my children so much that I am willing to give up many things for myself, my husband, and them in order to follow my heart to what my husband and I honestly feel is the right thing to do. It is not enjoyable to have to be on the defensive everytime I utter the words "We home school" to some random person because I have to feel out their reaction thanks to the ignorant stereotypes and stigmatisms placed on it by people. Such as those that are fueled by the writer of this essay as well as Mr. Thrasher. </p>
<p>I am so very proud of my children and like I said before I could quote all day their accomplishments. Their test scores make me proud and assure me that all is well on the education side. But the most important thing is that they are happy and healthy and well rounded. They respect all people of all ages, all religions, all races, and all classes. They know they can choose to live a life of any choosing they wish and if that doesn't include college their dad and I will love them no less. John Lennon said it so eloquently "A working class hero is something to be"...</p>Sharon commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55210863b88342008-04-25T00:59:05Z2008-04-25T00:59:05ZSharonFormer public school teacher here - high school physics, biology, marine science, environmental science... I value public education. I believe...<p>Former public school teacher here - high school physics, biology, marine science, environmental science... I value public education. I believe it's necessary in a civilized society to give opportunities for all children to acquire an education. However, it was the very experiences in the realm of public education as a credentialed master's level teacher that led me to the decision to homeschool my own children.</p>
<p>I grow weary of the uninformed casting stereotypes of homeschoolers as unqualified, ignorant, and bigoted. I know that there's nothing I can say to convince you. Perhaps, one day, you'll gain some firsthand experience with homeschoolers to give you a more robust picture. I have firsthand experience in both arenas, and I speak with whatever level of authority that affords me. Homeschooling works!</p>anonymous commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551f954db88332008-04-24T23:06:33Z2008-04-24T23:06:33ZanonymousI think the ad hominem attacks are quite inappropriate. They have been used on both sides of this argument, illustrating...<p>I think the ad hominem attacks are quite inappropriate. They have been used on both sides of this argument, illustrating that most of these comments do not deal with facts, even when complaining about the lack of fact-checking. I would like to see people cite some actual studies about home-schooling, from peer-reviewed journals. It is not enough to say "I read a study once..." I am not saying I completely agree with everything Mr. Lessenberry has said, but your attacks regarding fact-checking are inappropriate if you only provide anecdotal information about your own stellar children. Most of the comments have probably come from parents who have done an excellent job teaching their children. The bad examples to which Mr. Lessenberry refers probably have not bothered to comment.</p>Adso of Melk commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e55210412488342008-04-24T22:42:15Z2008-04-24T22:42:15ZAdso of Melkhttp://adsoofmelk.wordpress.comJack, I am a public school teacher and have been for the last thirteen years. I've taught in diverse areas...<p>Jack, I am a public school teacher and have been for the last thirteen years. I've taught in diverse areas of the country and in schools ranging from an inner-city, low-income school to a thriving and successful magnet.</p>
<p>You could say that I've slept with a public school teacher for years -- not quite as long as your 31 years of (presumably) connubial bliss, but decently long all the same.</p>
<p>I'm also a homeschooler. </p>
<p>My years of teaching did little to prepare me for homeschooling -- just as my years of preparation in my university's education program did little to prepare me for teaching school. </p>
<p>Far too often, teachers are woefully un- or under-prepared to educate children effectively, and my experience in education has confirmed this time and again. The 1983 report "A Nation at Risk," whose results have changed little since its publication, pointed out that a substantial number of teachers score in the lowest quartile on measurements such as the Praxis and SAT tests. Adding insult to injury, most teachers do not major in a content-area subject such as English, history, science, or math. Instead, they major in education. </p>
<p>We are educating our child at home because we make little money (teacher's salary, you know...) and are zoned for a school whose academics are, to say the least, quite poor. The school is so focused on attaining AYP goals that the curriculum of most classes consists of test preparation almost exclusively -- certainly at the expense of both history and science. </p>
<p>Ultimately, we felt (and now have evidence to believe) that we could simply do a better job of educating our child. At home, our child can go at her own pace; all subjects are taught to mastery; review is minimal unless needed, and it's hard to beat the teacher/pupil ratio. </p>
<p>I regret that you evidently disagree, but thankfully enough, homeschooling is legal and will probably remain so as long as its results demonstrate, as they consistently have, that homeschooling works.</p>
<p>Thank you,<br />
Adso of Melk</p>Mtn. Mama commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e551f934c988332008-04-24T22:26:40Z2008-04-24T22:26:40ZMtn. Mama@ Thrasher... Dear, if I wanted someone like you as a mentor to my children then they would be enrolled...<p>@ Thrasher...</p>
<p>Dear, if I wanted someone like you as a mentor to my children then they would be enrolled in public school...</p>
<p>And no, I won't be "courageous" (*snicker*) and contact you. If your writing is anything like I have seen here...arrogance, blah, blah, blah, racist, blah, blah, blah, close minded, blah, blah, blah, judgemental drival then really I don't see what you have to offer me.</p>
<p>Passion comes from loving something. I have seen a lot of passion in these comments. The only thing I have seen in yours is weakness.</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5520fab7e88342008-04-24T19:06:51Z2008-04-24T19:06:52ZThrasher@ MTN Mama, Again I am the most published social essayist in this region the past 25 years before the...<p>@ MTN Mama,</p>
<p>Again I am the most published social essayist in this region the past 25 years before the google ever existed and even with the google many publications and writings are deleted as a matter of course..</p>
<p>Please feel free and have the courage to contact me and I will of course provide you some of my body of work... BTW I would love to be a mentor to you and your kids.. I operate out of passion not anger, bitterness, arrogance, all of those states of being are not a part of my cultural or personal DNA..</p>Thrasher commented on 'Essay: Homeschooling - 4/22/2008'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8345245ed69e200e5520fa81088342008-04-24T19:00:35Z2008-04-24T19:00:35ZThrasherFor the record I had an opportunity to listen and learn from the vantage point of a homeschooler Daniel Segura.....<p>For the record I had an opportunity to listen and learn from the vantage point of a homeschooler Daniel Segura..</p>
<p>I respect his opinion and his dedication and reasons for homeschooling. </p>
<p>I also respect my own views with regard to the social and racial aspect of those in homeschooling..</p>
<p>I will of course keep an open mind and if data supports the premise that academic outcomes of homeschoolers have merit and substance then they will have a new advocate...</p>
<p>I will not endorse any movement that at it's core is adverse to people of color...that is one area where homeschoolers really need to evolve..</p>