Posted on 09/04/2015 11:25:04 AM PDT by MichCapCon
The left-leaning nonprofit ProPublica recently ran an article on home schooling that opened by relating an anecdote from 2003. It tells of a 19-year-old man in New Jersey who weighed just 45 pounds and was found rummaging through a neighbor’s garbage. The explanation for how such a thing could happen is delivered by a state politician who says, “I was told it was because he was homeschooled.”
The story, co-published on the liberal Slate.com, then quotes Ellen Heinitz, who is the legislative director for a Democratic state representative from Detroit, about her experience with a national homeschooling lobbying group called the Home School Legal Defense Association. Heinitz works for Rep. Stephanie Chang, whose House Bill 4498 would mandate homeschool registration and increase other regulations.
“I’ve never seen a lobby more powerful and scary,” Heinitz was quoted as saying. “They make the anti-vaxxers seem rational.” This is a reference to people who believe vaccines are dangerous.
Karen Braun, a nationally known homeschool education activist from Michigan, said the story is part of a trend to get the public to view homeschooling with suspicion.
“She’s throwing out a caricature,” Braun said. “What she is really exposing is her own contempt for people who act outside of the state and for people who think they know what’s best for their children.”
Braun said some school districts are becoming more accepting of homeschooling. Some districts are partnering with homeschool families. The public school district gets money for the homeschool students who participate in certain elective classes. Lapeer Community Schools is one of the districts involved in the homeschooling partnership.
When asked to estimate how many children are being homeschooled in Michigan, Braun said:
“You can’t. And that’s a good thing. How many parents breast feed? Why would you care? Why is it an important thing? It’s free people acting on their best interests of their family. That’s the beauty of liberty. That’s the beauty of freedom.”
Cathy Keller, a homeschooling parent from Jackson, said the liberals in education and government want to control every aspect of citizens' lives. She said the homeschooling phenomena is growing as are the curriculum options.
“Basically, school is being redesigned by parents because of a failed model that has been hijacked and corrupted,” Keller said. “If they had a successful model, they would be attracting participants, but they won't tolerate our freedom of choice. So I could go on for days and days about why I homeschool and why I don’t want liberal minded bureaucrats deciding what they want for my children. The parents who abuse their children are the problem, not because they say they homeschool. … The majority of homeschooled kids are successful because someone is taking time to give them personal instruction. There are successes and failings in both the public schools and in home schools, but they don't control homeschools and there lies the rub.”
There are no official estimates of how many people homeschool in Michigan. Registration is not required for parents who homeschool, but there is provision for voluntary registration. The law does require parents whose child does not attend public or private school to provide an "organized educational program" in the subjects of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar.
I’m a homeschool parent in NJ, and I remember the case of the 19yo who weighed 45 pounds.
But some information about that case is missing from the article:
First of all, there were a few boys in that family who were found to be very small and lightweight for their age.
What the article doesn’t mention is that ALL of those boys had been placed into the home by the Department of Youth and Family Services. And DYFS agents visited that family for years and never questioned the height/weight of the boys. One boy came to the family with an eating disorder after he’d been severely abused, and the parents claimed that the other boys picked up the disorder from him. Who knows whether that’s true.
But, what is true is that DYFS placed the one boy into the home, and after many visits, DYFS agents were so convinced that the parents were doing a great job that they continued to place other children into that home.
Then, one night, a neighbor saw one of the boys eating from a trashcan, and he called the police. And then the newspapers learned about the boys. And the public was appalled. That’s the only reason that anyone even knows the story at all.
“I’ve never seen a lobby more powerful and scary,” Heinitz was quoted as saying. “They make the anti-vaxxers seem rational.”
This is a reference to people who believe vaccines are dangerous.
The homosexual lobby is scarier, Heinitz.
I remember this story. It was about a kids in NJ whose parents were starving them. I also remember that Children’s Services visted that home 22 times in a 24-month period. They did nothing for them.
1) How many ministers have wives that work in the government schools?
2) How many of the congregation are directly or indirectly employed by the government schools? In my county, the government schools are the biggest single employer with the largest payroll. No other business comes close. Then add all the vendors and their employees who benefit from the government “school-industrial-complex.”
3) How many in the congregation are totally addicted to the “free babysitting”?
4) So?.....How many ministers will bite the hand putting money in the collection plate?
And....There absolutely are government schools that are so dangerous and so emotionally and spiritually toxic that a child would be better off with no schooling whatsoever than to ever step foot into those horrific places. Illiteracy and innumeracy can be fixed. Death or permanently disabled can't be.
Thanks for filling in the details.
Things they’ll never tell you in their bid to discredit homeschoolers.
Homeschooling: EEEEEVIL!
Throwing a woman in jail over her religious objections: GOOOOOD!
PING!
[ I remember this story. It was about a kids in NJ whose parents were starving them. I also remember that Children’s Services visted that home 22 times in a 24-month period. They did nothing for them. ]
Yet there are times when child services take children away for minor crap like a birthmark that looks like a bruise...
Of course this part of the story just illustrates the failure of big government.... but ...
HEY LOOK OVER THERE!~!!!
They are homeschooling!!!! Burn the witches!!!!
Nevermind the OTHER government failure in that case!!!
That’s a great point. And it’s past time to continue being polite to such as this.
Lol....that was supposed to be the NEA, not the NRA...
Dang, auto correct...
Each of our girls (except the one under ten) have two degrees, at least one of which is in a hard science.
Our youngest daughter, under ten, tests into high school math.
I’m glad they fear us, because we’re raising inintellectual warriors.
All of our older children have four year degrees (at minimum) and good jobs.
Homeschooling works.
It sounds nice, but too many people homeschool for too many different reasons using too many methods and types of material, and educational theories for it to ever be practical.
Plus, a lot of us reject testing and many, perhaps most, would reject any central curriculum or record keeping. I would, in both cases.
Where data exists, data mining occurs. No thank you.
First, since around 1965 or 1970 when prayer was removed from the public schools it’s whole different ball game than when most of us were students. We sang hymns in Music class. We were released one day a week for Religious Instruction at different churches if we wanted to go. History lessons consisted of truths, not the revisionist anti-God, anti-American crap being taught now.
1. My mom was a minister’s wife, stayed home and took care of us kids, the needs of members including frequent “free” day care, organized all church functions and the music program. She was on call 24/7. Being a minister’s wife is a full-time job in itself. If they have “outside” jobs, including in government schools, then they’re not doing what God called them to do. (Wives are as “called” to the ministry as their husbands are.)
Mom’s sister, also a preacher’s wife, did teach in public schools in the ‘60s and ‘70s and she wasn’t available for church members during emergencies, or her kids’ needs. Four of her kids are a mess and they have minimal interaction with her now.
2. In our churches, I’m not sure who, if anyone, works in government schools. I hope not many. The public school teachers I’ve met can’t do simple math, know nothing about history, and their English and grammar skills are atrocious.
3. If, by “totally addicted to free babysitting”, you refer to government schools, I wouldn’t call it “totally addicted”. I expect parents would prefer to be able to afford to have their kids in church schools or in home schools. If people can’t afford to do their best for children, they shouldn’t have them.
A couple months ago, a FReeper posted that members of his church who send their kids to public schools are subject to church discipline for child neglect.
4. The question makes no sense to me. What does that have to do with a church’s Missions program including subsidizing a decent education for members’ kids? A preacher’s salary doesn’t come out of the Missions fund.
/sarc
Parents do just fine without being taught how to teach, thanks.
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