[gobucks]

I found this article compelling. Figured some Freepers out there would get a kick out of it.

[Libertarian444]

It is no longer about whether home-schooled children are losing out, but whether they are doing unfairly well.

Unfairly well?? Jeez... I can see this cute little phrase becoming the new mantra of the NEA. Kids aren't performing at public schools because of shoddy mismanagement by the NEA and their political cohorts; it's because home schoolers are doing unfairly well.

[Mr. Jeeves]

They give up not just a free public education...

It ain't free...seen the cost of remedial tutoring at Sylvan Learning Centers these days?

[Teacher317]

A revolution is happening in American education. As it grows in size, it should frighten teachers everywhere.

FRIGHTEN?!? It should OVERJOY teachers everywhere. A true teacher cares about children being educated in a nurturing environment. Home beats schools hands down. A true teacher cares about giving their charges a life-long desire to learn. Far too many distractions and opposing messages in public schools today prevent that. A true teacher doesn't care if the administrations and unions are served, so long as the students are.

[MasonGal]

Top o' the morn' to all of you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Homeschooling PING!!

[headsonpikes]

The public school system is the transmission belt of American Socialism.

Kids! Disrespect wrongful authority!

[netmilsmom]

This is what sold me....
http://www.thememoryhole.org/edu/school-mission.htm

It's a pretty left wing site but this information is amazing!
(my homepage is from here)

[driftless]

A few years back a home-schooled girl from Wisconsin, my state, won the NATIONAL spelling bee. One local public school teacher from her area was quick to dismiss it. He contemptuously stated that it didn't mean anything. How's that for undermining accomplishments? Of course the nitwit was upset that it was a home-schooled kid who won it and not someone who had the misfortune to come out of one Wisconsin's public schools.

[Tirian]

An even-handed approach in some aspects, but it is interesting how the writer characterizes a disengagement from public schools as an assault on them. ("But America's home-schoolers represent an assault on public education that teachers everywhere should pay attention to.") Perhaps the writer never studied logic in school. (Oh, wait a minute, that's part of the classical education that home schoolers use, never mind!) It is an "assault" only in the manner in which one highlights the glaring deficiencies in the other.

Another assumption the writer makes is that this is something that "should frighten teachers everywhere". Maybe it should frighten teachers' unions more interested in turf than in teaching. Our older children started public school in 9th and 11th grade, respectively, and were welcomed by their teachers. Because they were different. Because they were able to interact respectfully with the teachers, the other students, and the course content. (Our daughter was routinely mistaken as a student teacher by both students and by other student teachers.) "Send us more [of your children]" has been a common comment from their teachers, a sentiment that does not seem to arise from fear.

[Stew Padasso]

You'll find homeschool critics right here on FR.

[petitfour]

We took one of our children out of public schools last year when he was hitting a brick wall in his classroom. He was so frustrated. His teacher was so frustrated with him. She knew he was capable of doing the work because "his sisters are both gifted." (aint that some logic?) When my husband heard her say that in front of our son, he was so angry. We are homeschooling now. It has been a roller-coaster ride because he is so easily distracted. I could imagine what he was like in a room full of other easily distracted children. What a nightmare! Anywho, recently a FReeper recommended a book for those of us who have ADD children. It's called Right-brained Children in a Left-brained World. It is amazing how a different approach can change a child's entire attitude about learning. Homeschooling is ideal for children such as our son.

[Tax-chick]

I'm surprised nobody else caught this:

And the number of black home-schoolers is growing rapidly. Yet the Praetorian Guard of the home-schooling movement are social conservatives.

Interesting how he contrasts blacks with "social conservatives," even though most polls of blacks show them to be just as conservative on social issues as those scary white Christians.

And I wonder why the media always mention Texas as the paragon of homeschooling freedom, when it's OKLAHOMA that has parental control over education written into the State constitution, for the express purpose of protecting the right to home school.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Bump!

[Graymatter]

We homeschool using a cyber charter school as a 'front' --- their curriculum wouldn't fill a tooth, never mind a brain, so we don't rely on it.

[nickcarraway]

They give up not just a free public education

The price of ignorance is extremely expensive.

[nickcarraway]

ping

[Tribune7]

Santorum's mentioned in this very good article.

[don-o]

bump for later

[GingisK]

George Bush's secret army...

I recall that homeschooling started long long before Bush was in office. This is, hopefully, "Freedom's Secret Army"; and, it will end up clashing with both parties head-on.

Bush hasn't done even the slightest thing to help with the educational crisis in this Nation. I don't belive that GWB has much in common with homeschoolers.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

What about academic standards? The home-schooling network buzzes with good news: a family with three home-schooled children at Harvard; a home-schooler with a bestselling novel; first, second and third place in the 2000 National Spelling Bee; a first university for home-schooled children (see article).

This cried out for amplication, but I quickly learned that the article referred to above requires a subscription. So I provide the following links for completeness:

"If any building symbolises the ambition of the home-schooling movement, it is Patrick Henry College in suburban Virginia. This conservative university, which opened in 2000, may have only 242 students; but it plans to expand its undergraduate school to 1,600 and to add a law school of 400. More than four in five of its students are home-schooled.

Political Education: A university for home-schoolers

[Fawnn]

Thought you might like a look-see at this article.