Posted on 06/18/2007 12:21:52 AM PDT by LibertyRocks
Edited on 06/18/2007 1:15:58 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
I was just watching Ebert & Roeper and would like to report to my fellow homeschoolers that the guest host taking Roger Ebert's place tonight, Robert Wilonsky, made a very disrespectful and rude comment in relation to homeschoolers...
While reviewing the upcoming movie "Nancy Drew" Roeper made a comment that Nancy was a 1950's girl in relation to what she thought constituted a birthday party. When Roeper said that this would be a good movie that would be liked by 12-year-old girls, Wilonsky replied, "Maybe Homeschooled 12-year-olds"...
I found this to be a very ignorant and disrespectful comment, and I am left wondering what Mr. Wilonsky thinks would be better suited for 12-year-old Public Schooled/Private Schooled students to be watching (Sex, Drinking & Drugs???)?
I would like to ask my fellow homeschool parents to write to both Ebert & Roeper (Buena Vista Entertainment) as well as Mr. Wilonsky himself, and express your displeasure with this disrespectful comment.
Here is how to contact the show & Mr. Wilonsky...
Ebert & Roeper Show: http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/ebertandroeper/ Use the "Feedback" link at the top navigation bar to submit a comment.
Mr. Wilonsky: I could only find one email address online for Mr. Wilonsky (he also writes at RottenTomatoes.com, as well as the Village Voice, L.A. Weekly, and the Phoenix New Times). Here is his email address through his employer the Dallas Observer:
Robert.Wilonsky@dallasobserver.com
In my comment to the Ebert & Roeper show I requested not only that they do not bring Mr. Wilonsky back for any more co-hosting gigs, but also that they issue an on-air apology to all homeschooled students.
LOL... Not much on at 1:30 a.m. with no cable. (o: I used to watch it when it was still Siskel & Ebert and I was growing up in Chicago...
Only the ones that are uniformed dipsticks.
FYI, I did'nt insult him for using public schools. I insulted him for posting an absolutely ignorant, ill informed, and illogical statement about children with parents that are not lazy enough to rationalize letting government employees shape the destiny of their posterity.
I am so sick of the BS I have gotten from so many that has come up from our family's choices educational choices and ran out of the patience to deal with it civilly 5-7 years ago. I simply cannot look at the tired old "socialization" horse crap without seeing red and pointing out strongly just how ignorant and illogical that particular pile of manure is. BTW, that is not an apology or an explanation -- if one posts ignorant drivel on this forum, kindness is about the last thing one should expect.
So, who died and made you hall monitor?
If Fremont has a problem with MY post to HIM, let HIM come up with a clever rejoinder.
Until then, I'll pass along the last line in my post to you, Ms. Helper -- yours and the horse you rode in on...
With all of that said, you are exemplifying my exact criticism of many of the home schoolers around here. “gummint skewels “ Indeed.
In all fairness, one boy did make a comment about my younger one's anatomy. We had known this boy from karate, ice skating, t-ball, just from tons of differing intersecting activities over 10 or more years. We had been at each other's houses dozens of times, so he should have known better. She was sitting in math class waiting for it to start and he walked up and said to her "Woah! Nice hooters!" She punched him in the gut and he practically crawled to his chair. His dad later called and apologized to my husband for his son's behavior and told him that my daughter taught him a valuable lesson. When I asked the teacher about it, he said that all he saw were two students having a conversation and coming to a mutual agreement about proper decorum.
We might be jumpy but like Talon says we have some good reasons. People will make arguments that start out sounding reasonable, and then demand more government intrusion.
Like Talon, I really wouldn’t plan to homeschool if I thought it was just as good an option as public school for my kids. I think it’s far and away the best option and I think there are a number of people who sell themselves short by saying “I couldn’t do it”. And I hope my kids won’t try pulling an “I won’t learn from Mom, she’s stupid” trick because I’m smarter than that, but mostly because I think if it’s all they know, they won’t pick up that habit. But that doesn’t mean those aren’t reasons others can use to make their choices, and those choices be different.
Be careful about assigning 'kettle' status to others, lest you be 'pot.'
Does your gummint skewel system:
1. Have Planned Barrenhood connections, speakers, course materials?
2. Teach that homosexuality is just a choice and a perfectly OK choice at that?
3. Teach that abortion is no big deal?
4. Use history, social studies, and other texts that favor leftist ideology and activism?
5. Require its "certified" teachers to have more academic hours in "education" than in the substance that they purport to teach?
6. Keep the great Darwinian ancestral ape out of the curriculum to avoid sticking the sckewel's nose into the religion of the kids? Or, at least, recognize that a gummint skewel by definition is utterly incompetent on such questions and cannot satisfy anyone by fudging such subjects?
7. Design your child's education according to your preferences as a parent or according to the usual agenda of the usual gang of liberal idiots running virtually every gummint skewel system in the US?
8. Tie up endless hours in bureaucratic red tape, "hearings," debates, and assorted phony hoopla to argue everything from curriculum to decorum to discipline to rules to educational abuses as though the resulting leftist decisions were not a foregone conclusion in the first place.
9. Why should I waste my time with such bureaucrats when it takes less time to home school my kids than it would take for me to try in vain to defend everyone else's children including those of parents who do not know any better?
"Public schools" are an expensive menace to the future of their charges and of freedom and of our nation.
I suspect that the Nancy Drew movie doesn't contain enough filth to entertain a public-schooled 12 year old. (But I also doubt that was what Wilonsky was getting at.)
...since your kids don't attend EVERY public school, how would you or anyone else know this to be true?
Your post was insulting to ALL parents, myself included, who have chosen to not homeschool.
I find the “socialization” rationale to be as much horsecrap as anyone else, and I am just as tired as you are of being demonized because my child attends public school.
My choices may be different than yours, but that doesn’t make them wrong.........and I’ll repeat your last line as well...
yours and the horse you rode in on...
Wilonsky implied by his comment that this movie would be too ‘simple’ for public-schooled students (as in they couldn’t relate to it since there was no drinking, drugs or sex at her birthday party apparently, and Nancy is portrayed as too ‘innocent’ by today’s standards — according to Mr. Wilonsky). Roeper pointed out that the character of Nancy Drew in the movie was kind of a 1950s-style wholesome girl.
Again, when Roeper stated that he thought 12-year-old girls would love this movie, Wilonsky replied with a scoff “Maybe Homeschooled 12-year-olds”. (Roeper gave it a thumbs-up and Wilonsky gave it a thumbs down...).
And yes, most homeschoolers do so because of the environment in public schools that they do not wish their children to be exposed to, but there are many reasons for homeschooling. What was offensive to me was Wilonsky’s attitude and condescending tone of voice.
There was absolutely no reason for him to bring up homeschooling, and doing so unfairly (IMO) paints homeschoolers as overly sheltered, immature children. As others have pointed out it’s a backhanded compliment of sorts, but the tone of voice Wilonsky employed in his commentary made it clear that he meant his comment as an insult.
No
2. Teach that homosexuality is just a choice and a perfectly OK choice at that?
No
3. Teach that abortion is no big deal?
No
4. Use history, social studies, and other texts that favor leftist ideology and activism?
Not the ones I've previewed, but I haven't previewed all of them. I did ask to sit in on the parent conference that reviewed AP lit books and strongly objected to one that another person liked because of the selection of authors. The one that I made a strong case for was the one chosen
5. Require its "certified" teachers to have more academic hours in "education" than in the substance that they purport to teach?
In Virginia, teachers of middle school and high school must have degrees in their subject field and then the 18 hours of education classes. I'm not familiar with el ed
6. Keep the great Darwinian ancestral ape out of the curriculum to avoid sticking the sckewel's nose into the religion of the kids? Or, at least, recognize that a gummint skewel by definition is utterly incompetent on such questions and cannot satisfy anyone by fudging such subjects?
Not sure what you are trying to say here, so I'll move on
7. Design your child's education according to your preferences as a parent or according to the usual agenda of the usual gang of liberal idiots running virtually every gummint skewel system in the US?
I've chosen both of my daughter's curriculum since 6th grade, in addition to interviewing teachers in elementary ed and specifically requesting those I felt were best suited for my child. I've never had a request denied
8. Tie up endless hours in bureaucratic red tape, "hearings," debates, and assorted phony hoopla to argue everything from curriculum to decorum to discipline to rules to educational abuses as though the resulting leftist decisions were not a foregone conclusion in the first place.
I've attended multiple school board meetings and while there is quite a bit of time wasted with the need to have multiple bids on every little thing, that is not the school's doing, but the state of Virginia's requirement. In fact 3 major universities, UVA, VT and WM are discussing dropping all requests for state monies in exchange for being released from this type of red tape. Time will tell if they actually go through with their threat.
9. Why should I waste my time with such bureaucrats when it takes less time to home school my kids than it would take for me to try in vain to defend everyone else's children including those of parents who do not know any better?
Why should you waste your time? You shouldn't. It IS a waste of time for you. It is not for me. I will continue to serve on parent committees long after my kids are out of the system because I want the system to continue to produce educated adults that can run the local economy and provide a tax base for the future. Let the world go to hell in a handbasket, I'm sure it won't affect you and yours in the least.
Thank you and congratulations on your #211.
If it was a public high school, every penny of every program was stealing if those who paid the property taxes did not wiush to do so. Being forced to pay at the point of gummint’s gun or a tax foreclosure is not very voluntary as contributions go. We should each pay for our own kids and, if we wish, contribute voluntarily beyond that. Your desire to wrestle was not my obligation to pay for you to wrestle, pay your coach a salary, pay the drivers of the buses, pay for the gasoline, etc. Not even if you are a very fine fellow which you apparently are.
I agree you have reason to be jumpy, but don’t you at least see a little bit why I am also jumpy?
I’m not selling myself short when it comes to my “I can’t do it” position on homeschooling, I know for a fact that I couldn’t. And that, in my opinion, is making the proper decision in the best interest of my child. You may not agree with my choice, which is your perogative, however just because we disagree on my choice does not make my choice wrong.
My children have endured a LOT in their short lives, but I highly doubt you want to start comparing who’s had it worse, do you???
As far as being sensitive — yes, I am when it comes to how homeschooling is perceived in our society. As a homeschooler I would hope you would be as well. It was not just a condescending look as you imply. These stereotypes have to be fought against, not quietly “tolerated”. If people tolerated every sort of prejudicial and ignorant comment they had ever heard then the problems of racism, and bigotry would still be as prevalent as they were 50 years ago...
I choose to speak up when I hear ignorant things — it’s obviously your choice if you wish to pretend it’s not there...
Thanks for the insight on Wilonsky, your explanation makes a lot of sense based on his comments.
Liberals add enough faux-”I’m offended” and other forms of whining to the world. We don’t need to add our own.
Gabz, I do not post lies and am not a liar. Do you seriously think that bullying doesn’t happen in every school, public or private? Bullying isn’t just “beatings in the bathroon”, as I’m sure you know. Peer pressure, the “alpha female”, teasing, name-calling, etc. are all forms of bullying. Enough of this happens outside the classroom that very often the teachers don’t even know about it. There’s a reason that some communities have had to pass anti-bully laws and sexual harassment laws for our schools!!
The left-wing stuff has been in curriculum for decades, and yes, I know that’s a fact because I’ve served on curriculum committees and had to read through numerous textbooks. Heck, I remember hearing it from certain teachers when *I* was in high school. There’s a reason that so many organizations on the far-left seek to get their viewpoints into our schools, and they very often succeed.
Having said that, I’m glad you found good public schools for your children. There are good teachers and good schools out there, and I think it’s up to parents like you to hold your schools accountable. It sounds like that’s what you’re doing.
I’m glad I continued reading before responding to BlackElk’s post.
I dealt with school boards long before I even had a child, let alone one old enough to attend school because I felt it was neccessary to the community.
Not long ago our daughter came home from school and informed us that her science project for the fair next year was going to show that man-made global warming is just hysteria and that climate changes are cyclical. When I asked her how she was going to show that she said “that’s where I need you and daddy to help.”
So much for leftist indocrination in public schools.......she finished 3rd grade last Friday.
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