Posted on 03/08/2011 5:46:08 PM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner
Justin Merrill had wanted to join the military for as long as he could remember.
"Everyone on my mom's side of the family was a Marine, and everyone on my dad's side was in the Army," explained Merrill, 18, of Danville, Montour County, in central Pennsylvania. "I wanted to do something to help my country."
But Merrill's plan was jeopardized last year, when he learned that the Army did not approve of the high school diploma he was on track to earn from Agora Cyber Charter School.
"When I told my recruiter, the first words out of his mouth were, 'I'm not sure you can join the military because you're not going to a brick-and-mortar school,'" Merrill recalled.
As enrollment in Pennsylvania's 11 cyber charter schools swelled to about 25,000 students statewide last year, Merrill and others who hope to enlist in the military after graduation are finding their plans derailed by an obscure Department of Defense policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at yorkdispatch.com ...
“The main problem I see is that in many of the cyber-schools, such as www.academicearth.org , you can simply view the videos without taking tests,”
Yeah cause we know there’s no cheating in public schools, or universities for that matter. right?
I didn’t know that. I had assumed that there would be tests and reading assignments, etc. In fact, I have been toying with the idea of working for a degree online myself. I’d like to get a BA in Political Science and a Master’s in International Relations, just to have them on my resume, but it’s not critical.
There are very respectable home education programs which are acceptable. Penn Foster is one, and my daughter graduated from there. The issue is similar to many of the “universities” which are on line; they don’t provide a comprehensive education. The military is warning about getting one of those college degrees to advance.
Aren’t you able to send your children to the local high school FOR LABS ONLY? I don’t know if that’s an option, but I would sure find out about it. I’m all for homeschooling your children, but don’t forget that you are a tax payer and you have rights. I’ve been lucky, we live in an area where it is possible to send your children to reasonably-priced private schools. But when my son started running, and his small school did not have a track on which to practice, I got permission to use the public school track. We had to work around their schedule, but I figured that my taxes had helped pay for the track so my son was not going to hurt for the lack of one!
I’m in the same boat. Can’t join up, and it wouldn’t be a good idea either.
Just got to make do the best way you can.
For enlistment at 18, I’d think the military would take anyone who did well on their basic qualifications tests. From all the news reports, quite a significant percentage of applicants from brick and mortar schools flunk the military’s qualification exams.
We homeschool and my oldest was accepted by all three universities he applied for.
I’m not too worried about it.
No, from what the local homeschooling group knew, only one kid went that route, and he was wanting to play college basketball.
I found trying to do a single class outside our home, and then doing school at home for the rest of her school work, took much time, like traveling to and fro. What I am going to do with her is have her do the book learning for science, but after this year, let her go to JrCollege for classes. She will get college credit and no more problems with the lab issue.
What I understand is that you have have an issue to advocate and like other advocacy groups you need to validate your feelings of insecurity by forcing your issue on a traditional institution like marriage or the military. These are fragile institutions that don’t need the additional overhead of social engineering. For your information I support home schooling. What I don’t get is how you piggy backed home schooling on a thread that is only marginally relevant to it?
My kids had homeschool labs and disected and drew all the creaturs from worm to fetal pig. My daughter was very comfortable slicing and dicing the cat in her college bio lab. Said that she was amazed how many people opted to watch the video simulation instead of doing the hands on.
And those would be essential training for a soldier HOW?
My grandson left public school in 10th grade. As a conservative young man with a solid grounding in our history - that he got here at home and by his independent interest and study, he was continually at loggerheads with his socialist teachers.
He continued his studies on a two prong attack. He enrolled in an on line, accredited high school and he haunted the local library so much that they gave him a loft room with a desk and a window for his private study room.
At 18, he moved to Texas and did a year of college and then joined the Army. He aced the tests and went in a notch above entry level.
He went on to be chosen for AIRBORNE training, he aced it, he went on to be assigned the 173rd AIRBORNE 2nd/503rd Battle co. He did 2 tours in the ‘ghan - the first one now forever in the history books (”RESTREPO” in the Korengal) and they just won - for that action - another Meritorious Unit Ribbon and up for yet another Presidental Unit Award - the highest. They are the most decorated Unit in the history of the Army,
Just GOOGLE Restrepo - you'll get hundreds of hits - worth watching...(and that's only ONE documentary on them and what they did - the elite of the 173rd)
But this recruiter would've likely turned my grandson - and most of the platoon - down. But THESE are men that do the heavy lifting to protect our butts.
Did you forget the 'sarq'?
Or are you serious.
If you are, what part of spending "6 hours a day in a classroom' require or assure 'social skills'?
See my post # 52, if you are serious, and buy a clue.
I honestly hope your post was tongue in cheek -
I commend you for not sending your children to private school like the teachers in Wisconsin. I really don’t have a problem with anything you do. And I hope you have a great day.
Nothing so sinister. The Army is a massive bureaucracy that is generally years behind the curve like any good bureaucracy.
I’m sorry if my little two sentence post set you off. It was not specifically targeted at offending you.I do stand by my opinion and I respect your right to yours. I tried to clarfy my position in post #53. that’s the best I can do for you.
Woopsy! I meant post #50.
Good for you! I didn’t say it was impossible to do it, just much harder. That’s why I suggested using the public school facilities. Somebody else suggested dual enrollment courses; I can’t believe I forgot about those when I actually taught dual enrollment for a year, but that is another excellent alternative.
I don't know, I'm just a biology instructor, not a recruiter! My comment referred exclusively to learning the chemistry or biology curriculum. What makes for a good soldier is "beyond my paygrade" LOL!
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