[agenda_express]

"Government for the people and by the people" HUH???

[TheWillardHotel]

bump!

[Search4Truth]

Freeped.

[Mr. Bird]

I agree that this is about as outrageous as it gets. But now it appears that standing for principle is actually harming the kids. If they just take the stupid test, is the issue resolved? Because if it is, I'd strongly urge the parents to acquiesce on that point, and then take action.

[agrace]

bump

[hauerf]

"The woman who answered the phone hung up on me when she found out what I was calling about."

Consistent with your results, the young Nazette who answered my call to the Waltham Public Schools was not interested in talking. On the other hand, she DID want me to take the number of DSS. My sense is that this already may have become a bit of a hot potato that needs to be passed along very quickly. Good. I hope many others will be calling today.

[Lady Eileen]

bttt

[ChefKeith]

Well it seems the nazi witch is "not available at this time, what is this concerning?" as soon as I started telling them they hung up on Me.

Now for the next call...

I will update shortly

[headsonpikes]

This is really great! The Bryant's win anyway!

Those two Bryant kids will see, up close, the mindless 'process' of a nascent totalitarian state.

It's the best education they could possibly get in these times, when the forces of socialism overwhelm all American civil institutions.

Provided they aren't killed in custody.

[Revelation 911]

while Im all for the individual right - I have to ask what exempts these parents from what is presumably the law? - Ive no problem with homeschooling and consider public school a den of demons (I was abused in one)- but a standardized test is a condition of graduation - why the stiff neck? - Granted DSS and the administrators comments are infuriating - however, it doent excuse anyone from meeting the obligations set forth in the State Laws - If they dont like it - remove them from office, petition to change it or move. The first two would make a wonderful civics lesson

[moyden2000]

Liberals are evil.

[VRWC_minion]

Before I get sucked into one of these things again, I would like to hear "the rest of the story". We have had several reports like this where after getting the details showed the parents were not acting in their childrens best interests.

Is there evidence to believe that these children are not being given access to an education and the parents are ignoring that ? The problem being that the details of a case where minors are involved cannot be disclosed.

Do we trust the judge involved to be making reasonable descisons ? Is this really a parental rights issue or are the children at risk ?

Personally, I have seen too many times that we get suckered into something that isn't what is advertised. And if it is, the anger is being directed to the wrong place. It should be directed to the law makers and not those charged with carrying it out. Otherwise your just wasting your time and at the same time putting the kids thru crap just for an ego trip.

[Cinnamon Girl]

There's no way I'd let things go so far as to let the state take custody of my kids.

[jmc813]

I think it would really bug her if a lot of people called (781) 641-8500, so please, please don't rattle her cage, OK? That number not to call again to reach Susan Etscovitz is (781) 641-8500. That's (781) 641-8500. (You could also fax her at 781-648-6909.)

I like this guy's style.

[kjam22]

They should have taken the test. In my state (Oklahoma) all kids have to pass a standardized reading test to receive a drivers license. I fully support the parents right to homeschool their kids. It is commendable that they choose to invest that much time in their kids lives. So just demonstrate that they've done a good job and let the kids show their ability by being tested.

They dont' give GED's or entrance to colleges to people who don't pass tests, so it is inevitable that testing is going to come up.

[Bob Buchholz]

I have a very simple question. If a child that goes to public school takes the standardized test and fails it what do they do with the children?

[martianagent]

Does anybody on FR keep up with the state of standardized tests in America?

In particular, I've had a couple of experiences which lead me to think that the Educational Testing Service in Princeton NJ is basically a sort of a clown act.

There was a case of a totally ambiguious paragraph and five questions based on it in the general math section of the GRE. Of the math majors who took the exam, half guessed wrong on the interpretation of the paragraph and got all five questions wrong.

And there was a foreign language proficiency test in which the ETS bozos showed up with a tape recorder from the 1950s when tape recorders were first invented. I couldn't understand the inteructions in English, and hence didn't even bother to see if I'd understand the main part of the test which wasn't in English. I told the ETS dufes what I thought of them and walked out.

Has anybody else had experiences like this?

[grania]

I ty;ed this in on another thread. I'm pretty sure that any parent who home-schools has to have a program that is approved of by the local school committee. As part of that approval, the school committee can set up a testing schedule to make sure the material is being mastered. Parents sign on to the plan. Students also can do school activities and even classes that cannot be administered at home. State law even provides for Juniors and Seniors with good grades to take courses at state colleges.

Private schools do not have the same testing requirements. If the parents set up an arrangement with a private school, or a really smart lawyer got some of these parents together and set of a "private school", that would be the way to do it.

This sounds bizarre. However, every community is different, with different standards. The parents could do the most overall good getting some community members behind them and wreaking some havoc at school committee meetings. Most Massachusetts towns have plenty of people with a bent toward freedom and would be more effective than we could be at dealing with the local school structure.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Already posted here.

[kjam22]

What gets me is that many at this site are willing to call and complain to the school district. But they have no idea if these parents are teaching their kids anything or not. No idea if the parents have a cirriculum or a plan for teaching the kids. No idea if the kids can read or write. No information except an obviously one sided article. But we're ready to just assume that since these parents are "homeschoolers"... then they are bound to be saints fighting big bad brother and accept the article at face value?

Now that is naive.

[joesnuffy]

would Pres Bush approve of this...?