Government butts into homeschool

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Saturday, August 09, 2003 | Kyle Williams

[JohnHuang2]

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Quote of the Day by MEG33

[Joe Boucher]

Govt schools and their supporters are probably embarassed that so many home schoolers are doing so well at standardized tests compared to those kids that soo very much of our monies are being spent on at failing schools.
Also I sure do tire of my kid coming home and hearing the liberal crap they try to put into his head.
Liberal teachers with agendas weather that be the gay agenda, democrat agenda, more monies for poorly treated teachers that couldn't teach a dog to chase a ball agenda or whatever.
They don't like children being taken away because the schools lose money.
Too many little hitlers teaching and not enough real teachers.

[dawn53]

Setting such a precedent could in the future allow the state to forcefully set up standards upon homeschoolers who willingly participate in such programs and even those who do not.

Not a very informed author because in Florida there are already "standards" in place for homeschoolers.

Homeschooled students must register with the homeschool office of their school board (at least in our county) and take a yearly evaluation (there are a number of options that can be followed to get this evaluation.)

We're taking advantage of a "free" government program for our teenager. Free college tuition through the local college dual enrollment.

The reason Bill Bennett's program is being allowed in Florida, IMHO, is because of the "class size amendment" that was recently passed. There just aren't enough teachers, and this is a way to help get class sizes down.

If it is an attempt at control, then maybe that verse would apply, where Joseph tells his brothers, "what you meant for evil, God meant for good."

This could be a huge opportunity for folks that are low on cash and want to homeschool.

And as far as it being easy, and not having to sacrifice. What about teaching videos and CD's. With modern technology the homeschool Mom can now have someone else teach her kid Saxon Math with the help of the DIVE CD's.

[Glenn]

However, speaking from experience, I know that people do not homeschool for convenience.

This is not "homeschool". This is "Cyber School". Huge difference.

My wife works for one of the most successful programs in the country -- 2,000 students -- and many of them are former homeschoolers who shifted to the Cyber Charter School when it became available.

[ChefKeith]

What about K-9?!

Dogs have rights too ya know.

[.45MAN]

Your right! and again it's a government controlled system..
Family's that have been home schooling will know better, past history of home school graduates show that they know better.....

[aristeides]

Could adopting a program like this one be a way to cut California educational budgets?

[dawn53]

Obviously it's cheaper for the school district to set the child up at home.

I don't buy the idea that's it's not real homeschooling.

Number one, many home schoolers already use Bill Bennett's K12 program. No different that some online schools that use Switched On Schoolhouse and are teacher directed instead of parent directed.

My sister uses one of these teacher directed schools to homeschool her kids and she pays a couple thousand a year.

When we homeschooled, we used Abeka DVD's one year, and that was "cyber school".

I just see it as a way for a parent to pull their child out of the cesspools that are our public schools.

At least at home they aren't constantly confronted with "peer influence" and "teacher indoctrination".

Bill Bennett's program is a fine program. In fact, the liberals and NEA are so consumed with indoctrination in the public schools, I don't think they've even given a moment's thought to developing "homeschool curriculum", so I don't think their secular philosophies are going to creep into homeschool "cyber" curriculum anytime soon.

In Florida the voters passed that amendment that only allows 20 students per teacher (I think that's the number), and there just aren't enough teachers, schools, or money to implement the law.

If anybody's interested. Here's a link to Bennett's website advertising the curriculum that the State of Florida is going to use.

http://www.k12.com/homeschool/

[ibheath]

Homeschool ping

[TontoKowalski]

Generally, government doesn't outright intrude into the private lives of citizens. It takes small, innocent-looking steps. While William Bennett may have good intentions, he is watering down the real motive behind homeschooling and the real reason it's successful. Instead of fighting for deregulation in education, he is lobbying government to expand its authority by inviting it to have a greater role in homeschooling.

Regardless of what else is true in the article, this is misleading. I'm becoming more and more aware that the motivations behind homeschooling vary greatly from family to family. Some families choose to homeschool for reasons that have absolutely NOTHING to do with privacy or deregulation or the expansion of government.

We homeschoolers defy pigeon-holing. The only thing we have in common is that we're calling our own shots and accepting the responsibilty. I'm meeting new homeschoolers all the time. It's amazing how many are NOT religious or cultural conservatives.

I'm also amazed that I can lay aside political differences with a liberal homeschooler, and have meaningful discussions on curriculums, approaches, etc.

[TontoKowalski]

When we homeschooled, we used Abeka DVD's one year, and that was "cyber school".

We're trying that this year. We've done Day One as a "sample" before kicking into full gear later in August. We're hoping it will help us to stay more disciplined in completing all the lessons.

Junior loves history (especially Ancient World) and would become absorbed and spend nearly all day doing history, and blow off writing and science and math. Some parents like this child-directed style, but we need more structure.

We hope that this year, we can say, "I'm glad you're interested in the Nervous System, and we can look more at that later. But first, we need to finish up our daily DVD."

We'll see, I guess.

[tutstar]

I got info about this in the mail and in order to qualify you 'must have been enrolled in a public school the previous year' according to the brochure. But a K couldn't have been enrolled in a ps, so I wondered about that.

[2Jedismom]

Ping

[Marie Antoinette]

There is a difference between homeschooling and cyberschools in a legal sense. Homeschoolers are free and independant of the public education system. Cyberschools are not. Cyberschoolers are "publicly educated at home" meaning they are under the mandantory standards that public schools are under, where homeschoolers are not, depending on local and state laws, of course.

Some states do not require the same standard testing as public schools. This is a fine line, but for those that are interested in total disconnection from the government involvement in education, it's an important distinction.

Take government money, dance to the government's tune.

[dawn53]

I see your point, but in both states where we have homeschooled, Florida and North Carolina, we had to work up to a certain standard and have yearly testing. So for people already in that kind of system, I don't see a problem. And nobody is forcing it down these parents' throats. It's being offered as an alternative to regular school, and although not homeschooling in it's purist state, it is far better than sending your kid into one of those public institutions" where NEA indoctrination thrives.

[GB]

There is too much of a desire for pigeonholing and conformity in all movements of the right these days. FYI, my wife and I considered home schooling our children, but chose to send them to a private Christian school instead for a variety of reasons which I won't go into here. However, my two sisters-in-law home-schooled their children, and someone I work with now is homeschooling his children ... and none of them either did it or are doing it out of basic opposition to the concept of "government schools" (in fact, one of my sisters-in-law home-schooled her three boys through middle school age, and then at their request she allowed them to attend a public high school because they wanted to have that experience) or, when you get right down to it, moral or religious reasons.

[Marie Antoinette]

The NEA is supportive of these cyberschools. It is a way to get into homeschools. Bill Bennett may have a great little curriculum online, but once again the government money comes with strings attached.

From a purist's point of view it's not a good thing to invite government scrutiny to the dining room table. You're right, no one is forcing it on anyone. It's just free money, temptingly dangled out in front of people.

In your position, you are already comfortable with the government standards and testing so it won't be anything different. And you are correct when you say it's better to keep them home. Much better value system at home than in the public school system.

Just be aware that NEA indoctrination is likely still involved with the curriculum of a cyber school.

This was the subject of one of my papers in college.

[TontoKowalski]

We homeschool. We have "concerns" about the religious/moral stance of public education. We are "troubled" by the influence of teachers' unions, and our belief that they are a prime reason for the dumbing down of public education.

But the real REASON we homeschool isn't that. We just think we can do a better job of educating our son. Now all those factors may contribute to our decision, but they're not primary reasons.

[Marie Antoinette]

Gosh, I reread my posts and I sound paranoid. Geez.

All I am pointing out is the distinction between "public education at home" and homeschooling.

It's none of my business what people decide to do in their education choices. But for those that choose to tackle the education of their children free from government influence, this is an important consideration before grabbing the "free" stuff.

[Tired of Taxes]

Believe it or not, New Jersey (which has the reputation of a statist state) does not require ANYTHING from homeschoolers. We don't even have to notify the local school district, nor do we have to request permission or show that we're meeting "state standards" (we're exceeding them easily, anyway).

Most people are surprised to hear that nothing is required from HSers here.

I know that some NJ homeschoolers would like the state to be more involved, especially considering the outrageously high school taxes that we have to pay. But, the rest of us are holding out. We just look over at our neighbor, Pennsylvania, which, like Florida will be doing, already provides K12 and/or other homeschool curriculum at taxpayer expense. There, homeschoolers have been subjected to increasing legislation. Some PA "homeschoolers" are happy about the situation, but many others are not. In addition to the paperwork they are required to complete, I am told that they also must subject their children to evaluations by a "state-certified teacher".

You're not paranoid, Marie A. One foot in the door is all they need, and homeschooling will no longer be homeschooling. It will be gov't-controlled parenting via gov't-controlled home education. And I say that not as a religious homeschooler (we're secular).

I do understand why parents would like to receive SOMETHING in return for the taxes they're forced to pay into public school education. But, maybe we should work on getting them to give us tax credits, just as teachers do for purchasing materials, rather than inviting the state into our homes to oversee our children's learning and, in a sneaky way, our parenting.