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Home Schools Run By Well-Meaning Amateurs
NEA ^ | By Dave Arnold

Posted on 11/27/2006 7:04:44 AM PST by meandog

Schools With Good Teachers Are Best-Suited to Shape Young Minds

There's nothing like having the right person with the right experience, skills and tools to accomplish a specific task. Certain jobs are best left to the pros, such as, formal education.

There are few homeowners who can tackle every aspect of home repair. A few of us might know carpentry, plumbing and, let’s say, cementing. Others may know about electrical work, tiling and roofing. But hardly anyone can do it all.

Same goes for cars. Not many people have the skills and knowledge to perform all repairs on the family car. Even if they do, they probably don’t own the proper tools. Heck, some people have their hands full just knowing how to drive.

So, why would some parents assume they know enough about every academic subject to home-school their children? You would think that they might leave this -- the shaping of their children’s minds, careers, and futures -- to trained professionals. That is, to those who have worked steadily at their profession for 10, 20, 30 years! Teachers!

Experienced Pros

There’s nothing like having the right person with the right experience, skills and tools to accomplish a specific task. Whether it is window-washing, bricklaying or designing a space station. Certain jobs are best left to the pros. Formal education is one of those jobs.

Of course there are circumstances that might make it necessary for parents to teach their children at home. For example, if the child is severely handicapped and cannot be transported safely to a school, or is bedridden with a serious disease, or lives in such a remote area that attending a public school is near impossible.

Well-Meaning Amateurs

The number of parents who could easily send their children to public school but opt for home-schooling instead is on the increase. Several organizations have popped up on the Web to serve these wannabe teachers. These organizations are even running ads on prime time television. After viewing one advertisement, I searched a home school Web site. This site contains some statements that REALLY irritate me!

“It’s not as difficult as it looks.”

The “it” is meant to be “teaching.” Let’s face it, teaching children is difficult even for experienced professionals. Wannabes have no idea.

“What about socialization? Forget about it!”

Forget about interacting with others? Are they nuts? Socialization is an important component of getting along in life. You cannot teach it. Children should have the opportunity to interact with others their own age. Without allowing their children to mingle, trade ideas and thoughts with others, these parents are creating social misfits.

If this Web site encouraged home-schooled children to join after-school clubs at the local school, or participate in sports or other community activities, then I might feel different. Maine state laws, for example, require local school districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in their athletic programs. For this Web site to declare, “forget about it,” is bad advice.

When I worked for Wal-Mart more than 20 years ago, Sam Walton once told me: “I can teach Wal-Mart associates how to use a computer, calculator, and how to operate like retailers. But I can’t teach them how to be a teammate when they have never been part of any team.”

“Visit our online bookstore.”

Buying a history, science or math book does not mean an adult can automatically instruct others about the book’s content.

Gullible Parents

Another Web site asks for donations and posts newspaper articles pertaining to problems occurring in public schools.

It’s obvious to me that these organizations are in it for the money. They are involved in the education of children mostly in the hope of profiting at the hands of well-meaning but gullible parents.

This includes parents who home-school their children for reasons that may be linked to religious convictions. One Web site that I visited stated that the best way to combat our nation’s “ungodly” public schools was to remove students from them and teach them at home or at a Christian school.

I’m certainly not opposed to religious schools, or to anyone standing up for what they believe in. I admire anyone who has the strength to stand up against the majority. But in this case, pulling children out of a school is not the best way to fight the laws that govern our education system. No battle has ever been won by retreating!

No Training

Don’t most parents have a tough enough job teaching their children social, disciplinary and behavioral skills? They would be wise to help their children and themselves by leaving the responsibility of teaching math, science, art, writing, history, geography and other subjects to those who are knowledgeable, trained and motivated to do the best job possible.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.)


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: allyourkids; arebelongtonea; barfarama; barfariver; condescending; cowcollegedummies; custodian; duhlookatthesource; elitists; homeschooling; libindoctrination; neapropaganda; propagandpaidforbyu; publicschool; weownyou
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To: meandog; Texas_shutterbug
The difference betweena 17-year-old high school student and an 18-year-old college freshman is often that the former is still living under mommy's and daddy's roof and the latter often is not. That difference is called easier impositon of accountability. The similarity is that each student is being entrusted to liberal idiots posing as teachers who relentlessly work to undermine religious and parental values to recruit the students to liberal voting (which many and probably most overcome when married and after the first baby arrives).

I would bet that narcotics and STDs are AT LEAST as available at the average urban blackboard jungle high skewel (reference to behavior and not race) as at Humongous State University or at St. Whoever College or at Designer Junior League College.

381 posted on 11/27/2006 1:36:34 PM PST by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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To: meandog; Dutchgirl; secret garden; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA
Har, har.

I notice this custodian does not realize that "most" (caring, loving) adults CAN learn enough to teach third-graders the subjects appropriate to third graders.

Such dear, dear condensing tolerance from the educated masses.


Gee. I'm impressed. Not.
382 posted on 11/27/2006 1:36:35 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: wbill

Come to most school districts on the East Coast metropolitan areas. A 20 year teacher with a masters in education makes upwards of $97K per year, plus benefits. We have 14 teachers in my district alone who make over $107K not including benefits.

Kids in my school district cost taxpayers $16K per year.

Believe me, teachers are not overworked or underpaid anywhere around here.


383 posted on 11/27/2006 1:36:48 PM PST by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
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To: meandog

100 miles.


384 posted on 11/27/2006 1:38:00 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: newguy357

No, he's a typical Dem. He accuses his opposition of being what he is. We all know the NEA will turn our little darlings into socialists by the time they are 18.


385 posted on 11/27/2006 1:38:15 PM PST by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
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To: shag377
I won't abuse you and I respect your point of view, but here's the thing about the person making the argument for your side:
"Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.)"
The guy is the frickin' janitor of the school! Oh... beg pardon - the HEAD frickin' janitor of the school! LOL! This is who is telling us who is best suited to educate America's youth?! Oh yeah, so they can grow up to have a wonderful career like Dave here, in the area of custodial management.
386 posted on 11/27/2006 1:38:24 PM PST by go-dubya-04
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To: meandog

Teaching is easy compared to parenting. Parenting ought to be left soley to experienced professionals.


387 posted on 11/27/2006 1:39:40 PM PST by Raycpa
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To: Aggie Mama; meandog
It's ALL about the money: schools get paid based on average daily attendance. Nothing else.

Results don't matter.

ONLY attendance counts. Every homeschooler is lost money to a principle.

And principles don't count when you head a (public) school.
Only headcounts count when principals count heads. And not getting complaints from the school board/parents.
388 posted on 11/27/2006 1:40:57 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Muzzle_em

Actually my junior high school history teacher was exellent--and a football coach to boot. He first established absolute discipline in the class, even kicking his own players out of his class permanently. After two weeks of terror, he lightened up and we had a great time and learned a tremendous amount. But we always knew exactly what he was capable of if we pushed the envelope. Best class I ever had.

He taught only a couple of years in my high school in Idaho and then disappeared. Twenty years later I ran into him when I attended church with some in-laws in California. It was great to see him and relive old times. I never had the nerve to ask him if California schools were as accommodating to his brand of discipline as was my school. I kind of doubt it though.


389 posted on 11/27/2006 1:43:25 PM PST by caseinpoint (Don't get thickly involved in thin things.)
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To: meandog; Oberon

Meandog: Would your support of "merit pay" include sharply cutting the paychecks of tenured but non-performing teachers???? Or is it simply another one-way wage escalator on top of degrees, years of service, step increases, etc.?


390 posted on 11/27/2006 1:49:29 PM PST by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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To: meandog

I read this article carefully. There was no mention of homeschooling, and the only example of bad teaching practice took place in a conventional classroom. Thank you for sharing this.


391 posted on 11/27/2006 1:55:42 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sorry: Tag-line presently at the dry cleaners. Please find a suitable bumper-sticker instead.)
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Comment #392 Removed by Moderator

To: meandog; Oberon
Meandog: I missed the part about my alleged obligation to finance the corruption and ignorance of other people's children.

On what basis do I have such an obligation????

Only because the gummint puts a gun to my head and threatens ownership of real estate do you get one red stolen cent as a public skewel teacher. Not one cent now or ever is yours from me voluntarily.

393 posted on 11/27/2006 2:03:05 PM PST by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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Comment #394 Removed by Moderator

To: .cnI redruM; TontoKowalski

Public skewel socialization takes place each time some punk drags your kid into the john and beats the snot out of him/her for his/her lunch money. Tonto Kowalski has posted that it is not necessary to send your kids to gummint skewels for such "socialization." Parents who can teach geometry and trig can easily "socialize" their own kids at home when necessary. /Sarcasm off.


395 posted on 11/27/2006 2:08:34 PM PST by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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To: BlackElk
You'll have better luck speaking Latin to my dead dog.

Every blessed thing you say is true but you two inhabit two totally different intellectual universes.

That is one reason that back in the day we Catholics could only marry other Catholics

396 posted on 11/27/2006 2:18:02 PM PST by bornacatholic
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To: AnAmericanMother
As for this fellow's arguments, they are straw men (take the socialization riff for example. I have never heard a homeschooler argue "forget it!" Scouts, church, and athletic activities provide ample opportunities for socialization.)

*So, Father, Mother, and children are not "socialising" according to this broom-pusher.

397 posted on 11/27/2006 2:24:53 PM PST by bornacatholic
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To: meandog
Schools With Good Teachers Are Best-Suited to Shape Young Minds

*Yep. The Parents ate the most qualified to teach their own children in their own home.

398 posted on 11/27/2006 2:25:52 PM PST by bornacatholic
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To: meandog
Experienced Pros

There’s nothing like having the right person with the right experience, skills and tools to accomplish a specific task.

*Yep. That is why using Prostitutes is the best way to learn about love

399 posted on 11/27/2006 2:26:59 PM PST by bornacatholic
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To: meandog
Forget about interacting with others? Are they nuts? Socialization is an important component of getting along in life. You cannot teach it.

*Father, Mother, and children do not socialise? This broom-pusher has fallen in a pail of spic and span. Detoxify him

400 posted on 11/27/2006 2:28:35 PM PST by bornacatholic
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