Posted on 01/02/2003 11:03:09 AM PST by hsmomx3
H ome schoolers have long held the belief that if they received exemptions from the education laws being put in place at the state and federal level, they could safely teach their children at home without government interference. A good example of this is the exemption home schoolers achieved to HR 6 in 1994 and ESSHB 1209 bringing education reform to Washington State in 1993.
What home schoolers did not know, however, is that education reform was instituted to bring education into coalescence with systems governance, and under systems governance, all really does mean all ? no one can be exempted from inclusion in the system. That includes home schoolers.
Home schoolers believed the exemptions would protect them. A good example is the home schoolers in California. For years they have existed under the private schooling laws. Now, California is cracking down on home schoolers in order to bring them into the system. In other states that have home school laws, the matter of bringing home schoolers under the umbrella of systems education and government control will be as easy as requiring a certificate of mastery in order for the child to get a job, a drivers license, or go on to higher education. We are already seeing signs of that happening in Washington State. No doubt it is, or will, happen in other states with home school laws as well.
Home schoolers have not been exempted from the system, they have only been exempted from the laws putting the system in place.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Government Standards!
Tell me, Joe, does a public restroom meet Government Standards?
Read what I said. I have an appreciation for a religion which embraces questions, inquiries, etc. I'm not a "just pray and have faith but don't dare raise a question" type person when it comes to religion.
I think you missed where I came into all this. I never said I had an issue with most homeschoolers. Just the idiots.
The best teacher I have ever seen is a homeschooling mom with a GED who taught herself how to teach her own children. Her oldest is now in college and has a 3.3 GPA. Her next child is a HS senior and can do trig and calculus like it's no one's business. Her youngest two are as sharp as tacks and both want to become scientists.
It doesn't take an education degree to teach children successfully. You have to really care about your young charges. In that, parents have a huge edge over politicians and educrats.
I am surprised you haven't been strung up for not having what some think is the only proper religion for a FReeper.
I actually regularly donate to Jew For Judaism, a counter missionary group. I started last year when several synagogues in the L.A. area were littered with flyers from a Christian group. I am sure they would not appreciate someone doing that to their churches.
Can you imagine? If I didn't think it was rude, I'd be tempted to go to a church that does these sorts of things and return the favor.
efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.CJ, ALWAYS "the needs of the state". I would venture that public schools in both Penn., and Texas, as in Maryland have failed miserably in providing an "efficient system of public education" that serves to educate the young. Perhaps they need more money to better their abysmal failure. Serving the children hasn't been a goal of public education for awhile now. Only serving the educators and the "state".
Home schoolers with RARE exception serve their students needs to learn. And, the "unlettered" with rare exception are far superior to the many lettered when it comes to actually education their children rather than training the children to be "good citizens". As the article suggests, THAT strikes FEAR into the hearts and minds{?} of the elite. Peace and love, George.
Sorry--I headed off to fix some computer files yesterday and never made it back to the thread. Here in PA we have very strong HS'ing advocacy groups, but they are currently "split" into two camps. One "camp" wants the Home Ed. law rewritten to be less intrusive and to allow for more freedom and choice in what a family does each year as 'proof' of education -- the other "camp" feels that we must all continue to be held accountable to the School Districts (even if they are hostile), mainly because PA standards are well-known and it helps the children when they apply to college -- There is also a paid diploma program situation mixed up in this -- some families (like mine) who do not use the diploma program have had difficulty in securing student loans (only in PA) due to intensive lobbying by one of the directors of such a program...the loan group believes that a "recognized" diploma is required under PA law (it is not), so we attempted to have the wording of the current law changed to reflect the legitimacy of a parent-issued diploma. Unfortunately - the proposed law change was tabled in committee, due to a "surprise" last-minute attempt at adding even more regulations/accountability to the bill -- we're now taking a step back and seeing where we stand -- it was quite clear at the meetings that HS'ers in PA want less regulation (by at least an 8-1 margin) but there are strong ties between the state educational system and some HS'ing "leaders" and the more liberal Reps. just can't let go of the idea that the state must be responsible for the education of ALL children (even those who wish to be allowed to opt out of a failing public system) -- unfortunately we have lost one of our strongest advocates, a homeschooling State legislator who was instrumental in pushing for the changes was not re-elected
There is not much that anyone can do right now, things are at a standstill. The "certificate of mastery" is being sneaked into the PA educational system and not being publicized, since, where it has been brought out, parents have been hostile to the idea (understandably so--do you want YOUR kid to be in the majority of "losers") -- the PASS test has also been very controversial and parents do not like it AT ALL -- best thing to do is just stay informed and be ready to write to your Reps. if they try to shove this "new idea" at all of us (watch CA, PA and MA -- these states are at the forefront of educational 'reform')
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