Home-schooling standoff (MA Liberals try to get state custody for 'abused' home-schooled kids)

Metrowest Daily ^ | 6/13/03 | Beecher

[Lady Eileen]

Thanks for sending the e-mail.

[nickcarraway]

ping

[chuckles]

I homeschooled my daughter for 11 years and she is now in college. Her tests were relevent to what she had just been taught. The State trying to test them for what the others their age had been taught is folly. My daughter hardly ever was taught the same course at the same time as others her age. That's why we homeschooled(among other reasons.) One year she was absorbed in the study of sharks. She read books from the library, went to web sites, and then we vacationed at Sea World. We made a test for her to see iff she was retaining anything. 50 questions, made 100. Testing her on her everyday ciriculum, produced lower results. She usually made just enough to pass. When dinosaurs were her fancy, you drop what you are doing and do dinosaurs. You get 100% retention. Same for when she was learning the states and their capitols. Another was airplanes and flying, building things and finding out how things worked, hunting, etc. All these phases came and went, so you use that time to study as long as she wants on each subject that she is interested in at that time. We didn't have quiting times, worked some weekends, and sometimes all summer. She graduated a year early. We actually slowed her down so she wouldn't be in college with people to old for her. When Texas history came around, she read the textbook, went to the library for biography's, and finally we went to the Alamo in SA, and then on to San Jacinto in Pasadena. She listened to the guides and the films intently. She passed with a mid 90% grade on a 100 question test with essay's. She left out a coulple of facts I wanted her to retain I felt were important enough. She learned these facts 2 years before public school had Texas history. She saw the battlefields, the tactics they used, and saw the implements of war actually used in the battles. What if she was given a typing test by DSS? What about home ecc or algebra? She hadn't had those classes by then. What if she took their test and failed? Some have said she would be taken from me. I ask, Do all failures of the test result in loosing the kid? I bet not. Equal treatment under the law, which Homeschoolers are taught, says all failures of the same test should be in foster care. I bet the Dss would have more standoffs than they wanted. If they can do it to one, we are all in danger.

Come to Texas and escape the tyrany. Our ciriculum must teach reading, writing, arithmatic, and good citizenship. They don't care what you use for a ciriculum. The Leeper vs. Texas case was our test case and when it was decided, we were left alone, forever.

God put a hedge around this family, and all the rest that risk so much to do what is right, in Jesus Name, AMEN.

[Lady Eileen]

Your story is very encouraging to me and gives me hope. May God continue to bless your family.

Nearly 150 years ago R.L. Dabney noted: The education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the business for which the earth exist. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money-making,ought to be subordinated; and every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that, next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God---this is his task on earth.

[Lady Eileen]

As soon as the parent cedes to the state the right to test the child, the parent cedes over authority to the state.

Exactly the point.

The government does NOT own my children.

I nominate this the quote of the day.

[SamAdams76]

Considering all the civil replies to me on this thread, yours stands out as being rude and disgusting. I'll let it stand so that others can see you for the kind of person you are.

As for the others, thank you. You have won me over to your side and that is what this forum is all about.

[SendShaqtoIraq]

"when 11, he was under such stress (an A & B student) to PREPARE for the state testing, he became severely depressed and was suicidal"

My daughter was so stressed after taking the ISTEP(Indiana) that she had a 5 month long period. Gynecologist could find nothing wrong. Did not stop even with radical medication and birth control pills. Stopped after she got results of ISTEP and passed.
Tell me again why passing this test should be mandatory to getting a high school diploma. This requirement is doing nothing but producing more dropouts(kids think they have no chance of passing) and severe physical and emotional problems due to stress.

[whipitgood]

Hey cowboy,
Where did you find that C. S. Lewis quote?

[Law]

I must say that I see nothing wrong with periodic testing (similar to what children in school receive) to ensure that the children are actually being taught something....I think it's a good measuring stick with which to compare against children who attend public school. In fact, I would venture to say that the average home-schooled child would perform better on average than the public-schooled pupil.

That being the case, I am certainly against the gestapo tactics being used here by the DSS.

The Left pretends the controversy is a matter of testing v. no testing, with those favoring testing on the side of the angels. But of course that's not so. The issue is who -- parents or busybody social workers -- gets to pick which test and when.

That's important, because the _ultimate_ underlying issue is which government -- family or state -- has final authority over children.

Trying to split the difference on the issue is like saying: "The state may have its taxes as long as there are no audits." In the real world, of course, you don't get one without the other.

[Law]

Social workers need to be made accountable for their actions. At present, social workers engaged in child "welfare" (should be called "warfare") enjoy at least some degree of prosecutorial- like immunity for their actions.

The first cause of bureaucratic abuse is sin. But sovereign immunity is a close second. Every organization has petty tyrants in its ranks. But only the state gives them near blanket protection.

There will be no peace until the law stops shielding injustice merely because it is perpetuated by an agent of the state. Until then, outrages like this one will continue to be just the tip of the iceberg.

[fenway]

The police were present to prevent the children from entering a 'spelling bee'......fenway

[Law]

Sam, she deserves to be sued... The law , however, gives her immunity from all that, so she is not accountable to anyone. Hence, her taunt. Part of the fix for these socialist thugs is to repeal their immune status. The other part is to take the funding away from CPS.

Both parts of the fix would be major battles. So prudence suggests focusing on the one that is more important. Lifting sovereign immunity is more important because it could benefit those abused by nearly all bureaucratic thugs, not just social workers.

[Law]

All this over a test?

No. All this over power -- who has it, the family, and who wants it, the state.

[happygrl]

You have provided information that I have never seen before. It is stunning to see the evil visited upon these mothers and their children.

Thank you. I have to rearrange my world view in some areas.

[Law]

The entire system needs to be figuratively nuked and built from scratch.

This is one of those times when a few more good lawyers come in handy.

[Chi Chi Tokyo]

Here is a link to a blurb about the poll on worldnetdaily about homeschooler testing.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/929002/posts

Here is the direct link to the poll. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/polls/

[Atlas Sneezed]

Me: EXACTLY! How does one asses progress WITHOUT OBJECTIVE TESTING?

I'll take progress without testing over testing without progress (government union schools mode) any day.

[eno_]

Question of the day: Should jackboot licking posters be "excemt" from havine their own education called into question?

[eno_]

The petty tyrant here, one Susan Etscovitz, is easy to find. One visit to anywho.com will do it.

[Gal.5:1]

As far as our liberties as parents to bring up our own children according to our own good conscience, this sure isn't our grandmothers' America.