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Home Schooling
Old 03-07-2008, 11:50 PM   #1
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Home Schooling

For those of us who still have a child at home: (one more reason I won't live in CA again)

Bill on home schooling rights urged - Los Angeles Times

(here in Texas - all you have to do is send your local school district a "Letter of Assurance" that your child is being educated at home. Per a Texas Supreme Court Decision, the school district or State has no authority to review your curriculum, attendance, records, whatever -after you do that. Amazingly, my daughter quit complaining about having to go to school when I gave her permission to drop out & self-school herself )
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Old 03-08-2008, 06:28 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by Texarkandy View Post
For those of us who still have a child at home: (one more reason I won't live in CA again)

Bill on home schooling rights urged - Los Angeles Times

(here in Texas - all you have to do is send your local school district a "Letter of Assurance" that your child is being educated at home. Per a Texas Supreme Court Decision, the school district or State has no authority to review your curriculum, attendance, records, whatever -after you do that. Amazingly, my daughter quit complaining about having to go to school when I gave her permission to drop out & self-school herself )
I saw that today, interesting. As much as I have a problem with homeschooling, hey if a parent wants to do it let them.
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Old 03-08-2008, 08:35 AM   #3
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Obviously, Governor Arnold does not know that two of the best known home schooling programs--one for elementary and the other high school--not only provide the workbooks, books but teachers who grade and make comments. Both schools are well over 100 years old and accredited in every single State in the Union. And considered excellent.
The high school course, also, has elective of standard or college prep courses.
I understand his reasoning, but he should give a pass to the home school courses that are guided by teachers like these two if there is proof the kids are attending. I think this is a case of too much State interference, but that is just me maybe.
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Old 03-08-2008, 02:40 PM   #4
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One of the big reasons for the home-schooler networks is to educate state legislators and to make sure that the states don't interfere with their educational choices. Having to deal with the bureaucracy (in addition to your kid's trauma or other problems) will discourage you about the intent of big government.

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Amazingly, my daughter quit complaining about having to go to school when I gave her permission to drop out & self-school herself )
Our kid would chew off her own arm to get out of "Dad's Homeschool"...
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Old 03-08-2008, 02:50 PM   #5
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How do home schooled kids test on all the standardized tests and SATs etc? There must be some studies somewhere?
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Old 03-08-2008, 04:14 PM   #6
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How do home schooled kids test on all the standardized tests and SATs etc? There must be some studies somewhere?

Different sources - collected by a source that advocates freedom to homeschool
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp
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Having to deal with the bureaucracy (in addition to your kid's trauma or other problems) will discourage you about the intent of big government.

I wonder if people who have never considered homeschooling understand the intrusiveness of the bureaucracy. Imagine being presumed negligent until you either prove otherwise or place your children in the custody of state officials for the better part of the day. Imagine if your fellow citizens and state legislature cared for retirees under age 65 they way they care for parents and children…

LEGAL NOTICE TO: Mr. Average Joe
FROM: UtopiaCounty Board of Labor and Lifestyle
Mr. Joe,
Records indicate you are under age 65, not employed, and not enrolled in a government licensed lifestyle program. You are hereby ordered to begin attending the District 5 Adult Lifestyle Center from 8AM until 4PM, Monday through Friday. You will be placed in a group of other adults your age who are, like you, not otherwise engaged in government approved activity. Your group monitor will direct you in activities to ensure that your lifestyle is productive and fulfilling. You will also remain properly socialized by spending the better part of each day interacting with a group of other adults selected based on the criteria that they are just your age, live in your district, and aren’t doing anything else. Have fun Mr. Joe, these people are your new peer group and your government monitor knows what’s best for you.

If you are already living a productive and fulfilling life on your own and wish to continue doing so, you must have a government licensed labor and lifestyle monitor to supervise your program and report your activities and progress to the Board of Labor and Lifestyle.

If you do not have a government licensed labor and lifestyle monitor you may, except in the state of California apparently, opt for a home-lifestyle program. However each year you must register your program with the Board of Labor and Lifestyle and you must keep records or your activities in a portfolio subject to inspection by the Board of Labor and Lifestyle at the board’s request. Additionally you must submit to biannual evaluations to ensure that you are living in a productive and fulfilling manner. If you fail these evaluations, you must enroll in your local AdultLifestyleCenter.

Oh and one more thing – you know that neighbor you complained to for throwing his garbage in your back yard? And that relative that has a grudge against you? If you opt for the home-lifestyle program, you’d best not cross them, because they know your situation and they know one phone call to the authorities will have social workers and law enforcement visiting to make your life difficult - and it’ll be trouble for you regardless of your being in compliance with the law and conscientiously following the program that you registered to live a life that is productive and fulfilling.

Sincerely Concerned For Your Well Being,
Signed,
Elite Joe, Government Official That Cares for You

BTW: HSLDA is working to address the situation in California
https://www2.hslda.org/Registrations/DepublishingCaliforniaCourtDecision/
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Old 03-08-2008, 04:51 PM   #7
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We all hear about the home schooled who do so well on spelling bees and standardized tests (more power to them). But will we hear about those who were barely schooled? Will there need to be some taxpayer funded program to take care of them?
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Old 03-08-2008, 05:01 PM   #8
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We all hear about the home schooled who do so well on spelling bees and standardized tests (more power to them). But will we hear about those who were barely schooled? Will there need to be some taxpayer funded program to take care of them?
"For instance, 692 homeschooled 4th graders averaged in the 77th percentile in reading, the 63rd percentile in math, and the 70th percentile in language arts. Sixth-grade homeschoolers, of 505 tested, scored in the 76th percentile in reading, the 65th percentile in math, and the 72nd percentile in language arts."

Those percentiles aren't all that impressive when you consider the average (that is, including poorly performing inner city schools). The math percentile seems low, actually, considering the pace of math teaching in public schools.

Like any school out there, the educated parents will teach well and the less educated parents will teach poorly.

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Old 03-08-2008, 05:37 PM   #9
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So the politicians want the home-schooled kids to be more like the kids coming out of public schools? Is that really such a good idea?
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Old 03-08-2008, 05:44 PM   #10
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We all hear about the home schooled who do so well on spelling bees and standardized tests (more power to them). But will we hear about those who were barely schooled? Will there need to be some taxpayer funded program to take care of them?
No; those programs are all full of those who have been public-schooled.

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Old 03-08-2008, 09:28 PM   #11
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We all hear about the home schooled who do so well on spelling bees and standardized tests (more power to them). But will we hear about those who were barely schooled? Will there need to be some taxpayer funded program to take care of them?
As our kid approached school age I was pretty concerned that either (1) she'd rebel against the routine of kindergarten or (2) the teachers would give up before she'd had enough. (Neither calamity came to pass.) I spent a lot of time in the late 1990s on homeschool websites & discussion boards, and there's a whole subculture out there that's taking care of their children without burdening the taxpayers. In many cases they and their kids are doing a better job than the schools. In the case of the parents, for every fundamentalist right-wing religious reclusive nutcase that turns into fodder for a TV drama, there's at least one public-school parent just like them who also neglects or overcontrols their kids, feeling that an education is something the school system is supposed to do for them.

So lemme tell ya a few stories.

One homeschooled girl of our acquaintance in Ewa is enormously bright but has had her self-confidence destroyed by her overcontrolling homeschooling father. ("Thanks, Mom.") She finally had the fabled apocalyptic parental conflict, moved out, rented a crappy room from a crappy homeowner, got a midwatch job restocking KMart, and had to deal with the state bureaucracy to take the GED (only age 17, lacked parental permission) before she could enter community college (nursing program). She hit rock bottom when she was dating a submariner but she bootstrapped herself up & out of that relationship. She started candystriping at a local hospital, came to the attention of the nurse's staff, strings were pulled, and she's in nursing school now. Her 15-year-old homeschooled brother is eagerly crafting his own escape plans.

A homeschooled fellow taekwondo student in Pearl City came to the martial arts after 10 years of gymnastics. To attract hot TKD chicks show off, he'd literally somersault into head-high hook kicks and other antics. He also pursued competitive jumproping, a sport for which he practiced 2-3 hours/day and could jump faster than you could track the rope. As he was "finishing" with the Saxon curriculum his family moved to Colorado Springs but he didn't have to put up with transcripts or interschool transfers. A few months later he enlisted in the Marines (as his older brother had done) and they arranged for his GED after recruit training. (No state bureaucracy issues there!) He just wants to be an infantry gunner in a HUMVEE, but he doesn't realize that the Marines are going to rope him into college and attempt to turn him into an officer. I've warned him but he just doesn't believe they'd be that devious, so apparently he has a lot to learn.

A Punalu'u family is homeschooling their four kids, from age 14 to 5. The parents are saints. The oldest child is the perfect taekwondo fighter-- 6'2" and only 140 pounds with legs up to his neck. He's a bit tall for a surfer but he's great on the water. He competes in TKD at the national level so he travels to a half-dozen Mainland tournaments each year. He and his family had no problem being available for a trip to a world tournament in Amsterdam, and they had no problem staying for an extra week or two to soak up the local culture instead of going back to school. When they're in town they spend 4-5 hours at the dojang 3-4 nights a week for all the kid's separate classes (the mother is also learning TKD) and the kids are far better mannered, engaged, and sociable than their age-group peers. Their father probably goes to work to relax and catch up on his sleep.

Our TKD dojang is owned by a husband-wife team, both with their black belts, homeschooling their three kids. They essentially live, homeschool, study, and work at the dojang. (Their kids are probably envious of school children for being able to get away from their parents.) Dad gets to do the "fun" stuff like coaching the competition team, while Mom runs the business and takes care of the kids. They even teach two kickboxing & TKD classes for homeschoolers-- 11:30 weekdays, of course. She's also a saint.

The Navy is learning that homeschooled recruits generally have more creativity, intelligence, initiative, and ASVAB scores than the majority of high-school students. A part of the horror stories about dropping recruit quality is caused by enlisting homeschoolers before they're eligible to take the GEDs in their states, and their GEDs are obtained while on duty. After that it's an easy step to have them visit the local office to sign up for college courses, which is largely funded by taxpayer dollars. It's the best deal since the WWII GI Bill. I wish DoD would publicize a study of how many of the military's homeschooled are earning their college degrees during their enlistments compared to "traditional" high-school graduates.

For every one of these homeschool stories my sophomore daughter can tell you about classmates of hers who have dropped out of school due to various problems. They're not homeschooling, either.

I would say that in general when taxpayer-funded institutions are involved with homeschoolers, it's to impose bureaucracy on people who are just trying to do their own thing. That's not necessarily a bad thing but they sure could be better advocates. The taxpayer-funded institution that seems to appreciate homeschoolers the most is the U.S. military, although many state & private universities are beginning to catch on.
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Old 03-08-2008, 10:03 PM   #12
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As I recall, the Texas policy started some years ago (mid-80's in Arlington I think) when the State of Texas criminally charged about 150 homeschooling parents with violation of truancy laws.

The parents took the case all the way to the Texas Supreme Court who decided that, while the State of Texas has an obligation to provide for a public school system and the authority to tax people to support it - the State has no constitutional authority to mandate people use it.
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Old 03-09-2008, 10:14 AM   #13
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I had a friend in Houston who was homeschooling her two young boys in the '80's and got caught by the State of Texas, had to get an attorney, get the kids tested into Mensa as a defense, went to a jury trial and won her right to homeschool. And she was a certified teacher!
The laws changed right after that, but it cost her a pretty penny.
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Old 03-09-2008, 02:11 PM   #14
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I was homeschooled. We had a teacher administer a standardized test every year to ensure we were keeping up with our age bracket. It provided some accountability in the event that the state wanted to take issue with my parents.

I think I turned out reasonably well-rounded. Starting college at 14 was a little odd but I didn't stick out as I never made it a point to bring up my age. You fit in well if you don't try to stick out.

If anything, being homeschooled prepared me immensely for college life. High school, at least when my friends were attending, was a series of rote learning and standardized tests. High school for me, on the other hand, was a chance to learn a variety of subjects at a faster pace with a large focus on self-directed study.
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Old 03-09-2008, 04:21 PM   #15
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Our next door neighbors (who have since moved to South Carolina) allegedly home-schooled their six children, because they refused to have them get the vaccinations required to enroll in public school. By my observation, however, there was not a lot of schooling going on. Mostly, the kids ran wild around the neighborhood.
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Old 03-09-2008, 05:41 PM   #16
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Both my kids were homeschooled. They are both very successful hard working guys; and their teen years were a breeze compared to most highschoolers- including my own high school period almost forty years earlier.

At 16 they just moved to the city, got jobs, got apartments, started university and became adults.

The only negative is strictly from my selfish POV- I had no levers to get them to let me try to run their lives.

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