They Like me... they really like me

I just got a note from collegedegree.com. I am featured on their blog and am #9 on their list of 50 top homeschooling blogs. Check out the list. It talks about some of my favorite blogs.

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Wisconsin Eliminating Virtual Schools

Yesterday I reported that New York is no longer giving homeshoolers special education and and therapy services. Now I have read that a court ruling threating to pull the plug on Wisconsin Virtual schools.

I find this all very interesting. Let me see if I am getting this right...

• Parents become disenfranchised
• Parents begin homeschooling kids
• Schools see that homeschooling takes money from them
• Schools want to lure parents back and offer virtual schools and other services
• Homeschooling parents are smarter than that, and take the services, but don't go back to the schools.
• Schools pull the plug and cut homeschoolers at the knees.

Now here's what hasn't happened yet.... Ready?

• Homeschoolers get over it, find other resources and keep homeschooling.

Duh!

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This "blog" is getting on my last nerves

I get google alerts each morning on topics I am interested in reading about. Of course homesschooling is on my list of alerts. For the past few days, I have been getting posts by Articlespad and they have been doing a daily article on homeschooling. They are so annoying.

It is painfully obvious that these posts are not written by a homeschooler, but hired out by an article farm and some idiot (yes I said it) looks up homeschooling and writes some crap from their anti-homeschooling point of view.

Today's topic: What You Should Know About Home Schooling Socialization. Apparently, "After all, children cannot socialize whenever they are not around other children. Therefore, home school socialization is at a huge disadvantage." Ugh. Previous articles include Possible Home School disadvantages.

Previously,


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Just because someone claims to be homeschooling...

Just because someone claims to be homeschooling, doesn't mean they are doing it.

So just in case you are not aware of it, another mother has killed her 'homeschooled' children. Of course, Authorities are blaming homeschooling.

There are several problems with this. First of all, the mother was obviously mentally disturbed. The neigbhors new it. The relatives new it. The children's Godmother new it.

Second, the mother never even files the necessary papers for homeschooling (which a real homeschooling mom would do as she wouldn't want trouble from the start).

In addition, school officials reported her to the authorities long before the children were killed.

Still the New York Times entitles and article, "Lack of Supervision Noted in Deaths of Home-Schooled". What utter crap!

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It's time to vote for the homeschool blog awards

Its time to vote for the homeschool blog awards.


hmph... no one nominated me.. but as they said... I am a winner in my own home!

Oh well... just from glancing through all the categories, I can see that there is alot Ihave not read that looks worth reading. I am going to spend some time before I vote.

Anyway, check out the contest... it's pretty cool.



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Homeschoolers who exercise have parents who exercise with them

According to the following story, if yu want your homeschooler to exercise, you should do it with them... sounds kinda like a no-brainer, but sometimes these things need to be said.

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Homeschooled Grammy Award Winner Starts Home School Label

What Grammy Award singer was homeschooled and now has a record label called Home School?

John Legend:

Legend, who says his friend Will.I.Am has been in the lab with Estelle, adds that the name of his imprint is a tribute to a part of his childhood. "I was homeschooled as a kid — my parents taught me and my brothers at home for a while," he explained. "The idea is having this home factory of making music, where there's attention to detail and an authenticity, a soulfulness, to it. There's an independent spirit to it. That's the reason for the name."

full story here

more about jOhn legend:

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Why I won't be HSLDA's pansy

I just got a note from the HSLDA.ORG urging homeschoolers to barrage legislators with calls to stop the Federal Employment Non Discrimination Act. "ENDA would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of "actual or perceived sexual orientation." They do not want the non discrimination act passed because it means that businesses would have to hire people who were gay or lesbian or were perceived as gay or lesbian. Of course religious organizations are exempt from this law, but HSLDA says that a business would have to prove it was a religious organization. While a church or Christian school might be able to freely discriminate, a business based on religious foundations like Chik Filet, Hobby Lobby, or Wells Real-Estate Funds would have to hire people of all sexual orientations.

Now I am a Christian, and a homeschooler, yet I am offended by this email. First of all, I think it is presumptios of HSLDA or use this "legal service" to homeschoolers as an avenue to control legislation. Yes many homeschoolers are Conservative Christians, but homeschool has become very mainstream in the last decade which includes many gay and lesbian families homeschooling as well. Furthermore, as an African American, I have problems with emails that say "stop and anti discrimination law". They need to open their eyes and take a close look at demographics before sending out such an email.

As a Christian, I have to ask, WHO AM I, to decide that an infeminate man (gay or not) cannot have a job in an organization with Christian roots. WHO AM I to exclude a woman who may be mistaken for a man (lesbian or not) from employment.

Maybe I'm wrong, Maybe I'm crazy, but I won't be calling my legislature to help HSLDA discriminate against people who just want to work. Read it for yourself.

I am kinda glad I let my membership lapse.


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The National Education Association is on the warpath

The National Education Association is on the warpath and homeschooling is the enemy.

The National Educational Association in their 2007-2008 Resolutions has taken a stand against homeschooling.

It reads "The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress. Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being borne by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.
The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools. The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting."


Take a moment to tell the NEA that homeschooling is a real option that does produce wonderfully rounded and educated members of society.

there is a petition here by FL Homeschoolers



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14 year old who planned attack was homeschooling?

I seriously doubt it.

This unfortunately is an example of abuse of the homeschooling label.



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Kool Homeschool Kid

Isn't it wonderful that a kid can have such great success by working her education around her tennis
career.

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Denying Our Gifted Children

A recent time magazine story profiled below talks about "failing our geniuses". It is a big concern for me because my son was denied the chance to take testing for gifted kids when he was in school even though the school in our previous state had planned to test him. We knew he was bright, but we also knew he was having social issues (not just for homeschoolers). The problems was with his maturity level. He did not have patience with "Kid things". He preferred the company of adults. It was clear my daughter was different too. As far as the schools were concerned, she needed ritalin in order to concentrate. They never considered that slowing her mind down would stunt her intelligence.

Her problems in school were the reasons we decided to homeschool. Years later, I still haven't had my kids officially tested for giftedness. While my daughters standarized tests in the 95th percentile could qualify her for gifted classes, and my son's advanced computer science abilities tend to astound professional addults, I actually try to keep thier abilities quiet. Even in the homeschool community I feel that people bristle if I indicate that my kids may be very bright... let alone gifted. After reading this story, I have to wonder if I am not failing my own possibly gifted kids.

Do I not test them because I fear I may be wrong and they are not gifted, or do I not test them because I don't want to put pressure on them? I don't know. Sometimes I feel by not finding out for sure, I am doing worse than the schools... instead of not doing anything for our gifted kids, am I actually denying or stunting giftedness? Or am I doing the right thing by just letting them develop where they will. Is homeschooling enough in this case?

btw, check out this site for increasing children's genius

Edwards' Homeschooling thier Kids

If you are looking for candidates that believe in homeschooling, this is a good indication that Edwards should be considered:

hmmm, I wonder if they will use a curriculum like Rv Education 101? Rv Expert Mark Polk Is The Producer & Host Of Americas Most Highly Regarded Series Of DVDs, Videos, Books, And E-books. Polk Provides RVers With Qualified Rv Information, Tips And Safety Advice.

Check out this Homeschooled Kid

I first noticed Morgan Harper about 4 months ago on Youtube when I was looking for videos of other homeschoolers. Here is a funny/cool video of her and her little sister. (Don't be alarmed, they were acting a crazy at first because they are trying to make a point about being "homeskooled")



Now today, she was profiled on the local news... she is the hottest new thing in folk music. Too cool!


This encourages me because my kids are both artistic.

No Disrespect to Teachers

So often when homeschoolers gush about just how much we love what we are doing with our kids, teachers feel that we are putting them down as educators. That is just not true.

Just as we homeschooling moms feel that we can do the best possible job with our childen that we have raised and in most cased given birth to, most of us feel that teachers are certainly better at managing a class full of children, than we would be.

This article I stumbled upon portrays this sentiment well.

A little Something to inspire homeschoolers

Another Reason to homeschool: Abusive Teacher

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FULL STORY AT http://www.zwire.com/site/?brd=1815&pag=461&dept_id=516928&newsid=18240040&rfi=15

Reasons to Homeschool: Principal got too Pally

Action News Primetime with John Pruitt Presents “Homeschooled”

In case you missed the homeschool special:

Homeschooling is Profiled in Atlanta Special News Program.

Tonight a news program was aired here in Georgia where John Pruitt sat down with a number of homeschooling families and talked about homeschooling. Outside of a story by John Stossell, this was the first positive depiction of homeschooling I had seen in ages.




John Pruitt interviews a black family positively about homeschooling including both parents and the children individually. He asked the kids the usual questions. “Do you like homeschooling?” “Why do you like homeschooling?” The children’s emphatic nodding answered his questions. The love it and would not do it any other way. Next, John interviewed an Orthodox Jewish family and asked the old Socialization question. He seemed satisfied with their answers.

The next subject of his study was a family of unschoolers. The parents are professional actors and the children perform in plays. They “did not decide to homeschool”. They “decided not to send the children to school”, says the father. John Pruitt described unschooling as the children following “natural interests and talents guide what they will learn”. The children were incredibly articulate, of course. They also talked about learning through travels.

Test scores were the next subject to get his attention. He mentioned that homeschoolers score 30-37% above public schoolers on standardized tests, among other important data.

When John Pruitt interviewed Dr. Cheryl Fields Smith who researches homeschoolers especially African American Homeschoolers, she stated that it was amazing with her that parents could spend all day with their kids. Being fair, a teachers union represented was also interviewed. In spite of his big words, his contention that homeschool parents should work with the schools not outside of them was unconvincing.

Speaking of classes, Mr. Pruitt also investigated Parent co-ops. His research revealed that on average homeschoolers participate in more than five activities outside the home from Legos, to chess, to academic classes. He failed to mention Physical education classes, which also exist. He did however mention Sports teams like the softball team formed at the New Creation Center for Independent Study, a “school” for homeschoolers. At this homeschool center, 260 students attend from 1-5 days a week. Parents pick and choose the classes they feel their children need. Teachers Orchard in West Cobb also visited which has a variety of classes. Mr. Pruitt mentioned that the average cost of homeschooling was $400-$600 unless the child also took classes, then it could go into the thousands.





When do you stop homeschooling was a question that came up in the story. He spoke to a family who basically homeschooled until high school. One young woman who returned to public school was bothered by schedule, as they knew they could learn faster at home. A formerly homeschooled high school senior said homeschooling prepared him academically, but high school prepared him for the "real world.”

College was the final topic of this news story. A college admission officer was interviewed who said that homeschooling made it easier for kids to get into college.
There is a fear whoever that colleges may make future minimum demands, like accredited classes for homeschoolers in the future. He ended the story with a comment that Hope Scholarship legislature can be changed to be more homeschool friendly. (Currently first year homeschoolers cannot receive the grant, instead they get it retroactively, after doing well the first year of college)

In all, there was a positive interview, though I wish Mr. Pruitt had avoided some of the more obvious cliché questions.

This week on Families.com

We saw many changes in the homeschool blog this week. We said see ya' round to Valorie, who is writing for another families.com blog, and hello to a brand new blogger, Karen. Keep an eye out for guest blogs from Valorie. We also spent some time visiting with bloggers from other categories.

http://homeschooling.families.com/blog/the-sunday-evening-review-january-21-2007...

written by Andrea Hermitt More from this Blogger