Not Another Homeschool Blog

Things got Weird in 2020

This article spells it out pretty clearly. It is hard to ignore hard statistics and facts. At the end of the day, black children will endure less victimization and criminalization in the classroom by removing them from the classroom. Why Black Kids Should be Homeschooled

This question was presented to me on the website Quora.  I decided to go ahead and make a vide.  This was my answer.... to that rude, rude question.

I have come to realize that those rude, hurtful, shady comments from homeschoolers are just a projection of questions they have about homeschooling.  Deciphering those questions and answering them gently has been a key to better understanding.

A friend posted about a pro homeschooling article on Facebook today.  I commented, and another friend got her feathers ruffled.  She was bothered (the best that I could tell) that comparisons were being made between homeschoolers and non homeschoolers.  I understand her point, that it should be about educating kids the best you can, homeschooling or not, I get that.  But I also think it is unfair to ask homeschoolers pipe down, on homeschooling statistics for PC reasons. I requested that the conversation be discontinued as it was happening on someone else's timeline (I hate that), but it did leave me seething. Now I realize that there is a general consensus that us homeschooling parents are defensive and often demeaning toward those who have an aught with homeschooling, but there is a reason for it.  If it were not for the publicizing of homeschool successes, the practice would have been shut down decades ago before it could even gain traction. So, while ...

Everything you'll ever want to know about the current state of homeschooling Source: TopMastersInEducation.com

Here's a recent and true meme I discovered about moms:  Replace the words "my children" with the word "homeschooling", and you will have a true statement about homeschooling moms.   But why are homeschooling moms so mean, as found in the comment section of my article about the homeschooling war on about.com ,  homeschoolers, in the main, are mean spirited, have little regard for credentials (perhaps because of their lack of credentials) and are so set on their own narratives that they disregard everyone else's. They have resorted mostly to the old "if you don't have a valid point, call names."   Ummmm... Yeah.  That's what WE do.   In all effort to keep this positive, I will stop now, and I will continue to urge homeschooling moms to play nicer, but how do you deal with people who want to call you names but can't take the heat?   ... anyway... 

I stumbled upon a homeschool war on About.com, which seems a bit uncharacteristic for the site, to begin with.  The "debate" between Jerry Webster and Kathy Ceceri  (who unceremoniously replaced Beverly Hernandez some months ago), pits special education against homeschooling, which is a real shame because many families have found relief and safety for their special-ed children in homeschooling. But perhaps, that is Mr. Webster's problem.  Maybe he feels disregarded by homeschoolers, a group that doesn't hang onto every word of his expertise.  Perhaps people who could take or leave his advice as it suits them are a bit full of themselves and need to be put in their place.  But it is not my place to try to see into the brain of Mr. Webster.  It is also not his place to try to peer into our brains and motivations either. You can go ahead and read the blogs if you wish, but he has made it clear, that he has said his peice, and now wants us homeschoolers to ...

Traditionally schooling families frown down upon homeschoolers, and structured homeschoolers frown upon unschoolers.  Unschoolers probably frown on the traditional students and structured homeschoolers. I guess we all need something to compare our situations to so that we feel better about ourselves. Omsh at the Poineer woman blog asks Unschooling- Do?  Don't  Why?   She mentions why she feels unschooling may not work for her thought she is attracted to it and wants to know how others feel.  Most of the comments are from other homeschoolers who seem to be tentatively against homeschooling each supplying anecdotes of failed homeschool situations they witnessed. I have many of he same reservations against unschooling but I am nervous about writing it out as a whole.  In the 8 or so years we have been homeschooling I have learned 2 things. 1.  That my kids would rather not work if given the option (so unschooling is not for us) 2.  That...

I mentioned yesterday, the Today Show Online article on homeschooling.  http://nfahm.blogspot.com/2010/09/there-are-home-school-parents-who-are.html I said I woud go back and read the comments, and I did.... at least a quarter of them anyway.  It has left me exhausted. It's not that I knew it existed, but the inorance around homeschooling continues to astound me. There were the verbal bullies who wanted to state just how backwards and

A lot of homeschoolers complain about being accosted in public with people questioning them about homeschooling as if they have a personal stake in their children.  ( Mama Julep , who I just discovered writes about these intrusions, among other cool stuff.) Interestingly enough, no one does that to me... anymore. Maybe it's because my kids are 5'5" and 6'2" (they're both 4 inches taller than when this picture was taken)  and people rarely notice that they're school age.  Maybe it's because I've perfected a look that tells them "don't even go there".  But regardless,

 Heather from OMSH wrote a post at The Pioneer Woman entitled The TWO BIGGIES:  Patience and Socialization .  In the blog post, she discussed the to questions she is asked the most as a homeschoolers.  She asked other homeschoolers to share their own most asked questions.  Mine are: 1.  How do you start homeschooling 2. What about socialization (It's asked so much I had to repeat it.) Here are my responses. How do you start homeschooling? Step1:  Read. Get your hands on everything you can find about homeschooling.  Read blogs.  Read books on homeschooling , unschooling , relaxed homeschooling , classical homeschooling , Charlotte Mason homeschooling and anything else you can find.  Also read about learning styles , and education as a whole. Spend a good 3-6 months

I just came across some kind of debate blog with the post title being "Homeschooling should be banned."   I have a headache from rolling my eyes so hard.   I may go back to it and weigh in later, but right  now I need a shower...  it made me feel dirty. All I can say is it's a good thing that these people have no say on homeschooling and education... I am so... not worried. FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE MY BUSINESS WEBSITE WalletPop Contributor

 I had a conversation with a neighbor today who tried to convince me that I should consider putting my kids in the new math and science charter school that had opened near our neighborhood. Bless his heart.  He was clearly well intentioned, but just like all my other neighbors feels that my kids would be better off in a real school and not homeschooling...   As great as that school might be, the facts are that my daughter is not a math and science person, and if she were going to attend a charter school it would need to be an Arts Charter School... and my son... well, he's almost done so the point is moot.  Its so funny that people are willing to look past the needs of the individual child to do what society determines is acceptable. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Visit My Education Column at Examiner.com Check out FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE for free homeschool links and resources

I cam upon a homeschool debate at Babycenter.com.  It has the usual arguments.  Socialization, bad parents, no PE... you know... the same old thing.  One argument against homeschooling however stuck out as being especially flawed. Every student that I have had that has transferred from being homeschooled has been behind the learning curve. This comment was from a public school teacher.  Let's stop and consider this though... She is probably only seeing students behind the curb transfering into public school because the ones ahead of the curb have no need to.  We considered public school the summer before my son started his highschool curriculum, and my son decided against it because he felt it would slow down his progress.  Looking back, I have to agree because he has already progressed far more than I ever imagined he would.  This would not have been possible in public school... So instead of successful homeschoolers transfering into public s...