Don’t mess with the homeschooler’s
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By Josh Smith
Anchor / WJHL
Published: November 8, 2007
Today on News Channel 11 Morning Edition, we spent a bit of time talking about homeschooling.
Last week, Washington County, Tennessee briefly said “no” to a homeschooling mom-turned-author who had scheduled a book-signing and presentation at a local public library. The county leaders quickly reversed that decision after a chat with the county attorney.
Today, we invited the homeschool mom/author to be on News Channel 11 Morning Edition, the day of her scheduled book-signing and presentation at the public library in Jonesborough. Our morning producer George Jackson invited County Mayor George Jaynes to join us too, but Mayor Jaynes declined.
From everything I can glean, it seems Washington County’s primary concern was that public school would be criticized at the book-signing and “talk”. Jaynes told News Channel 11 the county loses lots of money every time a parent chooses to keep a child out of the public schools.
I know quite a few families who’ve made the choice to homeschool. With maybe one or two exceptions, they aren’t critical of public schools. They’ve just made a conscious decision to be the primary educators for their children. They, for the most part, have definite ideas about how they want to train their children and how they want their children to see the world. They, I believe, are taking the “hard road” because they’re opting to spend hours of every day doing something other than making money or pursuing a career and enjoying time for other things, however important those things may be. Plus, they’re still paying the taxes that go to build and operate public schools.
Now, the Tri-Cities homeschooling community is so big that parents have formed vibrant and active “co-op’s” in which homeschooled students gather for group activities like art, sports, science, and even band. In other words, the lack of peer to peer social contact no longer seems to be an issue.
Do you homeschool? Why? Do you think homeschooling is a bad idea? All opinions are welcomed and appreciated here on the Morning Edition blog.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( ) on November 14, 2007 at 2:24 am
I would like to echo both Ms. Allen and Ms. Kramer’s comments about being secular home-schoolers. My wife and I both home-school our son not because we disagree with regular school or are have particular religious views, but because we know our son better than anyone else, and are able to tailor his learning schedule to him with a flexibility and personalization that simply cannot be achieved in a regular classroom setting. While we do not utilize the local schools we do pay our taxes (believe me!) that are used to support our local schools. For those families that do not have the opportunity to home-school, regular schools whether private or public are, unfortunately, the only other option available.
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Posted by ( ) on November 14, 2007 at 1:03 am
Our family chose homeschooling in order to “be a family”,traveling with my husband to 37 different states in our beauiful country. We made friends from coast to coast,have enjoyed Mexico and Canada as well. Our children would have missed so many “hands on” education opportunities had they been confined to a public school classroom. .Combine that with the opportunity to pray with my children and watch them grow into strong spiritual adults,I wouldn’t trade our homeschool experience for any amount of money. Saxon Math travels well and Bob Jones doesn’t mind the back seat at all-Jane Wilson
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Posted by ( ) on November 13, 2007 at 12:33 pm
i think homeschooling is a great thing its more one on one the kids are not turned lose with 100 more kids without supervision
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Posted by ( ) on November 12, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Before this topic becomes “history” in this blogspace, I want to reply specifically to the post by Ren Allen of Jonesborough (above): You claim that you have not been homeschooling for religious reasons—while we have—but I think we have more in common than you might think. For example, I can totally agree with your words here and use them as my own: “I DO believe that school is damaging to a person’s spirit, mind and ability to think critically. My goal is to have children that remain whole, that love to learn and have rich connections with their family and friends.“ Permit me to say a hearty religious “Amen!“ to that statement of belief and goal, as well as to your practice of going around “talking about the joy of self-directed learning and why parents should trust themselves and their children.“
The issue of our free speech, and the relative priority of money, are also things that we agree on (and I would dare say that most religious homeschoolers do as well). Also, these issues of a whole, undamaged spirit in our children, their love to learn, their healthy social connections, trusting ourselves and protecting our freedoms—I would identify all these as religious (or at least spiritual) issues, and stand beside you as you speak out to defend them, whether you associate with a traditional church setting or not—and whether you agree with Sonya’s views on these things or not.
My point is that you are not so hugely in the minority, at least among the dozens of religious homeschoolers that I know: we share with you these core values and are happy that you feel free to use this forum to speak out your beliefs.
Thank you!!
Peter Bell of Kingsport
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Posted by ( ) on November 11, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I find this topic about homeschooling fascinating. I am a mother of three boys and am considering educating them at home beginning in the next school year. I am interested in more information about support groups, extra-curricular activities, etc. for homeschoolers in the tri-cities area. For me, the decision to homeschool is about the quality of education for my sons and the opportunity for them to be around other like-minded people. People who try to raise their children with morals and respect for others. The decline of society begins when “grown-ups” don’t take the time, effort or have the inclination to teach their kids about limitations and consequences for their actions.
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Posted by ( ) on November 11, 2007 at 11:37 am
I’m probably hugely in the minority here. We don’t homeschool for religious reasons at all. I DO believe that school is damaging to a person’s spirit, mind and ability to think critically.
My goal is to have children that remain whole, that love to learn and have rich connections with their family and friends. So far, after almost 12 years of homeschooling that is working out great.
Even with my strong views about how damaging school is, I don’t go around speaking out against schools. I go around talking about the joy of self-directed learning and why parents should trust themselves and their children.
Even if a person has an anti-school agenda, the first amendment grants them the freedom to use a public venue to make such speech. The library, being used by the public at large, would be an appropriate place to do such a thing. Anyone repressing that would be inhibiting free speech rights.
I don’t agree with much the mother/author says about homeschooling, but to me this was about free speech. We all enjoy that freedom or we all begin to lose that freedom.
When the mayor is more concerned about money than what is right, we have bigger problems than this single issue. Money should not be the deciding factor in how we conduct ourselves, or how we treat other citizens.
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Posted by ( ) on November 10, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Hi. I did not attend the Jonesborough Library meeting but I knew about it and was interested in the outcome.
My reason that outweighs all others including academic is that as a parent I want to spend time with my children. So much time *could* be spent getting an education for hours a day away from your family. For children going to school, this translates to years away from home, from 5 (sometimes 4) years old all the way to 18. And then comes college and moving away! I want to be with my children in real, meaningful, life affirming ways. How can I do that while they’re in school? By taking them out of school, I have the opportunity to do so.
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Posted by ( ) on November 10, 2007 at 6:51 pm
I am a homeschooling parent of 3. My oldest homeschooled the entire way, the middle child attended public high school from the middle of her sophomore year until she graduated and currently attends college. My youngest is a homeschooled 2nd grader.
Since one of my children attended public school, it is obvious that I am not anti public school, I just feel that everyone should make the decision about what is best for their family.
We did not and are not home educating our children because of religion and we are politically moderate to liberal. Homeschoolers pay the same taxes as people with children in school or, for that matter, as people with no children and receive no services in return.
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Posted by ( ) on November 10, 2007 at 3:43 am
Mr. Smith,
My husband and I,too,appreciate your balanced approach to the recent “blunder” by the Washington Co public official regarding the monetary misconception. We are new (2 yrs) to homeschooling with our 11 year old daughter who had previously been enrolled in the public school system through 4th grade.
In the beginning of schoolyear 06’ we did not understand the providential leading as our daughter was unable enter 5th grade due to a health setback. My husband and I both work full time and we did not feel comfortroble with the idea of “homebound” 2-3 x week; we felt strongly that we could do a much better job with this endeavor instead of having to work through the scheduling of another person to our already hectic schedules. Besides that, our daughter needed the extra rest for her recovery so we could tailor her school schedule for that much needed restful time.
So, that is how our experience began and we are thankful that God’s divine intervention opened a new understanding for us regarding our daughter’s learning style and the “holes” in her education to date.
Unfortunately the public school system in addition to the previous list of cited ills is spending a disproportionate amount to accomodate all the students who are not able to rise to the very minimal TN testing standards. For that reason the curriculum has been so “watered down” it does not resemble the education that my husband and I received in Elementary/ Middle school in the 60’s - early 70’s.
When we stepped up the standards of learning and challenged our 5th grader we actually discovered that she could perform on a 6th grade level and was more engaged in the learning process as well. We have been able to provide a much more classical education for her with an indepth study of World and American History, Geography, and other subjects that are given very little time in the public system today. She is also tutored in French and able to participate in the cultural aspects of violin and ballet more extensively than she would be with the hours spent in public system. She is also benefiting in that she is not constantly surrounded with the immaturity of middle schoolers preoccupied with an agenda ( permitted by their parents) that is age inappropriate.
Among a large host of ills, the American public school system is in crisis due to the fact that gifted programs do not receive anywhere near the funding that the programs for all those students that are “not performing” at grade level are receiving. Time magazine ran a very insightful article concerning the fact that we as a nation, with this “ watered down” approach, have set ourselves up for a slippery slope for a dismal slide in history that caters to a group that will not rise to the challenges, nor be inspired to produce the great entrprneurial minds that made this country what is was at one time!
Therefore, we do not want to deny our daughter the opportunity to excel at a level she is capable of excelling due to this bias/trend in today’s educational standards. It does consume more of the parent’s time and dedication to work and homeschool but the rewards have been exemplary.
Also, when I informed the public school system that we would homeschool instead of homebound the VP was very quick to say that the elementary school would not be able to provide any assistance to us, so in other words, “don’t ask.“ And, as my husband reminded them, we pay more than our fair share of city property taxes! The happy ending was that our daughter tested on TCAPS very much above 5th grade level at the end of our first homeschool year in every subject without public school intervention!
Mom and Dad really do know best!!
Nov 10th 07
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Posted by ( ) on November 09, 2007 at 5:24 pm
It’s nice to see all of this positive attention for home schooling. We are providing a classical home school education for our six year old daughter. Like all kids, she has a unique set of gifts and interests, and we feel that home school allows her experience to be tailored EXACTLY to her. Like many or even most other home schoolers, we are Christians who wish to live our faith and are thankful for the many opportunities to apply Godly principles to our daily lives that occur during each home school day. HOwever, we feel that if circumstances necessitated our daughter going to school in a different setting, that we would STILL be responsible to provide such training for our daughter, and would do so. We also feel fortunate to live in an excellent local school district and would have no qualms about sending her to school, should the need arise. While we love our daughter and teach her things she needs to know to stay safe, protecting her from harm or contact with other world views or people is NOT our reason for home schooling her. We simply believe that for our particular child, at this time, that home education is THE BEST education for her, and us.
That said, let me also state that home school is challenging intellectually for us and our daughter, that we are continually learning and are excited and enthusiastic about what we are learning, and that the freedom of home school is a great delight and treasure to us. It’s fun! I am so grateful for the privilege of being able to home school our daughter, and thank God for this daily!
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