For the Home Educators

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Tracy, Feb 27, 2007.


  1. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    TEN GOOD REASONS TO KEEP YOUR CHILD IN PUBLIC SCHOOL

    By Joel Turtel
    February 10, 2007

    Here are ten reasons why parents should keep their kids in public schools:

    1 - Public schools can cripple your child's ability to read. The schools use a special reading-instruction method to do this called whole-language (or balanced literacy). But that's a good thing. Why do kids need to read anyhow? It only gives them ambitions to go to college. Parents have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for college tuition these days, so if your child can't read, you end up saving a lot of money.

    2 - Public schools can wreck your child's ability to do math, with "fuzzy" math curriculums. But that's a good thing. That way, your child will not strive to be a scientist or engineer and make a lot of money. Having a lot of money causes stress, and you don't want your kids to be stressed in life, do you? Also, if your child grows up to be a supermarket check-out clerk, you don't have to worry. The machine scans in all the prices and will tell your child how much change to give back to the customer.

    3 - Public schools violate your God-given parental rights to choose who teaches your child and what he is taught. But hell, aren't we swamped today with too many choices anyhow? It's only reasonable to let education "experts" who have been trained in our finest "teacher" colleges tell us how to educate our children. After all, haven't these education "experts" done a superb job educating our children up to now?

    4 - Public schools give your child a "well-rounded" education. Your child's day is filled with shocking sex-education classes, multiculturalism classes that spit on American values, save-the-earth environmental propaganda classes, drug-education classes that give your child all the dope about these drugs so he can choose wisely, and violence- prevention classes for those kids who get violent from being bored to death in public-school classrooms.

    5 - Public schools give your children great socialization. Where else can your kids smoke a joint in the bathroom, meet roaming drug dealers in the schoolyards, be raped or assaulted by violent bullies on the prowl for victims, and join a racial clique that promotes harmony among the students? That's a lot better than the "bad" socialization of homeschooling that "isolates" kids from this wonderful interaction with their peers.

    6 - Public schools give your kids a great sex education. As parents, we don't want to talk to our kids about embarrassing sex matters anyhow, so this takes us off the hook. Your child's sex-education classes will teach her why homosexuality is a "normal" lifestyle and why sexual promiscuity is OK, as long as you remember to "protect" yourself. If your teenage daughter then decides to experiment and gets pregnant, that's great also, because the welfare office will give your daughter monthly welfare checks, food stamps, rent subsidies, and free health care. What more can you ask for?

    7 - Public schools will give your child drugs. Yes, Ritalin is now the drug of choice for millions of school children. But isn't that a good thing? Ritalin will help your son stop "fidgeting" and "pay attention" in class, even though he is bored to death. Ritalin also helps the teacher maintain discipline in the classroom. After all, if your son disrupts the class by "acting out," the other kids can't learn anything, right? So Ritalin is a wonderful way to mentally strap-down your child to his desk.

    8 - Your child can "participate" in your school's Teen-Screen program. These are "mental-health" screening programs that help determine if your teenager is mentally deranged. A health "expert" in your public school will ask your child questions such as, "have you been unhappy lately," or "do you get along with your brothers and sisters?" From your bewildered child's answers to these illuminating questions, the health "expert" will give his opinion as to whether your child might have a mental "disease." He might then "recommend" that you take your child to a psychiatrist who might start your child on a cocktail of mind-altering drugs. But hell, having your child labeled with a mental "disease" isn't that bad, is it? Your child will lose the confidence to go to college, and we're back to advantage number one, where you'll save a lot of money on college tuition.

    9 - Your child can stay in school for twelve years. Well, maybe he won't know how to read a bus schedule or his own diploma after twelve years, but twelve years go by fast, don't they? Why teach your child to read at home with phonics so he becomes a great reader in only two years? My God, what will your child then do with all his free time once he can easily read War and Peace? He might actually come to love learning.

    10 - Finally, public schools are cheap day-care centers. We all work hard these days because income, real estate, social security, and dozens of other taxes loot half our paychecks, and big-government- created inflation sharply increases the cost of everything we buy. So since we can't save a penny, we can't afford private day-care. That's why we need public schools to house our kids while we make a living to pay the bills.
     
  2. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    Oh, yeah... Then there are stories like this one:

    Cocaine In The Classroom; Teacher Busted


    Posted by: Jessica Weinstein, reporter
    Posted by: Josh Boose, Reporter
    Created: 2/9/2007 10:12:47 PM
    Updated: 2/13/2007 4:55:58 AM


    A substitute teacher in the Lewiston-Porter School District is accused of using cocaine right in front of a classroom of fourth graders.

    According to Lewiston police, it happened February 1 at Lewiston-Porter Central. Police say Joan Donatelli, 59, was teaching as a substitute in the fourth grade when two students say they saw the teacher repeatedly dip a pen cap into a bag and bring it to her nose.

    2 On Your Side: "What was it about the way they spoke to you that made them believable?" Sergeant Frank Previte: "First of all their candor. Their account of everything in stating what they saw. They were very specific about the color of the bag, the color of the pen caps that were used which all again, we were able to back up."

    Police later went to Donatelli's home where she confessed and turned over two pen caps and a plastic bag.

    "She stated that she had a problem and that she has an addiction, something that's she's been struggling with", said Sgt. Frank Previte of the Lewiston Police Department.

    In response to the arrest, the school district sent out letters to the parents of students who'd had Donatelli as a sub. Stacie Battey got one of those letters. She's the PTA president and the parent of a first grade daughter who was in Donatelli's class within the past two months.

    "She's six, and fortunately, in her classroom, She didn't witness anything like that," said Battey, "It was a big shock and certainly both my husband and i were both concerned."

    Battey says she's satisfied with how the district has responded. She says she's proud of the two fourth grade students who reported Donatelli's behavior to their principal.

    "Those girls are to be commended."

    Donatelli will face a judge February 21. School officials say she was a full-time first grade teacher in the district before becoming a substitute.

    The district superintendent says Donatelli is not allowed on school grounds.
     
  3. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    Our 7 y/o daughter loves to read, but then again shes never stepped foot inside of a public school. We were at some friends house the other night (who also home school) and got to talking about solialization. The woman said when someone brings that up that home schooled kids don't get enough of it. She just tells them thats ok she really doesn't what her child to be a socialist anyway. [LMAO] [LMAO] [LMAO]

    OGM
     
  4. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    My Daughter has been in private Christian school most of her life. She went to public school for two years when we moved to a small town. Last year the teacher got onto a boy for killing a fly because that fly had a soul and killing it was murder! We pulled her out of there pronto. I will never again hand my children over to the government to educate/indoctrinate. If you want something totally fubarred then let the government take control of it. Just look what happened when they took over airline security from the private sector. TSA stands for "Thousands Standing Around".

    Good post Tracy!
     
  5. Clyde

    Clyde Jet Set Tourer Administrator Founding Member

    [ditto]
     
  6. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    I'm looking into Homeschool materials for my 8 week old right now.
     
  7. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    You know, the saddest part of all of this is that there are some fantastic teachers in the public sector! The ones who really care. The ones who go the extra mile. The ones who love to teach and take pride in their, and their students', accomplishments. If these individuals could run the system, instead of being restrained by the rules therein, the schools would be a far better place.

    I've spent so much time in the schools, and except for one - just one - teacher, had a deep respect for those I worked with. It seemed that the more I learned while in there, the less I wanted my children to be there. I pulled my son half-way through his 4th-grade year. His teacher (one of the great ones) told me that it was the best thing that I could do for him. He was too smart to be held back by the system.

    :lol: @ socialization - good one OGM! One only has to drop by our house to find that friends are one thing my children are not missing. There's always someone here, someone to visit, someplace to go, something to do. In fact, I've found that there are far more diverse opportunities for my children now then while in public school. We've met up with others and gone to the symphony, plays, and multiple field trips. Sports programs go far beyond standard field events - like archery and fencing - and we can choose from 5 different martial arts styles, if we so choose. I see notices for Prom, school-to-work apprenticeships and scholarship opportunities abound.

    Yeah. My poor, poor children. :rolleyes:
     
  8. dukenukum

    dukenukum Monkey+++

    yes ,my poor nephew he went to a private school his motto is higher math is fun , physics is fun quantum theory is fun I kid you not the kid gets the einstein think a like award except his 2nd motto is gun control is putting all the bullets in the same hole and bigger guns are more fun .not sheeple material[sheep] [sawgunner]
     
  9. Clyde

    Clyde Jet Set Tourer Administrator Founding Member

    Why I like home schooling:
    • No homework at night. They get it all done during the day (like they used to on the farms) and have quality familiy time at night.
    • Extra-curricular activites can be done during the day when others are in in the sheeplization.
    • KIDS CAN LEARN AT THEIR OWN PACE
    • 7 years olds can learn multiplication, long addition, and write complete sentences in which they can identify the noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc (Horizons Math Program...I highly recommend it!)
    • Kids can learn what is necessary and practical for life.
    • Socialization: Not sure if what I see in the public school system is the "socialization" qualities I would like to see in my children.
    • In 2-3 hours of "home school", we can cover and entire days (some times 2 days) worth of "public school" 8 hour days.
    • You can instill in your children a "religious" view that gives a moral foundation for live.
    • You get to develop an amazing relationship with your children that others don't have
    • Young children can play and use their imagination for longer periods of time because they got their work done!
    • My wife gets to love her children all day long!
    • Its about $10K cheaper per child than a private school ($300ish)
    • Education can be spending the day at the museums
    I could go on and on..
     
  10. Sojourner

    Sojourner Silverback

    My two were home schooled, and they turned out pretty darn good. The two grands are also being home schooled. That is the best investment in children that any parent can make. In our area, home education is a fairly fast growing thing, to the school board's chagrin.
     
  11. Pru

    Pru Monkey+++


    I don't want my kids to be Socialist either![LMAO]
     
  12. sci

    sci Monkey+++

    As a current college student who went through public school, I feel inclined to make a few statements to the ten that were initially posted. Really, these may just be a few ramblings that keep me from writing more of a term paper.

    However I will first make note that through school, I was one of the "gifted" children. That is, we had a more stimulating and challenging curriculum.

    Now, on to my responses:

    1) I cannot argue against this because I was taught how to read before entering kindergarten and was reading well above my peers. However, from visiting my mother at her job (an elementary school in which she is a custodian), I see that many children are fully expected by their parents to learn to read at school; that is, there is no education outside of the classroom at home.

    2) I completely agree with this, however it is a problem bigger than math. Public schools are focusing more on standardized tests and the regurgitation of material rather than analytical thinking. Even in my challenging curriculum in high school, my accelerated classes were expected to "dumb down" in order to fulfill the requirements of standardized tests.

    3) I don't have much to say to this. Again, I was lucky to be in accelerated programs with highly qualified educators. However, when I graduated, there was a growing problem with forcing these great teachers to retire or leave because in their place the district could hire three to five new teachers fresh out of college. It's a damn money game.

    4) It's an... education? The goal is for a well-rounded education, hence the sex education, the drug education... neither of which are encouraging students to go out, take some ecstasy, and have unprotected sex in a gang bang. Also, I fail to see the reasoning in "multiculturalism classes that spit on American values." This comment seems absurd; I've never had Stalin or Castro, or bin Laden respected in any class, that's for sure.

    5) As for narcotics and violence, I will state that though I had my share of schoolyard scuffles (in which I was defending myself... and did so successfully), I never touched any narcotics, nor did I see any in the public school I attended in suburban Ohio (even with the population becoming increasingly urban). Now, why did I do this? Because my parents taught me better at home. Public education isn't the end to all in a positive or negative manner; it must be supplemented with values taught at home, bringing light to the phrase "Momma didn't raise no fool."

    6) Sexual promiscuity was never taught in my school, nor was it encouraged. What the educators are trying to get across, in many cases, is sex education incorporating the options. With increased external pressure by the media for so-called "love" and sex at a younger age, children are educated so they know the consequences. I know that in my student health class in high school we spent half the quarter discussing how common sexually transmitted diseases are how abstinence was the only way to prevent catching any 100% of the time. Though, we were also taught about condom usage, etc., all the while discussing the consequences.

    Now, as far as homosexuality, I am alarmed by the sarcastic statement of homosexuality as normal behavior. I will also note that I am compelled to reply to this entire post on the grounds of another post in which someone mentions a very similar statement. I myself am a heterosexual, but I have many friends who are homosexuals. It's not as if they choose their sexual attractions, or if it's a complete psychological neurosis that leads to sexual "deviance." It is only stigmatized by the heterosexual population as deviant from the so-called "normal" sexual behavior.

    I assume that by stating "normal lifestyle" the piece is sarcastically referring to promiscuous homosexuality. Part of this behavior that emerged was because of the stigma placed on homosexuality and the traditional gender role and popularized gender role that men are able to obtain sex without strings attached. With increased pressure from these "ideals" and pressure to not reveal themselves as homosexuals, promiscuity emerged. However, I will state that among the homosexuals I know and their other friends, I have observed no promiscuity. In fact, many of my homosexual friends have been in serious, committed relationships for a few years.

    I have no problems with homosexuals, and I fail to see why any upstanding citizen would.

    7) I do not have any experience with this, so I will not comment. However, I will state again that the parents should have been involved. I acted up a few times in elementary school, but I was never given drugs. A phone call was made to my mother and I got an ear of it on the way home.

    8) The problem I've seen with this is that the "experts" are quick to label anything with legs with manic-depression, not recognizing that people naturally go through fits of what can be labeled as depression.

    9) I do agree with this statement insofar as saying that high school was a joke to me. Through the math and science that was standardized and the foreign language that was barely being graded, I did, however, learn to write analytically; a skill I owe to my maturation and growing sense of being. And, as far as "War and Peace," I got bored with it halfway through... I'm more of a Lost Generation fan. I was reading Hemingway throughout high school.

    10) Well, yeah. I had too many friends throughout school who would go home to an empty house and would sit and watch television because they didn't know any better.

    It's all a crazy situation, but there are my thoughts... the ramblings of someone who went through it all.
     
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