I've had several public school folks from this and other websites asking unbiased questions in their websearches. They don't stay long, presumably because my website didn't give the REAL story.
Do you want the real story? Here it is!
An AOL search of the "sad story of homeschooling" reveals that children are forced into public schools in divorce cases. Ok, that's a sad story. My blog *somehow* came next.
Next up? A post that links to a news story that pretty plainly states that "homeschooling" families are a bit wacko and are trying to hide stuff. "The school bus never stopped at the secluded trailer on Hickory Crossroads in rural North Carolina," it forbodingly opines, "because for five years Nissa and Kent Warren home schooled their children."
Are you hearing the doom-y music in the background? Um... they found squalid living conditions and some dead kids... must be the homeschooling. Nothing to do with wacky parents who were known abusers and CONVICTED in another state, right?? Good grief.
Ok, ok. One more. The "my son hates being homeschooled" story in which the poster asks for advice. You would think from the oh-so-relevant gay sex remarks written in response that public-schooled children neeeever complain about their teachers, homework, classmates or school rules. Better get that kid into public school post-haste so that he can have a chance at a "normal" life... you know, like commenter "Yiffing in Hell" does. What is yiffing, you ask? Oh, boy, are you going to wish I hadn't provided the answer to that one.
Don't click it unless you really want to know.
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Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
News stories like "The Dark side to Homeschooling" make me furious. Please, for every single case of child abuse in a homeschooling home, there are hundreds of reports of abuse in homes where they don't.
ReplyDeleteNo one does a story on the number of kids in public school who are abused at home. Why? Because it's not relevant,and neither is it in the case of homeschooling.
ReplyDeleteI think the thing that bothers me most about it is the fact that they seem to think they're objective. I'm NOT saying we should sweep the stories of abuse in homeschool families under the rug AT ALL, but alternate titles for this article could have included both "The Dark Side of Parenting" and "The Dark Side of the Judicial System."
ReplyDeleteBut that isn't what they titled the article. And why? I would submit to you it's because people are curious about the weird or hidden side of people. I mean, parenting? Borrrring. But "Angelina and Brad" parenting? Need to know that. Third grade math? Borrrring. "Secrets of Fundamentalist Homeschooling Revealed?" Exciting stuff.
Well, that's my theory anyway. If I were to sit down and really consider that the entire CBS network has it out for people like me, I would start to get paranoid and depressed. (Bad combination, probably.)
I agree with Rose. Wanna know how many kids line up for the school's *Breakfast Program*? 2/3! Most of those don't have lunch either & some won't get dinner. It's just people, not the method of schooling they choose but I agree, Mrsc. The more sensational the headline the more likely people are to read it & never mind abouth the truth.
ReplyDeleteLOL The truth is when the pots do all the judging, the kettles get regulated. We're a minority, but I'm totally acknowledging that there's a nut in every bunch.
ReplyDeleteI'm a public schooling mom, too, and can tell you that for a fact. No fair saying I'm the nut in both bunches. :P
Unfortunately, this kind of writing about homeschool is not necessarily found only in secular news. I read an article in a missionary magazine over here that was supposedly summing up the current state of homeschooling in Japan. The writer did tell about some of the positives, but the over all feel of the article was "Japanese homeschoolers are isolated, don't have proper curriculum, and a significant number homeschool because they feel pressured into it by someone at church and/or because they have emotional problems and can't manage to get their kids out the door on time for public school". UGH! Made me so mad when I read that - especially considering the source!
ReplyDeleteOh this makes me so angry! These people (like the ones in Sue's comment) have no concept how much time, organization and energy goes into raising a child much less homeschooling. Yes, I would rather my children risk being bullied at school or worse be the victim of a mass shooting. I would rather my child be indoctrinated with a socialist radical agenda or taught in a state school that constantly fails to meet even state guidelines. How about sex education for five year olds under the new UN guidelines? Yup--all of our kids would be better off in public school. Unbelievable!!!
ReplyDeleteIt must be true, Bonnie. Sue just read it in a Christian magazine.
ReplyDeleteSigh.
Yeah, it's hard to hear stuff like that from other Christians, but I do remember the days before I homeschooled that there was a distinct "my kid is better than yours because my kid is too *good* to be in your slummy school" sort of an attitude among some of the people at my old church.
You find all that no matter where your kid goes to school. These people would tend to join the PTA and try for leadership positions if their kids went to public school.
I try to be tolerant, but I sure do avoid these people.
Well, I for one love when people are honest with their bias against homeschooling. They are much easier to deal with then the dropping hints kind of people. You know, "Oh, I think Beverly would have so much fun if she spent more time with her peer group..."
ReplyDeleteI know you warned, but I linked... and I read about a whole "other" subculture that I didn't really need to know about.
[sarcasm]
ReplyDeleteMrs. C, thank you sooooo much for sharing these articles! I see now how horrible homeschooling can be! I'm off to see if I can enroll children in some form of "real" growing opportunity system before we leave the hospital. My kids are too important to neglect by taking them home!
[/sarcasm]
[smile] People. Sure, homeschooling isn't for everyone. But it is a great option!
~Luke
LOL Yeahhhhh, Julie, I learned that through Google web searching. I figured "yiffing" had to be a verb or something, but silly me had to find out what exactly it meant.
ReplyDeleteI'm ok with reasonable honesty, too, though I don't deal with getting harped on too well. I'm even ok with admitting there are some distinct DISadvantages to homeschooling if the person in question also admits there are some real DISadvantages in most public education programs. I mean, anyone who can't admit the latter is smoking crack or deluded and I just don't hang with those people too well.
Have you ever dropped hints that someone else's kid would do soooo much better if they just de-institutionalized him? Try it sometime for the humour. Just make sure not to pull that on someone whose friendship you actually value. :P
Luke, you're welcome. I'm glad I opened your eyes to the inherent evils of the homeschool community. Hope all is well with you, friend!
Other minorities can sue for defamation and such. When are we going to be able to do that? After all we are a subculture within a culture.. a minority in America that is misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteOkay the reason we dont go the courts on all of this like other minorities who claim prejudice is simply because we are an intelligent bunch of people, secure in our minority niche, and really truth be told, everyone wants to be like us! Right?
That or we're just so busy homeschooling that we don't have time. :]
ReplyDeleteGod bless you, Mrs. D, but I think the attitude sometimes is, "Why would you do that if you don't have to? There is a perfectly good public school down the street. There must be some reason the mom wants all that control over the kid's life."
Siiigh.
Another POV. My next door neighbors homeschooled their 10 kids up until high school. Every single one of them either went through high school or are going through high school getting top grades in advanced placement classes. One son, who graduated with my son, was elected class president. (No socialization skills, right?)
ReplyDeleteThe ones who have graduated so far, all received scholarships to college.
When the final child entered high school, they threw a retirement party for their mother, who was their teacher up to that point.
Of course, since I'm a public school teacher, I frown on that sort of educational mischief, and there is certainly something wrong with that picture.
(Sorry, but I just don't want to get into trouble with the union.)
I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with the union either, Harry. Actually I don't see where teachers in public schools really have their jobs threatened by homeschoolers at all. We're hardly the majority. And more of us keeping our kids home means less crowded classrooms as the taxes we pay remain at the same level.
ReplyDeleteI never understood that whole "take the money in and then redistribute it" idea states and big governments like to do. Methinks it's an ideal way to have a little skimming off the top or something. Why else would you do it that way? Hm.
Ah, well. It would be interesting to see news stories with suspicious tones about a family because it *gasp* sends its kids to public school LOL. Just for variety. :]