Homeschooling children

[blueangel]

Does anyone here on the fence post homeschool their children? If you do I really would like to ask some critical questions about the how to's and such.

[matt_s]

I'm sure if there is anybody involved in homeschooling here they will be more than willing to help you out. KPC's Greater Fort Wayne Family magazine has covered the Homeschooling topic quite a bit. I'm sure if you dig around on their part of the site www.fwdailynews.com/family or search our archives you will find what they have produced.

Also, I believe there is some sort of organization/association in DeKalb Co. that consists of Home School parents/teachers. I don't know what county you live in, but if there isn't one in your county this organization would probably be a good resource. Sorry, I don't have any contact info, just a vague recollection from a story last year on home school students receiving their diplomas.

[james_t]

Ingrid Lochamire has written on homeschooling a number of times for Family magazine and the News-Sun - she's a mother of four who homeschools. You can contact her at ingridl@localnet.com

Here's an article she wrote titled "Are you considering home education?"

http://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2007/01/30/family/front/family02.txt

[blueangel]

Thank you both for the wonderful information. Any further information or contact information would be great. I will follow up with any and all links and ideas provided.

[evilkumquat]

Man, I always thought homeschooling was a very bad idea.

Homeschooling focuses a child on education but at the expense of peer interaction.

I mean, I would rather my son and daughter bring home B's and have friends and the ability to interact with people than have a 4.0 college average and spending their lives at home for fear of going out in public.

I know that is possibly horribly prejudicial of the whole home-schooling experience, but I know firsthand how bad it can be for adults who spent too much time as children focusing on grades and less on people skills.

Remember: in this country, the very, very stupid can often achieve much, much power (although it helps having rich parents to bail you out time and time again).

[james_t]

Most of the people I have known who have homeschooled their kids - and there have been quite a number of them - have done so because they thought the topics taught in schools were at odds with their personal beliefs. I've seen some kids who seemed to benefit from it (one family I knew the mom had a master's in education, which I'm sure helped) and some that didn't seem to do as well. I think a lot of how successful it is depends on the parents - not unlike those of us who have our kids in public school.

[happygolucky]

Remember: in this country, the very, very stupid can often achieve much, much power (although it helps having rich parents to bail you out time and time again).


LMAO!!! are you referring to William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton or Geroge W Bush????? LOL

[happygolucky]

When I was growing up I was friends with a few homeschooled kids. They were happy because they were done at 1pm most days. They were not happy because they had limited friends, in middle school and high school they missed out on sports, dances, clubs etc.

They told me after we were older they would have rather been sent to public school.

The kids in homeschool will only be as good or smart as the parents teaching them also. They will have no other friends or classmates to challenge them, there is no comradery*spelling* either.

Yes there are pluse sides to this, you may need to think long and hard about this. List the pros and cons, it has always helped me in a big decision.

[blueangel]

Man, I always thought homeschooling was a very bad idea.

Homeschooling focuses a child on education but at the expense of peer interaction.

I mean, I would rather my son and daughter bring home B's and have friends and the ability to interact with people than have a 4.0 college average and spending their lives at home for fear of going out in public.

I know that is possibly horribly prejudicial of the whole home-schooling experience, but I know firsthand how bad it can be for adults who spent too much time as children focusing on grades and less on people skills.

Remember: in this country, the very, very stupid can often achieve much, much power (although it helps having rich parents to bail you out time and time again).


Well evilkumquat I do agree with you in some ways that the peer interaction is a good thing for kids.....however at what cost?
This is where my decission to homeschool has come about after many many hours of hard thought and watching what has been happening for several years with my kids.
Let me put it to you this way, (we are talking over a 5 year period) the school district that I am referring to and I am not going to name any names here so please don't even ask.......... has continued allowed my children to be bullied by their peers and refuses to do anything about it....then after weeks and months of my child reporting the abuse and even me reporting it my kid looses it and takes matters into his own hands and then he is the one that is reprimanded....how fair is that?
The teachers abuse my kids (and others in the classes) in the form of withholding recess and other things because the child asks questions about things that they don't understand.
My oldest asked to be moved to the front of the room near the blackboard because he said that he was having problems seeing the work being done there and was told to go even further back in the room because he could learn the subject matter on his own until he learned to see again.....now mind you the school has on record the medical records of this same child that he is going blind and his sight is NOT repairable.
OH yeah and then let's mention the fact that due to the school district withholding critical reports from the parents until it was to late (and we do have doctors who have attested to this and are prepared to go to court with us) that this is the reason that he is going blind in the first place.
OK then should we mention the fact that even tho one child is in the 2nd grade he can't read but is going to be passed to the 3rd grade and the other child who is in the 4th grade only reads at a 1st grade level (proven by testing) but yet he will be passed on to the 5th grade.
I am sorry if you disagree with my decision but I feel that even I can give my kids a better, safer and more enjoyable education that what they are getting where they are.
Don't get me wrong peer interaction is a good thing and I fully intend to make sure that they do continue to get plenty of peer interaction through other means. There are other ways to do this such as clubs, groups, sports and visiting friends and such.

[evilkumquat]

I agree that much public school education is in the toilet.

I do not mind saying that I went to Angola, and I think I can count on one hand all the teachers that really impressed me (looking back with adult hindsight as opposed to which ones I thought were "cool" at the time). The best ones simply knew how to teach, meaning they could convey their material in such a manner that it stuck in the students' heads.

The absolute best teacher in the entire MSD school system was Dave Olson who taught High School Social Studies. I cannot remember him ever really assigning homework, and the majority of his teaching style was pure lecture, but when he told me stuff, it stuck in my brain like a water stain. His tests often consisted of essays and despite never studying for them, I consistently scored high passing grades. Heck, almost twenty years later, I can still tell you that mercantilism is extremely important to the creation of the United States and one of its core tenets is the need for colonies both as a source of raw materials and as a market for surplus goods produced by the mother country. I know there was more to it than that, but just the fact that I can remember this much should say something for his teaching. I defy any of you who took calculus to be able to remember what the devil that stupid "E" symbol means.

As to the worst teachers in Angola, let us just say that my understanding of basic science and biology is so poor that I still think magic and evil spirits run most technological devices.

As far as discipline goes, you definitely have a point there, though sadly, bullying exists everywhere, both inside school and out. I do not advocate it, and I certainly do not want my children to have to experience it, but in many ways, bullying in our schools is almost a form of social Darwinism; I think most successful self-made people in this world were probably bullied as children, and it was through their strength of character that they not only rose above such abuse, many used it as a catalyst to improve their lives.

Granted, many others used the bullying as an almost-understandable excuse to go on violent rampages, but it probably best not to dwell on that.

I think I can tell to which school system you are referring, since people have been complaining about that place in one public forum or another for the last several years, and having dated several girls from that particular area, I would not be surprised by anything that I hear going on there. Hopefully, that Board will finally get its collective heads out of its collective ******* and make some GOOD decisions before they lose even more students to home schooling or transfers to other districts whose tuitions parents will be more than happy to pay.

[TheBigB]

As to the worst teachers in Angola, let us just say that my understanding of basic science and biology is so poor that I still think magic and evil spirits run most technological devices.


And yet, I'll bet you can find people that will name those teachers as the best they had while at Angola. The teacher-student interaction can be a very individualistic thing.

If push came to shove, I can name two teachers that for me stood out above all others, but in one case most students would probably say that this was their worst teacher, and in the other case there probably were quite a few lukewarm people on him as well. But then again, these guys taught some of the more difficult classes there were, and I was definitely a geek that needed to be challenged, so there you go.

[blueangel]

Well I don't mind saying that I also went to Angola and graduated from there also.
I do agree that there were teachers who to this day I thought was good at what they did....yes there are still some that impressed me so much that I can still remember the things that they taught and I got you beat in that I have been out of school now for almost 25 years.....wow how time flies....lol

As for the bullying thing I do agree that it is everywhere and yes to some point it actually may be good in that it does help a person develop some good skills later in life and teaches them how to cope with the jerks of the world.....In what I stated before however...I am talking about bullying that leads to even worse things such as bruises and other things. I just feel that it has gone over and beyond the any point of being a good thing. I feel that it has become more of a saftey issue.
When it got to the point that the children come home crying every single day and one has even said that he would rather harm himself rather that put up with another day like that it has gotten to a point that something has to be done.
I agree hopefully these school districts will get their heads out of the crevises that they are in and see what they are allowing to happen. But then again why should they I personally don't think that they give a .........

[james_t]

I defy any of you who took calculus to be able to remember what the devil that stupid "E" symbol means.

It's a Greek letter, sigma. As I recall it meant summation. I made it to Calc III at college (lo these many moons ago), but that class plus discrete mathematics convinced me to drop math to a minor. The main thing I remember from Calc is that the function of 1/x as you approach zero is infinity, and a little bit of the proof. You can imagine how often I use that as an editor.

I had the driest prof for Calc II you could ever imagine, and I had him at 8:30 in the morning - and this was after working most of the night at the sports desk of the local paper and then trying to get my classwork done, plus working on the campus paper. He said I did great for someone who slept through the entire semester.

[james_t]

When it got to the point that the children come home crying every single day and one has even said that he would rather harm himself rather that put up with another day like that it has gotten to a point that something has to be done.

Yeah, if my kids were in that sort of situation we'd definitely be looking at some sort of change. Most parents would.

[hairypumper]

"Social advancement" has been going on for a long time. These are often very smart kids who have learned to play the system. They know they will not be held back, so why do the work or cooperate with the teachers or other kids? Getting sent to the office is just another way of getting out of a boring class. These kids don't realize they are closing a lot of doors to their future, and too often noone can figure out how to impress upon them the self destructive nature of their actions.

[ebbieday]

"Social advancement" has been going on for a long time. These are often very smart kids who have learned to play the system. They know they will not be held back, so why do the work or cooperate with the teachers or other kids? Getting sent to the office is just another way of getting out of a boring class. These kids don't realize they are closing a lot of doors to their future, and too often noone can figure out how to impress upon them the self destructive nature of their actions.

BINGO!! You hit the nail on the head with this. I am dealing with this very issue as we speak. One of my sons should have been held back last year, but the school didn't see how that would help him. I asked, "How is it helping him to give him something he did not earn??" So they 'placed' him to the next grade. I could have fought it and held him back myself, but I seriously think that if a student is the least bit of a challenge, they don't want to be bothered. And every teacher tells me this kid is one of the most brilliant students they have in class. His writing papers are 'deep' (WHEN he does them), he gives answers most in his class wouldn't think of. The problem is exactly what you stated...he knows how to play the system and is a master at it. Next year is high school and I told him there's no playing games then...you either do the work or you don't graduate on time...it's that simple! There has to be a better way to deal with these kids because I know I am not near the only one and it seems to be a big problem with boys. I would love to know what the connection is.

[matt_s]

Are any of the criteria that the state or other entities (maybe even for grants or other funding sources) use to grade schools and school systems tied to a percentage of students who advance each year? There could be a structural disincentive in place that may or may not be of the schools making.

[evilkumquat]

Are any of the criteria that the state or other entities (maybe even for grants or other funding sources) use to grade schools and school systems tied to a percentage of students who advance each year? There could be a structural disincentive in place that may or may not be of the schools making.

I think it is both a combination of such criteria and an overall failure in the entire educational system to attract a better pool of teachers from the colleges through incentives like better pay and smaller classes.

But who wants higher property taxes, etc. to pay for all those hypothetical Mr. Bergstroms*?
---------------------------------------
*WARNING: Simpsons reference

[matt_s]

I think it is both a combination of such criteria and an overall failure in the entire educational system to attract a better pool of teachers from the colleges through incentives like better pay and smaller classes.

I'm not sure that's a decision that I would necessarily hang on the teachers. To me, that is a policy decision that is made at an administrative level, if in fact decisions of this type are being made to enhance a score or a stat. Teachers are being asked to teach to a test, effectively capping classroom development at the level of the test. The education system is now focusing on results at the cost of the product.

I fully agree that teachers as a whole are woefully underpaid.

[ebbieday]

I fully agree that teachers as a whole are woefully underpaid.

But do you agree that they should get raises based on merit, much like the rest of us in our jobs? If I did my job like some teachers do, I'd be canned in a heartbeat.

[james_t]

But do you agree that they should get raises based on merit, much like the rest of us in our jobs? If I did my job like some teachers do, I'd be canned in a heartbeat.

I think that's the struggle schools are going through at the moment. I agree with your statement, but the question is who decides what constitutes merit? If it's up to the principals or any other school staff, there's a huge danger that the process becomes too politicized.

That's what gave birth to the whole No Child Left Behind thing - people/the government wanted accountability from the schools. When the schools scream about being made accountable, I have very little sympathy - the lack of accountability in any profession opens it up to problems. But the down side is you have schools teaching to a test, and I'm not sure that's a great solution either.

How do you decide what constitutes academic progress and who gets rewarded?

[matt_s]

Given the variety of learning styles and interests of students (and often parents), is progress simply forward motion from a fixed point or is it only measured as attainment of certain goals.

Does a fifth grader progressing from reading at a 1st grade level to a 3rd grade level in one year count as progress or is it not counted until that student can read at a 5th grade level (assuming he/she is still in 5th grade) how do you measure these things? Who measures these things?

It's not an easy solution and at this point I'd hate to see anything that could dissuade people from wanting to be teachers. Of course there has to be a solution for those who simply can't teach or take advantage of their position.

[ebbieday]

If it's up to the principals or any other school staff, there's a huge danger that the process becomes too politicized...


How do you decide what constitutes academic progress and who gets rewarded?

Well you have to admit that schools are all politics anyway...they always have been. What's in a name? You decide.

I think for a large part of the process, the kids and parents should decide who does and doesn't deserve merit. After all, who are the ones who feel the long term effects of a teacher that does not care for a certain child or care to put forth a little extra to help that kid and make them feel stupid or like they don't fit in. That's right...the student. Teachers pick their "cliques" of students too and they don't even have to say a word. Their actions, expressions and interactions (or lack of) tell a kid all they need to know and that never leaves a person. The saying goes, "People may forget what you say to them, but they will never forget how you made them FEEL."

[james_t]

I think for a large part of the process, the kids and parents should decide who does and doesn't deserve merit. After all, who are the ones who feel the long term effects of a teacher that does not care for a certain child or care to put forth a little extra to help that kid and make them feel stupid or like they don't fit in. That's right...the student. Teachers pick their "cliques" of students too and they don't even have to say a word. Their actions, expressions and interactions (or lack of) tell a kid all they need to know and that never leaves a person. The saying goes, "People may forget what you say to them, but they will never forget how you made them FEEL."

Problem is, that system would be open to abuse too. You get someone who doesn't think their little angel - who, no doubt, is the next Einstein, Mother Teresa and Babe Ruth rolled into one - is capable of causing trouble in class and decides they and all their friends need to do what they can to punish that miserable teacher, and you're going to have good teachers bailing quickly. Parents can play politics, too.

[matt_s]

I'm also sure that having students grade their teachers is a pretty futile effort. Let's just say that until they are older they are probably grading with a different set of criteria than the teacher probably wants to be graded by.

I don't know the correct way to determine compensation. My sister is a teacher and even she acknowledges that pretty much every plan she has heard people talk about involves structural disincentives somewhere in the plan and leaves one group or another open to exploitation.

[ebbieday]

Problem is, that system would be open to abuse too. You get someone who doesn't think their little angel - who, no doubt, is the next Einstein, Mother Teresa and Babe Ruth rolled into one - is capable of causing trouble in class and decides they and all their friends need to do what they can to punish that miserable teacher, and you're going to have good teachers bailing quickly. Parents can play politics, too.

Oh no doubt about that. I know my kid is a little sneak and has attitude. I just wish more people would really think about what it means to be a good teacher before entering the profession. I've always known I would never be cut out for the job.

[james_t]

Oh no doubt about that. I know my kid is a little sneak and has attitude. I just wish more people would really think about what it means to be a good teacher before entering the profession. I've always known I would never be cut out for the job.

I wasn't pointing fingers (don't think you took it that way), just making general observations based on some parents I've known.

I agree with not being cut out for the job. I was a teaching major right up until it came time for student teaching, and I suddenly realized that I had no clue how to make those bored high school faces looking at me enjoy "The Red Badge of Courage."

(Wow, first calculus comes up in the discussion and now this. I'll have my whole college transcript posted by the end of the day.)

[Ligonite]

We have homeschooled our children from the beginning. I have one in college this year, with more headed that way in the next few years. There are a number of homeschool groups in the area (NWAHE is one) along with some cottage-type classes for enrichment.

Feel free to drop me a private message if you have specific questions.

[ebbieday]

We have homeschooled our children from the beginning. I have one in college this year, with more headed that way in the next few years. There are a number of homeschool groups in the area (NWAHE is one) along with some cottage-type classes for enrichment.

Feel free to drop me a private message if you have specific questions.


Can you tell me some of the advantages of this for a child who is struggling as far as becoming interested in even doing the work. Public school really hasn't done any favors in this regard.

[Ligonite]

Can you tell me some of the advantages of this for a child who is struggling as far as becoming interested in even doing the work. Public school really hasn't done any favors in this regard.

Well, when the student-to-teacher ratio is reduced to 1:1 (or 2:1, or 3:1, or anything less than the classroom ratio of more than 20:1) then the student will be getting more individualized instruction. Certainly, every single thing that is taught need not be extremely "interesting" (there is value in developing patience and attention span, to be sure), but adapting the learning to the mode or interest of the child will help make the experience more effective. And parents have a lot more latitude in the tools they can use to motivate a child. How many teachers have the power to take away entertainment from a student who doesn't do his/her work?

Also, who is more likely to understand the child as an individual - the parent, or the teacher (who has a classroom full of individuals)? Homeschooling can help a student who needs to reduce distractions. And certain classes can be taught when the child is most receptive (e.g. some kids do better with math early in the day, others later in the day).

There are challenges, though. Nobody should be homeschooling to "get away from" a situation. You need to be committed to moving "towards" something. Otherwise, the homeschooling parent will lose interest/patience and the experience could be a disaster. Each family must decide which educational environment - public, private, or homeschool - is best for their child(ren).

On the negative side, it costs a lot to homeschool - we pay twice for our kids' education (once with our taxes, and again out of pocket for the direct and indirect costs of education). I have to laugh when I hear people insinuate that homeschool parents are hurting their kids or trying to take the "easy way out"! Not only do you have to do the work of the teacher(s), but you have to work a lot harder to give your kids experiences with their peers - although you certainly have a lot more control over those experiences!

Also, no matter how well a homeschooled student does on standardized tests, no matter how many times they demonstrate excellence in their work - there will be those who still (implicitly or explicitly) consider homeschooling an inferior form of education. You learn this best when your child looks for scholarships and other forms of financial aid to attend college. More than half of all scholarships are closed to them de facto - because they did not graduate from an accredited local high school. It becomes more imperative for them to be involved in the community and in other activities where they may have access to financial aid for college.

On the positive side - our school has no drug problems, no metal detectors, no "bully" problems, no teenage pregnancies, and the parents, teachers, and administrators all get along great :shakehands:

People regularly comment on the maturity my kids exhibit in social settings - before they know that they are homeschooled. I think the primary reason for this is that they are insulated from a lot of the peer "goofiness" during the school day, and are expected to pattern their behavior after the adult example that is being given to them by their teacher(s). As far as extracurricular opportunities, our kids experience the same things as other kids: athletics, the arts, volunteering, part-time work, and other "normal" activities. The difference is that as homeschooling parents, we are by definition involved with our kids' activities. We can't just turn them over to someone else to do the "dirty work".

I hope this helps.

[ebbieday]

Thanks for the reply. It sounds like one must be extremely organized and determined to do this kind of schooling. Kudos to you for getting the job done.

[evilkumquat]

People regularly comment on the maturity my kids exhibit in social settings - before they know that they are homeschooled. I think the primary reason for this is that they are insulated from a lot of the peer "goofiness" during the school day, and are expected to pattern their behavior after the adult example that is being given to them by their teacher(s).

At the risk of going all Willy Wonka here but, what's wrong with kids being kids?

The young have their entire adult lives to be mature, but a very, very short time to have fun "acting their age" and get away with it.

Granted, I discipline my kids at a level just below the point where they would be expected to goosestep, because deep down I am a lazy parent and I would much rather my kids always behave in public (or at home) so I am not put out by their actions. However, we still goof around and do stupid "kid" things (personally, when it is just me and them in my car, I sing a song about them being "poopy pants" to the point where they are positively screaming at me to stop- but all in good fun).

[Ligonite]

At the risk of going all Willy Wonka here but, what's wrong with kids being kids?

The young have their entire adult lives to be mature, but a very, very short time to have fun "acting their age" and get away with it.

Granted, I discipline my kids at a level just below the point where they would be expected to goosestep, because deep down I am a lazy parent and I would much rather my kids always behave in public (or at home) so I am not put out by their actions. However, we still goof around and do stupid "kid" things (personally, when it is just me and them in my car, I sing a song about them being "poopy pants" to the point where they are positively screaming at me to stop- but all in good fun).

Nothing is wrong with "kids being kids". You missed the point. The most common objection against homeschooling is that the children will not be properly "socialized". (I suppose some people think we are raising jack-booted anti-social religious whack-jobs or something to that effect). I was pointing out that it is quite possible to raise normal, even exemplary children without sending them into the public schools for "socialization". I never implied that kids should not have the opportunity to "be kids".

To clarify, when I said peer "goofiness", I meant things like tattoos, piercings, provocative dress, foul language, inappropriate PDAs, experimenting with drugs, disrespect for authority, and the like. I don't see any of those things as "kids being kids".

[LuciusBeebe]

What does maturity have to do with social skills?



To clarify, when I said peer "goofiness", I meant things like tattoos, piercings, provocative dress, foul language, inappropriate PDAs, experimenting with drugs, disrespect for authority, and the like. I don't see any of those things as "kids being kids".

That is totally kids being kids.

[james_t]

That is totally kids being kids.

Some of those behaviors yes, some no. Teens have an illusion of indestructibility that can be fatal or wreck their lives if you don't intervene at some point.

Regardless, I think kumquat's original post about "kids being kids" was referring to a different age range. One does not generally sing songs about poopy pants with a car load of teenagers, unless perhaps you're dredging up things from their childhood to embarrass the heck out of them.

[ebbieday]

The young have their entire adult lives to be mature, but a very, very short time to have fun "acting their age" and get away with it.

Oh I couldn't agree more!!

However, we still goof around and do stupid "kid" things (personally, when it is just me and them in my car, I sing a song about them being "poopy pants" to the point where they are positively screaming at me to stop- but all in good fun).

I love it! Sounds like a great time and THAT...is what memories are made of. Your kids will never forget those times.

[james_t]

AS a "whole" maybe but that is because the really good teachers are so far out in front of those mediocre 8 to3 teachers.teaching has become a lucrative job for people who want to take 100 to 300 level classes and start out making good money for 9 months of the year.

That seems a bit harsh to me, and I've had kids in public schools for about seven years now (besides being a public school product myself).

I agree there are mediocre teachers out there, but I think those are more the exception than the rule. Most of them I've dealt with have been the kind who put in long hours after class working on lesson plans and grading papers.

My wife worked as school nurse at our local public high school for one year back in Illinois. Although she liked working with the students, she wound up putting in tons of unpaid overtime just to keep up with all the paperwork involved. This for a salary that was about 1/3 of what she made as staff nurse at the hospital.

[HoosierHelen]

I am encouraged to see that Allen County has taken an interest in monitoring the progress of these 2 families children that are homeschooled. As I am sure you all remember, I have been concerned about those children being left behind because their parents didn't want to make the effort to allow their children to participate in public schooling and were not required by Indiana's vague laws to test their children's educational progress and submit that to the state in the case of home schooling.

I understand many object to this testing of homeschooled children, however, I know of no other way to measure their progress in learning. Both public school children and private school children have adjusted to the testing routine. Why are homeschooled children exempt? I continue to hope that our state will define the expectations of homeschooled children's programs.

http://www.journalgazette.com/article/20091230/LOCAL03/312309994/1002/LOCAL

[HoosierHelen]

I am encouraged to see that Allen County has taken an interest in monitoring the progress of these 2 families children that are homeschooled. As I am sure you all remember, I have been concerned about those children being left behind because their parents didn't want to make the effort to allow their children to participate in public schooling and were not required by Indiana's vague laws to test their children's educational progress and submit that to the state in the case of home schooling.

I understand many object to this testing of homeschooled children, however, I know of no other way to measure their progress in learning. Both public school children and private school children have adjusted to the testing routine. Why are homeschooled children exempt? I continue to hope that our state will define the expectations of homeschooled children's programs.

http://www.journalgazette.com/article/20091230/LOCAL03/312309994/1002/LOCAL

My norm is NOT to listen to the Pat White show on WOWO, however, a friend of mine called to tell me he was discussing this story on his show this afternoon. Guess what...his primary interest was for the Mothers who plead guilty for neglect in keeping proper records of attendence for their children. He expressed NO concern for the children and the quality of educational standards they were capable of accomplishing. Once again, I plead that our state put a priority on measuring the quality of education some of our home schooled children are receiving.

[Mrs.Slotz]

A person I work with has home schooled their children. What I am hearing is: When you go to apply for college, the home schooled do have to take several exams before they are accepted. They have to show proof of what they did, etc.

[Mrs.Slotz]

Does anyone here on the fence post homeschool their children? If you do I really would like to ask some critical questions about the how to's and such.

I really do work with someone that knows the in's and out's of how this works.
please PM me and I will give you my contact address.

[john40]

What's wrong with using discipline? We used to get knuckles cracked,butts paddled in school and when we got home the real punishment set in. Now teachers and parents aren't allowed to physically discipline children due to gov't. running personal lives.

[JoeHooker]

Does anyone here on the fence post homeschool their children? If you do I really would like to ask some critical questions about the how to's and such.
:coffee:
I might be able to offer you some helpfull suggestions.
Feel free to contact me off group at any time.
Rev. Dr. J.D. Hooker

[HoosierHelen]

:coffee:
I might be able to offer you some helpfull suggestions.
Feel free to contact me off group at any time.
Rev. Dr. J.D. Hooker

Lot of credits there Joe. What is your Dr. degree in? You are a Rev. of which church?

[JoeHooker]

Lot of credits there Joe. What is your Dr. degree in? You are a Rev. of which church?

One in Theology, another in Ministry.
General Association of Regular Baptists.
Joe

[john40]

One in Theology, another in Ministry.
General Association of Regular Baptists.
Joe

That is great! Does that place you above us mere mortals no offense meant just a question.

[JoeHooker]

That is great! Does that place you above us mere mortals no offense meant just a question.

:hmmmm:
No way!
In fact it might just put me one rung further down on the ladder than most folks.
Fact is it just makes me even more responsible for my actions, and gives me more to answer for.
Joe