[Vision2020] homeschooling

[Bill London]

It is very easy to applaud homeschooling.  There are plenty of examples of homeschooled youngsters who have been very successful.
The more appropriate point, however, is the hidden truth of homeschoolers.  Not every homeschooling family cares about education.
I lived for 10 years in Benewah County, Idaho, about 60 miles north of Moscow.  Back in the woods there, homeschooling was common.  Some, probably most, homeschooling families really did care.
But a minority had no interest in educating their youth.  They just kept them out of school and taught them the things, legal and illegal, that the parents believed important.  Those kids had many options closed to them by their parents' ignorance.
It was very sad.  
How can we keep the homeschooling option alive while controlling such abusive situations?
BL
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: heirdoug at netscape.net 
  To: ngier at uidaho.edu ; vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2006 4:55 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] How about uncertified pastors?



  "Professional Philosopher" Nick Gier had this to say: "they do just as much damage as uncertified teachers or Idaho 
  parents who homeschool their children with absolutely no state controls at all."


  Dear Mr. Gier,

  So let me get this straight the Damage of 'uncertified teachers and home education parents' can be quantified by 
  the higher achievement test scores when compared to the public school's and it's more than qualified 'certified' 
  teachers, administrators and councillors. That's good sound philosophical reasoning.

  You must really be thinking that the home-educated children are not being properly indoctrinated with all of those 
  social skills that the local public school district instills in the public schooled children...

  Let's consider this quote from the MSD Newsletter.....

     "The primary value of Moscow Public Schools lies in preparing students to be successful, 
     contributing members of society and in perpetuating and improving our democratic way 
     of life. Our schools, consistent with our Beliefs, assist children to gain the knowledge, skills, 
     habits, understanding, attitudes, and character that promote this way of life. Essential 
     outcomes of such educational experiences include respect for the rights of others who 
     are different, readiness to promote the general welfare, a wholesome approach to the 
     many responsibilities of life, and a desire always to improve one's competencies in vocational,
     personal, and social experiences. The District is accountable to both students and parents 
     -- our primary constituents -- for the quality and availability of adequate educational services."

  H. L. Mencken in April 1924 for The American Mercury said that the aim of public school is not
     "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence.  ... Nothing 
     could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as 
     possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down
     dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States... and that is its aim everywhere 
     else."

  I like the difference between educated and schooled. I believe Public school is like Viagra... 
                          Never used it and don't need to!

  lemeno,
  Doug

  "The god you create is the god you will worship."
  ~~ Nick Gier (a paraphrase)

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