Comments on: An inelegant and ominous rewrite

By: Name Withheld

Name Withheld — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 01:27:36 +0000

#20 People did too live alongside dinosaurs. Haven’t you ever seen “The Flintstones”?

By: Scott M.

Scott M. — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:18:24 +0000

@18 89Hoo, I have asked which is why I think these guys should be held to State minimums. You can find reviews of the curriculums of the major home school companies. I don’t know if your preacher’s family uses them or something more main stream but children shouldn’t be hobbled by being taught humans lived alongside dinosaurs for example.

I reiterate, if home schooling is such a wonderful thing academically for the children, the home schoolers would be clamoring to take the State SOLs, etc. Instead, they just want to be allowed to participate in the sports programs.

Perhaps these home school programs aren’t really that good academically after all?

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/07/photos-evangelical-curricula-louisiana-tax-dollars

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2005/11/22/234711/68

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/hundreds-of-voucher-schools-teach-creationism-in-science-classes

http://video.pbs.org/video/2325563509

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 01:49:00 +0000

Jefferson reiterated, “Liberty of Conscience.” He was more prescient and intelligent than anyone living today. Why question him?

By: 89Hoo

89Hoo — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:03:35 +0000

The home schoolers I know, Scott, do encourage others to home school, and make no secrets of their curricula, or the co-ops, resources, materials, etc. All you have to do is ask.

By: Scott M.

Scott M. — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:59:35 +0000

@11 89Hoo, you mention a couple of people at your church who home-school and are doing remarkably well. I congratulate them. But this points me to a contradiction.

If religious and home-schooling works so well, you would think the home school people would be clamoring to have all their children take the State tests and divulge their curriculums to encourage others to follow their path. Your argument is really in support of my conclusions that they should be subject to State minimums, etc.

I mean, if they’re really doing as well as you say, they should have no trouble with the SOLs, science standards, etc. right?

So back to my original problem; why are they exempt from State standards?

By: Jim Lucas

Jim Lucas — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:47:40 +0000

#15 Your #12; “The issue for myself and many others who have not met the remarkable kids you have 89Hoo, is precisely what “facts and issues” are presented. In the public school system, that is not controlled by a partisan, fundamental or individual’s choice. I have met several home schooled people who are practically handicapped in their lack of social, even trivial information and ability because of such control of “facts and issues”. That you have not experienced it does not mean it does not exist. Kinda like scientific consensus and evolution.”

My hearing is fine, thanks.

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 04:00:17 +0000

Then you need your hearing checked Jim Lucas. I clearly said I don’t think anyone can argue that schooling your own children remains a choice for parents or that some mayhap even most, excel at it. Freely and of my own volition, I said that. You are again reading what you want to read into my remarks.

Name Withheld, we always devolve.

By: Name Withheld

Name Withheld — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:48:47 +0000

Why does every discussion about this subject have to end up in an argument over home schooling. There are lots of bright, well-adjusted home school kids. Generally their families are relatively well-off and their parents thoroughly educated. If you examine the performance of public school kids from similar backgrounds you will find plenty of good ones there too. Are there over-sheltered home-school kids with distorted views of the world and no social skills (a typical stereotype)? Perhaps there are, but there are certainly plenty of those in the public schools too.

In all this discussion one thing that is never talked about is the amount of extra administrative work there will be for teachers and principals who will have to deal with students opting out of assignments. It’s very hard to predict just what the scope of such a change would be. I worry that it will be a quagmire.

By: Jim Lucas

Jim Lucas — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:25:50 +0000

#12 What I hear is if not a government controlled environment….unacceptable.

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:23:28 +0000

I don’t think anyone can argue that schooling your own children remains a choice for parents or that some mayhap even most, excel at it.

The issue for myself and many others who have not met the remarkable kids you have 89Hoo, is precisely what “facts and issues” are presented. In the public school system, that is not controlled by a partisan, fundamental or individual’s choice. I have met several home schooled people who are practically handicapped in their lack of social, even trivial information and ability because of such control of “facts and issues”. That you have not experienced it does not mean it does not exist. Kinda like scientific consensus and evolution.