homeschooling atheist parent atheist parent
SO, apparently the NEA (National Education Association) has come out strongly against homeschooling in their 2014-2015 resolutions. I hope you take a moment and read what the NEA has decided is their public stance toward homeschooling:
Now the National Education Association describes their goals and missions as being one of providing public education for every child in their purview. Which makes me wonder why they have anything at all to say about homeschooling. But it's nice to know how unhappy the organization is toward homeschooling and scary to wonder who is listening to them.
The resolution states: Homeschooling programs based on parental
choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive educational experience.
THEY SAID THAT.
The unmitigated AUDACITY of this comment is what set me off on this rant to start with. The outright pomposity of the writing notwithstanding, I find it unbelievably conceited and uninformed of this organization to make a statement that is so very false when anyone can find opposing evidence so easily online. Study after study has pronounced homeschooling to be a successful and healthy way to educate our children.
Furthermore, I think it's just unkind and mean-spirited to specifically recommend disallowing homeschooling kids from participating in school activities. It's like saying You are either with or against us. We are immature about this.
Isn't this kind of...small? Some children in homeschool families get sports, music, tutoring, etc from local schools, as they should! Can we talk about how my taxes support the schools in my district even though we don't get any services there. Without even mentioning my support of the school district, it just seems bullyish to deny our kids access to district activities.
Our family did approach our nearest high school a few years ago, hoping my daughter could participate in after school theater. Although the theater teacher was thrilled to have her there, the teacher ultimately, grudgingly told my daughter couldn't participate in school activities as homeschooler. Allowing homeschool kids participate in school activities is already an issue dealt with differently from district to district.
The NEA's position on and recommendation of a homeschooling parent being licensed or overseen by some authoritative body is, to me, another piece of evidence showing that the NEA has no idea what homeschooling is all about. It is not school at home. This lifestyle, homeschooling, is about teaching as they learn, following interests, creating our own unique educational experience for our kids, responding to our children's needs instantly. For some people, it is true, homeschooling is a rejection of public education; the NEA actually thinking that they should offer any guidelines for homeschoolers is the ultimate arrogance.
The idea that someone else should select the materials that we use in our home would push me right over the edge. Again, this is not school at home. I promise you, I would start operating under the table if the State Department of Education would assume to decide materials for my children. NO ONE has the right to tell me what to do. Again, this suggestion of the NEA's most resent resolution shows how little they understand what we are doing and why we are doing it.
I realize that this document that they released has no power, but some political powers might actually look to the NEA for advice regarding homeschooling in their state. In fact, it would seem to me that the failures of the schools in this country would make the word of the NEA no more than powerless drivel.
Regardless, Homeschoolers are not in the purview of the NEA.
And the NEA has no respect from me.
I know quite a few people who are in support of abolishing the public school system in its entirety for its failures and weaknesses and its abuses. I am not one of them; I am simply a m u s e d by their contempt.
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You Might Also Enjoy:
More Reasons to Homeschool...In the News
Homeschool Strategies
A Very Damaging List Against Homeschooling
Homeschoolers are Weird
SO, apparently the NEA (National Education Association) has come out strongly against homeschooling in their 2014-2015 resolutions. I hope you take a moment and read what the NEA has decided is their public stance toward homeschooling:
The resolution states: Homeschooling programs based on parental
choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive educational experience.
THEY SAID THAT.
The unmitigated AUDACITY of this comment is what set me off on this rant to start with. The outright pomposity of the writing notwithstanding, I find it unbelievably conceited and uninformed of this organization to make a statement that is so very false when anyone can find opposing evidence so easily online. Study after study has pronounced homeschooling to be a successful and healthy way to educate our children.
Isn't this kind of...small? Some children in homeschool families get sports, music, tutoring, etc from local schools, as they should! Can we talk about how my taxes support the schools in my district even though we don't get any services there. Without even mentioning my support of the school district, it just seems bullyish to deny our kids access to district activities.
Our family did approach our nearest high school a few years ago, hoping my daughter could participate in after school theater. Although the theater teacher was thrilled to have her there, the teacher ultimately, grudgingly told my daughter couldn't participate in school activities as homeschooler. Allowing homeschool kids participate in school activities is already an issue dealt with differently from district to district.
The NEA's position on and recommendation of a homeschooling parent being licensed or overseen by some authoritative body is, to me, another piece of evidence showing that the NEA has no idea what homeschooling is all about. It is not school at home. This lifestyle, homeschooling, is about teaching as they learn, following interests, creating our own unique educational experience for our kids, responding to our children's needs instantly. For some people, it is true, homeschooling is a rejection of public education; the NEA actually thinking that they should offer any guidelines for homeschoolers is the ultimate arrogance.I realize that this document that they released has no power, but some political powers might actually look to the NEA for advice regarding homeschooling in their state. In fact, it would seem to me that the failures of the schools in this country would make the word of the NEA no more than powerless drivel.
Regardless, Homeschoolers are not in the purview of the NEA.
And the NEA has no respect from me.
I know quite a few people who are in support of abolishing the public school system in its entirety for its failures and weaknesses and its abuses. I am not one of them; I am simply a m u s e d by their contempt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You Might Also Enjoy:
More Reasons to Homeschool...In the News
Homeschool Strategies
A Very Damaging List Against Homeschooling
Homeschoolers are Weird
What gets interesting is that there are state homeschooling groups that tell parents to go against any legislation that allows homeschooled students to do public school sports. I agree, the us vs them is annoying and I have no doubt that a lot of it has to do with money. It's too bad that both sides cannot have a good discussion in order to find a way to teach individual child in the way that best suits that child.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if you are aware but in my state (WI), our current governor (who may try to go for president; he's praying about it right now) is trying to figure out how to reduce the requirements for people to become teachers. In a number of areas in the state, emergency subs are used. Emergency subs do not have a teacher's certification; they have a certificate to sub. Some school districts will not use them, the local one being one of them but outlying (especially rural) school districts will. There was a time where that was what we survived on when my husband didn't have a regular job; he got a number of sub positions and he is not at all a certified teacher though he's working on a master's in education.
Anyway, the conclusion of this is that the NEA really should focus on the issues in THEIR backyard before looking into someone else's! Which you are more or less saying too, I realize but yeah, it is kind of ironic how they seem to think they can tell parents how to teach when really, they're not doing that great of a job themselves.
Absolutely. First show me how good a job you are doing, then provide suggestions on how I can improve.
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