[Caipirabob]

You can't argue with success, and it isn't coming from the NEA Public Indoctrination Camps.

I did a search on this topic using the keywords I listed, but I don't know if I screwed up the date sorts or something with the new formats. Either way I didn't find this article. If it's a dup have the moderator pull it.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

The logical extentsion to the comments made it the article is not to permit anyone to study for the spelling bee. Then all would have an equal chance.

[nightdriver]

"Kimble said that home-schooled kids do have an advantage "in that their time and how it is structured is entirely up to them."

That home schooling is superior should surprise no one. The only reason public schooling ever got started was the idea that it MIGHT be less expensive for a community to pool their resources. It was never intended that public education become the bureaucratic monster it is today.

Home schooling is the norm. Too bad our society has become so structured that we have to be so busy serving our government that we cannot all do it.

[don-o]

Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, said that in some instances, home-schooling parents emphasize memorization more than schools do - another reason home-schoolers have found success in the bee.

Duh. Mr. Houston, memorization is how humans learn. Folks, this is a pretty clear indication that the educational establishment is clueless.

[Chemnitz]

We have two bright home-schooled children staying with us over Easter. What a treat to be with them. They are intelligent, articulate, polite, loving, and interested in everything.

We have a young woman who was home-schooled until college. She was a straight A student in college and got almost a perfect school in the physician assistant's board exam. She is also a wonderful person to be around.

We home-schooled our son for one year. He became fluent in five languages (not in one year, but later, based on initial tutoring). He is now a highly paid computer programmer.

[Jonah Hex]

Actually, most North Carolina colleges ARE good and all NC universities are even BETTER!

(Even UNC, I hate to admit.)

Shot down by his own poor analogy.....the sap. Maybe his parents should have considered home schooling?

[NautiNurse]

More years ago than I care to share...I attended parochial schools. I dominated every spelling bee from the classroom to city-wide. I attribute this to the exhaustive time my father spent during evenings drilling the spelling words. I suppose some would now consider this a form of home schooling versus productive family time together.

[kitkat]

What isn't mentioned in the article is something a teacher friend of mine told me: More time is spent in the classroom meeting government obligations than teaching. She's a devoted liberal and was disgusted with how little time she was allowed to actually teach. Her solution? More teachers with better pay, and smaller classes. Pathetic!

[Lizavetta]

Separate spelling bees - one for traditionally schooled children, and one for homeschoolers - is coming.

You watch and see.

[rovenstinez]

From my experience, home schoolers in general do better in every category, not just spelling. When will we wake up the NEA?

[SpookBrat]

*PING*

[old blue beemer]

((( ping )))

[reg45]

In the NEA controlled government schools, students learn creative spelling. This is not conducive to winning spelling bees.

On the other hand, when it comes to winning "condom bees", government school students do very well.

[X-USAF]

Homeschoolers dominate spelling bees (Some see unfair advantage)

Does anybody see the liberal bias in the title?

How about:

Homeschoolers dominate spelling bees (Some see fair disadvantage)

Those who have children in the public system get what they pay for.

[GussiedUp]

I fully expect to see a full assualt coming from the Gummit upon homeschoolers because that is the only way the Gummit responds to being exposed. What I don't expect is the Gummit to straighten up - they always attack, lie and coverup instead of fixing their own mess.

[Salgak]

You're right, this is TERRIBLY unfair. The public schools should be banned from spelling bees, for lack of decent competition !!!! (g)

[xzins]

Each setting has its advantages. There should be no discrimination based on those advantages.

You can bet that public school kids will be much better at team athletics. It's pretty hard for one Mom to churn out a basketball team, much less a football team where all are eligible for the same level of play at the same time. Basketball, I think, would require 3 sets of twins in 3 years. Triplets or quads would help. (Three pointer with a foul = 4.....lol.)

Homeschoolers are smokin' on the spelling and geography sections. I'll bet also that they're better in basic subjects for those parents who actually home school as opposed to those using "homeschooling" as a dodge.

I'll also guess that "institutional" high schools (large facilities whether public, religious, or private) will churn out better prospects in higher math, higher science, and higher arts. Why do I say this?

I don't think most home school parents have the background in calculus, advanced science and art, nor do they have the facilities (labs) to make these things readily available to home schooled kids. Maybe computers will change that, but every "long distance" or "computer" class I've seen doesn't compare to a knowledgeable teacher who is PRESENT for questions and guidance.

[Ross Amann]

Yes! This is unfair!! We should conduct spelling bees fairly. Since Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have ignored this problem, I guess it's up to me to propose just rules:

1. For homeschooled children all words must be 10 letters or more. Example: chrysanthemum.

2. For privately schooled children, words of 8 letters or more.

3. For public school children, words of 6 letters or less.

4. For public school children from an economically disadvanted area, words of 3 letters or less. Example: cat.

[dawn53]

Houston said that having a few home-schooled bee champs does not necessarily show the superiority of home-schooling.

Hmmm. If public school kids were winning spelling bees over the home schooled kids, do you think the NEA would be saying, "Having public school bee champs does not show the superiority of public schooling."

[EdReform]

Bump

[TigersEye]

Help! I got a public school education and can't get up!