Posted on 12/03/2010 2:11:16 PM PST by Sopater
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC -- In August 2001, the cover of Time magazine posed this question: "Is Home Schooling Good for America?" Today, as more and more adults who were homeschooled assume positions of leadership and service in our nation, we answer Time's question with a resounding "Yes!"
Without question, the contributions of homeschoolers are dramatically changing our political landscape. For example, leadership courses, camps, and organizations such as Generation Joshua, a division of the Home School Legal Defense Association, are coming alongside homeschooling families to train future leaders. During the 2010 mid-term elections Generation Joshua deployed 900 of their nearly 6,000 members to make a difference in 21 political races across the nation, including that of Congressman Daniel Webster (R-FL), a homeschooling father.
Dr. Brian Ray, founder of the National Home Education Research Institute, in his 2004 study of more than 7,000 homeschooled adults, showed that homeschoolers were more likely to vote, volunteer for political campaigns, and participate in community service. Dr. Ray found that 71% of homeschool graduates participated in ongoing community service activities compared to 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages, and 76% of homeschool graduates (aged 18–24) had voted in a national or state election within the last 5 years, compared to 29% of non-homeschooled graduates.
In his article titled "Revisiting the Common Myths About Homeschooling," Michael Romanowski, a professor at the Center for Teacher Education at Ohio Northern University, stated: "Homeschoolers clearly learn about the real world, possibly more than do their public school counterparts. While the purpose of public education is to educate future citizens who take an active role in improving the social, economic, and political conditions in society, Ray's research indicates that public schools, not homeschooling, should be scrutinized for their efforts regarding 'citizenship training.'"
When asked to comment about the recent political impact of homeschooled adults nationwide, Paul and Gena Suarez, homeschooling family of six children and publishers of the premier quarterly magazine for homeschoolers, responded that homeschoolers' success "only confirms what numerous stats and studies have already indicated -- that 'homeschooling' is about so much more than merely educating our children. It's about instilling in the next generation the conviction that if good is to prevail, then it must be advanced, and it can be advanced only by those who embrace it."
Many homeschooling families are training their children to make a difference by serving this nation with integrity, not for the sake of personal ambition or monetary gain but rather because they have learned how to be responsible citizens. Determined, astute homeschooling families are making their voices heard -- from leadership camps to grassroots organizations to Congress.
In January 2011, Ms. Jaime Herrera, age 32, will be sworn in as a U.S. Representative (R–WA). She will be remembered, among other things, as the very first member of our U.S. Congress who was a homeschooler. She will not be the last.
Good article, but we still have far too many “conservatives” who disapprove of Food Stamps, but happily accept “Education Stamps.” Our culture and country will continue to decline until we have removed our children from our “single-payer” government education system.
I’m sure the education welfare queens will be along shortly to shriek about how their schools are “different”.
Nice news...............obvious.............but nice. :>
Sorry, but I'm certain this isn't true. I'm sure that many of the early congressmen (prior to the 20th century) received at least some of their primary education at home. I'd lay some pretty good money that Davy Crockett, for example, was homeschooled.
It's been good for our family. Both our highschoolers read on a college level, and are at least a grade ahead on standardized tests. And both can shoot straight :-)
Davy Crockett Learned a lot on the job. They didn't have Child labor laws back then. His father rented him out for labor like just Like Abe Lincoln's dad had rented Abe out in a way that gave Abe a sympathy for slaves.
Our 3 kids were homeschooled and are now adults. They are all doing quite well, even if Mom here says so herself. :-)
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