Publik Skule vs. Home School

Townhall ^ | 1/8/05 | Doug Giles

[wagglebee]

I was sitting at our neighborhood pool New Year’s morning, enjoying the great South Florida weather while trying to grind out a couple of chapters for my new book, when three high school girls took the chaise lounges next to me and started talking about their New Year’s Eve party with their high school mates.

Seemingly still semi-drunk from the party, the 16- and 17-year-old girls began to recount how much coke, weed, vodka, guys and girls they did the night before. Listening to the F-bomb riddled report of the previous night’s peccadilloes left me thinking, how sad … and … what a waste … and … thank God my wife and I yanked our kids out of the public school system and away from these visionless, dissolute and spoiled morons.

It’s been eleven months since we pulled our teenage daughters out of the public school system and started to home school them, and I could kick myself for waiting so long. The educational, emotional, spiritual and physical progress they have made has been amazing. Not that they were anti-intellectual psychologically teetering bloated decadent nut jobs before they started home schooling, it’s just that I’ve been ecstatically stunned at how they have aggressively embraced this new lease on their educational life.

Now … they actually get to study the basics, pursue their educational and athletic interests, without waiting for the 186% overcrowded class to decide to cease fighting and copulating long enough that the teacher can teach the students how to write their name so that they can endorse their unemployment check later on in life.

Also, it seems that our alpha females really do not miss . . .
· Having everything they hold dear from a Christian standpoint trashed like a hotel room with Sum41 in it, by secular and atheistic teachers and students,
· Enduring the daily physical assaults and threats made by the multitudinous scum bag thugs and punk gang bangers on campus,
· Watching the constant drug trafficking, and
· Trying to ignore the lesbian, queer and over-the-top heterosexual make-out sessions during their lunch break.

Instead of being the goofy-looking home-schooled inbred stooges portrayed by TV and movies, my ladies are sharp, solid and full of holy chutzpah. Yeah … they’re clipping along at a nice pace, taking classes like macro-economics, logic, Latin, intelligence and national security, and afterward, pursuing the martial art of jiu-jitsu from the world-famous Gracie family, surfing and occasionally going with me big game hunting and fishing. Getting away from the prison-like public school system has caused their spirit and vision to soar even higher as they have resolutely separated from the pack and decided to run their own lives, rather than schlep with the lemmings.

My ClashPoint is this: parent . . . home schooling isn’t as tough as you think it is. With the advent of online virtual schools, plus the tens of thousands of people who have bailed out of the system, there are afforded to you, the home schooling parent and student, amazing resources, local networks of like-minded families and world-class curricula, to help you help yours be the leaders God intends for them to be.

Initially, I was a bit concerned about how home schooling was going to work within the insanity which is the Giles household, but it has been relatively painless. The adjustments my wife and I have had to make to our routine to accommodate our daughters for greatness are far less painful than the worry and concern we had sending them off to the monkey jungle which is the Public School system.

[BobL]

"You're a nice person!"

Thanks, you too!!

[BobL]

"There is nothing wrong or stigmatic about a GED. In fact the newly re-elected Governor of the State of Delaware has a GED"

Agreed - especially after some of the posts in the other thread making the case that a GED could be better than the diploma, since much of High School is useless (although I'm not totally with that thought).

In any case, someone with her drive and ambition is going to kick butt, once she makes her move (which, hopefully, will now happen).

[PleaseNoMore]

Well, there is one fact that has spoken for itself here in this thread. You will not admit that you were wrong about the replies to post 212. You accused me of things I did not do and have yet to apologize for it.

[Gabz]

You're right.....so my opinion is just as valid as yours. I'm thrilled we have come to that agreement.

[Liberty Wins]

"You will not admit that you were wrong about the replies to post 212. You accused me of things I did not do and have yet to apologize for it."

On her behalf I apologize.

[BobL]

"It seems they don’t test the kids beforehand to see who can learn with the whole word approach and who needs phonics. Instead they simply lump them all together and let “Whole Language” weed them out."

That's what I getting at when I said that California produced a generation of illiterates. The education establishment simply jumped on the concept hook, line, and sinker, and when it started failing (almost immediately), they attacked the critics, rather looking at their own obvious results.

That's what gets me thinking that's its almost intentional, to make the kids fail (after all it does fit the liberal model that the US is too strong, and we need to be brought down a few notches).

There are numerous books on the subject - this is very well documented. The authors don't quite go to the conspiratorial level, but they push right up against it. For example, Thomas Sowell uses the terms Blob and Empire to describe the Education establishment .

[nmh]

"No way, but at our school, we prayed every day, that is one thing that made our school better. In addition, most of the text books (not math of course) supported a religious weltanschauung."

What I like are the Bible stories read and verses memorized every week as well as Chapel time. Stars are given out for "kind" acts. When enough stars are earned they are allowed to have a prize. Smileys are given out each day also if they are well behaved in general and there are rewards for when a certain number of smileys are earned. They do other things but these two are the ones the kids really like. After awhile this behavior becomes a part of them - they automatically do it and they also know why they do it. It reinforces our values and beliefs.

We don't have visits from Planned Parenthood or GLAD or special programs for Gay organizations. We discriminate against that. It violates our values and beliefs.

We celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and other holidays in the open. It's not "turkey day" or a "holiday party, or "bunny day". I like the fact that the word "God" isn't something you have to shun for the sake of "diversity". We do not celebrate Halloween. We also have a good sports program and we also have the option of getting private music lesson after school for a particular instrument.

Indeed the Judeo Christian God is "superior" to any other. We accept nothing less and of course we are forced to "tolerate" others who disagree.

In history class they discuss the role of our Judeo Christian roots and the impact it had on our founders. Yes, documents and letters past leaders wrote are allowed to be learned and discussed even if they are a bunch of evil white men from Europe who happen to be Christians. Even speaking about the Indians and some of the things they did are allowed - such as "scalping people" and about what they "worshiped". Today these are no-nos. If you don't know where you've been then you won't know where you are going. Memorizing dates is also required so there is some kind of a sequence and a child can see what worked and what didn't etc..

Is the school our daughter attends "superior" to another? By the yardstick of our beliefs and values - ABSOLUTELY! It's a good rigorous conservative school. We especially like the rigorous secular academic curriculum. If others wish to malign what we see as "superior", so be it. Already she is turning out quite well.

It's a pleasure to be around the other Moms. We have the same values/beliefs and are grateful we have a school like this to send our children. Believe it or not but we even have Black kids, Hispanic kids and Asians, Indian and White kids and there is NO RACE THINK amongst them. This school stands racist liberalism on its head.

[The Coopster]

Although I don't see it doing any good.....I'm evil incarnate in his eyes because I don't bow at the altar of homeschooling.

A great deal of the pro-homeschoolers on here are (if not the same exact folks) just as judgemental as the folks who post the "We've got trouble here in River City" morality threads.

Just because people opt for parochial or public schools over homeschooling doesn't mean their kids aren't learning, or that the parents don't care about them. Just another example of the self-righteous crowd judging others and casting stones.....

I therefore decree that these threads will be included in the "Holier-Than-Thou Ping List."

Hope I remembered everyone!

[nmh]

"You're right.....so my opinion is just as valid as yours. I'm thrilled we have come to that agreement."

No, as usual you misquote me. The facts back up my "opinion". Be in denial if that makes you happy.

[Gabz]

Unfortunately that same newly re-elected Governor of Delaware wears blinders when it comes to the failings of the public school system in the state.

Unfortunately many of the problems of the public schools has leeched into the private schools as well in that state.

On 2 seperate days last week reports were issued regarding the "abilities" of the school system in Delaware. one gave it failing grades, the other raving reviews. I'm sure you can guess which one the Secretary of the Department of Education dismissed out of hand because of a perceived "political agenda."

There are many reasons I am thankful I no longer live in Delaware, the school system is but the tip of the iceberg.

[nmh]

"Well, there is one fact that has spoken for itself here in this thread. You will not admit that you were wrong about the replies to post 212. You accused me of things I did not do and have yet to apologize for it."

I'm so glad I don't have to be around a parent like you ... again, trying to turn my reply in 212 into a racist response is not becoming to even you. It is the same values/beliefs not race the has us happy with this school. I don't look for an apology from you. I know it will not be forth coming.

[Gabz]

Bravo, FRiend!!!!!!

[Gabz]

And the facts back up my position. Remain in denial if it keeps you happy.

You do not know me, my child or the school district where she attends school, therefore your opinions about my situation are not based upon "facts" just your broadbrush generalizations. My position is based upon the facts I experience everyday. Your position regarding your situation are based upon the facts you expeience daily. Equally as valid as mine.

[exnavychick]

I have noticed a rather sharp uptick in the rhetoric around here lately. I think that the so-called moral majority (who the heck are they, really?) are really feeling their oats since the election. With all those exit polls stating that a lot of folks based their vote for Bush on "values"--a nicely vague term, btw, it seems they now think they have a license to lord it over everyone else, including other conservatives who don't fit their mold. Another poster on a different thread the other day actually said that the base deserved special consideration...and we complain about the Dems pandering to their base! For good reason, look what has happened to their party as a result! It doesn't even remotely resemble the party of FDR, Truman and JFK. Those were liberals and Democrats you could admire, at least politically.

Another thing is...who decided that they are the base?

They are behaving in the same way as the out-of-control libs and secularists they so despise. They just don't see that they are suffering from the same affliction: the belief that they are right, and anyone who differs from their beliefs is somehow stupid or unworthy. It's sad and depressing. It's good intentions run amok, imo.

Flame away, but keep in mind, I'm not singling anyone out here. :)

[Liberty Wins]

"Thomas Sowell uses the terms Blob and Empire to describe the Education establishment."

Love Thomas Sowell! What a brilliant guy, and he has been through the fiery furnace himself so he knows how to recognize the spawn of the Devil.

It has puzzled me for many years how the educational establishment could overlook the obvious solution.

Check out the research, and repeat what works.

At first, I mistakenly thought it was the teachers’ fault- - - after all, they were in charge of the classroom. Then I realized they too were victims, mainly of the teacher training institutions (lots of books on that subject), plus ignorant administrators who know next to nothing about how to teach reading but still they must micro-manage every single classroom.

IMO the source of the problem is that age-old downfall of mankind: BUREAUCRACY.

The faddish acceptance of Whole Language by virtually the entire school system in this country would make more sense if there was only some respectable research backing it up. However, it was brought into thousands of classrooms in the same way that many other unproven teaching methods have been, without waiting for research results (which have somehow never materialized). This alone is very damning.

Would we allow our children to be treated with medicine or medical procedures that haven’t been tested? Would you drive your family around in a vehicle that had a 30% failure rate?

I can’t help being pessimistic about future reforms. It is the nature of bureaucracies that they cannot reform themselves.

[Gabz]

I can't help but giggling at your post. This is actually the other "flame war" thread I referenced in an earlier post to you and a couple others on the other thread.

I had forgotten that we were both on both threads!!!!

[PleaseNoMore]

BobL replied to your mixing comment in #212 linking your words to race, not me. I then responded to BobL regarding HIS post to you. Bob has assumed responsibility for his words recognized that his words weren't chosen wisely and has apologized publicly. Yet, with the post up for millions to see AND with Bob himself admitting that it was he that wrote those words, you still accuse me of it. That's a real testament to your "values" and "morals" do isn't it? In my faith it's called "bearing false witness".

[NCPAC]

The "Holier-Than-Thou Ping List."

It gets NO BETTER than that!

[PleaseNoMore]

The facts back up my "opinion".

Then either state the facts, backed up with verifiable sources, of course, that you use to formulate your opinion & make such generalizations about "people like" Gabz and myself who send their kids to public school OR shut up.

[exnavychick]

LOL...you're right. I'd forgotten about that too.

Does that mean we're getting old? ROFL.