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News With Attitude: Front Page
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Clinton Fires
Opening Salvo: War Against Home Schooling News With Attitude May 6,, 2000
Since its inception, the home school movement
has been the bane of the left. The idea drives
them absolutely nuts. We're not sure whether
it's the frightful thought of children learning
about God or the idea of children learning
about the Constitution that they find most
odious. Most likely a combination of both plus
their lack of total control over the minds of
our children.
Home-schooled kids are dangerous to the
totalitarians. These kids learn how to think,
how to reason ... not good qualities for the
man of tomorrow. People who can think are not
easy grist for the fascist mob mentality the
left seeks to create and control.
On Thursday the gloves came off. Clinton,
totally intoxicated by the power he now wields,
fired the opening salvo in a war against the
minds of our children. In particularly
demagogic remarks, even for him, Clinton said
"...your children have to prove that they're
learning on a regular basis, and if they don't
prove that they're learning then they have to
go into a school -- either into a parochial or
private school or a public school."
In recent years, the home-schooling movement
has blossomed in the U.S. due to the pathetic
state of the government schools.
In a recent interview with World Net Daily,
Michael Farris, president and founder of the
Home School Legal Defense Association, took
issue with Clinton's remarks. Farris said
"There's no one right way to home school your
child. The one size fits all approach to
education is the reason public schools are
struggling..."
A
1998 study confirms that students who are
home-schooled score above the national average
in standardized tests, making the notion of
requiring home-schooled children to meet public
school standards absolutely ludicrous. They
surpass all public school standards.
As part of this 1998 study, home-schooled
students in grades K-8 took the Iowa Test of
Basic Skills, and high school students took the
Tests of Achievement and Proficiency. Both of
these tests were developed after reviewing
national and state curricula and standards.
The results:
home school students scored significantly
higher than students attending public and
private schools. Amazingly,
the children score in the 82 to 92 percentile
ranking for reading and up to the 85 percentile
range in math.
The average home school student is now
performing four grade levels above the
national average by the time he or she reaches
the 8th grade!. Of course, none of this
matters to Clinton. In fact, it is the success
of home schooling that is the problem. And in the
coming weeks and months you can be sure Clinton
and his ilk will try to find ways to solve this
problem. The left has a much different idea of
what education should be. Perhaps the
administration will hold an education summit at
the Wye Plantation.
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In fact, it is the success of home schooling that is the problem.
Of course, just as Bill Gates' success and the Miami Cuban exiles' success is the problem. The socialist demon hungers. Everyone who stands tall must be cut down for the good of the Community, the State, and our Maximum Leader, bill clinton.
I love those home school statistics!
This was already posted...
See here.
The left has a much different idea of what education should be. Perhaps the administration will hold an education summit at the Wye Plantation.
Good one...
They believe 'indoctrination' (sp?) and 'socialization' is more important than education, imho.
Masterlink to FR Education Threads
Clinton is mad because he cannot indoctornate the home schoolers into his socialist mecca.
BY the time the ```````toon``````` gets mad. WE HAVE ALREADY WON THE WAR FOLKS!!!BE OF GOOD CHEER FROM NOW ON!!!, GOD BLESS THE FREE REPUBLIC!!!!!!!!!!!
A 1998 study confirms that students who are home-schooled score above the national average in standardized tests, making the notion of requiring home-schooled children to meet public school standards absolutely ludicrous. They surpass all public school standards.
What they mean is they will have to bring the home schooled students down to the level of the public school students.
I love those home school statistics!
Yes, so do I. Lets remind Clinton about his abysmal educational record during his and Hillary's watch in Arkansas
I'm afraid that you have all missed the salient point :
Clinton said "...your children have to prove that they're learning on a regular basis,
and if they don't prove that they're learning then they have to go into a school -- either
into a parochial or private school or a public school."
The wielders of the self-presumed "Divne Right of Rule" are convicted of the notion that you
have an enforceable obligation to them to prove your fitness to excercise your own self-authority.
What they are stressing and continually repeating is that you are not a freeborn citizen.
You are the chattel property of the state.
In every arena of policy, in every facet of life, they nag, cavil, harrangue, and if need be,
demand at gunpoint, that you submit to the Will of the State.
They would prefer that you willingly love and serve the State, making it your G-d of choice.
But love or hate, in truth, they really don't much care. So long as there is no gun control on them.
Or any other control for that matter. They would prefer you submit to a "voluntary" dependence
on their manna and their mercy and their forgiveness. If not, then you will be "volunteered" for your own good.
But what makes then so devilishly smug and serene is the knowledge that you will continue to vote
for them and that you will reflexively and dociley bow to your own sense of law-abiding responsibility
without ever questioning whether or if those demands made of you are lawful in the first place. And so
they know that they may continue to pervert and mock the law, acting as lawless as they like.
Because you sanctioned it with your silence and inaction.
And they know that you will continue to do so.
Home Schoolers are 4 grade levels above public school kids, and Private school childern are about 2 grade levels above their public school counterparts. To the 'educated' person this means we need to put more resources into the failing public schools which already consume 2-4 times more than private schools per pupil, and comsume about 100 times more than home schoolers.
A 1998 study confirms that students who are home-schooled score above the national average in standardized tests
It's more accurate to say that the '98 study confirms that students who are homeschooled and took standardized tests AND agreed to participate in the survey scored above the national average in standardized tests.
It is NOT to homeschoolers' advantage to line up and agree to subject our children to standardized tests to prove that homeschooling is a good thing. Homeschooling is a good thing because parents have the right to raise their children. Without needing to prove to Bill Clinton or anyone else how adroitly we can jump through any given hoops at anyone's command (from within or outside the homeschooling community).
I say this as a homeschool mom (since 1984) and a longtime volunteer in several organizations who has worked to maintain mine and other families' freedom from 'homeschool organizers' as much as from any state government.
We've had no federal government regulation up to now, but I fear that won't last too long, whether Algore or the Shrub is elected in November.
Remember the home-schooled girl that won the national spelling bee.
'You are the chattel property of the state.'
Which is why some people don't see why sending Elian back to Cuba is a bad thing. Some people, including the current resident of the White House, really have no concept of what real liberty means.
Without needing to prove to Bill Clinton or anyone else
Clinton's normal mode.
I am a homeschooling Mom here in Austin,Texas and I can tell you we have gotten nothing but support for homeschooling from our good governor. This next week has been declared as Homeschooling Week here in Texas by Guv George. We enjoy great freedom to homeschool in our state and you can put a lot of the success at the feet of G.W. Bush. You should be very afraid of Algore though!!
Clinton is already winning the war against homeschoolers. How? Not by force or coercion, but by bribery, with money, computers, resources, school supplies, and all the other goodies that PUBLIC schools are offering as incentives to join their homeschooling programs. The ranks of the PRIVATE (read independent) homeschoolers are being gutted as a result. PRIVATE homeschool programs cannot even begin to match the government largesse being doled out to the sheeple who rationalize taking it with both hands because, hey, it's their tax dollars, right?
And when most of the homeschooling populace is safely within the public schools, and the independents are so few that their political clout is nil, THAT'S when Clinton will do an Elian and start rounding up the renegades with guns, for the children of course.
Unless the movement to expropriate all institutions to state control is complete then freedom will ring. "The state, my mother" is the cry of the leninites world-wide. Our congress is one of the few remaining defense lines against this consstant barrage by the Klintonites and his henchmen such a Daschel, Gebhardt, etc. And, with the fourth estate playing a willing role in this power grab for our money, our children, our religon and our literal lives it takes a visionary, determined and independent leadership to defeat this onerous trend. So, just where is it??
NativeTxn, this is for you, though you have probably already seen it. My daughter-in-law sent this to me. She is a home-schooler in Round Rock.
Official Memorandum
State of Texas
Office of the Governor
Young people are the future of the Lone Star State. To succeed in their future careers and enjoy a good quality of life, they must receive a strong educational foundation. Many Texans choose to home school their children, with parents providing academic direction and guidance. This educational alternative allows for more personalized instruction, with parents teaching youngsters in a manner appropriate to the children's needs and complementary to the family's beliefs and values.
More than 75,000 families in our state practice home schooling. A district court ruling in 1987, later upheld by the Texas Supreme Court, confirmed the right of parents to home school their children so long as they meet specified minimal guidelines. First, there must be "bona fide" instruction taking place in the home. Second, parents must set a curriculum or formal plan of learning. Third, five core subjects must be addressed, including reading, spelling, grammar, math and citizenship or civics. Many families also incorporate physical education, art, science and religion into their lessons or cover topics in which the parents hold expertise.
I urge all Texans to recognize the value of home schooling and the role these dedicated parents play in helping children to develop as students and as future leaders of our state.
Therefore, I, George W. Bush, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim May 7-13, 2000,
HOME EDUCATION WEEK
in Texas and urge the appropriate recognition whereof.
In official recognition whereof, I hereby affix my signature this 3rd day of May, 2000.
George W. Bush
Governor of Texas
GO BUSH GO!
Although the content of your posting is excellent, I would request that in the future that you avoid the use of the < pre > < /pre > tags for other than addresses and text consisting of relatively short lines.
It makes reading postings like yours difficult, in that depending on the size of the browser window, it may be necessary to use the horizontal scroll bar on every line in order to read it. I usually give up after a couple of lines.
Just a suggestion, thanks. :')
I suggest that we demand that states and communities establish requirements to bring public government school achievement levels up to those of home schoolers.
What's wrong with that?
will do
...Michael Farris, president and founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association...
Michael Farris and the gang are a force to be reckonded with. Just ask the '93-94 congress. He and the homeschoolers are organized, smart and competent activists. Thumbs up!
Instead of whining let's get proactive. A little initiative on the part of both home schoolers and the private sector may head this beast off, or (hopefully) off this beast's head.
I do not think that many would argue that it is in the interest of the home schooling movement to provide independent proof of its superior performance as a means of preventing the rumor mongers from calling their speculations, fear mongering, and anecdotal vignettes "evidence" requiring remedial civic action.
It would seem to me that private colleges might want to go into the "proof" business as a way of identifying talent for scholarship. They could supply the venue for testing to verify that minimum requirements are being met. The same might be done with a minimal grant through by the Mr. Foresman's of the world to set up a the mechanics of a private testing service.
What say you Freeps? Any other ideas?
I attended the annual EDUCOM conference in Boston in 1997 (I think it was '97 - possibly '96) and sat through a session where a professor from the University of Alberta described a program they had started to help home schoolers in remote Northwest Canada. It sounded like an excellent program to me.
What they did was to set up an Internet "help desk", staffed with college senior student teachers to provide a resource center for parent home schoolers to ask questions and get help on any questions that came up during the day. Because these families were so remote, schools were hours drive away over the mountains, so many parents taught their children at home. Those who chose the public government schools said goodbye to their kids each Monday morning as they were bussed to dorms during the week, and then back home on Friday afternoon.
It was an excellent presentation and I asked most of the questions, in addition to talking with the originator of the program afterwards. My first question in front of the group was "Did you experience any opposition from the teacher unions?"
I don't have to tell you his answer, you already know. He said teacher unions were their biggest problem. It just shows once again that quality education may be an overriding issue for parents, but it is surely is not a teacher union objective
specified minimal guidelines. First, there must be "bona fide" instruction taking place in the home. Second, parents must set a curriculum or formal plan of learning. Third, five core subjects must be addressed, including reading, spelling, grammar, math and citizenship or civics.
Let's look more closely at this 'supportive' statement. Who defines what is 'bona fide' instruction? Is Creationism or Evolution bona fide? Who decides?
What is not bona fide instruction? What is bogus? Learning to read by phonics rather than whole word or vice versa? Teaching your children to be celibate until marriage rather than 'proper' use of contraception?
Who decides how and what our children learn? As long as the state can impose such decisions, we still are not free to raise our children, regardless of what nice words they use.
Yes, that's a lot of freedom for families. We would have to proclaim that we trust parents to raise their children without oversight. Anything less gives the state control over our children, their minds, their lives.
We know that Gore is a statist, who would gladly establish a bureaucracy to control our lives. Unfortunately, Bush's words don't say anything different. He hasn't acted, yet, on his belief that some homeschool parents are not 'bona fide.'
This is an important subject for us to share insights and discuss views on. If enough homeschool parents give away their rights, or allow the state to take them without a fight, then none of us will be free to raise our children without state involvement. Thanks for sharing your information.
...Michael Farris, president and founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association... Michael Farris and the gang are a force to be reckonded with.
Sadly, you could also ask homeschoolers who live in states where HSLDA operatives have worked to introduce and pass legislation that reduced homeschool parents' rights to raise their children without state interference.
You might want to talk to some of the parents who opposed such actions in Michigan, Iowa, South Carolina or New York. There some parents who are happy to have Mike take care of things for them. They are relived to spend $75 to $100 a year for homeschool 'insurance.' But parents who want to work in their states to preserve their freedoms find that Mike has taken away all the chairs at the table that they might occupy.
In Michigan, his lawyers came into the state for closed door meetings with my then-governor, just weeks after three Supreme Court cases removed all state control from private schools and homeschool families!
Once homeschool parents surrender their rights to raise their children without state interference, they hand away the rights of all parents. Better to err on the side of freedom and independence, eh?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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