Utterly Meaningless » HE&OS
  • SHOCKER!

    Filed on June 14, 2006 at 8:19 pm under by dcobranchi

    No, not really.

    The SBC has voted down the exodus resolution. Now maybe Rev. Jim will STFU.

    NOT HEFTY

    Filed on at 5:08 pm under by dcobranchi

    I’ve been placed on moderated status on the list-serv that initiated the whole over-compliance thread. Three posts have now disappeared into the aether.

    Of course, no reason or notice was supplied.

    DOUBLE COOL

    Filed on at 4:30 pm under by dcobranchi

    The least fundamentalist/wacko of the three candidates won the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention. And he’s the pastor of Taylors First Batist Church in Taylors, SC. That church was little over a mile from the house I grew up in. As one might expect, it’s quite big.

    I HATE MY WIFE

    Filed on at 1:27 pm under by dcobranchi

    Four times, evidently. (HT: Skip Oliva)

    PORTRAIT OF THE POET AS A YOUNG MOM

    Filed on at 6:50 am under by dcobranchi

    I really enjoy Reb’s “Home-Schooled by a Cackling Jackal” blog. It’s not about homeschooling at all. It’s about a poet, an editor, and a mom. Recently, Reb chose to put her son in daycare two days a week in order to have time to write. Readers on her site have been less than supportive. It’s all very strange, lots of moms attacking other moms.

    BILLIONS AND BILLIONS

    Filed on at 6:18 am under by dcobranchi

    Another cool APOD.

    I MUST BE A LIBERAL JUDGE

    Filed on June 13, 2006 at 9:06 pm under by dcobranchi

    because I agree with every one of these:

    This may strike you as political and having nothing to do with homeschooling… but think again: When liberal judges are allowed to take prayer from public schools, take religious programs away from prisoners, and force evolution to be taught in place of creationism… it effects everyone – including school children and homeschoolers. Your children and mine will one day be standing beside the godless that have been shaped by society and nothing more.

    I hope we have an entire society that’s beat down the superstition of creationism.

    The religious program for prisoners was paid for by our tax dollars. The prisoners who volunteered for the Bible study were given extra privileges. Sure sounds like a government endorsement of Christianity to me.

    And the prayer in schools thing is just patently obvious.

    I try to teach my kids all of these things. I hope that they’ll stand for the separation of church and state when the time comes. And, finally, being called “godless” in the month of June, 2006 is a particular compliment.

    LETTER OF THE DAY

    Filed on at 7:20 pm under by dcobranchi

    Starbucks– the new pushers.

    Teenagers need to realize caffeine addiction problem

    I have always been astounded by the amount of teens that drink caffeinated beverages on a daily basis.

    As a rising freshmen headed to college, I have seen this problem worsen throughout my high school years. Many of my peers found it impossible to get through the day (and night) without some sort of caffeine to stimulate them.

    I once knew a girl who drank three energy drinks a day and stayed up all night, only accumulating an average of around four hours of sleep.

    This is not healthy. Our bodies need natural sleep in order to be refreshed. The article recently printed in the Life section (Teen Caffeine Scene, June 9) only reaffirms my observations.

    Regardless of how widely available or legal caffeine is, it is still possible to become addicted. Teens need to realize how a caffeine addiction affects their bodies with long-term use.

    Knowledge and learning are necessary parts of well-being and help to make a habit out of keeping bodies healthy.

    Klare Frank, Elkton, Md

    Addictive? Not exactly. Yeah, serious coffee nerds (myself included) can get a caffeine headache if they don’t have a cup in the morning (Two double espressos, please). But, the headache is gone by the afternoon, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t mug an old lady in order to be able to feed my monkey.

    TUESDAY AFTERNOON

    Filed on at 6:16 pm under by dcobranchi

    and the CoH is up.

    FIXIN’ WHAT AILS ‘EM

    Filed on at 6:14 pm under by dcobranchi

    Unique pointed out that apparently an extra 15 minutes a day will work wonders.

    JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. — Students in Johnston County could be spending more time in the classroom soon.

    The county’s school board will discuss Tuesday whether to extend the high school day by 25 minutes.

    Most middle school and some elementary school students would spend an extra 15 minutes in class.

    School leaders say longer days will help struggling students and those working on special projects.

    DUMB NOT-QUITE-NEW AD —–>

    Filed on at 9:21 am under by dcobranchi

    Just try clicking on the HarperCollins ad.

    YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

    Filed on at 9:18 am under by dcobranchi

    Lovely (received via email):

    Hi all,

    Please feel free to pass this along.

    We will be holding our annual book/used curriculum sale on this Friday. Included in this will be a “TAX REFUND” table. This will contain curriculum for K-5 from the Cumberland county school system. Our tax dollars are being dumped into the dumpsters and landfill. They have adopted a new curriculum for the new school year. They were told that the old could NOT be integrated with the new , so all items are being thrown out.

    I hate waste.

    Deborah and I rescued a whole schools worth of books. No kidding. These items will be available for FREE to anyone who wants them.

    WHIP ‘EM, WHIP ‘EM GOOD

    Filed on June 12, 2006 at 6:49 pm under by dcobranchi

    Link-hopped over to this site, which is even scarier than the Pearls’.

    OUR CHASTENING INSTRUMENT

    * Flexible – produces the right amount of sting without injury!
    * Unbreakable – will last a lifetime! *
    * Convenient – fits easily into purse or travel bag!
    * Affordable – buy one for kitchen, bedroom, car – wherever!
    * Guaranteed – satisfaction or money back

    Fulfilling the purpose and function of the Biblical rod, yet designed with today’s parents in mind, our chastening instrument is perfectly suited for the loving correction of your children. Though each instrument includes instructions for proper use, we highly recommend parents train themselves by reading and discussing Biblically-based parenting books together. Child Training Resources stands firmly against any and all child abuse and is not responsible for misuse of this product.

    * Our instrument is made of premium grade polyurethane and measures 9″ long, 1-1/2″ wide and 3/16″ thick. Simply return it to us for a full refund if not completely satisfied.

    Note to parenting class leaders: We offer a free chastening instrument to leaders of child training classes with 15 or more people. Why? Because our experience has been that once people see and use these chastening tools, they will love them. If you know of such a leader, have them E-Mail us, or contact us at the address listed below.

    $6.50 each 1-10, $6.00 11+

    I can’t add anything to that.

    NEW AD ——>

    Filed on at 4:13 pm under by dcobranchi

    AFAIK, the first textbook publisher on HE&OS.

    BUMPED

    Filed on at 4:11 pm under by dcobranchi

    Via email, I had asked Scott Somerville if HSLDA supported overcomplying. His response:

    Sorry to have missed most of the discussion on this one (I was off doing a graduation speech in Virginia, mostly to irritate Chris O’Donnell). HSLDA understands and respects NCHE’s position on this issue, but I routinely advise our members to do what the law requires, not MORE than the law requires–especially when I hear that people are “afraid” to stick to the letter of the law.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JONATHAN

    Filed on at 7:58 am under by dcobranchi

    Future Hall-of-Famer
    Seven years old. Tempus fugit.

    TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE

    Filed on June 11, 2006 at 10:57 am under by dcobranchi

    and sacrilegious. But the funniest thing I’ve seen in ages.

    BIG PARENT IS WATCHING YOU

    Filed on at 6:47 am under by dcobranchi

    Call me paranoid, but wouldn’t this same technology enable the government to keep track of adults? We’ve already seen how good Verizon is at protecting its customers’ privacy. I have no doubt that they’d gladly enable the real Big Brother to watch everyone’s every move.

    I’m pretty sure my el cheapo pre-paid phone is incapable of this. Darn!

    SO I’M A SNOB

    Filed on at 6:29 am under by dcobranchi

    I admit it. Until just now I had never visited one of the Carnivals of Kid Comedy, assuming that it was a collection of kids’ jokes. Ain’t so. Worth a visit.

    BIG DEAL!

    Filed on at 6:12 am under by dcobranchi

    I’m breaking my pledge not to link to HSB, because I think this is just dumb. Gena is all enthused that the governor of some state (I didn’t bother to find out which one) declared a “Homeschooling Week.” Why is that worth celebrating? There are National and State xxx Days, Weeks, and Months for everything under the sun. It’s cheap pandering to the yahoos.

    I’d rather they completely ignore us 99% of the time.

    WE’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE

    Filed on at 5:56 am under by dcobranchi

    About 100 times, in fact:

    The summer TV season is dry one. Presumably, we’re all out at the cottage, or driving to Disneyland, or water-skiing or something. So it’s the time when the networks bring out shows that try out something new or they simply come with low expectations. Once in a while, they come up with a good one.

    Alice, I Think is one such show. Based on the young adult novels by Susan Juby, the series is a portrait of a formerly sheltered teenager in Smithers, B.C. Sent to her first day of school dressed as a hobbit by her hippie parents, Alice MacLeod is beaten up. She is then home-schooled for ten years and returns to public school as a sixteen year old with little preparation for the modern world. Therefore she has begins experiencing many firsts.

    HEKs are the new fish-out-of-water. It’s on the Comedy Network (whatever that is).

    UPDATE: It’s Canadian. That explains a lot. 🙂

    LOCAL G-SCHOOL DISCRIMINATION

    Filed on at 5:38 am under by dcobranchi

    How’s this for neanderthal thinking?

    Douglas Byrd High School senior Bobbie Spanbauer was barred from participating in her school’s graduation ceremony Wednesday because she refused to wear a dress.

    Spanbauer showed up for the ceremony at the Crown Coliseum wearing the clothing required for boys: black slacks, a white dress shirt, black belt, black tie, black dress shoes and black socks. Two diamond earrings sparkled on her ears.

    Girls were required to wear a black or white dress, hose that matched their skin tone and black dress shoes with a closed toe and heels.

    As the graduates were preparing to march, Principal Jackie Warner told Spanbauer she could not walk across the stage unless she wore a dress, Spanbauer said. Warner offered to get her a dress but Spanbauer said she refused.

    The girl doesn’t wear dresses. Doesn’t even own a dress. And they kicked her out of her graduation ceremony. Yeah, out of the building. She wasn’t allowed to sit in the audience and watch her friends.

    The ACLU-NC is considering a lawsuit.

    UPDATE: You gotta love those freedom-loving Fayettevillains (spelling error intentional):

    ON THE WEB: Reaction to the story of Bobbie Spanbauer was swift and strong, becoming one of the most commented-on stories at our Web site. The following is a sampling of community reaction. You can have your voice heard, too. Just go to www.fayettevillenc.com and tell us what you think.

    # Esther Lilly, Hope Mills: I am so proud of the educational system standing for policies and enforcing them to the fullest extent.

    # Hazel Harrison, Coats: Freedom is not the petty things in life that people want for themselves, but the freedom we have in America to live daily lives like the average person.

    # Joanne S. Hayes, Orrum: I think this is what is wrong with our kids today. They do not want to abide by the rules.

    # Janet Whetstone, Godwin: The dress code was unfair and outdated. It is discriminatory to demand that a female wear a dress. She was the one who was disrespected, and the school was being unreasonable.

    # Amanda, Fayetteville: I graduated from Westover. I, too, do not like to wear dresses but my Mom and I went shopping for the required attire for my graduation. Play by the rules or don’t walk.

    # Katie Vincent, Hope Mills: I can identify with her, and as a taxpayer, let the child that goes to a “Public School” stop being treated like a child that goes to a private, military or government school.

    # Alex, Fayetteville: A new law in policy for the sake of policy. So the girl wore pants instead of a dress. Call the National Guard.

    # Valerie, Raleigh: Rules are rules. Ms. Spanbauer must learn there are and will be many times in her lifetime when she will have to follow rules she may not agree with.

    # Robin, Fayetteville: Not all girls are comfortable wearing dresses and dressing up like Barbie. If a person feels more comfortable and at ease wearing an equally formal outfit to the occasion, then it should be allowed.

    # Katie Schaefer, Fayetteville: I think that is really stupid that they said she couldn’t participate. I mean, everyone likes to dress in different clothes

    # Ron Harrison, Fayetteville: What a shame that the only senior at Douglas Byrd High to make the front page of our fine newspaper was the one who chose to thumb her nose at the accomplishments of her fellow classmates. Shame on The Fayetteville Observer.

    # Bill, Sanford: What a bunch of Pin Heads. Let the girl wear the same clothes as the boys.

    LETTER OF THE DAY

    Filed on at 5:27 am under by dcobranchi

    Baaaaa! Baaaaa!

    National identity cards would enhance security

    It is time that America institute a national identity card with a thumb print. This card would provide secure identification of all legal residents and citizens.

    The present system allows many types of illegal activity and fraud. There is such a problem with illegal aliens. Terrorists can enter and move freely about our country.

    The Social Security card is not a national ID card. If a person is determined, more than one Social Security card can be acquired. In parts of the country, dead people vote and welfare cheats collect under two or more accounts.

    I don’t understand why people are so frightened of a national ID card. The government has more than enough information on each citizen through tax records. A national ID card could be used as another layer of security.

    Mike Kruczaj, Middletown

    The government gets my thumbprint when they can pry it from my cold, dead thumb.

    PR0N AT EPOD?

    Filed on June 10, 2006 at 7:09 pm under by dcobranchi

    Maybe I’m just a pervert.

    GIVING CHRISTIANITY A BAD NAME

    Filed on at 6:56 pm under by dcobranchi

    The more I think about Rev. Jim’s multiple anti-homeschooling rants, the more convinced I am that he believes he’s preaching only to the converted. Otherwise, he’d recognize that he’s pushing people away from the church. I mean, how many folks are actually going to take a serious look at Christianity with Rev. Jim as its spokesperson?

    So, he’s either completely ignorant that a large segment of the homeschooling community is not Christian, or he doesn’t care. Either way, not a particularly good advertisement for the faith. Right, Spunky?

    LETTER OF THE DAY

    Filed on at 8:30 am under by dcobranchi

    This one is really good.

    As a home-schooling mom (and a Southern Baptist to boot), I need to respond to Malcolm R. Howell’s letter(“Southern Baptists’ position ‘absurd’,” May 31) expressing concerns about the home-schooling movement in our country.

    First, I would like to assure him that a resolution in support of home schooling will in no way force children to flee from public schools. I agree that we are called to go out into the world and to influence the world.

    It is yet one more challenge that we face as we home-school our children. The decision to place children in a parochial or home school is a very personal one that requires sacrifice on the part of the whole family. Yet, more and more families are choosing these options.

    While I believe that home schooling is the best decision for my children, it is not for everyone. I have enjoyed learning along with my four children. So far, I have taught my 16-year-old son chemistry (with labs), anatomy (with multiple dissections), geometry and algebra II.

    No, I am not a certified teacher, but with the help of great textbooks, I have been able to effectively teach these subjects. He takes tests written by the textbook authors, and I score them. We also take standardized tests to measure his performance compared to students nationwide. My son has scored well enough on the college entrance exams to gain admission to the university of his choice.

    Perhaps at one time the public schools were the backbone of our society. That time has passed. Public schools have become so mired in political correctness, social engineering and standardized testing that the teachers find themselves unable to teach in effective ways. Their hands are tied by miles and miles of red tape and stacks and stacks of paperwork.

    With over 40 days of standardized testing each year plus days spent meeting the required number of classroom tests, little time is left for instruction.

    Ask public school teachers about recent changes in their paperwork load and I’m sure that they would be happy to elaborate. Ask them about discipline problems and the limits placed on them by the administration. I’m sure they’ll have any number of horror stories to share with you.

    Yes, the ground is level in public school, but in leveling the ground the highest peaks have been eliminated. Children should be taught to soar, not to settle for a place on “level ground.”

    I challenge anyone who questions the validity of a home-school education to attend a home-school convention and to observe the level of dedication on the part of the parents and those who serve them. Make an effort to meet home-schooled kids. They are everywhere: working in part-time jobs, on field trips, serving in their churches. Get to know them and see what great, well-rounded kids they are.

    Please don’t judge their worth to society based on an uninformed view of home schooling. These kids will be serving in the world and they will have been taught Christ’s words and commandments. Just watch; you’ll see great things.

    You have already seen great things from home-schooled students. Any number of our Founding Fathers were taught at home, as were Abraham Lincoln and many other great people in our history. This country was built by home-schooled students and was founded for the principles of freedom which we now exercise as we teach our children at home.

    As I close, I would like to answer a few of the common prejudices concerning home schooling. Yes, sometimes we sleep later than our public-schooled peers, but we still get all of our work done. Sometimes the kids do their schoolwork in their PJs; I don’t notice that they learn less. Moms who home-school aren’t too lazy to take their kids to school; we actually teach all day every day with every opportunity.

    Home schooling isn’t the cheap way out; it costs an arm and a leg to adequately educate a child at home. These families sacrifice time, money and friends to home school. Please don’t make it worse by labeling these kids as anything but the success stories that they are.

    SAMANTHA FOLSE

    Coden

    Well done, Mrs. Folse.

    NOT WHAT I LIKE TO SEE

    Filed on at 8:24 am under by dcobranchi

    When homeschoolers spread the same misinformation that the educrats do, we’re in trouble:

    Students typically pursue the GED, which empowers a student to pursue college just like with a regular high school diploma, because they dropped out of high school, for whatever reason.

    Thigpen, son of Buddy and Susan Thigpen, grew up in Gainesville as a homeschooler, then moved to Russia with his family when he was 15.

    His parents, involved in missions and humanitarian work, continued to homeschool him.

    “I had finished most of the courses required for a diploma, but not all of them,” Thigpen said.

    He returned to the United States in January 2005, after eight years in Russia, and began to pursue his GED through Lanier Technical College’s Adult Learning Center on Stallworth Street in Gainesville.

    “I knew I wanted to go to college, so I needed to get a diploma,” he said. “Even if I was not going to college, it made sense to get some sort of diploma.”

    He’s going to a Bible college. I find it hard to believe that the school wouldn’t accept a missionary’s certification that he had completed his home education in Russia.

    I BOW BEFORE THE SUPERIOR BLOGGER

    Filed on at 7:14 am under by dcobranchi

    Christopher Heard obliterates Rev. Jim’s latest anti-homeschooling piece. West really is a buffoon, isn’t he? I find it hard to believe that a Southern Baptist church pays him each week. I wonder if all the congregants are family members.

    APPROPRIATE?

    Filed on June 9, 2006 at 3:50 pm under by dcobranchi

    Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R- HSLDA) received a present of dog feces through the mail slot at one of her campaign offices. As she is Farris’ lapdog, perhaps someone thought they were returning something she had dropped.

    Yeah, I REALLY don’t like her.

    NOW I FEEL GUILTY

    Filed on at 2:26 pm under by dcobranchi

    A Latin update.

    While ordering the materials for Ecce Romani I noticed that they had what are called Marketing Bundles for all three Ecce Romani books. These are only available on the OASIS site and were priced at a penny. I figured they must be some kind of brochure but that there might be some useful information. And at a penny a piece, how could I go wrong? Well, I went very wrong. The marketing bundle was not a brochure. It was the full hardback textbook. Yeah, they shipped me three texts, each one with a retail value of $55.47.

    I’m going to attempt to return them, of course.

    DO WE NEED A NEW STATEWIDE GROUP?

    Filed on June 8, 2006 at 10:10 pm under by dcobranchi

    I’m in a discussion with some folks who believe (I hope mistakenly) that the big statewide group suggests over-complying with the law– sending in forms that aren’t required and “homeschooling” for 180 days (another non-requirement). I was accused of being angry and possibly hiding something because I refuse to over-comply.

    I need some help here. Am I out-of-line?

    BUT OF COURSE

    Filed on at 9:20 pm under by dcobranchi

    Here’s an interesting homeschool/mom blog.

    PSA: NEW VACCINE APPROVED

    Filed on at 8:29 pm under by dcobranchi

    My lovely wife worked with Merck on honing the marketing plan for this vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. It’s being approved for females now, but Lydia says the data indicate that males should also be vaccinated. Of course they can’t get cervical cancer, but they can carry HPV, and they’re also susceptible to genital warts.

    LETTER OF THE DAY

    Filed on at 6:25 am under by dcobranchi

    I love the smell of snark in the morning:

    Sentence fragments leave readers hanging

    Columnist Bill Kirby supports honor cords for graduating high school seniors in Moore County (“Moore policy casts shadow on excellence,” June 2).

    This letter is not about Moore County.

    Instead, I wonder if Kirby won an honor cord when he was in high school.

    For journalism class, maybe?

    Or basic English?

    Here’s why I ask.

    Out of his entire column, all but three paragraphs consist of only one sentence apiece.

    And those three aren’t much better. Each one of them contains only two sentences.

    On top of that, many of his sentences are not really sentences at all.

    They’re just clauses.

    And many of them begin with conjunctions.

    Others are even smaller sentence fragments.

    Just like this one.

    He must think it’s cute.

    Or stylish.

    Or modern.

    I think it’s choppy.

    And disjointed.

    And annoying.

    But I really can’t blame Kirby. He’s just copying a style of writing employed by far too many syndicated op-ed columnists.

    Actually, anybody can write this way.

    It may carry a punch, but there’s no flow.

    No continuity.

    No grouping of related ideas into coherent units of thought.

    Certainly, it’s all right, on occasion, to use a one-sentence paragraph, or even to leave a sentence fragment hanging.

    Just for emphasis.

    But all the time?

    I don’t think so.

    On the other hand, I didn’t major in either journalism or English.

    So who am I to complain?

    Ed Beddingfield
    Fayetteville

    Of course, I’m guilty of every one of those sins. But, you get what you pay for. 🙂

    SLAM DUNKS CAN TAKE A WHILE

    Filed on June 7, 2006 at 10:11 pm under by dcobranchi

    An update to a post from a while back.

    The Catholic school teacher who was fired from her job for signing an advertisement supporting abortion rights has lost her appeal.

    The U.S 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals today affirmed a District Court
    ruling that Michele Curay-Cramer’s rights were not violated when Ursuline Academy, a private Catholic school in Wilmington, fired her in 2001.

    Yeah, I do remember most of what I’ve posted over the years.

    HEFT

    Filed on at 9:46 pm under by dcobranchi

    The latest edition of the Home Educator’s Family Times is up.

    STUPID JERKS

    Filed on at 6:55 pm under by dcobranchi

    I’m glad home educators aren’t implicated in this scam:

    Legal or not, ethical or not, some private-school parents are enrolling their children in struggling public schools they don’t intend to send them to, in hopes of using state money to pay tuition.

    …Since the statewide voucher initiative, called the Ohio EdChoice Scholarship program, was created last year, the department has been clear that students currently enrolled in private schools or home-schooled can’t participate.

    But it’s unclear what “enrolled” means

    Private schooler are registering their kids at the local failing g-school just days before the end of the year, fully intending to “transfer” back to their private school in September. If this is a real loophole, it needs to be closed. Fast.

    SAVED BY BLOGGER

    Filed on at 6:17 pm under by dcobranchi

    I was all set to post a really snarky response to this idiot. Alas, Blogger is being its typical non-responsive self. I’ll post an update when comments are again open. (Tip Credit: Ryan @ Edspresso)

    UPDATE: Blogger’s unbloggered.

    APOD

    Filed on at 6:28 am under by dcobranchi

    The Astronomy Picture of the Day is cool. For once, the supposedly lower resolution one (linked above) looks better than the high res version. I think they forgot to sharpen the latter.

    A FIERY WRECK

    Filed on at 5:57 am under by dcobranchi

    CA’s Prop 82, the free babysitting plan, went down in flames, 60 percent to 40.

    “WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PEE WHENEVER WE WANT”

    Filed on June 6, 2006 at 11:07 am under by dcobranchi

    Extra credit for holding it.

    Even though Daniel Thornton occasionally needed to go to the bathroom during his AP history course last year, he also needed a B on the midterm to maintain his grade. So he did what lots of students at Forest Park Senior High School in Woodbridge do in their Darwinian pursuit of academic success: Thornton endured a full bladder and instead hoarded his two restroom passes, which, unused, were worth six points of extra credit.

    …Teachers have whipped up creative ways to minimize restroom visits during class. Some schools have an extra-credit incentive program, which is not universally embraced among parents or within academic circles. Although advocates say the passes — which can be used for numerous destinations — maximize classroom time, critics say it is unfair to give anyone an academic advantage based on something as unacademic as bathroom habits.

    “What’s the correlation between holding your urine and succeeding on a history test?” asked Kevin Barr, principal of Georgetown Day School, a private school in the District. “My basic assumption is always that kids need to be comfortable and safe to excel in the classroom.”

    There’s lots more idiocy where this came from. My favorite bit:

    Other schools use a more archival approach to keep track of students and their bathroom habits: log sheets on which students must jot down the time they need to leave class and their destination. A teacher’s initials are also needed.

    …At Albert Einstein High School in Montgomery, students find any scrap piece of paper — or a hand will suffice — on which to sign a teacher’s name and time. But Principal James Fernandez said he wants to order agenda books with log sheets for next year.

    “The agenda books provide accountability,” Fernandez said.

    I belive educrats have only a three three word vocabulary– “zero tolerance” and “accountability.” I guess I shouldn’t expect any better from the dumbest college majors. And the g-school teachers wonder why their “profession” (Hah!) gets so little respect? (Tip credit: Skip and Jason)

    WORD OF THE DAY

    Filed on at 10:57 am under by dcobranchi

    Kakistocracy— government by the worst elements of society.

    I don’t know why, but Chris’s post made me think of this.

    PITHY

    Filed on at 6:11 am under by dcobranchi

    This says it all, doesn’t it?

    BLUE HAWAII

    Filed on at 6:08 am under by dcobranchi

    The CoH is posted yesterday (or is it tomorrow?) over at the PalmTree Pundit’s place.

    THE ANTI-CHRIST IS IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI

    Filed on June 5, 2006 at 9:57 pm under by dcobranchi

    Don’t sweat tomorrow’s 6/6/06 date. The real Mark of the Beast may be 616. Sorry, Cavalor– the party will have to wait another century (via a comment on RedStateRabble).

    HOMESCHOOLING LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS

    Filed on at 9:40 pm under by dcobranchi

    The NYT today has a short piece on a supposed resurgence of paid tutoring in lieu of attending school. A couple things jumped out. 1) The NYT still needs a fact-checker:

    Home schooling is legal in every state, though some regulate it more than others. Home-school teachers do not require certification, and the only common requirement from state to state is that students meet compulsory-attendance rules.

    2) I’m in the wrong line of work:

    The cost for such teachers generally runs $70 to $110 an hour.

    Overall, the article is interesting enough but it’s nothing Earth-shattering.

    DEAR JON,

    Filed on at 9:20 pm under by dcobranchi

    A reasonable conservative has some reasonable proposed constitutional amendments.

    PH(DB)C ON TDC

    Filed on at 7:12 pm under by dcobranchi

    The Discovery Channel has evidently been airing a documentary on Patrick Henry (Dominionist Bible) College. It next airs in late June.

    WEATHER PIC OF THE DAY :-)

    Filed on at 10:15 am under by dcobranchi

    Via Mike Sabo, a very cool photo.

    PATRICK HENRY DOMINIONIST BIBLE COLLEGE

    Filed on at 6:50 am under by dcobranchi

    The anti-dominionist Talk2Action has a really good piece on PHC and Michael Farris. Here’s the homeschooling bit:

    Patrick Henry College is a dominionist college that especially targets the product of the ever-increasing dominionist “homeschool” industry–kids who have been educated their entire educational careers on correspondence-school material (and yes, the vast majority of dominionist “homeschooling” is in fact correspondence schooling, typically run by either dominionist churches or the publishers of the curriculum) like A Beka’s curriculum and other educationally substandard dominionist curricula packages designed more as “indoctrination for Junior” than as formal education.

    Patrick Henry College was founded in 1998 by Michael Farris, then head of a group called the Home School Legal Defense Association–a dominionist correspondence-school lobbying association that, in addition to working for expanding legal loopholes for dominionist “homeschooling” has also explicitly promoted dominionist causes unrelated to correspondence-schooling, frequently attempts to lock out non-dominionist homeschool associations out altogether (and was actually successful for a time in South Carolina), explicitly promotes only pro-dominionist homeschooling groups (several of which require actual statements of faith for membership) and notably does not list several major inclusive state groups, and even uses dominionist parents’ fears of CPS as recruitment tactics, has worked on expanding legal loopholes that permit horrific acts of religiously motivated child abuse to go undetected and even promote books on religiously motivated child abuse, and leaders have even coached their members on how to derail CPS investigations.

    There are tons of links and lots of background. Well-worth a read.

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