Utterly Meaningless

“I’m guessing that NVHN is not affiliated with VAHomeschoolers.org”

You’re correct: due to members’ wishes, VaHomeschoolers is not affiliated with any other homeschool organization, although groups are welcome to join as members. But I am curious about the reason you made that statement.

I hope nobody in VHEA would be dumb enough to go on record saying that home educators returning to the public school fold is a “good idea for everybody.”

Shay,

Pretty much what Chris said.

VaHomeschoolers is not opposed to partial enrollment, as members indicate they believe HSers should have access. Still, their sentiment appears to be one concerned with fairness, rather than a desire to utilize partial enrollment; where it is allowed, few homeschoolers have used it.
Where homeschoolers have used partial enrollment, they have generally reported satisfaction, and so have the school divisions. No harm has come from it.

Because the tipping point hasn’t been hit.

Paranoia strikes deep….
Into your life it will creep….
It starts when you’re always afraid…
Step out of line, the men come and take you away.

Shay, based on this comment thread, and some recent ones… I’m getting the impression that Tim and Daryl would prefer it if your kids never came within 100 feet of a public school campus.

But never fear, you are not the minority… this is a great thing for homeschoolers, and I hope it becomes the standard across the nation. What a tremendous opportunity to expose kids to the classes and educational opportunities that homeschooling can’t readily provide!

100 yards, but close enough.

You’re trying to rebuke me with a hippie protest song? Does your daddy know what you’ve been listening to?

Listen, get the compulsory attendance laws revoked and make all state education a la carte and you can go frolic naked in the science lab every day for all I care — until that point, there’s an Us and a Them, and They’ve already gotten half the West convinced that using government-mandated curricula on government-provided computers to produce work reviewed by government-employed teachers is “homeschooling”. Let me know how you like it when the contagion hits Texas.

I make the snarky comment, and Daryl and Tim get all the credit. Life just isn’t fair.

I totally agree with what Tim said. I do think education should be ala carte, with parents free to choose from govt., private, community, or home based alternatives on an ad hoc basis, with NO STRINGS ATTACHED and NO RESPONSIBILITY TO THE GOVT for results of any kind.

How does that go again — “Giants stand on the shoulders of the little people”, or, um …

Sure… my “Daddy” is the one who first got me listening to Buffalo Springfield. Its a favorite quote of his as well. =) But I wasn’t trying to “rebuke” anybody… I was just laughing at your paranoia while encouraging Shay and anybody else to take advantage of these great opportunities.

You guys never address the positives of this. Yet again, when a better option in conjuction with homeschooling is available to current homeschool parents and kids, its not good enough for you because its ‘tainted by the gov’ment.

“Us and them”???? Someone offers to teach homeschool kids classes and impart knowledge that HOMESCHOOL PARENTS CAN’T (in nearly all cases), and you wanna rip on them solely because they work for the government?

The paranoia’s running thick. I’ve got a sudden urge to test my government-controlled water supply for chemical agents. Better keep humming the hippie protest songs… hehehe

OK. I’ve had a little lunch, and I’m over the snarkiness. Didn’t mean to hurt any feelings, but I very much disagree with your arguments and logic.

Here’s a story that’ll explain more of why I hold my views. The youngest girl in my family of six homeschooled kids, has a speech impediment and a learning disability. She is 11 and significantly less advanced in her 3 R’s than most kids her age.

For two years, my parents sent her to the local elementary school for speech therapy and specialized classes. A great rapport was developed with the specialists at the school, and my youngest sister made tremendous strides in overcoming her disabilities.

Then the local school district decided that they were going to change the policies and force my parents to either stop sending my sister to these classes, or to enroll her full time for access. The teachers, therapists, my parents and sister, were all outraged and shocked. But with no recourse since my sister would not be enrolled full time in a public school.

Gentlemen, to me and my liberty-loving family… not being allowed to partake in the opportunities available at the public school is a greater injustice and harm to my homeschooled sister.

I hope that none of ya’ll have to face the same challenges that my family has seen. The public schools helped this homeschool family in Texas, through just one or two classes for one child, in a unique situation.

Please let me know if my story also earns your ridicule.

Chris, was it paranoia in the 1920s when Oregon tried to outlaw all private education (Pierce v. Society of Sisters)? Is it paranoia now when administrators keep talking about “recapturing” home educators? Is it paranoia when legislators in different states keep coming up with eerily similar arguments about academic and medical accountability?

Surely you see that private education is an affront to statists of all parties — to some ideologically and to all financially. I “wanna rip on them” because they’re scrabbling to maintain a monopoly they should never have been granted in the first place and destroying the line between public and private education in the process.

What knowledge can a public school impart that I or someone I hire can’t?

And come on, you Texan, you know it’s spelt “gubmint”.

“Someone I hire?”

That’s up to you if you want to hire somebody.

Most homeschoolers believe that they already have with their tax money in the public schools.

If you and your kids are going to topple the entire public education system, more power to you. Other homeschool families choose to co-exist more peacefully.

Oh… Timmy?

In all those examples you just listed in defense of paranoia… how many examples of success are there?

I’m rather amused to learn that such a staunch defender of liberty and free speech is threatened by what some leftist hippies are saying.

In the case of PvSS, at best a partial victory — private education wasn’t outlawed, but the Supreme Court upheld the principle that the state can direct education.

In the case of recapturing, it seems to be successful more and more — don’t you read the actual articles we link to? Why do you think the “We Stand for Homeschooling” petition came to be?

In the case of legislators, none recently (though I’d argue that 41 states with some form of accountability, some quite severe, is 41 too many) — but only because enough of us who aren’t confused about the respective roles of the family and the state are willing to stand up and fight for assimilationists like you.

Chris, again, I don’t necessarily have a problem with the state providing services — I have a problem with the state making them compulsory while also retaining control over the exceptions.

The left I can deal with. It’s statist conservatives that drive me up a wall.

Chris, re your sister’s story: You do realize that the federal IDEA stipulates that only PS enrollees and certain narrow classes of private school students are entitled to free public services, yes? Why might that be?

Assimiliationists. Wow. That’s probably the longest name I’ve ever been called. And while I think you’re mistaken, prone to thinking your brand of homeschooling is superior to everyone else, and unabashedly forward with your idea that all other homeschoolers who don’t espouse libertarianism aren’t smart enough to defend themselves from government advances, I’m only mildly amused with the moniker.

You see Tim, I believe that LIFE is assimilation. There is life outside homeschooling for your kids. Be it college, jobs, marriage. I’m 100% behind homeschooling, and 100% behind taking advantage of opportunities to enhance it with any and all available public school resources.

That’s pretty much it. I’m out for the weekend.

Dude… I can’t believe I didn’t see this earlier…

“It ain’t me… It ain’t me” – “Fortunate Son” by CCR. – cobran...7.html

Does your daddy know what you listen to? =)

I’m almost old enough to be your daddy, bucko — I came by the (tail end of the) ’60s honestly.

Have a good weekend!