Utterly Meaningless

Creeping legislation that creeps along faster than our respective efforts to organize (nationally and on the state level. And that’s not a criticism. This people-wrangling stuff is HARD, y’all).

So who was the journalist and what sort of book? Can you share?

Being drawn into an “accountability” model of education, with authorities and general population assuming what’s good for the goose (public schoolers) is good for the gander (homeschoolers).

He’s a long time home educator and proprietor of this site. I think the book and the website are related. He seemed a very nice guy, BTW.

Responding with grace and intellect to our expanding role as education leaders and exemplars rather than lunatic escapees! 🙂

I agree about the wrongness of accountability models, also agree with Daryl. Put it together, maybe we’re at the point of needing our own networking-systems theory instead of letting public-prone professors construct one around us as Reich did with ethical servility?

Natalie, from where do you see the threat of creeping legislation coming? Anything specific on your radar? Personally, I wonder about the No Child Left Behind program. Some home schoolers move in and out and then back in to schools. We’ve know a few families who’ve gone back to school when they moved to a better district, or when high school came around. I’m hearing that NCLB may make that kind of transition a bit more difficult. BTW, as Daryl mentioned, I am reporting and writing a book about home schooling and am all ears for anyone’s experiences, views, etc. on the subject of home education.

In Mississippi, there are several bills introduced each year that would affect homeschoolers in one way or another, from widening the compulsory attendance age to expanding charter schools to appealing to school districts to give us their surplus text books. Granted, not all of them are scary and none has passed, but the homeschool crowd in Mississippi is largely apathetic/uninformed. It’s only matter of time.

After what just happened with Section 522 of HR 1815, I think we can expect to see more of HoNDA slipped into unrelated federal bills. Hopefully, we will be better prepared to act quickly and en masse next time.

The price of liberty: eternal vigilance. Right.
How’s the homeschool scene generally in Mississippi? Or is that a discussion we should have in another cybervenue?

You can email me if you like. ncriss (at) peaknetwork.org

I definitely think the biggest challenge ahead involves homeschooling coming under the “legislative microscope” due to public funding for charter schools and virtual schools. aha.ty...1.html

National Charter School Watch:
groups.../NCSW/

Interesting question, Daryl. (And hello again, Greg!) I agree with others about the concerns of homeschooling being absorbed back into the public school system via the cyber/charter models, but in my view that’s only the tip of a much larger and far more insidious iceberg, one which Mary Nix efficiently described as ‘No Mind Left Behind.’ It really goes far beyond homeschooling, but it will affect homeschoolers and the homeschooling movement in ways we can only begin to guess about at this stage of the game.

There’s plenty of information out there for anyone interested in the issue; here’s our political editors’ homeschooling spin on the subject:
Increased Mental Health Screening: Are You Crazy?
Larry & Susan Kaseman, Jan/Feb, 2005 HEM
homeed...1.html

The federalization of homeschooling (and the loss of state’s rights in education in general) which translates into government control of home education across the board.

I agree with Helen’s comment above.