Messages By: wngdpnthr

I graduated from an upper-middle class high school in 1990.  I thought I had learned what needed to be learned so that I could go on to college.  WRONG!  In college I had to pay for REMEDIAL math classes!!! I was so angry.  But then I looked around at who was in my remedial class and they were all students from North Hills High School!!  I wanted to bill the high school for my remedial classes, but my parents said I should just drop it.  I wish I had sent the high school a bill.  Maybe it would have caused them to take another look at their sub-par cirriculum!!

That was all hapening 16 years ago!  I now live in New Mexico and the schools here are horrific.  Graduates can't read, write, do math, spell....nothing!  My niece is in the 9th grade and probably reads on a 4th grade level.  She can't spell correctly if her life depended on it...and it does.  No one wants to hire someone too stupid to spell or add or divide correctly.  And her speaking is just as bad.  She sounds like a dullard.  This will haunt her for the rest of her life.  People will assume she's an idiot, not the kind, sweet, beautiful girl that she has become.

New Mexico ranks 43rd out of 50 for our inadequate schooling, yet our govenor refuses to address it.  Yes he's trying to throw money at the problem, but we need to start requiring more from the teachers and principals before we can make such demands on our children.  New Mexico also has a "don't ask" policy about if a child is an illegal or an American citizen.  Therefore our schools are flooded with illegals who only speak Spanish.  This adds to the teachers' burden---the teachers must learn and teach Spanish to "accomodate" these illegals.  No wonder we rank so low!!  New Mexico is like a 3rd world country in many ways.

Home schooling sounds like the way to go so long as the parents meet all the required credentials and they are diligent about teaching at home.  Home schooled kids should have some kind of network so that they can be around like-aged kids.  That way they can learn the socialization skills needed out in the real world.

For our retirement we are looking to go to the mountains of Montana -- maybe we'll find some smart people like us up there!!

I think it is rather distressing the extremeness that is implied in the show for Nov. 24th.  I can imagine that there are many homeschool families that do not do their jobs in the way of educating their children.  But I believe that the ration of those families to those who actually do teach their children is probably no different as compared to the same children that attend public or private schools.

I can assure you that a homeschooling family who are doing what they are supposed to be doing (even in the case of unschooling) have not choosen the lazy way out.  Teaching is a full time job, no matter who is doing it.  Now try to teach two or more curriculums/unit studies/or be organized enough to teach your multiple children's spontinaity of interests and you will find you have little time to clean, shop, or even get your hair cut. 

I also believed (before deciding to homeschool) that every school, teacher, or school administrator and the parents were the key to a child's education.  If a child had active parents and teachers, then the child would learn.  There was no such thing as a bad school.  I believed this until we moved to our new location.  Teachers on EVERY level would not talk with me, answer notes or return phone calls.  The principal told me she did not deal with certain grade levels.  NO ONE attended my preschooler's IEP meeting that was scheduled at the school staff's confinence.  My children told me that teachers tore up art projects, screamed at children, and there were fights daily.  Perhaps they over exaggerating?  I have no idea, I couldn't get ANYONE at the school to respond. 

So I pulled them from the school.  I attempted to wait for the school to notice my children were not attending.  Worried about getting a truancy report, I called the school after 4 days to inform them I was applying to the state to do a homestudy program.  They asked me if I was coming in early to pick them up and take them home early for the day???

Yes on most levels in this country, our children are blessed with the free education they recieve.  But I too am blessed with having a strong desire to learn and an even stronger desire to give my children the best.  NO ONE will ever convince me that the public school district where we currently live is the best learning environment for my children. 

Do I believe that all public schools fall into this catagory?  NO  I have members within my family and friends whom are educators.  I have adored some of my children's teachers in the past.  Some have truely helped my children overcome some personal issues.  But on the other hand,  I am very glad I have the option to bring my children home. 

I truely believe that this show will do a great disservice to the many people in this country who not only have serious reasons to decide to homeschool, but who are doing great jobs at it. 

Yes, as a fellow teacher I agree. I am a Math Coach in my building. I coteach with teachers and also work with groups of children. We do lots of "investigative learning" and interactions.

We also have the interactive whiteboards...wow, what a long way we have some since chalk.

The kids love it and are learning to feel safe in their decision making, whether right or wrong. We learn from each others accomplishments and even more from our mistakes. (students and teachers)

Isn't it exciting to be a teacher!?!?!