re: Public Schools

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" Alabama tried to regulate pi to 3. Kansas stopped teaching evolution. Mississippi stopped teaching fractions. If I lived in one of those states I'd be mad about paying into public schools too."

THIS is why I'm considering homeschooling.

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" I have a friend who was brought up with a strictly religious homeschool curriculum. She told me that ... [snip!] ... in the bible." She started college in her early 30's and struggled SO HARD with really basic stuff. She's doing it though."

That is really, really sad.   I don't understand why anyone would ever try to shelter their children like that...

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" I don't know why they teach girls anything other than cooking, sewing, and bjs anyway."

And how to be baby machines.

Quoting sassy chef:" That is really, really sad.   I don't understand why anyone would ever try to shelter their children like that..."

I can't remember the guy's name but I think he was in the news a couple of years ago for writing some book about the benefits of beating children... There's some group that he's a leader of, I think, and they have their own curriculum. It's insane. She's so traumatized from being told so many harmful things as a kid about how she was naturally wicked and stuff. And she's the most naive person I have ever met. She's a doll though, and she's working her way through it all. She's gay, too, which is kind of awesome. Her mom has pretty much disowned her though. I can't imagine.

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" I can't remember the guy's name but I think he was in the news a couple of years ago for writing some ... [snip!] ... her way through it all. She's gay, too, which is kind of awesome. Her mom has pretty much disowned her though. I can't imagine."

My friend was religiously homeschooled and struggled with a lot of those same issues. She also didn't know like, anything about the earth or world history. She couldn't read or write until a couple of years ago and she's 24 years old.

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" I can't remember the guy's name but I think he was in the news a couple of years ago for writing some ... [snip!] ... her way through it all. She's gay, too, which is kind of awesome. Her mom has pretty much disowned her though. I can't imagine."

That says it all right there.  

I'm very pleased with the balance I think we've been able to find with our choices. I'm sure we'll change things as the years go on, but I'm really excited about this fall. Right now we're focusing on teaching her to read, and then basic math stuff. Other than that just reading a billion books a day, and playing like a 4 year old should play.

Quoting sassy chef:" Yea. We do non-educational things like gymnastics, awana, etc. I love our little co-op group though. ... [snip!] ... but it's all pretty casual. The kids have a blast with it all. We'll officially start K next fall. I'm looking forward to it."

If I knew of a co-op group that was appealing to me, then I might. I am sure I would probably too if we lived in a bigger city & there was a tad more diversity. I find that I allow a lot things with my kids that many don't & such, so it is easier for me to find people I have common ground with in other areas than homeschooling. In a bigger city, i think I'd find it easily among homeschoolers. Around here all of them seem to be uber religious in nature to the degree that they are far more strict & rule oriented than we are. So for instance, I get comments about the fact that my 5 yr old has hair down to his waist & not nice comments...things like 'You can just allow kids to dictate those kinds of things...you have to let them know who is in charge or you're going ot have a real problem on your hands"....  

I am sure when my long haired 5 yr old becomes a serial killer because I never taught him the importance of short hair they will high five each other on how right they were.

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" I can't remember the guy's name but I think he was in the news a couple of years ago for writing some ... [snip!] ... her way through it all. She's gay, too, which is kind of awesome. Her mom has pretty much disowned her though. I can't imagine."

That is so horrible. Sounds like a cult

Quoting Supafly★:" My friend was religiously homeschooled and struggled with a lot of those same issues. She also didn't ... [snip!] ... anything about the earth or world history. She couldn't read or write until a couple of years ago and she's 24 years old. "

Blows me away. I know of one homeschool family who it deeply bothers me when I talk with their children. But I know a ton of homeschool families, and I've never seen that anywhere else. Most homeschooling parents I know care deeply about the quality of education their child is getting.

Quoting justanothamotha:" If I knew of a co-op group that was appealing to me, then I might. I am sure I would probably too if ... [snip!] ... a serial killer because I never taught him the importance of short hair they will high five each other on how right they were."

Yea. I am a teacher at a co-op right now, and it's way too intense for my personal taste. I'm giving my "notice" when the semester starts back up. I don't really desire my kids to go there, at least not this early in their education.

Quoting sassy chef:" Blows me away. I know of one homeschool family who it deeply bothers me when I talk with their children. ... [snip!] ... seen that anywhere else. Most homeschooling parents I know care deeply about the quality of education their child is getting. "

Oh there are plenty of great homeschooling parents out there. I have a ton of respect for parents who take the time and effort to teach AND raise their kids to prepare them for the world[lord knows I don't have the patience to teach plus I have ADHD]. But the trouble is that ANY parent can home-school and some parents aren't even fit to be parents, let alone teachers.

Quoting sassy chef:" I was browsing around on another website and came across this little gem. She has a very interesting ... [snip!] ... are amoral or ignorant or just plain honestly disagree on key issues. . .you won't like what you see at your local school.""

This is laughable. It's non-sensical.
I'm not sure what she is saying.
The wealthy are subsidizing the schools the most yet she seems to have a beef with that. Maybe she doesnt realize that a lot of times the wealthy pay most of the school taxes and dont even use the schools.

and, if school was mandatory, we'd have an even bigger underclass and a lot of kids in very sad and scary situations.

The homeschooling down in my area of Alabama is all done under the umbrella of a church. They are great programs, but I can't lie and say I agree with everything that church(and by extension, their homeschool program) believe in. I don't. I would love to homeschool my kids, and there is a great online program called k12, but it's not offered in Alabama.

Quoting PurpleBama582:" The homeschooling down in my area of Alabama is all done under the umbrella of a church. They are great ... [snip!] ... I don't. I would love to homeschool my kids, and there is a great online program called k12, but it's not offered in Alabama. "

I'm not 100% on the laws in AL concerning homeschooling, but can they not pick their own curricula and use that?


Goodness, apparently not. *notes to self not to live there*
http://www.homeschoolfacts.com/states/sub_sections.php/State_Laws/alabama

Quoting sassy chef:" I'm not 100% on the laws in AL concerning homeschooling, but can they not pick their own curricula and ... [snip!] ... apparently not. *notes to self not to live there* http://www.homeschoolfacts.com/states/sub_sections.php/State_Laws/alabama"

Some umbrella schools will let you use whatever curriculum you'd like, and I found one that did just that, but I still had to agree with their statement of faith before I could homeschool under them.