Big incentive for school attendance: Cash

Big incentive for school attendance: Cash

Here's a bigger incentive for homeschooling attendance.... a real EDUCATION!

This raises so many questions. What budget is the $900.00 being taken from? If the school can afford to give away $900.00 to each family then why can't they lower the tax burden for local property owners? Will the school keep moving the goal post once each family gets closer to meeting the requirements?

Can't wait to see how this shakes out.

Dos and Don'ts for a successful homeschool experience #8

The following DOs and DON'Ts for a successful homeschool experience are being presented in a series to allow for digestion and discussion. After homeschooling/unschooling my own children for over 22 years I've discovered what worked and what didn't work for us was universal. Feel free to add your comments and concerns or ask questions.

#8 DO become an advocate for homeschooling and unschooling. As a parent you will always be your child's best advocate. This includes advocating for your child whether they participate in group sports, family activities, clubs, summer camp, relationships and even at the doctor's office. In order to become a strong homeschooling parent who is able to provide the environment and opportunities where your child can learn in freedom, you need to know as much about homeschooling as you can. Read books on the subject. Talk with veteran homeschoolers. Learn the homeschooling laws in ALL the states because our borders are not invisible when dealing with school officials and the laws vary from one extreme to the other in each state. This way you can inform friends and family members, including those out of state, about your rights and possibly their rights too. It may dawn on them that they too have unalienable rights as parents and they too need to become stronger advocates for their own children. The more people you empower around you the easier it will be for you to homeschool in peace. The more you know about homeschooling, its history, its benefits and its outcome the stronger an advocate you'll become, not only for your child but for your constitutional rights as well.


#8 DON'T hang out with other people who are not like-minded about child rearing and homeschooling. It is never a good thing to waste time arguing, pleading or trying to convince the naysayers that your decision to homeschool was made with the best intentions and you are determined to see it through. Find others who support that decision and actively help you accomplish your homeschooling goals. Even if close family members, at the very least, are not willing to encourage you then it may be time to put some distance between you and them. Family members cannot be expected to praise your efforts when many times even the parent will not see the fruits of their homeschooling labor until their child is older and shows noticeable progress. We discovered a great way to gauge whether our homeschooling journey was succeeding or not was to visit grandma's house when all the cousins came to visit. Our children stood out with better manners, the ability to talk in depth with the various generations about more meaningful subjects, and their presence was by far more calm than their schooled cousins. You don't need an organized support group but what you do need is just a few friends and family members who actively engage in your homeschooling endeavors with encouragement or hands-on participation. Remember, it works both ways so if grandma wants to be a part of your homeschool success story then let her bring her expertise and experience to the mix. She'll be happy to pass on her information and your child will bridge the generation gap with a new found interest and respect for a beloved grandmother.

Elwood P. Cubberley was wrong then and is STILL wrong today!

"Our schools are, in a sense, factories, in which the raw products (children) are to be shaped and fashioned into products to meet the various demands of life. The specifications for manufacturing come from the demands of twentieth-century civilization, and it is the business of the school to build its pupils according to the specifications laid down."     Elwood P. Cubberley

Cubberley lived from 1868 to 1941 and was Dean of Standford University School of Education. Well, that explains it.

18 Signs That America Is Rotting Right In Front Of Our Eyes

18 Signs That America Is Rotting Right In Front Of Our Eyes

Look around you folks. I'm all for homeschooling to improve the education and opportunities for future generations but if there isn't anything left of America to work in and be proud of then what's the use?

Has it been almost 11 years already?

Schools are reopening for the new school year. Has it been 11 years already since the Karen Maple case?

Baby, it's cold outside!

These three boys show off their reading skills on the playground outside their schoolhouse in the dead of winter. Brrrrrrrrr!

As schools tighten budgets, lists of supplies get longer: Rutland Herald Online

As schools tighten budgets, lists of supplies get longer: Rutland Herald Online

"Pre-kindergartners in the Joshua school district in Texas have to track down Dixie cups and paper plates, while students at New Central Elementary in Havana, Ill., and Mesa Middle School in Castle Rock, Colo., must come to class with a pack of printer paper. Wet Swiffer refills and plastic cutlery are among the requests from St. Joseph School in Seattle. And at Pauoa Elementary School in Honolulu, every student must show up with a four-pack of toilet paper."

Yet another good reason to homeschool. Think for a minute. You go out and purchase all these supplies for your child's school and you STILL pay exorbitant property taxes which go toward salaries and the physical plant. Where does it end?

Happy homeschoolers exploring their world....first fish ever caught!

Not bad for the first ever fish this little homeschooler caught from grandma and grandpa's back yard pond twenty years ago. That was a very exciting day for the whole family. The beauty of homeschooling for us was doing so many fun things at the spur of the moment. As a result we had many wonderful and memorable times as a family. Our homeschooling journey began the day our first child was born and hasn't stopped since. It is not something that begins with back to school sales and ends with summer recess. Homeschooling is a life long journey and an educational family adventure.

Question of the week

Are older homeschoolers more immature and/or more spoiled compared to public school children the same age?

How do you spell S-H-C-O-O-L?

Valedictorian speaks out against schooling...praises John Taylor Gatto

This is a great speech by a young lady who truly is the smartest person in her graduating class. She figured out, after 18 years of indoctrination in public school, she now needs to move on and get a real education.

Watch the school administrators behind her squirm as she talks about the failures of public schooling and gives them advice on how to improve. Kudos to this enlightened valedictorian!

This young speaker is Erica Goldson at Coxsackie-Athens High School graduation on June 25, 2010. Her school is located in John Taylor Gatto's home state of New York.

See Miss Goldson's written speech titled 'Here I Stand' here.

You can run but you can't hide

This is a little off the beaten path but I think this is relevant to the prevailing attitude of those who support the modern day public school. Some folks, in their twisted little liberal minds, seem to think they know what is best for rest of us and our children. Their warped values are pushed onto unsuspecting children whose parents leave them to languish in union controlled public schools.


In the wee hours of facebook one night the following post appeared (names have been deleted):

" In trying to understand just what is meant when a conservative or republican uses the term liberal agenda or liberal bandwagan, here is what my research has led to. If this is what is believed about liberals, then the world and critical thinking has really gone the way of the dodo."

Then this followed to show the source of concern:


" Some thoughts about modern liberals:

At the most basic level, the Liberal is anti-God. The Liberal attempts to use government to eliminate all moral consequences for immoral behavior. The Liberal imagines that freedom from moral consequence... can be secured by a collectivist, totalitarian state.

Liberals use moralistic platitudes and catchy phrases like "social justice" and "The Brotherhood of Man" to appeal to the naive masses who are duped into believing that the ultimate goals of Liberals are genuinely good..

The fundamental power struggle of Liberals may be classified as the individual versus the collective. The Liberal supports the collective in every contest against the individual. Liberals hate Individualism because it demands moral responsibility. Liberals support collectivism because they hope to eliminate the need for moral responsibility.

The U.S. Constitution and specifically the support for rugged individualism which is evident in the Bill of Rights, is the enemy of the Liberal. The Liberal despises the United States because it is the premier protector and promoter of individualism in the world.

In the mind of a Liberal, all institutions and concerns schools, environment, courts, etc. - serve no relevant purpose other than the promotion of collectivism.

To a Liberal, abortion becomes necessary to guarantee sexual freedom and eliminate moral consequence.

Any religion or religious person who believes or teaches that there are moral consequences for sin, is the enemy of Liberalism and must be oppressed. Thus for the collectivist Liberal bent on imposing socialism upon a nation, Christianity is the number one enemy above all other enemies. Christianity must be eliminated..

Strong families are one of the greatest threats to the final goals of Liberalism. The total disintegration of the American family in recent decades among some ethnic communities has occurred as a direct result of the design and intention of Liberals.

Private ownership of guns is the single greatest symbol of individual power, and therefore is despised by Liberals.

The Liberal despises national sovereignty. Why? Because the best protection of individual freedoms is found in small decentralized governments.

The Liberal promotes the growth of multi-national and international governments such as the European Union and the United Nations because these organizations advance the cause of socialism and seek to destroy the very individualism that is best protected by sovereign states.

The Liberal fears any hint of individualism in any part of the world, and is obsessed with the centralized control of all human activity and thought. Thus the Liberal constantly seeks total control over all forms of media.

"Multi-culturalism" is the liberal code word for a single, oppressive, collectivist culture.

Liberals speak often of tolerance, but they only tolerate Liberals and Liberal ideas.

The Liberal seeks to criminalize any speech that promotes morality or individualism as "hate speech." Thus we see Liberal Judges and Liberal Courts outlawing the Bible and gutting the free speech provisions of the first amendment of the constitution. Liberal Judges are now declaring that the Bible's proscriptions against homosexuality are illegal "hate speech" and scripture is now in the process of being outlawed from any appearance in public discourse or the public square.

The Liberal's only method of debate is to appeal to the emotions of uneducated and illogical persons. Liberals seek to insult and discredit anyone who dares to disagree with them, especially in the college classroom. Why? Because the facts of logic and history do not support the agenda they are seeking to advance.

When possible, Liberals oppress anyone who questions their beliefs.

Liberals despise all innocence - especially the innocence of a child. Thus Hollywood Liberals seek to steal the innocence of our children as early as possible and the public schools assist them in this goal.

Liberals seek to sexualize our children, eliminate age of consent laws and promote the normalization of pedophilia, all in the pursuit of sexual freedom.

The Liberal typically chooses a career in a field that produces nothing of value. A Liberal will look for employment in field such as public education, an employee of local, county, state or federal government, an "activist," a lawyer, or a bureaucrat in a tax free foundation or an NGO devoted to advancing Liberal goals, etc.

Liberal do-good programs enrich Liberals and do little to actually help the poor.

Liberals are not obsessed with sex, but with promiscuity. Promoting promiscuity among the masses is the primary mission of the Liberals who control the Hollywood, Television and print media monopoly. Why? Because Liberals know that the twin pillars that support conservatism are family values and faith in God. By promoting promiscuity Liberals know that they are simultaneously attacking both of the main support pillars of rugged individualism.

Liberals say that they despise marriage and family because they are "patriarchal institutions" that oppress women and children. But the real reason they despise marriage and family values is because these institutions oppose, disapprove and limit promiscuity thus undermining one of the principal supports for Liberalism.

Liberals seek to control public schools, and force all children into them, in order to foster promiscuity and instill collectivist ideology into the minds and hearts of our children.

Liberals are obsessed with demonstrating their putative "moral superiority." Thus even though they live their lives without really helping anyone, the political activism they engage in is dedicated to convincing themselves that they are truly good people. Liberals are driven by the need to validate the unspoken assertion that "I care more than you do," which is ironic in the extreme since none of the government programs liberals have designed can be shown to have an overall positive influence in our society.

Whenever a Liberal expresses concern "for the children," invariably they are using and targeting children to expand their own power, promote promiscuity, advance collectivism and enlarge their personal income at the expense of the taxpayer.

Liberals are elitists who exempt themselves from the oppressive rules they impose on the general population.

Liberals howl if a homosexual transvestite or convicted felon is even slightly offended, but they openly bash Christians.

Liberals claim to be against violence, but make excuses for Liberals like Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Castro who murder and torture political dissidents. Liberals claim to be against violence, but they seek to disarm individuals and render them powerless before the thugs, thieves and murderer's who rule the inner cities.

Liberals have enormous compassion for criminal predators, but little for the victims.

In the Liberal world, all problems stem from individualism, and all solutions are collective."


Then the poster added this:


" BTW, this is not open to a rant from anyone about who is EFFED up the most....This is about pure and absolute trash. This is about mis-understanding and misguided approaches at representing the facts."


Okay, I'll take the bait. What exactly are the facts? This was the source of the poster's frustration. Or was it? The title of the blog which provided the editorial was a clue that this was simply one person's opinion. Really no need to get riled up or cause for the wringing of hands I dare say. I can't help wondering when a person reads this editorial and takes offense that he or she may have declared it's meaning to be pointed directly at them. Didn't their mum ever teach them to not take personally what others have to say? I guess not. Someone talking about twits would be overlooked but someone looking me directly in the eye and calling me a twit might be cause for concern.


Then the responses begin to flow in:


" Wow. Sounds a little like over the top conservative. Ya know, I often wonder what Jesus would think of his conservative christians. Sure, he might agree on some end points, like I susupect, though I'm liberal, Jesus wouldn't really agree... with my prochoice. (Well, he was never assaulted.) But I KNOW disagreeing with me wouldn't cause him to reject me or label me in harsh terms, he'd just sit with me and talk. And he wouldn't let others bash me either. As for the individualism bit... that's totally wonked. Actually, it seems to me most conservatives are choking out individuality."


Huh? 


It wasn't long before others chimed in:


" SOME people refer to liberals in politics as those who are liberal with other's money..... ie. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor. or, . given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.

Meaning that liberals typically seem to be OK with giving Government funds to those who THEY believe deserve it. If you go to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal and read the rest of the definition, it makes one wonder why liberals get so offended when they are called "liberals"."


I, too, wonder why liberals get so offended at being called liberals.


The original poster responds:


" Thank you for the link and comments (poster). I do not think that any Liberal (and I certainly do not speak for all of them, only those I have spoken to and have who have expressed these ideas) gets upset for being called a Liberal. It is my take... that they get upset at the automaitc labeling (often mis-labeling) that goes with that. They get upset over the category of mis-deeds they are associated with when being called a Liberal-at least when being called a liberal by someone who obviously thinks Liberals are "bad"."


Words have meaning. Words also get hijacked by certain individuals and groups. I've noticed with the success of homeschooling the public schools are now using the term to describe certain programs they wish the students to complete at home. This must truly be confusing to some children. 


This is the point where I decided it was time to tweak the discussion so I wrote:


" I never understood why murdering an unborn child was thought to be okay providing some crime was committed during conception, as some conservatives believe and why murdering an unborn child was okay no matter what, as some liberals believe. If either believe in the 10 Commandments isn't the killing of anyone (including someone on death row) a no no?"


The original poster's response: 


" Cindy-I think that those who live according to those specific religious laws, then what you say regarding an unborn child or a death row inmate would be accurate-that it would not be OK."


Then the fun began. In predictable fashion the 'liberals' began to rear their ugly heads:


" Liberal. Proud of it. Two quick comments - @ Cindy - the idea that 'life' begins at conception is a religious one, since science has not weighed in on it, so it's 'murder' only if your religious beliefs say so.
The one, really outstanding thing that Conservatives have done is to repeat everything that (the original poster) listed above SO often and SO strenuously that they actually have a decent number of people believing it."  


Illogical comment but I'll take the bait. Then a comment from this female who later proved to be a nasty and unhappy sort of individual:


" hmm, i think i wont partake in this converstation today. :)"


After she was told it was her 'right' to not participate in this conversation by the original poster this same person who vowed not to partake had a comeback:


" yesh. i mean why beat a dead horse, right? (bwahahaha i'm inadvertedly stirring the pot)
i bet the wiki page was written by the pun-idiots at fox news.

(okay, no more (poster), walk away and dont turn back!)"


Then the original poster gushed:


" I do not like to categorize myself as any group-no matter what is it, but this I know: I believe in being fair, in being just, in being honest, in not buying ino to anyone else's insecurities or BS, in representing the facts after they have... been researched and evaluated with a ciritcal eye and mind, in upholding this country's laws, in the freedom of religion, the freedom of choice, in the power of the many even though much of this country's power rests in the hands of the few (and no, I am not talking about the President) and in the power of the few, in changing laws if they no longer apply (hell this is why we even have a country), in helping others as I would want to be helped, in creating a personally responcible individual and therefore society (who still helps others), etc., etc. I have been called a Liberal, a Democrat, a treehugger, a Republican who simply is tolerant......I am human and at best I am a good human who wants my home (that is the Earth) to provide me and my children and their future children with a good and healthy home. In any and all systems, diversity is key to health."


I've met this poster and know her to be a sweetheart of a lady (and I do mean lady) who homeschools her children. She is kind, generous and a devoted mom. I strongly suspect she is as uncomfortable with labels as I am. Unable to let certain comments go unnoticed I responded to an earlier one:


" Evidently (poster) has never carried a child beneath his heart, otherwise he'd know 'life' begins before conception and it is not a 'religious' thing as he calls it. Some of us don't believe in religion and that includes atheism. When we stop living we're simply compost!"


After that the 'nonpartaker' chimed in with this gem:


" i'm atheist and i believe in being pro choice AND i believe in freedom of religion, which many religious zealouts cannot say about us atheist. and no i am not a god hater. i come from a long and huge line of fundamentally devout roman catholics and evangelical penecostals who go to church every single day. and life does not begin before conception or all of us would be guilty of, as you say, murder when we have our menstrual cycle.

just because (poster) is a man doesnt make him less of an authority than you. and dont come and attack me for my beliefs for i dont play nice and will totally crush you. ask (original poster). i am in way too good of a mood for that sort of nonsense today."


Of course her brilliance was quickly followed by this oddball view of the world:


" Sorry Cindy - but that IS a religious viewpoint. You can call it something else if you want to, but that doesn't make it so. I suppose you want to carry a cancer "growing' inside you to 'term' also?"



Huh??



Little miss non-partaker quickly added this mature quip:


" bwahaha (poster)!"


Which, of course, brought on my annoyance with their inability to debate logically and as adults so I further tweaked the conversation with this:


" Nothing is logical about your arguments. Pro choice is code for pro murder. I have no religion. Life DOES begin before conception because you cannot fertilize a live egg with a dead sperm or fertilize a dead egg with a live sperm. That is scientific. Having a menstrual cycle is a natural process...we do not murder our eggs. They die when they leave the body, any logical person knows this. Saying we are committing murder when we cycle is not only ludicrous but ignorant. No male can possibly know what it is like to carry a child nor can a woman who has never birthed. Debate me when you both are not self-medicating. ;-)"


Lo and behold, little miss non-partaker was unable to contain her glorious self and unabashedly proved nearly every point of Arm Chair's views about liberals with these mannerly pearls:


" oh cindy go back to your delusional world. better yet, go kill yourself and do the world a favor. oh wait you must be against suicide too. regardless, piss off."


The original poster was either annoyed, upset or embarassed by her friends because by the following evening the entire post was deleted from facebook. The final words of little miss non-partaker simply show the level to which a liberal will sink when they are unable to debate or discuss an issue. Rather harsh words I thought but not surprising coming from a product of public schooling and today's liberal society.

Could it be Bill Gates doesn't want to rock the liberal agenda boat?

This short article at the CATO Institute website is revealing. However, we already knew how Bill Gates is in the back pocket of the liberals and how he's pushing their warped agenda. Silly man. Just as throwing more money at public schools doesn't fix their abysmal failures, having the most money in the world can't fix his stupidity.

Homeschooling quickly gaining in popularity in Iredell | Mooresville Tribune

Homeschooling quickly gaining in popularity in Iredell | Mooresville Tribune

I love it when this happens!