Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Subway]

At Subway you can “eat fresh” but you can’t enter a contest if you are a homeschooler. Look what they say in their contest here.

Contest is open only to legal US residents, over the age of 18 with children in either elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.

What can I say?  Maybe they need to get some homeschoolers to proofread their website check out the disclaimer at the bottom of the page:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Contest is open only to legal residents of the Untied States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted. 

Subway can’t even spell United!  So maybe homeschoolers are eligible in the United States just not the Untied States!

What do you think?

[Snoqualmie Valley Record]

Despite some parents’ and students’ objections to the Day of Silence, Mount Si High School Principal Randy Taylor told the Snoqualmie Valley School District board last week that the high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) had begun planning this year’s event, scheduled for April 25.
Taylor said organizers were working to set expectations of respect for all students - participants and non-participants - on the Day of Silence, which is part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-gendered and questioning (LGBTQ) students and allies who do not feel safe enough to speak their true voice.

Read about it here.

[AFA]

Why should parents be concerned about the so-called Day of Silence?

A. This event was started a decade ago by an adult homosexual advocacy group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), with the goal of promoting homosexuality to all students in a given school. It has grown enormously, unfortunately, as the support for the ‘gay’ agenda has been embraced by thousands of schools and impressionable students nationwide.

The Day of Silence postures every person who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual or cross-dresser as a victim of ongoing, unrelenting harassment and discrimination (being ’silenced’). While some incidents like this do occur, this event is an overwhelming exaggeration in an effort to manipulate our kids’ natural sympathies. The result ironically is that youth develop favorable views about a controversial, high risk behavior. At the same time, any disagreement, even when responsibly expressed, is viewed as “hateful”.

This year, GLSEN adds a special twist to “Day of Silence”: shameless exploitation of the recent tragic school shooting death of California 8th grade student Lawrence King. Los Angeles media report that although the boy had been entrusted to the care of Casa Pacifica, a residential center for “abused, neglected, and severely emotionally disturbed children,” he had been permitted for the last two weeks to attend school in feminine makeup, nail polish, and high-heeled boots. The adult guardians, school administrators, and teachers responsible for guiding and protecting this precious troubled child failed him miserably; GLSEN fails him again now by employing his violent death to manipulate and deceive millions of children.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I said I wouldn’t talk about homosexuality and I’m not. This isn’t a post about whether it is right or wrong. I just don’t think school is the place for a political statement. I thought school was for education in the 3 R’s etc… Why have a day that disrupts education? I’m sorry for the young man who was killed. It was wrong as is anyone who is killed. Are we going to start having days of silence for college Student Body Presidents at UNC or for young co-eds at Auburn? What about days of silence for the millions of babies that are aborted?

This is stupid. If an adult wants to live a certain lifestyle then fine. That is their choice. But don’t shove all this mess down impressionable children and teens. Let them make up their own minds without a school sanctioned event.

What do you think?

[World Net Daily]

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today blasted a court ruling that endangered homeschooling and homeschoolers statewide.

“Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their children,” the governor said in a prepared statement. “Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children’s education.”

“This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don’t protect parents’ rights then,as elected officials, we will,” he said.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Even the Terminator gets it. My words to the California Courts–”We’ll be back!”

What do you think?

[Family News in Focus]

In one year Alabama jumped from 22^nd in the country to fifth. But interestingly the test scores didn’t change all that much. Alabama, like many other states, is simply redefining what it means to be successful. The temptation to fudge the scores to meet the required progress in federal law is too much for some states to overcome. Gary Palmer of the Alabama Policy Institute says his state could not resist.

“Under No Child Left Behind we’re showing about 65 percent of fourth graders being proficient at reading. When you look at the NAEP scores that goes down to about 30 percent.”

NAEP is a private standardized test most schools take to gauge progress. Palmer says the National Governors Association is implementing another voluntary standard to measure the graduation rate.

“Instead of an eleven percent dropout rate what the new standard will show is that Alabama’s dropout rate is somewhere between 35 and 40 percent.”

Kevin Carey of the Education Sector says Alabama is particularly adept at changing the definition of success.

“And really when you look underneath the test scores, it’s not because the students are learning more, it’s just because the state has gamed the system particularly well.”

Read about it here.

A state appeals court has decided California parents without teaching credentials do not have a right to home-school their children.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals ruling could affect up to 200,000 home-schooled students in the state.

“The court is guilty of an imperious assault on the rights of parents,” said Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family. “How dare these judges have the audacity to label tens of thousands of parents criminals — the equivalent to drug dealers or pickpockets — because they want to raise and educate their children according to their deeply held values?

“The case before them involved one couple — the ruling should have been confined to that one couple, not used to punish an entire class of people, the vast majority of them religious conservatives.”

Read about it here.

[From me]

For those who think the government is the answer to the ills of the world–think again! I spent 2 years teaching in the public school system and it was one of the better schools in my state. We had lots of NASA engineer children. You can’t get any smarter than a “rocket scientist.” We had great parental involvement. If you were looking or a school for your children, this was one of the top 5 in the state. But because of discipline issues and the fact that the Principal wanted the school to have the appearance of being successful we fudged grades. I taught 2 Senior Economics/Government classes and was told by my Principal to give my failing students extra credit or whatever it took to allow them to graduate. I didn’t think that was right but he reminded me I was non-tenured. That is one of the reasons I left teaching to enter the business world.

I feel for teachers. Most are dedicated and loved what they did when they entered the profession. I would say 99% of them want to teach but they are not allowed. When you have over 30 students how can you effectively teach each one? What is going on in Alabama is going on everywhere. Teachers are being forced to teach for “TESTS!” It is not about education anymore, it is about politics and looking good.

So we can’t trust the government only to educate our children. If schools are educating so well, why do I always hear complaints from parents about all of the homework? Shouldn’t the education be occurring at school? Why should a student come home from being at school for 8 hours and have to spend another 2 to 3 hours doing work at home?

I’m sure there are some fantastic schools around. Even if 99% of the schools were doing great jobs in educating children, what right does the government have in telling a parent how to educate their children? Parents know what is best for their children not politicians! If someone wants to send their children to public or private school–great! But if they want to home educate then they should be allowed to do that too!

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

Tens of thousands of parents could be subject to criminal sanctions after a California appeals court ruled parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children.

“Are you kidding me?” said Kevin McCullough, conservative radio talk show host, on Thursday.

The court ruled last week that minor children must attend a public school unless the child attends a private school or is taught by a teacher with a valid state teaching license. And religious convictions of families do not guarantee a right to homeschool their children.

Parents must have teaching credentials to educate their kids at home.

“This decision is a direct hit against every homeschooler in California,” said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the Sunland Christian School, which specializes in religious home schooling. “If the state Supreme Court does not reverse this . . . there will be nothing to prevent homeschool witch hunts from being implemented in every corner of the state of California,” as reported by The Los Angeles Times.

The institute estimates there are 166,000 California students who are homeschooled.

The ruling stems from a case involving Phillip and Mary Long, parents of eight children. One of the children reported “physical and emotional mistreatment by the children’s father.”

Read about it here.

[From me]

This is a load of bunk! Are there bad parents who homeschool? Yes. Are there parents who homeschool for the wrong reason? Yes. But for that reason you throw out the other 99% who want a better education for their children than they can get where they live? There are predators in schools. There is overcrowding. It isn’t safe in a lot of schools.

My wife home educates our two children. We don’t do it to shelter them. We don’t do it to hide anything. We do it because we believe it is our job to prepare our children for the future. We have considered Christian or Private schools but we don’t have the money. Homeschooling is not a bunch of ladies wearing long dresses and hair in a bun. My wife is a vibrant, beautiful, college educated, Godly woman who has a conviction that she has been called to homeschool our children. Our children get lots of socialization though homeschool co-ops. In fact in this part of Charlotte most of those that homeschool could afford private school but do it to “CUSTOMIZE” their child’s education. When we lived in Atlanta the opportunities were even greater.

Do we thing everyone should do it? NO! It is up to each family to decide. But what gives the government to tell parents how to raise their children? This is so wrong.

What do you think?