I just read an online article for a Charlotte, NC publication that compares me with Muslim terrorists, Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby (well, the devil worshipers in Rosemary's Baby)because I homeschool. It talks about women with braids in their hair (uh oh, I sometimes braid my hair and it is in the way if I leave it down.... uh oh!) and who wear long skirts (GASP!!!!! I sometimes wear long skirts because I find them comfortable!) as religious fanatics/martyrs committing "suicide book-learning". I realize that this is possibly a parody or a satirical piece, but the fact that ANYONE could compare homeschooling families to terrorists pisses me off.
Then, it discusses whether or not I am qualified to teach my children. In case you are wondering.... YES! I am taking this rather personally!!!! A direct quote from the article says "I know that homeschooled kids have won high-profile academic contests, but for every homeschooler that aces a spelling bee, there's some poor child being "instructed" by a parent who's barely literate herself. Teachers in the public school system are required to have certification and college degrees, yet any yahoo can force their kids to stay home as long as they pass an annual test." Ummmm.... satirical or not.... this is obnoxious!!!! There are bad examples in any sample of populace that you research (and there is a fantastic letter responding to this article talking about this) but I am tired of having to defend of what I am doing!
I may not have finished college, but this was due to poor choices not a lack of intelligence. I have 3 energetic, intelligent and loud boys. Yet I am enjoying the progress I am seeing happen in our little "School for Boys". I had always said" wow! I could never do that!" when talking to homeschooling parents. But circumstances in our lives made it the best choice for our family and our children. I am stressed and depressed and yet it has nothing to do with being a homeschooler. It has to do with having not a single local friend to go have some time out with. It has to do with not being able to have a date night with my husband because we don't know anyone who could watch the kids. It has to do with money and how expensive a move to NY is going to be. None of it has to do with being with my boys during the day.
Satire or not, there is a reason more and more people are making this choice every year. Maybe because people like the one who wrote this obnoxious article are rampant in the public school system....
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Of course we CAN do this...The fathers of this great nation and so many others were schooled in just this manner. So many people want to talk about the problems in our nations education system, the way I see WE'RE the ones doing something about IT! And test after test show that we are making a difference! Love you Jesse!
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