Policy

[vim876]

What do you, as homeschoolers, think the appropriate amount of state regulation is? On the one hand, it's important that it not stifle educational innovation. On the other hand, there is a compelling public interest in making sure kids aren't being abused, and that they are actually learning something. I hope a policy question like this isn't too OT here, but I'm concerned about the troll level if I posted this in general discussion.

[mzteris]

1. Good question -

and a hard one to answer. I homeschooled in a pretty liberally applied regulation state. I've talked with people who live in highly regulated and restricted states. If I had to choose - as a homeschooler - it would certainly be the one with fewer regulations.

That said, as a citizen - and knowing "some" hs'ers - SOMETIMES it's hard not to want "more regulations".

The thing is, I wish the powers that being enforcing those regulations had a better understanding of learning processes and children and styles, etc.

For instance - UNSCHOOLING - is rarely understood by ANYONE who has not seen it up close and personal in action.

We practiced an eclectic mix - after the first year or so (ages 8-9) I was no longer my son's "teacher" - I was his facilitator. I abandoned the "state suggested curricula" as we knew he would NOT be returning to a traditional school setting at the time. I let him study whatever the hell he WANTED to study. And study he did. The depth and breadth of what/how he learned far surpassed he traditionally schooled counter-parts. He may not have been learning "4th grade" blah blah blah, but he was learning Algebra, Chemistry, Chinese, and Ancient History. And NO, he is NOT a "genius" - I will admit that he IS a little smarter than average, though.

He was a top-down global learner, conceptual to specifics. MOST schools teach in just the opposite manner. They moved way too slowly and hated all the questions he asked. (You're not supposed to know that yet... you're confusing the other students . . . I have no idea! . . . Why don't you go read while the other children work on this, m'kay?)

I'm saying this to point out that *some* of those highly regulated states, you're just doing "school work" at home. Their curriculum, their lesson plans, their time-table. While there will be some freedom, you won't have the freedom you need to provide the best style of learning for your child.

While I ABHOR the whole fundamentalist "HAPPY HEARTH" bullshit being taught to those poor "christian girls" - to deny their parents the right to teach them as they see fit, would deny all those UNSCHOOLERS the right to teach their children the best way that they will learn.

It's a very hard call. I think a moderate amount - registering your school, and your children. Yearly achievement testing proving progress. However, you need informed regulators/educators that understand that a vast majority of hs'ers (the non-fundy ones) are doing so because of the learning differences - and DIFFERENCES - that many of these children possess - so that you will see uneven progress.

Hs'ers are quirky. They're aspie. They're autistic. They're very damn smart. They're slow. They're disabled. They're disordered. They're geniuses. They're different. They're athletes or music or art prodigies. They're suffering from severe anxiety disorders or shyness. They hate loud noises. Fluorescent lights cause them to behave as if they have ADHD! They have time sense disorders. They're cute. They're funny. They're personable.They're more mature. They're less mature. They are wonderful and they deserve to learn in the way that works best for them.

Overcrowded classrooms. EXTREMELY-ill-behaved children who should not be in the same room. POLITICS!!! Ill-suited teachers. Overbearing administrators. TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST bullshit that tests nothing but how to take tests. Cookie-cutter soulless lesson plans.

For some kids, it's not biggie - they deal with it and move on. For some kids - you may has well drown them as put them in that environment.

[Maat]

2. Well, as a former Child Protective Services social worker ...

and a homeschooler, I think that the idea that homeschooling is somehow an attempt to conceal abuse ... well, that's an absurd idea and a myth. I investigated thousands of cases and never found this to be true.

I think that it might be appropriate for parents to register and submit an educational plan, but that's it.

I, personally, go through a charter school and meet with an educational facilitator (teacher) monthly, along with my daughter. That is a personal decision our family made - so that we would not be harassed by anyone.

[vim876]

3. I was not arguing that it is...

an attempt to conceal abuse. I was arguing that it is legitimate for the state to want some contact with (or for some other institution to have contact with) children to ensure that their basic rights are not being violated. I think 99.999... percent of homeschoolers are likely parents trying their best to do right by their kids. But there still is that 0.001% (if it's even that big-point is, it's very unlikely that the number of abused children is zero in any population). As a society, are the perils of overregulation so high that we should leave them in that situation, potentially without a way to contact anyone who could help, even if they wanted to? You probably know much more about this equation than I do, as you worked in CPS. I'm really interested in how your experience in that field has shaped your views. I certainly would never advocate anything more onerous than a 15-30 minute one-on-one (monthly, yearly, whatever) visit with a facilitator (trained to identify signs of abuse) to ensure they are learning anything about anything (including combustion engines, dinosaurs, Quantum theory, the Bible, the tango, how to run a small business, or any number of other things.) I would have mentioned my opinion on that up front, but my mind is relatively open on this topic; I also worried about the effect anchoring bias might have on people's responses.

When you say "educational plan," how extensive a plan are we talking about? It seems that could unduly complicate unschooling, which would be my only worry on that front.

[Maat]

5. Well, the plan I have to submit is SO open .. so flexible ...

the homeschooling parent of good intent wouldn't have any kind of problem at all. So, a plan like that wouldn't impede unschooling or anything else. So, it's possible.

The most vulnerable are below school age. Older kids have no trouble going out and getting help if they are willing to do that (and risk separation from the family). They call authorities or get help from a neighbor. I don't think that society should require periodic contact with a school district employee to end abuse and neglect; in my experience, they became far too invasive (and imaginative)(the school employees). 99 out of 100 reports were unfounded. Physicians' reports were nearly always accurate and indicative of significant abuse and neglect, by contrast.

We parents do have an obligation to comply with the law, and the law states that kids are to be involved in education. So, the least we can do, in my humble opinion, is register, meet periodically, and submit a general educational plan and work samples (some kind of something).

[vim876]

4. One of my

big reasons for asking this question is that many of the points (at least the ones that might be taken seriously by anyone listening who isn't already a rabid bigot) anti-homeschoolers use to argue for banning homeschooling might be blunted by some relatively flexible regulations that would not put a serious burden on homeschoolers. Cutting down on the number of reasonable-sounding arguments against educational freedom decreases the likelihood that homeschoolers will be hemmed in (or worse, prevented from choosing the educational option that is best for their child) by regulations that are truly onerous. Just btw.