There will be a response by those who have seized control by more traditional and conventional means.

The new reality is that those now in control can no longer prevent those that they want to suppress from having an unfiltered voice.  In the past, dissidents depended on journalists and others to get their story right and tell it to the world.  Today, dissidents can communicate directly to the world.

by Mainstream Baptist on Wed Jun 14, 2006 at 05:44:01 PM EST
Parent

Homeschoolers still pay taxes that support public schools.  Paying property taxes which support public schools is not dependent on having children attending public school.

Homeschoolers also have to follow the curriculum and homeschooled children still have to pass the same state tests.  I don't see how choosing to educate a person's children themselves instead of drug and gang infested inner-city schools is a cop out.  Seems to me that is parents taking more responsibilty for their own children rather than foisting them off on the public school system and then blaming society when they do something bad.

I agree with you on vouchers, because vouchers take money out of the public school system, but homeschoolers still support the public schools without taxing the resources of the public schools.

by DanielR on Thu Jun 15, 2006 at 02:17:56 PM EST
Parent

The school-voucher thing is not an opt-out; it's a cop-out, as is much of the "home-schooling movement." It completely ignores the fact that in a democratic society, every one of us has a vested interest in ensuring a decent education not only for our own kids but for every kid in the entire country.

Many of us who homeschool(ed) do care about decent educations for all children (as if that is the reality).  Many of us were active in our children's schools before we began homeschooling, and made the choice to homeschool only after jumping through school-hoops that resulted in no changes.    (my own children were A-students, so the problem was not personal disagreement with teachers, or anything like that)

For many of us homeschooling parents, the choice was to continue to work within a system that ignored our concerns (many times through 'majority rule' because others accepted with the way things were).  We could sacrifice our own children (in our view) while working for a nebulous future benefit, or we could put our energy to work where it wasn't squandered.  In terms of stewardship, my own energy was better used in the context of my primary responsibility (my family) rather than that of an institution supported by more people and money than I could possibly stand up to. (pedagogical, not religious at all)

I agree that the purported "choice" concerning vouchers is dependent on availability and transportation.  If all children choose to leave School A for School B, and if School B has only the room to accept [School B + 50] children, then the [School A - 50] children will still be stuck in School A.

There is also the argument that by removing my children from the school (while the school is still receiving tax money), the teachers were better able to concentrate on the children who need their help more, although it doesn't seem to work that way.

Rationing Education In an Era of Accountability

"Take out your classes' latest benchmark scores," the consultant told them, "and divide your students into three groups. Color the 'safe cases,' or kids who will definitely pass, green. Now, here's the most important part: identify the kids who are 'suitable cases for treatment.' Those are the ones who can pass with a little extra help. Color them yellow. Then, color the kids who have no chance of passing this year and the kids that don't count -- the 'hopeless cases' -- red. You should focus your attention on the yellow kids, the bubble kids. They'll give you the biggest return on your investment."