Homeschool

[mossy_crow]

You were in high school when covid hit? I feel so badly for you. Around here was better than most, but they totally mangled that response.

I'm impressed with you if you're in that age range and on here. That's a pretty big endorsement for homeschooling because I was an idiot until I was about 27.

As soon as we had to do "at home learning" my last year, I was pissed. It was basically just "here's an assignment" "here's an assignment" I was so glad I had basically met the requirements to graduate. I felt more for my younger siblings who had to endure doing assignments without any teaching. It became a bunch of busy work just to show that schools were still "running". Also thank you! I have my dad and my grandmother to thank for being able to see through the lines. They always taught me to question and observe, not just look, at what was happening around us. In the end my motto was "prepare for the worst, hope for the best". I'd rather be able to take care of myself and those I care about if something major happened, then to go into any shtf scenario panicking and spiraling.

 

[Survivor_316]

As soon as we had to do "at home learning" my last year, I was pissed. It was basically just "here's an assignment" "here's an assignment" I was so glad I had basically met the requirements to graduate. I felt more for my younger siblings who had to endure doing assignments without any teaching. It became a bunch of busy work just to show that schools were still "running". Also thank you! I have my dad and my grandmother to thank for being able to see through the lines. They always taught me to question and observe, not just look, at what was happening around us. In the end my motto was "prepare for the worst, hope for the best". I'd rather be able to take care of myself and those I care about if something major happened, then to go into any shtf scenario panicking and spiraling.

Good for you! I love that attitude.

 

[user 7650]

well it was the 1950s and 1960s. back then people followed the rules.

Yeah… that’s not always a good thing.

 

[lonewolf]

Yeah… that’s not always a good thing.

different era, different attitude to now and it was Britain not the US.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Homeschooling is indeed spreading and picking up steam! Woohoo!

 

[user 7650]

View attachment 19279

Homeschooling is indeed spreading and picking up steam! Woohoo!

I hope this becomes the norm

 

[Survivor_316]

I just liked the way she put together these quotes from the founders of our American education system ideology. It has NEVER been about well rounded kids, even though many of us had good school experiences in the past. The education system was designed to churn out robotic, easily malleable citizens.

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

I was privileged to go to the schools I did. My HS graduating class was 72 students. I had many classes with only 5 or 6 other students, especially once I got into honors classes junior and senior year.

My Sophomore year I took an accounting class and within a couple of weeks, she had figured out that three of us, needed a faster pace than the rest. She pulled us aside, gave us three times the material to learn, less busy work and we completed enough material that I was able to test out of my first year of college accounting. Same happened in Biology, English (known these days as Language Arts) and Organic Chemistry. Senior year History was Constitution and Law where we learned to litigate cases in "mock court".

No, it was not a public school. The teachers were paid very little but, really busted butt to help each and every one of us become our best. Discussion and free exchange of ideas was a regular part of every class, even religion. No teacher was required to get through any amount of material to keep their jobs. It was far more important that we learned how to think for ourselves.
Rather than regurgitating information, they wanted us to understand what we were learning.

We DID get a ton of homework...up to four hours a night on a regular basis. But, unlike many students these days, our parents helped us if we had any difficulties. I struggled in Algebra and my father spent hours with me every night, helping me.

This wasn't some kind of magic wand they waved. It all started with discipline. 98% of us were all brought up in Catholic schools; nuns, rulers...detention. Our parents stood with the teachers if we did something wrong. By the time we got to HS,, we were there to learn. Not find girlfriends or boyfriends, not party (that was reserved for after football games), not socialize; LEARN. Learning begins with self-discipline. Self Discipline begins at home.

Your job as a parent is not to be your child's best friend, it is to give them the skills they will need to support themselves in this world. You can be their friend when they are grown.

 

[Survivor_316]

I was privileged to go to the schools I did. My HS graduating class was 72 students. I had many classes with only 5 or 6 other students, especially once I got into honors classes junior and senior year.

My Sophomore year I took an accounting class and within a couple of weeks, she had figured out that three of us, needed a faster pace than the rest. She pulled us aside, gave us three times the material to learn, less busy work and we completed enough material that I was able to test out of my first year of college accounting. Same happened in Biology, English (known these days as Language Arts) and Organic Chemistry. Senior year History was Constitution and Law where we learned to litigate cases in "mock court".

No, it was not a public school. The teachers were paid very little but, really busted butt to help each and every one of us become our best. Discussion and free exchange of ideas was a regular part of every class, even religion. No teacher was required to get through any amount of material to keep their jobs. It was far more important that we learned how to think for ourselves.
Rather than regurgitating information, they wanted us to understand what we were learning.

We DID get a ton of homework...up to four hours a night on a regular basis. But, unlike many students these days, our parents helped us if we had any difficulties. I struggled in Algebra and my father spent hours with me every night, helping me.

This wasn't some kind of magic wand they waved. It all started with discipline. 98% of us were all brought up in Catholic schools; nuns, rulers...detention. Our parents stood with the teachers if we did something wrong. By the time we got to HS,, we were there to learn. Not find girlfriends or boyfriends, not party (that was reserved for after football games), not socialize; LEARN. Learning begins with self-discipline. Self Discipline begins at home.

Your job as a parent is not to be your child's best friend, it is to give them the skills they will need to support themselves in this world. You can be their friend when they are grown.

Unfortunately, your experience is rare especially now.

Our society mixes up education with the Department of Education. Education is great. The Department of Education is a misnomer.

Even concepts like asking before you go to the bathroom in high school are deeply ingrained in us to be obedient above all else. As an adult, that concept is ridiculous to me. You have to sign a pass and get approval before you relieve yourself??? That is absurd. Why aren't introducing how to politely and quietly leave a room when there is a speaker, that sneaking out to goof off has consequences, and that they are smart enough at 16 to know when they have to poop?

People say school would be chaos if they didn't do that, but I disagree. Give them responsibility over their own education and if they fail, it's their own fault.

No wonder kids go crazy when they get to college. They're micro managed every moment of their lives and then suddenly unleashed on the world. Of course the first woke professor who strokes theor ego and allows them to shirk societal norms will have their ear.

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now. But really, look into the major players behind the formation of the puvl8c education system. It wasn't good.

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

Unfortunately, your experience is rare especially now.

Our society mixes up education with the Department of Education. Education is great. The Department of Education is a misnomer.

Even concepts like asking before you go to the bathroom in high school are deeply ingrained in us to be obedient above all else. As an adult, that concept is ridiculous to me. You have to sign a pass and get approval before you relieve yourself??? That is absurd. Why aren't introducing how to politely and quietly leave a room when there is a speaker, that sneaking out to goof off has consequences, and that they are smart enough at 16 to know when they have to poop?

People say school would be chaos if they didn't do that, but I disagree. Give them responsibility over their own education and if they fail, it's their own fault.

No wonder kids go crazy when they get to college. They're micro managed every moment of their lives and then suddenly unleashed on the world. Of course the first woke professor who strokes theor ego and allows them to shirk societal norms will have their ear.

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now. But really, look into the major players behind the formation of the puvl8c education system. It wasn't good.

We also had to ask to go to the bathroom. It was kind of like asking to be excused from the dinner table or waiting to start digging in until everyone was seated, which was also a thing in our house. I didn't ever see it as restricting, just a polite thing to do. They figured we were in large part, capable of knowing when we needed to hit the restroom between classes.

The problem with the Public School systems which all of my children attended at one point or another, is that like our system of government, it is meant for a moral people. People who don't need to have it legislated to care about their fellow citizens, who know right and wrong and have the honesty to self-address their mistakes as such.

When I was growing up, I was a rarity, in that both of my parents worked and that for 5 years of my life (my mother was home for the first 3), I had either been in day car or with a babysitter after age 8, I babysat myself and my brother (except when grandma would come for long stay visits).

Now days, every kid, almost from birth, is raised by someone OTHER than their parents. Is it surprising that by the time they enter school, they have no stable moral foundation, just a jumble of puzzle pieces in a bag? The teachers then get to assemble the puzzle into anything they want.

The problem doesn't start in the class room. The problem starts at home, or more aptly, not at home. We have lost the balance between both parents having to work to make ends meet, and both parents working to keep up with or better yet, beat the Joneses.

The other problem I see (and sorry if this offends) but, when I was in school, not a single kid came from a divorced family. We had three who had lost a parent through death. Everyone else found a way to make it work. Marriage was a serious, serious decision because it was for life.

Our senior year religion classes focused heavily on relationships, marriage, how to choose a partner, and working through problems. Like my husband and I, there were about 10 other couples from our class who got married to each other and stayed married for at least 20 years; haven't been to another reunion, so don't know now.

The public school system is a mess but, many of the problems in our society start at home.

 

[user 7650]

We also had to ask to go to the bathroom. It was kind of like asking to be excused from the dinner table or waiting to start digging in until everyone was seated, which was also a thing in our house. I didn't ever see it as restricting, just a polite thing to do. They figured we were in large part, capable of knowing when we needed to hit the restroom between classes.

The problem with the Public School systems which all of my children attended at one point or another, is that like our system of government, it is meant for a moral people. People who don't need to have it legislated to care about their fellow citizens, who know right and wrong and have the honesty to self-address their mistakes as such.

When I was growing up, I was a rarity, in that both of my parents worked and that for 5 years of my life (my mother was home for the first 3), I had either been in day car or with a babysitter after age 8, I babysat myself and my brother (except when grandma would come for long stay visits).

Now days, every kid, almost from birth, is raised by someone OTHER than their parents. Is it surprising that by the time they enter school, they have no stable moral foundation, just a jumble of puzzle pieces in a bag? The teachers then get to assemble the puzzle into anything they want.

The problem doesn't start in the class room. The problem starts at home, or more aptly, not at home. We have lost the balance between both parents having to work to make ends meet, and both parents working to keep up with or better yet, beat the Joneses.

The other problem I see (and sorry if this offends) but, when I was in school, not a single kid came from a divorced family. We had three who had lost a parent through death. Everyone else found a way to make it work. Marriage was a serious, serious decision because it was for life.

Our senior year religion classes focused heavily on relationships, marriage, how to choose a partner, and working through problems. Like my husband and I, there were about 10 other couples from our class who got married to each other and stayed married for at least 20 years; haven't been to another reunion, so don't know now.

The public school system is a mess but, many of the problems in our society start at home.

I agree in a way. The issues stem from there not having a solid foundation at home, but modern public school is designed to destroy that foundation by brainwashing kids in a Marxist style. Modern schools undermine parental authority, and destroy families. You want evidence of this, look at the trans agenda in schools now. Kids are told they can begin transition without parental knowledge or consent. Meanwhile parents are working their ass off trying to make it in todays economy. Kids are being brought up by the school system and never even standing a chance.

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

I agree in a way. The issues stem from there not having a solid foundation at home, but modern public school is designed to destroy that foundation by brainwashing kids in a Marxist style. Modern schools undermine parental authority, and destroy families. You want evidence of this, look at the trans agenda in schools now. Kids are told they can begin transition without parental knowledge or consent. Meanwhile parents are working their ### off trying to make it in todays economy. Kids are being brought up by the school system and never even standing a chance.

I went to public school from K-2nd grade, then when they told my mother to stop speaking Polish/Russian/Ukranian/German in our house and sent my brother to speech therapy because he had an accent, we got pulled out and put in private schools.

Kids being brought up by the school system, as of right now, is within our control as parents and it starts at birth. There are far fewer people who HAVE TO have both parents working than who are doing it.

When I was 27, my husband had a decent job in the City and I was working at part time at job as a coach where I took my children to work with me.

His paycheck paid the mortgage, car maintenance, electricity and grocery bills and mine, afforded the kids things like new (non-used) clothes, shoes and Christmas gifts that didn’t come from a thrift store.

I was very good at my job and was offered to run the figure skating program at a new rink that at the time, would have been the largest one in the country. I would make 2x what my husband was making at the time.

We discussed it and decided that he would quit his job to stay with the kids.

My FIL got wind of it and had a meltdown.

Long story short, I didn’t take the job.

We took our lumps, and instead built a life slowly. My kids didn’t have cell phones, lap tops, fancy vacations, or expensive clothes.

I cut their hair at home, improved my skills as a seamstress so I could sew most of their clothing (back when fabric was inexpensive compared to ready made). We didn’t have cable television or internet.

Our house was a handyman’s special, so we put in the sweat equity a little at a time as we could afford it. It was not in a good neighborhood but we sold it for twice what we bought it for. We drove our vehicles until the wheels fell off.

What I see from many youngers today is they get out of school and expect to get a white picket house in a nice neighborhood, where they won’t have to do anything to it, their kids wouldn’t be caught dead wearing clothing out of a free box from a garage sale, they drive cars that have a higher monthly payment on them than our first home, and spend almost half of that 2nd income on day care. The rest they spend on fancy vacations and cars. They can fix or make nothing themselves and pay others to do it for them.

There is making ends meet while doing the hard work/sacrifices needed to build wealth and then there is instant gratification at the expense of a child’s long term well-being.

 

[Survivor_316]

What schools today are is a separate argument from my point that the founders of the public education system actually had this in mind. If you read the historical literature they have written, those behind the formation of our education system were all Marxists who envisioned this to be a system of indoctrination.

There is a really good book about secondary education called Conflicting Allegiances.

In my opinion, the home life takes a backseat when kids spend only a couple hours with parents and most of their time with adults who- unwittingly at times- regurgitate the newest approved curriculum. Of course, there are some strong willed kids who survive it.

I loved public school and thrived there. I loved college. But looking back, I was definitely being brainwashed.

I agree that most families don't need two working parents, but our family structure has been so dismantled that there are so many single parents. And we have become so accustomed to a school building as the only way of education that many parents don't see the need to be home during those hours.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I remember attempts at brainwashing as far back as the late 60’s. A play the class had put on. I remember it was set in 2000 because I figured out how old I would be. Canned fresh air, canned sunshine because of all the pollution.
I think it came as true as The Jetson’s flying cars and climate change will.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

 

[Jim Costa]

We live in Florida. Four months back we were told that because of the huge influx of new residents in the state that the state cannot have school houses for them all by September.

So the state offered normal funding per child that goes to each school board to now follow the student if they go to a private Florida school. That has now occurred.

My wife told me about an article about protesters over the idea.

My comments were:
First we can assume they were not religious people.
Second, they were surely members of a teachers union, pissed about the loss of their control.

My wife then pointed out the article indicated that teachers in private schools do not usually have all the certifications that public school teachers have.

I agree that that is probably true.I myself attended private schools and saw that.
But my final thought was those private school teachers are usually young and have smaller classes.
That means that are not exhausted from large classes or burned out from teaching 30 years.

So my conclusion is that the minor problems pointed out are acceptable in a crisis and a great compromise for the state for crisis resolution. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.

P.S. My grand-daughter begins second grade in a Christian school she has been attending. She can read as well as I can and writes in cursive like a pro. Not bad for just coming outta First grade. My only complaint is she still thinks I am stupid!

 

[Survivor_316]

We live in Florida. Four months back we were told that because of the huge influx of new residents in the state that the state cannot have school houses for them all by September.

So the state offered normal funding per child that goes to each school board to now follow the student if they go to a private Florida school. That has now occurred.

My wife told me about an article about protesters over the idea.

My comments were:
First we can assume they were not religious people.
Second, they were surely members of a teachers union, pissed about the loss of their control.

My wife then pointed out the article indicated that teachers in private schools do not usually have all the certifications that public school teachers have.

I agree that that is probably true.I myself attended private schools and saw that.
But my final thought was those private school teachers are usually young and have smaller classes.
That means that are not exhausted from large classes or burned out from teaching 30 years.

So my conclusion is that the minor problems pointed out are acceptable in a crisis and a great compromise for the state for crisis resolution.

Certifications teach class management, child psychology, national program compliance, and managing learning styles more than anything.

I would take a compassionate teacher with high morals and a love for kids over anyone with numerous certifications any day.

 

[Jim Costa]

I forgot to say that she has been attending there not because of the religious training but because her parents wanted a better education for her. They are heathons like I am.

Survivor, you are so right, those are the passionate teachers I see in my interaction with the school. They all have that spark.