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Anti Federalist
02-20-2012, 12:45 PM
Liberals, the collective is more important, you must, for the sake of progressive values, sacrifice your children in order to better others.

Or something...



Liberals, Don’t Homeschool Your Kids

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/02/homeschooling_and_unschooling_among_liberals_and_p rogressives_.html

Why teaching children at home violates progressive values.

By Dana Goldstein|Posted Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, at 7:10 AM ET

As a child growing up in Arizona and Georgia college towns during the 1980s and 1990s, the filmmaker Astra Taylor was “unschooled” by her lefty, countercultural parents. “My siblings and I slept late and never knew what day of the week it was,” Taylor writes in a new essay in the literary journal N+1. “We were never tested, graded, or told to memorize dates, facts, or figures. … Some days we read books, made music, painted, or drew. Other days we argued and fought over the computer. Endless hours were spent watching reruns of ‘The Simpsons’ on videotape, though we had every episode memorized. When we weren’t inspired—which was often—we simply did nothing at all.”

Over the past year, there has been a resurgence of interest in homeschooling—not just the religious fundamentalist variety practiced by Michele Bachman and Rick Santorum, but also in secular, liberal homeschooling like Taylor’s. Think no textbooks, history lessons about progressive social movements, and college-level math for precocious 13-year-olds. Some families implement this vision on their own, while others join cooperatives of like-minded, super-involved parents.

Homeschooling is so unevenly regulated from state to state that it is impossible to know exactly how many homeschoolers there are. Estimates range from about 1 million to 2 million children, and the number is growing. It is unclear how many homeschooling families are secular, but the political scientist Rob Reich has written that there is little doubt the homeschooling population has diversified in recent years.* Yet whether liberal or conservative, “[o]ne article of faith unites all homeschoolers: that homeschooling should be unregulated,” Reich writes. “Homeschoolers of all stripes believe that they alone should decide how their children are educated.”

Could such a go-it-alone ideology ever be truly progressive—by which I mean, does homeschooling serve the interests not just of those who are doing it, but of society as a whole?

In her N+1 piece, Taylor struggles to answer this question in the affirmative. Drawing upon her own upbringing, as well as on the traditions of the radical private school the Albany Free School, Taylor calls on parents and students to “empty the schools,” which force students to endure “irrational authority six and a half hours a day, five days a week, in a series of cinder-block holding cells,” she caricatures.

This overheated hostility toward public schools runs throughout the new literature on liberal homeschooling, and reveals what is so fundamentally illiberal about the trend: It is rooted in distrust of the public sphere, in class privilege, and in the dated presumption that children hail from two-parent families, in which at least one parent can afford (and wants) to take significant time away from paid work in order to manage a process—education—that most parents entrust to the community at-large.

Take, for instance, Sonia Songha’s New York Times account of forming a preschool cooperative with six other brownstone-Brooklyn mothers, all of whom “said our children had basically never left our sides.” Indeed, in a recent Newsweek report, the education journalist Linda Perlstein noted a significant number of secular homeschoolers are also adherents of attachment parenting, the perennially controversial ideology defined by practices such as co-sleeping with one’s child and breast-feeding for far longer than typical, sometimes well beyond toddlerhood. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, one “hippy” homeschooler told the local paper she feared exposing her kids to the presumably negative influences of teachers and peers. “I didn’t want my child being raised by someone else for eight hours out of the day,” she said.

Recent reports of teachers and teachers' aides in Los Angeles and New York molesting children only flame the fans of such fears. But these stories make news exactly because they are so rare; there's something creepy about giving in totally to the terrors of the outside world harming one's child. In a country increasingly separated by cultural chasms—Christian conservatives vs. secular humanists; Tea Partiers vs. Occupiers—should we really encourage children to trust only their parents or those hand-selected by them, and to mistrust civic life and public institutions?

Moreover, being your child’s everything—her parent, teacher, baby-sitter, and afterschool program coordinator—requires a massive outlay of labor. Songha’s pre-K cooperative hired a teacher, but parents ended up putting in 10 to 12 hours of work per week administrating the program. Astra Taylor’s father was a college professor, while her mother supervised the four children’s “unschooling.”

What goes unmentioned is what made this lifestyle possible: the fact that Taylor’s mother could afford to stay home with her kids. Yet Taylor bristles against the suggestion that there was anything unique about the ability of her upper-middle class, uber-intellectual parents to effectively “unschool” their children while still helping them grow into educated adults with satisfying professional lives. This critique “implies that most people are not gifted, and that they need to be guided, molded, tested, and inspected,” Taylor complains. “What makes us so sure most people couldn’t handle self-education?”

What makes us so sure? Reality. More than 70 percent of mothers with children under the age of 18 are in the workforce. One-third of all children and one-half of low-income children are being raised by a single parent. Fewer than one-half of young children, and only about one-third of low-income kids, are read to daily by an adult. Surely, this isn’t the picture of a nation ready to “self-educate” its kids.

Nor can we allow homeschoolers to believe their choice impacts only their own offspring. Although the national school-reform debate is fixated on standardized testing and “teacher quality”—indeed, the uptick in secular homeschooling may be, in part, a backlash against this narrow education agenda—a growing body of research suggests “peer effects” have a large impact on student achievement. Low-income kids earn higher test scores when they attend school alongside middle-class kids, while the test scores of privileged children are impervious to the influence of less-privileged peers. So when college-educated parents pull their kids out of public schools, whether for private school or homeschooling, they make it harder for less-advantaged children to thrive.

Of course, no one wants to sacrifice his own child’s education in order to better serve someone else’s kid. But here’s the great thing about attending racially and socioeconomically integrated schools: It helps children become better grown-ups. Research by Columbia University sociologist Amy Stuart Wells found that adult graduates of integrated high schools shared a commitment to diversity, to understanding and bridging cultural differences, and to appreciating “the humanness of individuals across racial lines.”

Taylor admits that “[m]any people, liberal and conservative alike, are deeply offended by critiques of compulsory schooling.” I suppose I am one of them. I benefited from 13 years of public education in one of the most diverse and progressive school districts in the United States. My father, stepmother, stepfather, and grandfather are or were public school educators. As an education journalist, I’ve admired many public schools that use culturally relevant, high-standards curricula to engage even the most disadvantaged students. These schools are sustained by the talents of impossibly hard-working teachers who want to partner with parents and kids, not oppress them.

Despite our conflicting perspectives, I agree with Taylor that school ought to be more engaging, more intellectually challenging, and less obsessed with testing. But government is the only institution with the power and scale to intervene in the massive undertaking of better educating American children, 90 percent of whom currently attend public schools. (And it’s worth remembering that schools provide not just education, but basic child care while parents are at work.) Lefty homeschoolers might be preaching sound social values to their children, but they aren’t practicing them. If progressives want to improve schools, we shouldn’t empty them out. We ought to flood them with our kids, and then debate vociferously what they ought to be doing.

Sola_Fide
02-20-2012, 12:55 PM
Wow. That article is one of the most striking examples of why we live in a nation of slaves.

Absolutely unreal!

Anti Federalist
02-20-2012, 12:57 PM
Wow. That article is one of the most striking examples of why we live in a nation of slaves.

Absolutely unreal!

And they call us the "lunatic fringe"...

Truth is Treason

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery.

The inmates are truly running the asylum.

youngbuck
02-20-2012, 01:00 PM
That article is so full of fail, I can't wrap my head around it. It reinforces my committment to send my kids to a private school or, if not, homeschool them.

specsaregood
02-20-2012, 01:00 PM
I get my kid all day and night long, lucky enough to work from home. he's napping in my office right now.
would love to be in a position to homeschool him when he is old enough.

Anti Federalist
02-20-2012, 01:04 PM
That article is so full of fail, I can't wrap my head around it. It reinforces my committment to send my kids to a private school or, if not, homeschool them.

Well, yes, it is, but it really is an eye opening look into the mindset of a "true believer" in the state.

They will sacrifice their own children for the perceived betterment of the state.

Trouble is, when they are done with theirs, they will come for yours.

Jtorsella
02-20-2012, 01:06 PM
Yay, Collectivistic self-sacrifice!

otherone
02-20-2012, 01:07 PM
Whenever I read the word "Progressive", I immediately look for the word "minestrone" after it.

VBRonPaulFan
02-20-2012, 01:10 PM
ahahahaha one of the funniest comments under that article:


Boby
i think homscholling is wrong and shud be ilegal. How can kids like me (i am 19) get frends and stuff if we dont go to scholl? I just finished 10th grade and I no I am smarterer then those dum homschollers! I bet they dont know who snoopdog is or how to make gang signs wit there fingers. And im sure they havnt watched all 37 seasons of the Real World like i hav. I say they a bunch of dum MFers!

Pubic Scholl rocks! Piece out!

my wife and I plan on homeschooling our daughter. public education in this country is a joke, and I plan on taking my daughter's education very seriously.

Krugerrand
02-20-2012, 01:12 PM
Well, yes, it is, but it really is an eye opening look into the mindset of a "true believer" in the state.

They will sacrifice their own children for the perceived betterment of the state.

Trouble is, when they are done with theirs, they will come for yours.

sad truth is sad.

BuddyRey
02-20-2012, 01:14 PM
To anyone not swilling collectivist Flavor-Aid like it's going out of style, this vaguely self-satisfied piece of agitprop is practically an advertizement for home school.

"You mean if I go to public school, I'll end up like this smarmy a$$hole? NO THANKS, MOMMY!"

Anti Federalist
02-20-2012, 01:16 PM
Whenever I read the word "Progressive", I immediately look for the word "minestrone" after it.

I think:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/84/Flo_from_Progressive_Insurance.jpg/200px-Flo_from_Progressive_Insurance.jpg

Matthew5
02-20-2012, 01:19 PM
But government is the only institution with the power and scale to intervene in the massive undertaking of better educating American children...

My lunch did not taste good a second time around.

xFiFtyOnE
02-20-2012, 01:56 PM
I think:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/84/Flo_from_Progressive_Insurance.jpg/200px-Flo_from_Progressive_Insurance.jpg

Flo is so hot. Am I alone on this?

A Son of Liberty
02-20-2012, 02:12 PM
I can't wait until we get our boy out of the hands of these irreparably confused people.

Restore America Now
02-20-2012, 02:27 PM
There is a difference between homeschooling and unschooling. I was home schooled for pretty much all of high school and got a world's better education than I was getting at the expensive private school I was attending that was run by lunatics. When I have children, I will homeschool them. As far as unschooling goes, I am unsure about how it exactly works. With all the regulation here in New York for those who are homeschooling, I doubt anyone could get away with unschooling.

osan
02-20-2012, 02:32 PM
Holy hell... that article is so retarded my head feels like it is going to explode. The "reasoning" of the author is loaded with catastrophically failed presumption and innuendo. I don't suppose that woman would be so decent as to refrain from reproducing.

Kluge
02-20-2012, 02:47 PM
I figured there would be an article like this soon. I recently read an article that was very positive about (likely) liberal people homeschooling in the NYT (I think.) And that recent bust at that school in CA only makes me more determined to do the same, at least until high school--depending on the state of the schools.

Cabal
02-20-2012, 03:06 PM
Why teaching children at home violates progressive values.

Someone needs to make an appointment with their doctor to get their head surgically removed from their ass.

freeforall
02-20-2012, 03:09 PM
There is a difference between homeschooling and unschooling. I was home schooled for pretty much all of high school and got a world's better education than I was getting at the expensive private school I was attending that was run by lunatics. When I have children, I will homeschool them. As far as unschooling goes, I am unsure about how it exactly works. With all the regulation here in New York for those who are homeschooling, I doubt anyone could get away with unschooling.

I love the idea of unschooling - teaching a child to go in depth on a subject when they are interested in it rather than teaching from point a to point b. If the educators are driven to present new things often and go the distance with providing resources I can see a lot of benefit to the child with this method. The perception is that unschooling means to not educate the child. There may be a few out there that feel this approach is best or get lazy, but I doubt there are many that take it to that level. Personally, as my children are all under the age of five I definitely take the unschooling approach currently. My husband and I recognize the opportunities to teach reading, math, etc while our children play. I will, however, pursue an equivalent curriculum to the state as they get older without the pressure of speeding up or slowing down on subjects according to their ability.

I love to see that there are so many others on here that are homeschoolers!

heavenlyboy34
02-20-2012, 03:16 PM
Well, yes, it is, but it really is an eye opening look into the mindset of a "true believer" in the state.

They will sacrifice their own children for the perceived betterment of the state.

Trouble is, when they are done with theirs, they will come for yours. +rep Another good reminder that plenty of people think your kids are theirs to train for future serf duties.

heavenlyboy34
02-20-2012, 03:17 PM
Flo is so hot. Am I alone on this?
Nope. I too am in lust with her. ;)

brushfire
02-20-2012, 03:26 PM
Flo is so hot. Am I alone on this?
A solid 500mL and ~750mL... So somewhere in between, on the "80 proof hotness scale".

Here's to all the collectivists who claim to be "evolved":

http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/404410/404410,1245961564,2/stock-photo-colony-of-ants-swarming-pear-on-sidewalk-32661631.jpg

A Son of Liberty
02-20-2012, 03:27 PM
Nope. I too am in lust with her. ;)

She isn't a classic beauty but she does have "a certain j ne c'est quoi." ;)

Chieppa1
02-20-2012, 03:32 PM
Liberals shouldn't homeschool their kids. It would create another generation of economic illiterates.

Matthew5
02-20-2012, 03:53 PM
I love the idea of unschooling - teaching a child to go in depth on a subject when they are interested in it rather than teaching from point a to point b. If the educators are driven to present new things often and go the distance with providing resources I can see a lot of benefit to the child with this method. The perception is that unschooling means to not educate the child. There may be a few out there that feel this approach is best or get lazy, but I doubt there are many that take it to that level. Personally, as my children are all under the age of five I definitely take the unschooling approach currently. My husband and I recognize the opportunities to teach reading, math, etc while our children play. I will, however, pursue an equivalent curriculum to the state as they get older without the pressure of speeding up or slowing down on subjects according to their ability.

I love to see that there are so many others on here that are homeschoolers!

I was home-schooled from the 7th-12th grade, however, I was "unschooled" in history for the most part. Every other year I was allowed to take off from state required history subjects (which are really just U.S. History and World History set in an infinite loop), and I was allowed to choose my own history subject. Those have stuck with me more so than a rigid textbook ever did. I was allowed to immerse myself in the subject that I WANTED to learn. I found out that I have a huge passion for Greek and Roman history. :)

GraniteHills
02-20-2012, 03:58 PM
Ha ha --great timing, seeing as I'm going to lecture on pages 155-157 & 159 of For a New Liberty tomorrow (Rothbard on public education). I'll share this article as well.

DerailingDaTrain
02-20-2012, 03:59 PM
It is clear that her parents were just terrible teachers.

gjdavis60
02-20-2012, 04:12 PM
Yes, "parent" is such a bourgeois concept.

John F Kennedy III
02-20-2012, 04:35 PM
Flo is so hot. Am I alone on this?

Yes she is.

rockerrockstar
02-20-2012, 05:16 PM
I thought my public schooling was excellent. I guess it depends on what school you go to.

What I wonder is if these kids are home schooled how are they ever going to go to college if needed? Good luck passing the GED if your parents did not teach you enough to pass.

A Son of Liberty
02-20-2012, 05:25 PM
What I wonder is if these kids are home schooled how are they ever going to go to college if needed? Good luck passing the GED if your parents did not teach you enough to pass.

There are great armies of public school kids who can say the same thing.

Anti Federalist
02-20-2012, 05:36 PM
I thought my public schooling was excellent. I guess it depends on what school you go to.

What I wonder is if these kids are home schooled how are they ever going to go to college if needed? Good luck passing the GED if your parents did not teach you enough to pass.

If you follow the curriculum and testing schedule, a home schooled student will receive a diploma, depending on the state, issued by the local school or the state itself.

Matthew5
02-20-2012, 06:10 PM
I thought my public schooling was excellent. I guess it depends on what school you go to.

What I wonder is if these kids are home schooled how are they ever going to go to college if needed? Good luck passing the GED if your parents did not teach you enough to pass.

I'm going to assume you're ignorant as to how homeschooling works in most states. I received a state recognized diploma just fine, scored well on the SAT, and got into college with only one additional form required. I had to list the exact lab sciences I took and they accepted it without any problems.

In the state of Texas, you're a legal private school as a homeschooling family. As long as you fulfill the basic public school graduation requirements (proof of grades and testing), you receive a Texas high school diploma.

Marenco
02-20-2012, 07:04 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ogCc8ObiwQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSCirsK8p1I&list=UUp8cIB61NCs4TjmBbtW9VEA&index=7&feature=plcp

osan
02-20-2012, 08:06 PM
Liberals shouldn't reproduce homeschool their kids. It would create another generation of economic illiterates.

Fixed that for you.

mosquitobite
02-20-2012, 08:09 PM
I have a liberal friend (a teacher at that) who posted this on her facebook page with a huge rant about how she would not be sacrificing her child for "the greater good"!

donnay
02-20-2012, 08:24 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezTIYd5UFRY

Read this book:

http://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1627503466525&id=c0498a1a9c8ff3b31e7ac6a9c04d4f69&url=http%3a%2f%2fwatchmenweekly.files.wordpress.co m%2f2012%2f01%2fddd.jpg



http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/

heavenlyboy34
02-20-2012, 08:26 PM
Fixed that for you.
Bah. Left liberals can be converted to libertarianism pretty easily-especially the youngins. I find them easier to work with than self-proclaimed conservatives much of the time.

Cutlerzzz
02-20-2012, 09:07 PM
http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/09/1/3/1/13573333230965046.gif

Maybe they should be spending less time teaching about progressive social movements and more time teaching?

Pericles
02-20-2012, 11:08 PM
This board needs a barf smiley - just sayin' because it would be perfect for this thread,