Mandatory kindergarten on the way? (suburban, pay, ethnic)
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You don't trust my far greater experience because, I suppose, you think my "bias" makes me dishonest. I gave you studies - the only studies that have been done - and you dismiss them because you think their "bias" makes them dishonest. I refer you to colleges, such as Thomas Aquinas in Santa Paula whose student body is more than 25% home educated, and you're too lazy to look into it. You're going to believe what you want to believe. You're going to make the fringes look like the norm because that's how you roll. I've got to get back to work myself ... bye.
If you've been paying attention you'd notice that I am not the only one not believing you here.
You don't trust my far greater experience because, I suppose, you think my "bias" makes me dishonest. I gave you studies - the only studies that have been done - and you dismiss them because you think their "bias" makes them dishonest. I refer you to colleges, such as Thomas Aquinas in Santa Paula whose student body is more than 25% home educated, and you're too lazy to look into it. You're going to believe what you want to believe. You're going to make the fringes look like the norm because that's how you roll. I've got to get back to work myself ... bye.
Imagine! A catholic college soliciting and enrolling high numbers of home schoolers educated by catholic cults! -- er, I mean: by catholic home schooling co-ops.
If you've been paying attention you'd notice that I am not the only one not believing you here.
If you had been paying attention you would have discovered a long time ago that this forum is dominated by a nest of militant secularists and pathological liars.
If the NEA came out with a study that showed homeschooling to be academically inferior, few around here would question its veracity. But no such study exists because the NEA knows it wouldn't be credible.
You are left with three choices:
1. The testimony of those with broad experience and exposure.
2. The only studies that exist.
3. Random, cherry-picked anecdotal "evidence" that confirms your own irrational prejudices.
You dismiss #1 and #2 because home educators themselves are the only available sources. That leaves you with #3.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim
If you had been paying attention you would have discovered a long time ago that this forum is dominated by a nest of militant secularists and pathological liars.
In other words, anyone who disagrees with you?
Also, I'm not sure, but I think calling posters who disagree with you "pathological liars" might be against the TOS.
I'm one of those who considers that religious values and character formation is far more important than academics. Off the charts more important. I'd rather have virtuous but under-educated children than highly-educated little monsters. .
Ah the truth comes out.... "YEP don't matter about dat academic stuff while home schoolen... Just so da kids believe like I does.... Dats da way my daddy taught me, dats da way it will be fer you youngins..."
I am sorry you appear to be at the very fringe of a fringe... Obsessed is almost too mild of a word...... I surely do not think the majority of homeschoolers think as you do.....
I question who is making the "little monsters".... It is almost sad these kids become abnormally politically active.... I suppose year after year of being bombarded with one sided viewpoints, it would be difficult for a child to not have a strongly one sided viewpoint, a desperation based on fear, from so many years of isolation and brainwashing.....
"Normal" folks find time at home away from school to teach religious values.... Also Sunday school hosted by the church of ones choice can be a sufficient place to teach the religion of ones choice...
If you had been paying attention you would have discovered a long time ago that this forum is dominated by a nest of militant secularists and pathological liars.
If the NEA came out with a study that showed homeschooling to be academically inferior, few around here would question its veracity. But no such study exists because the NEA knows it wouldn't be credible.
You are left with three choices:
1. The testimony of those with broad experience and exposure.
2. The only studies that exist.
3. Random, cherry-picked anecdotal "evidence" that confirms your own irrational prejudices.
You dismiss #1 and #2 because home educators themselves are the only available sources. That leaves you with #3.
Geez ... Am I the only one reminded of the definition of religion here?
This article (http://www.hsc.org/prosocial.php - broken link) refers to the research of numerous independent sources.
For example:
"Knowles (1991), an assistant professor at The University of Michigan, is one of the researchers who has looked at the long term success of homeschoolers. His research shows that more than 40 percent attend college, and 15 percent of those had completed a graduate degree (Knowles, 1991). Nearly two-thirds of the homeschooled individuals were self-employed, but only a few worked alone as craftspeople or in other solitary occupations, while most either provided employment to others or worked along with family members (Knowles, 1991). "That so many of those surveyed were self-employed supports the contention that home schooling tends to enhance a person's self-reliance and independence" (Knowles, 1991). Knowles also found no evidence that these adults were even moderately disadvantaged (Knowles, 1991). Two thirds of them were married-the norm for adults their age, and none were unemployed or on any form of welfare assistance (Knowles, 1991). More than three-quarters felt that being taught at home had actually helped them interact with people from different levels of society (Knowles, 1991). Webb, another researcher who looked at aspects of the adult lives of wholly or partly home-educated people, found that all who had attempted higher education were successful and that their socialization was often better than that of their schooled peers (1989)."
Let's summarize the discussion so far, shall we? A few posters who are not personally involved with homeschooling in any way, and who are known to have axes to grind against religion, have shared a few negative anecdotal stories.
On the other hand, I have been deeply immersed in the movement for 15 years, and am personally acquainted with hundreds of others involved in the movement. I can't think of a single homeschooled family that has not sent 50% or more of their children to college. At this moment I know homeschool graduates pursuing degrees in business, nursing, political science, music, theology, philosophy, and liberal arts.
Furthermore, I have directed you to empirical research and hard data - the only hard data available. When research is controversial, there tend to be opposing groups funding studies against each other. This research is not controversial, folks. It's accepted by mainstream scholars across the board. Not even the well-funded education lobby, which is hostile to homeschooling, offers any opposing data. That's why you people have no argument against it: there is no data to support your case. The only real criticism against the data is that homeschoolers are a "self selected" group: they tend to be the most committed parents, critics will say, and the children of committed parents are going to do well in conventional schools as well. These honest critics have a point and a fair argument. However, the data still shows that home education is very successful academically and socially.
Posters here need to be honest with themselves. You are not critical of homeschooling because it is academically or socially inferior: you are critical of homeschooling because you don't like the people doing it. Full stop.
One difference though with the balkans is there doesn't seem to be a solid ethnic or religous distinction between the factions.
No religious distinctions between the factions? The Balkans war was entirely cultural/religious, the factions being Mohammedan, Orthodox, and Catholic. Off topic, but a good reason to take any other "facts" you might offer with a gin and tonic.
Last edited by WesternPilgrim; 04-30-2012 at 04:37 PM..
However, for every homeschooled kid who does go onto college, there are probably thousands who don't - because they haven't been given the primary education they needed to allow them that option.
One in four Americans go to college, but only "one in thousands" of homeschoolers? Is this your public education on display? I'm truly embarrassed for you.
No religious distinctions between the factions? The Balkans war was entirely cultural/religious, the factions being Mohammedan, Orthodox, and Catholic. Off topic, but a good reason to take any other "facts" you might offer with a gin and tonic.
You completely misread my post. Read it again more carefully please and pay close attention to the tense.
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.... I surely do not think the majority of homeschoolers think as you do.....
It is almost sad these kids become abnormally politically active.... I suppose year after year of being bombarded with one sided viewpoints, it would be difficult for a child to not have a strongly one sided viewpoint, a desperation based on fear, from so many years of isolation and brainwashing.....
