[Rhodes22-list] Mo Gubmint - Politics & Education

[elle]

Robert,

Reread previous post re: Utopia.

This is educational Utopia...oh, 'twere it true....I'd
still be gnawing chalk....

elle


--- Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:

> Brad, et al.
> 
> I wound up teaching without any of the usual courses
> 
> and certifications.  (Don't ask how this miracle 
> occurred.)  After sitting in on some of my 
> credentialed colleagues' classes, I came to regard 
> many of their methodologies as questionable or
> outright 
> unproductive, as did some of the students who
> brought 
> their concerns to me.  As a result, when I compare 
> the way teaching is handled in business vs. in the 
> public schools, I see the business model as clearly 
> superior to the PS model on many, if not most,
> areas.
> 
> The major differences (Robert's 3 "R"s):
> 
> 1.  Responsibility - the student is responsible for 
> learning, and the teacher is responsible for 
> presenting material in a learnable structure.
> 
> 2.  Respect - the teacher respects the student's 
> achievements, and the student respects the teacher's
> 
> knowledge and effective presentation of it.
> 
> 3.  Results - both teacher and student are working 
> toward making the student more effective in 
> practicing or using the art or science that is being
> 
> conveyed.
> 
> With luck, the discipline of the immediate subject 
> spills over into competencies in tangential areas of
> 
> endeavor.
> 
> Learning how to learn is at least as important as 
> mastering the specific topic at hand.
> 
> /Robert
>
------------------------------------------------------
> Brad Haslett wrote:
> > 
> > Home schooling is not my thing but a good number
> of my co-workers home
> > school.  Some do it for religious reasons but most
> do it because they're fed
> > up with the public school monopoly and don't want
> to spend $10,000+ per
> > child for private schools.  Most of their kids
> have performed well on
> > standardized tests and get into good colleges.
> That won't be a choice if
> > California gets their way.  What is it that makes
> people want a government
> > that controls every aspect of their lives?  I just
> don't get it!  What is so
> > special about a teaching credential?  Most
> education textbooks are pure BS.
> > Note that the LA Times goes heavy into the
> religion aspect.  That's not the
> > primary issue with most of the people I know who
> home school.  Brad
> > 
> > ---------------------------------
> > 
> > Ruling seen as a threat to many home-schooling
> families State appellate
> > court says those who teach children in private
> must have a credential.
> > By Seema Mehta and Mitchell Landsberg
> > Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
> > 
> > March 6, 2008
> > 
> > Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot
> educate their children at home,
> > according to a state appellate court ruling that
> is sending waves of fear
> > through California's home schooling families.
> > 
> > Advocates for the families vowed to appeal the
> decision to the state Supreme
> > Court. Enforcement until then appears unlikely,
> but if the ruling stands,
> > home-schooling supporters say California will have
> the most regressive law
> > in the nation.
> > 
> > "This decision is a direct hit against every home
> schooler in California,"
> > said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice
> Institute, which
> > represents the Sunland Christian School, which
> specializes in religious home
> > schooling. "If the state Supreme Court does not
> reverse this . . . there
> > will be nothing to prevent home-school witch hunts
> from being implemented in
> > every corner of the state of California."
> > 
> > The institute estimates there are as many as
> 166,000 California students who
> > are home schooled. State Department of Education
> officials say there is no
> > way to know the true number.
> > 
> > Unlike at least 30 other states, home schooling is
> not specifically
> > addressed in California law. Under the state
> education code, students must
> > be enrolled in a public or private school, or can
> be taught at home by a
> > credentialed tutor.
> > 
> > The California Department of Education currently
> allows home schooling as
> > long as parents file paperwork with the state
> establishing themselves as
> > small private schools, hire credentialed tutors or
> enroll their children in
> > independent study programs run by charter or
> private schools or public
> > school districts while still teaching at home.
> > 
> > California does little to enforce those provisions
> and insists it is the
> > local school districts' responsibility. In
> addition, state education
> > officials say some parents home school their
> children without the knowledge
> > of any entity.
> > 
> > Home schoolers and government officials have
> largely accepted this murky
> > arrangement.
> > 
> > "This works so well, I don't see any reason to
> change it," said J. Michael
> > Smith, president of the Virginia-based Home School
> Legal Defense Assn.
> > 
> > The appellate court ruling stems from a case
> involving Lynwood parents
> > Phillip and Mary Long, who were repeatedly
> referred to the Los Angeles
> > County Department of Children and Family Services
> over various allegations,
> > including claims of physical abuse, involving some
> of their eight children.
> > 
> > All of the children are currently or had been
> enrolled in Sunland Christian
> > School, where they would occasionally take tests,
> but were educated in their
> > home by their mother, Phillip Long said.
> > 
> > A lawyer appointed to represent two of the Long's
> young children requested
> > that the court require them to physically attend a
> public or private school
> > where adults could monitor their well-being. A
> trial court disagreed, but
> > the children's lawyer appealed to the 2nd District
> Court of Appeal, which
> > has jurisdiction over Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa
> Barbara and San Luis
> > Obispo counties.
> > 
> > The appellate panel ruled that Sunland officials'
> occasional monitoring of
> > the Longs' home schooling -- with the children
> taking some tests at the
> > school -- is insufficient to qualify as being
> enrolled in a private school.
> > Since Mary Long does not have a teaching
> credential, the family is violating
> > state laws, the ruling said.
> > 
> > "Parents do not have a constitutional right to
> home school their children,"
> > wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28
> opinion signed by the two other
> > members of the district court. "Parents who fail
> to [comply with school
> > enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal
> complaint against them, found
> > guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition
> of fines or an order to
> > complete a parent education and counseling
> program."
> > 
> > Phillip Long said he believes the ruling stems
> from hostility against
> > Christians and vowed to appeal to the state
> Supreme Court.
> > 
> > "I have sincerely held religious beliefs," he
> said. "Public schools conflict
> > with that. I have to go with what my conscience
> requires me."
> > 
> > Public schools teach such topics as evolution,
> which Long said he doesn't
> > believe in. He said his wife spends six hours each
> day teaching their
> > children reading, writing, math, science, health,
> physical education, Bible
> > and social studies. Court papers say Mary Long's
> education ended at 11th
> > grade.
> > 
> > It's unclear if the ruling will be enforced, given
> the likely appeals.
> > Typically, these rulings take effect 30 days after
> they are issued.
> > 
> > Other organizations that plan to get involved
> include the Pacific Justice
> > Institute, Home School Legal Defense Assn. and the
> Home School Assn. of
> > California.
> > 
> > Meanwhile, state Department of Education's
> attorneys are reviewing the
> > ruling.
> > 
> > Teachers union officials will also be closely
> monitoring the appeal. A.J.
> > Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles,
> said he agrees with the
> > ruling.
> > 
> > "What's best for a child is to be taught by a
> credentialed teacher," he
> > said.
> > 
> > While many educators and officials remained
> unfamiliar with the ruling
> > Tuesday, news about it has been sweeping websites
> and blogs devoted to home
> > schooling. Organizations have been getting tense
> phone calls from parents
> > worried that they will be targeted.
> > 
> > Families who home school includethose whose
> religious beliefs conflict with
> > public schools and those whose children are in the
> entertainment industry or
> > have other time-consuming activities that require
> them to study at an
> > individualized pace.
> > 
> > Glenn and Kathleen, a Sacramento-area couple who
> requested that their last
> > name not be used for fear of prosecution, home
> school their 9-year-old son
> > Hunter because their Christian beliefs would be
> contradicted in a public
> > school setting, Glenn said. He is troubled by the
> idea that his son would be
> > exposed to teachings about evolution,
> homosexuality, same-sex marriage and
> > sex education .
> > 
> > "I want to have control over what goes in my son's
> head, not what's put in
> > there by people who might be on the far left who
> have their own ideas about
> > indoctrinating kids," he said.
> > 
> > If the ruling takes effect, Glenn vowed to move
> his family out of state. "If
> > I can't home school my son in California, we're
> going to have to end up
> > leaving California. That's how important it is to
> me."
> > 
> > seema.mehta at latimes.com
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> www.rhodes22.org/list
> 
> -- 
> Robert Skinner  "Squirrel Haven" 
> Gorham, Maine         04038-1331
> s/v "Little Dipper" & "Edith P."
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> www.rhodes22.org/list
> 


We can't change the angle of the wind....but we can adjust our sails.

 1992 Rhodes 22   Recyc '06  "WaterMusic"   (Lady in Red)


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