Here's the rub...I am SO tired of the press who seemingly always puts a religious bent on the homeschool issue. Tonight, Yahoo (not necessarily a reliable source of news, to say the least...) had this Time magazine news report.
I don't doubt the facts of this story. In fact, I had heard of this family's struggles with the German government a year or so ago. I do not doubt the fact that this family chose to engage in an illegal activity. I am not arguing whether the Romeike family should have been granted asylum or not in the U. S. I don't even care that the Home School Legal Defense got involved in this case. What gets me riled up, though, is that Time magazine allowed their prejudice of religious people, in this case, Christians, to slant their article!!
I know many people who are not Christians, nor are they religious, who have chosen to home school their children for educational reasons. Isn't this what the issue is, anyway... education? Why, then, does the press have to constantly insert their bias by only reporting on religious home schoolers? And, typically, they only report on those who are in trouble with the law....
Tomorrow evening our family has the privilege of dinner with the Brown family. I can't wait! Our kids have a blast playing with 4 year old Zack and we love renewing our long friendship with Eric and Tracey. The Brown's invited us specifically to discuss homeschooling. Zack has some special needs and at 4 years old, he has already exhausted what their local school system has to offer. The Browns are not particularly religious people. They are making their decision based on finding the best education for their son.
Some day I would love to do a poll and ask homeschool parents why they chose home education. Contrary to the popular opinion held by most of the press, I would venture a guess that the majority of parents have made their decision based on education not religion. Maybe then I could meet the press and offer them some insight.
Until then, I guess I will just vent here on my religious blog about my religious homeschool....
Isn't our unbiased media a treat????? Gotta love those reporters that just go after the facts!
ReplyDeleteHi! Signed up to follow your blog thru the 32nd bog parade. Nice to meet you! I am a homeschool mom too! I am inviting you to come visit my homeschool blog! :)<><
ReplyDeleteNicole
I'll start your poll off for you:
ReplyDeleteI am not religious but I am a homeschooler. We homeschool because I do not like what they teach in the public schools these days, everything that is taught is only done so with the object of the kids being able to pass the state proficiency tests. It rarely goes beyond that anymore, and compared to what was taught in school when I went, it has vastly changed. Also, no more holidays, no more Christmas songs--instead of being diverse and recognizing all, they just do away with everything. I don't like my kids to be exposed to a lot of what goes on in the schools these days, either. I have some special needs kids as well and so far their needs haven't been met in public schools--although my littlest one is starting a developmental preschool for his autism, I have high hopes for this school! Some would say I'm sheltering my kids from life---and maybe I am to a point--but there is a lot of bad out there now--more than ever was in my childhood. I saw a news report last night about a 3rd grader in Cleveland that punched his teacher in the chest and then pushed her down. That's what I'm trying to keep my kids away from--violence and disregard for elders. They don't need to see THAT real life stuff! I've had one graduate from high school just fine with honors--although she homeschooled through middle school. I have one in high school now--he's an honor roll student, he was homeschooled through middle school. I have a middle schooler now who wants to go to high school and a 5th grader who never wants to leave home, LOL! I also have a 20 year old who dropped out during his senior year--so we have a mix of success and not so successful---he was never homeschooled, though. I don't know what the future holds for my 4 year old, we'll see when he is of age for kindergarten!
Thanks for reading my short novel,LOL!
Leslie:-)