"You Won't Find Others Giving The Same Level of Respect!"

Published on July 8, 2006 By Gideon MacLeish In Misc

As my regular readers know, we homeschool our children. Some of you may also know that in our tiny community, while most have come to accept it, others either grudgingly accept it and look for every fault to bring up in gossip at the local Taylor Mart, or, worse, aggressively work to get us to conform and to enroll our children in public schools. While it's annoying, it's small town life, and it's part of it we must deal with (no biggie, but still, something to vent about).

I was having a discussion today with a retired educator about homeschooling. As we discussed the school district, and his strongly held opinion that my children belong in that public school because he feels this school can teach my children more about the world than we can by travelling and taking them to see and experience different cultures. I commented that I would have no problem talking with the school board (which has a lot of autonomy within the district in the state of Texas) about the possibility of working with them in our child's education, provided they give me the same level of respect as an educator as they expect me to give them.

I was promptly and abruptly informed that wasn't going to happen.

Now, see, this is the problem with the idea of compromise in this day and age. Compromise is, essentially, meeting a person halfway. Compromise is NOT "You do things MY way", and a school district that starts off with the flawed notion that that IS compromise is not one with which I intend to begin ANY serious discussions.

You see, my credentials as a homeschooler are actually quite lengthy. I won't list them here, but suffice it to say I am not someone who began our homeschool journey on a whim, nor do have any intention to end it on such a whim. And I won't even grant audience to someone who expects me to.

It is sad when we live in a world where everyone feels they have a right to direct the lives of their neighbours. Where they feel they've got it so together that they can not only make decisions to run their own lives, but to run the lives of others as well. And it is, sadly, exactly that mentality that drives the best and brightest in the Texas Panhandle far from here to find a climate that's more accepting of their individual natures.

Comments

Locamama

on Jul 08, 2006

In my corner of Texas, homeschooling is very accepted and common. There are several families in our neighborhood that homeschool. I would do it if I thought I had the patience but nope, aint going to happen. If I felt my kids were in physical danger in school then I would homeschool though I must admit when I had to deal with the whole school nurse calling CPS crapola I was ready to pull them out.

I was very impressed with how many kids in the national spelling bee were homeschooled. When my husband was taking college classes there was a teenager who was being homeschooled who was taking college level classes and heads and shoulders above the high school graduates from the local high school.

I wouldn't bother trying to justify your decision to those people. You made your choice. You are within your rights and are following state law so who cares what they think. Let them talk. And honestly people like that wouldn't be convinced even if you had twelve doctorates.

Gideon MacLeish

on Jul 08, 2006

And honestly people like that wouldn't be convinced even if you had twelve doctorates.

True. I'm just disappointed, is all. We're truly TRYING to be a part of the community, but several in the community have made it pretty clear that isn't going to happen unless we do it entirely on THEIR terms.

Dr Guy

on Jul 08, 2006

I was working for the School Board. PUtting in 80 hour weeks, and busting my ass to make their technology plan work. Then they redistricted my son to a school that did not have the program he needed (TAG). I went to the Superintendent. I went to the board. My son got shafted. It seems they were more concerned with enough "students of a certain color" being in that school than providing for the needs to the students.

That is when we home schooled him, and I quit. They had to hire 2 people to do my job. But at that point, I did not give a damn. And the low down slime pond scum that decided to make my life miserable?

I think he was forced to retire.

I have no respect for that school board. They are as responsive as a corpse - and resemble them as well.

semicolon

on Jul 08, 2006

Hello Gideon, I have been reading your articles quiet a lot but I was unable to reply due to some error in JU registration. But YAY, now it works! I'm just so excited sorry for digressing too much.

Anyway, speaking from my own experience, I consider twelve years that I spent in school as a waste of time. I got a decent grade but I didn't learn much knowledge from it. Four years later, I decided to repeat my grade 12 by studying all science+math subjects on my own in a short period of time. Amazingly, I was able to do it, received a higher average (95%) and more knowledge, and was accepted to one top university in the country. So definitely, I am a proponent of homeschooling. I pity those who can't see the benefits of homeschooling. Is it hard to do homeschooling? Hell yes. But not only that you learn regular science, you also learn about discipline, researching skill, and other good study techniques.

MasonM

on Jul 08, 2006

Sounds kinda like why I quit teaching.

lostintexas

on Jul 08, 2006

I know there are good home scholars and there are bad home scholars. Just like there is bad good school districts and bad school districts. I just hate to see people putting down on public schools. There is a reason that teachers in the school systems have to have four years of education and pass tests in order to teach. I am sorry but children need a lot more than just mom and dad who may or may not have a college education to be importing their limited experience on to their children. We all learn from adversity whether it be out on the playground with the other children or in the classroom with different teachers and students with different and device ideals and thought processes. If children are not exposed to that, all the book learn they may or may not get will not help them in college or in the work force. Both my children went to that school. And I can honestly say that some of the teachers there are good and some are not so good that is why we tried to have books and experiences out side of school to add to the education they was getting. Both have become successful because of the school and home education they received. I guess that I feel that unless your children our in physical harm they are better educated by professionals and sportive parents ready to fill in where education may be lacking.

singrdave

on Jul 08, 2006

I commented that I would have no problem talking with the school board (which has a lot of autonomy within the district in the state of Texas) about the possibility of working with them in our child's education, provided they give me the same level of respect as an educator as they expect me to give them.

I was promptly and abruptly informed that wasn't going to happen.

You already know the answer to your situation, Gid. Which is why you need to keep on doing what you're doing. Fight the good fight, teach your kids the way you feel they need to be taught, not what some blinkard educators think they should be taught.

lostintexas

on Jul 08, 2006

Singrdave If it was not for "the blinkard educators" the world would be full of uneducated and unequipped people in the world....likely more prisons. I am not saying Gid. Is bad. I just think it would do him some good to step away from what is going on and think about what mite be best for his children. Sometime what we think is the best is not always so. I know I have made some mistakes of my own as a parent. I just want to give him some food for thought. After all they are his children and he has all the right in the world to raise them the way he sees as best. Gid. I hope you take this as just something to think about not a judgment call on you.

Gideon MacLeish

on Jul 09, 2006

I hope you take this as just something to think about not a judgment call on you.

We have thought about it quite a bit. And, honestly, as long as we're not seen as equals in our children's education, we really don't have a basis to even BEGIN discussion. Discussion can only begin when the level of respect is equal on both sides. And here, quite frankly, it's not. I am seen as inferior, despite the fact that I am more than qualified as an educator.

I don't have a thing against public school education. As I have told repeated groups in various seminars where I have spoken over the years, most of us have no reason to criticize the quality of public school education. The fact is, we would not have the tools nor the confidence to educate our children without education we received in public schools. I agree, there are negatives and positives to all approaches to education. But when I look at the restrictions that even our small public school place on our educational approach (which would not change even if they WERE in public school), it is not worth the hassle. We don't homeschool for one or two reasons; we homeschool for MANY, most importantly because it is integral to who we are.

I know for a fact that we have spent more time in discussing and considering these issues than most parents will ever spend. And I would not encourage a parent to begin homeschooling unless they were absolutely convinced it was where God was leading. But I know where we've been led, and that I can't even begin to discuss any different alternatives with a school board that entirely disrespects my philosophical position.

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