It's been about a year since I originally wrote a post which I then later deleted because I was sick of people coming here and making idiotic statements in the comments. I even had to turn off the comments for a while. I didn't even have more than five regular readers at the time, so all the comments were quite a shock. Now, if you're a regular reader, you know I am the farthest thing from controversial. I don't like conflict and I don't engage in it on purpose. But this is one of those things that has been eating at me.
What could I possibly have said that caused such an uproar? I wrote about homeschooling with a cyber charter school. I was told that despite the undeniable fact that both my school age children were at home every day being taught by me, I was not allowed to call that homeschooling, because I was using government money through a public charter school. Apparently, there is a group of homeschoolers out there who are very threatened by this, and if I call it homeschooling, I'm damaging their cause somehow.
So now I am permanently in these ignoramus's archives, and periodically I see on my site meter that someone has popped over here from there, probably looking for a fight. One of them even has little old me on a page full of people most damaging to the homeschool movement or some such nonsense. I mean, really! I'm not the one who started it. I'm not the one who told me I was stupid, fooling myself, and other such sweet compliments.
So, for the record, I am still using the cyber charter with my first grader. I am not using it because it's a public school paid for by tax money. I'm using it because I would be using that curriculum anyway, and it would be stupid not to get it for "free" if I can. Seriously, I would feel like an idiot paying $2000 a year for a curriculum when I'm already paying way more than that in school taxes.
I am not using the cyber charter for my fourth grader this year. It was too structured for him. He is being homeschooled independently, I guess. But I am still using some of the materials I got from the school last year, and sometimes he sits in on his brother's history lessons, so does that mean I can't say I'm homeschooling him either? What if you use the public library for homeschooling? That's paid for by public money. Do you drive on the roads to go on field trips? Public money. Do you see how idiotic this is?
I am sure that these people will find me again, in whatever way they found me last time. And all I can say to them is that I am doing what I am doing for my boys' future. It will not matter one bit to them whether I used public money or my own savings to teach them. They are in the best environment I can put them in, they are learning every day, they are not surrounded by the negative influences of a public school, and they know they have parents who care about their education. So go ahead. Bring it.
Some people could not be more lame.
ReplyDeleteHomeschooling occurs anytime parents take the time to teach their child: morals, independence, tying their shoes, learning to read, doing multiplication, etc.
It matters now how you teach them, how you pay for it, but that you teach them.
I know you don't feel like you have to justify yourself to them, but ignore them and leave those freakin'/stuck-up/i'm more religious than you judgementalists alone!!
I think it's a sign of "actualization" when a homeschooling parent doesn't put all of their children into little cookie cutter boxes and gives each one what they need at the right time. That's one of the benefits of homeschooling versus public schooling. Instead of schooling the masses and trying to do it efficiently, teaching everyone the same, with homeschooling you teach your child how she needs to be taught, what she needs to be taught, at the right time.
Good for you for not doing the same thing in the same way with all of your kids.
I had one homeschooling and one in public school at the same time and did what was best for each child.
Keep up the awesome work and don't listen to those creepo's who have nothing better to do than get on their high horse.
And, don't feel like you need to post this comment!!
I am sure that these people will find me again, in whatever way they found me last time.
ReplyDeleteIt's called Google. You might have heard of it.
And welcome to your 1st year as a homeschooling parent.
Daryl Cobranchi, The Ignoramus
See, Daryl, that's exactly the attitude I'm talking about. Duh, no, I've never heard of Google.
ReplyDeleteAnd I used a different curriculum three years ago, so as far as you're concerned, this is my "2nd" year.
He just seriously gave you a smart ass comment didn't he. It's no wondering homeschooling parents get a bad rap sometimes w/ stuck-up jerks who think they are better than everybody. That kind of attitude just makes me sick!
ReplyDelete