A friend e-mailed me this link. It is an article posted on the NEA website. Thought it might interest some people here. http://www.nea.org/espcolumns/dv040220.html
That was laughable!!! They will say anything to get home schooled children back into the system because they are losing money each time parents "retreat" to homeschooling!!
Did you notice? I couldn't help but notice the name and title of the person writing the article: (Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.) You know, my husband got into a debate with a guy along these lines. The man told him that we weren't qualified to teach our kids and that we should leave it to the professionals who were trained to do this. My husband's reply was pointing out to him how many teachers don't even know the material they teach. They 'book study' the material the week before they present it to the class (just as we homeschoolers do), then they test on the material and NEVER touch on it, again. He also pointed out that a good number of the classes that "professional" teachers take are NOT on a particular subject, but on managing classrooms packed with diverse children, how to psycho-analyze each one, how to herd them like cattle and so forth. Then, he excused himself from the debate because it was time to start doing the 1st grade Math to our 4-year old!! :lol:
Wow, those are some harsh words in that article. I am a "teacher", but I also choose to stay home with my son for the meantime while he is young. I will say this, homeschooling is not for everyone just like sending a child off to school isn't. It's a personal choice and no person should be ridiculed for making either one. There are pros and cons to both. I went to college for my degree, and yes, while we were taught to manage a classroom, we did take enough courses to know what we are talking about while teaching. I am not trying to sound defensive one bit, because I do understand that view point clearly. There are many programs that do not offer enough specialized training and some states don't require enough education to teach in their state. Fortunately, Wisconsin has high regards and standards for anyone teaching in a WI school system, but it's not like that everywhere. Not saying that we don't have our fair share of bad teachers, but it's tough to come from another state with a teaching license and then obtain one in WI without having to go through a ton of extra courses. BUT, just like there are bad teachers in a school system, there are bad homeschooling parents as well. It takes more than an education to make a complete and real teacher. Even though I'm proud to have my degree, I am even more proud of what I am naturally able to provide for my child-love, respect, and instilling the appropriate morals for him to become a decent human being. It may take a piece of paper to be considered a certified teacher, but it takes a real natural to be able to use the tools, regardless if they obtain that piece of paper or not. Anyone can go to school to say they recieved their documentation to prove they recieved their college education, but it takes the real natural love for children and learning to be able to "be" a teacher. I give all of you credit for doing what you do, because I can't say that I'm in this for the long haul, however, please give us decent teachers the respect that we deserve :wink: .
I haven't read the article yet, but I did see the comment from Carol that someone would have the audacity to say that we as parents aren't qualified to teach our children :?: :shock: Well, let me see... I taught three boys to walk, to talk, to sit, to stand, to hold a ball, to throw a ball, to run, to ride a bike, to tie their shoes and the list goes on forever... get my point? If I can teach them those things, a little math and reading and writing and all the other school stuff is easy as pie :!: It drives me insane to hear others say that I'm not qualified to teach my children - maybe they're just jealous because I didn't go to University and in debt to my eye balls to teach - I did what God naturally blessed me to do "train your children in the way they shoud go..." Please don't take offense to this - I have said to this many a people (including the department of education at a public meeting in which every parent in the auditorium stood and agreed with me) and I would do it again. Just my perspective on someone who knows little about the other side of the fence... Brenda
Aren't we kind of contradicting ourselves though by laughing at the fact that he's not even a teacher when we are ridiculing him for doing the same to homeschooling teachers? Just a thought... Brenda, I wouldn't never ever say that nobody is qualified to teach their own children. Like I said...it takes a natural, not a piece of paper .
AMEN SISTA! I thought of you as I was posting and was hoping you wouldn't misread that (I know you are a teacher with a paper and a tacher at home too). The things that make this world go round.... :wink: But then again, there probably are some that shouldn't be teachers at home...
No, Jen, don't think so. NEA is an organization for TEACHERS. My DH is a member, I use to be a member. So why is it they need op-ed's written by custodians? The custodian is NOT in the classroom. He may have a healthy respect for what the teachers in his building do (I would HOPE he does!!!) but does he really understand what they all do? He has no idea how easy/difficult it is. From my classroom experience, the hardest part of teaching is paperwork, dealing with parents, and classroom management. All three of those HS'ers, for the most part, don't have to deal with. But a custodian wouldn't know any of that. He has little-to-no knowledge of what "really" goes on in the classroom. I respsect (most) classroom teachers. It's a difficult job, and they get blamed for so much that they have no control of. But I am so glad I don't have to put my kids through all that crap!
I don't value anything in that article, and not because of the man's occupation. It is just not well thought out and he uses the same phrases and reasoning throughout. I just thought that it was odd to see an article that poorly written on the NEA website. I don't care for that group, and not because of its members--it supports a lot of immoral ideas and thinks those ideas should be taught to all children across America. I would expect them to be more discriminating about what articles they post with their logo on it. You can't expect someone to have a valid opinion until they have experienced homeschooling first hand in some way. I don't fault the man for his opinion. He just doesn't really know anything about homeschooling, or possibly even private schooling, to make a valid point. Another thing that made me chuckle was the faulting of a homeschooling organization that asked for donations. I wonder if he knows how the NEA gets a lot of their funds? Of course, they make their "request" for member fees seem more like an edict, or at least I've been told. I have never been solicited by them. :wink:
It is an edict, Brooke, at least in Ohio. Even non-members have to pay at least a portion of the dues to teach in Ohio, at least in the public schools. And I've had them outright lie to me!!! HSLDA said, a while back, that you can have the amount that goes toward the NEA's political agenda refunded, or paid elsewhere, or somethng like that. I looked into it briefly at the time, but DH didn't follow through. So last year, we didn't want that money going to support Kerry. DH called and talked with them, and was told that he was basically misinformed. Then this spring, something came out about how to go and do that. DH is a member simply for the "insurance" of legal representation in case of a lawsuit.
I see. It was just a thought. I just didn't want to be one who doesn't practice what I preach, ya know? Wouldn't he be preaching about something that he isn't practicing then? Writing an article he knows nothing about and saying the things he said? Hum... To be honesy, I didn't read the whole article because it seemed like the only thing he was doing was bad mouthing homeschooling. If he wanted to write an article like that he shouldn't have made it so one sided and belittling. Instead, he maybe should have done a comparison article comparing the pros and cons to both homeschooling and public/private schools. Personally, this is one reason I could never work for a public school. There are too many politics and not enough faith. I enjoyed my public school experiences because they embraced faith, but working for them is a whole different ball game-no thank you :shock: .
I say we find his address and send him a snowstorm of boo-hiss letters. I forget the entire article, but could it be someone in his family is h.s.ing and he's seeing something he feels is wrong? Maybe a grandchild not getting everything it needs? Maybe a family member is a teacher who's job was affected by low enrollment? Something has his boxers in a bunch.
Actually you know, after I left here I went to read the article and was replused by it - tried for all it was worth to find a "contact us " email address - I was going to spout my opinion back at them - I was so mad!!!! But what would I know? Why be mad, I'm only an amatuer :x :x :x Boxers in a bunch...lol... Um - maybe enrollemt is down, not enough children enrolled to pay him better wages? (I don't mean that he is in a low paying job - maybe not making enough for what he thinks he should - you know...over worked under paid! That really isn't a fair thing to say - I'm sorry). back to being nice - or at least try to... Brenda
Maybe I could get DH to write a letter...after all, HE'S an NEA member! Anything from one of lus, no matter how well written it'd be, would be just ignored. Right now in Ohio (or maybe it was national, I don't remember), you don't necesarily have to have a teaching certificate to teach in a private school. So the NEA was furious, saying that all these "unqualified people" were taking the jobs from all the "real" teachers, etc. They were trying to get a law passed that would require EVERYONE to be certified in the area in which they taught. If passed and strictly enforced, it would mean that ALL homeschoolers would have to be certified in EACH SUBJECT THEY TAUGHT. Now, how many of us could do that? Well, the HS'ers made LOTS of calls, faxes, etc., and someone wrote a clause that "exempted" HS'ers. This clause was voted DOWN. The calls, etc. continued, and the bill finally failed. Not long after, I read the article about it in the NEA magazine. It went on about how all these homeschoolers managed to scare the lawmakers concerning a law that wouldn't effect them anyway!!! This law supposedly had NOTHING to do with homeschooling! (So why weren't they willing to adopt the language that said so?)
Ironically, one of the first things people ask when they don't know us and learn we homeschool is: what makes you think you are qualified? My dh always responds quickly with (warning - I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but the irony at the end is great), "Well, my wife is a college professor, teaching English and writing." The person will enevitably say, "Oh, well that's ok then." How is that ok when , technically, according to the laws of ps, I cannot teach k-12 because I'm not certified? Funny, 'cause many hs out there are teachers with the cert, and get more flack than I do! Irony at it's finest!
I have been so blessed to have positive responses from people who just meet me. I have never had a stranger question my credentials. Of course, when you lead off that you homeschool mostly for reasons of faith they are either on-board or hope you won't mention anything that will make them uncomfortable :lol:...either way, I'm a happy camper!
"Social Misfits"?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? OMGosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I read most of that repulsive article until I got so physically ill that I had to quit. No, actually, I decided not to finish the article because I don't care to fill my brain with negative GARBAGE so early in the morning. Now, for social misfits. Yesterday my husband and I were enjoying sitting in our front yard with our two homeschooled boys enjoying bread pudding that I had just taken out of the oven. While enjoying the afternoon with our children we are witnessing the PUBLIC SCHOOL MISFITS across the street who apparently were raised by heathens and have no clue about how to behave in the real world, lobbing objects at the neighbors house next door who has moved away temporarily. They were lobbing the objects with a huge sling shot type thing and then they would trespass into the neighbors yard to "check out" their accomplishment. They knew we were there, they didnt care! We didnt say anything or call the sheriff for we have had problems with the father of these social misfits in the past. We get compliments all the time about out homeschooling abilities and how smart our boys are and what a good job we have done raising them. Nuff of my venting........................Just sickened by that article!
