Tuesday, August 24, 2010

I am a Home Schooling Mommy!

Yes I home school my 4 (soon to be 5) year old. I have an older child who also goes to public school which prior to public school he was home schooled as well. School year technically does not start for Kindergarten here until the 27th of this month. This Friday. We started our home schooling yesterday. I decided to share my excitement with all of my friends on Facebook yesterday just like I did about my oldest son's first day back to school Friday last week. Did I get as warm of a response when I did this? No! I was informed how I am not a certified teacher so I can not home school my child. Then was informed that home school children do not get the socialization that other children get and how I would be doing my child wrong no matter how smart he is.

I said I then posted another post up not even directed to this one person who bashed me for home schooling. It simply stated that if someone does not like my post just simply not read it. That I was home schooled before and if you are calling home schooled children socially retarded then you are calling me socially retarded. This same person proceeded to attack me on that post telling me I am socially retarded if that's what I got from what SHE was saying. As if this world revolves around just her words. Hello!!! There are more people than just you with a negative comment towards me about my child being home schooled and about myself being home schooled. The world doesn't revolve around you. Even though we all know you probably wish it would.

I also was called a fool and told I am a liar, because I said no by my states law I DO NOT have to be certified to home school my child. I don't even have to be registered with the DOE until his 7th birthday. She had removed me from her friends before I could remove her so I sent her an email and informed her I have already talked to my state DOE and our parish school board office. I informed her I know what my states home schooling laws are better than she does considering she is in Mass which is north east. I am in the south! Her state doesn't even require certification! It even states in their home schooling laws that the state can not require certification. In some states only qualification a parent may have to have is a high school diploma or a GED. If you are a teacher you have to have a certification.

Well I blocked her after the email letting her know I know what I am talking about I am not just jumping head first into it not knowing what I am doing or supposed to do. I get on my Facebook this morning and click to check replies. I go to two replies on my post that this woman had gone off on me on to see her sister (who is on my friends) has now commented bashing me for home schooling. I was informed I am no teacher and have no right to home school my child. Last I checked I have rights as a parent and an American. I have rights to do what I want when it comes to my children as long as it is not hurting or harming them. My children are taken care of and are extremely smart. My 4 yr old knows how to use a computer! He knows how to get to his games (all educational) and he can operate them just fine on his own. My children are fed, clothed, clean, have a nice home they live in, provided with their needs when it comes to school and other wise. They have toys and everything a child should have to be able to let their imagination grow. My son yesterday sat down with me for 25 mins and done his Language Arts, Math and Health. Then he did games teaching him more about colors, shapes and stuff like that. Yet I have no business home schooling my own son? I guess these people think no one who home schools has the business to do so, because it is not a public school setting.

The way I see it is like this. School is learning time not social time. A child can be social outside of learning. That is why we have stuff like Boy Scouts, 4-H, Sports and such. If your too lazy as the parent to get your child out to social things then I am sorry that is your fault not mine. My children do VBS (this summer we didn't get to due to me being off my leg from a torn tendon in my knee) and my oldest is looking forward to trying out for Soccer this fall (if he still wants to do so). My youngest plays with other kids his age and older than him. We go to the library and there are always other children there for story time and other activities they do at our local library. Just because a child learns at home does not mean that they don't get to be social. It doesn't mean that the parents shouldn't be teaching them if they are not certified teachers. People need to educate before they start screaming Liar and Fool at people. This really shows your true IQ and maturity level.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a home schooling aunt so here is cheers to you :)

Donna said...

4. A renewal application “shall be approved” if the parents submit “satisfactory evidence that the program has in fact offered a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to that offered by public schools at the same grade level.” Parents must submit “with the renewal application a packet of materials which includes such documents as”: (a) a complete outline of each subject taught, (b) a list of books and materials, (c) copies of the student’s work, (d) copies of standardized tests, (e) statements of third parties who have observed the child’s progress. La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 17:236.1(C)(1)(emph. added).

It sounds to me, that the person you blocked was correct. Do you have a curriculum for your child? If your not a teacher then how do you know how to create a curriculum?
No child has to go to kindergarden in most states, it's called parenting not teaching. Doesn't all parents teach their children their letters, numbers, colors and shapes. Any self respecting parent does this for their child. So when you say "homeshooling" what your really saying is your parenting your child. Your obviously not equipped to "teach" your child if you have no education with educating children. YOUR A MOM, NOT A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER.
Please do not underestimate the value of teachers in our society.
Mass is one of the states that do require certification in home schooling. I don't know where your getting your facts from, but use something besides the internet for facts.
Once your child is 7 yrs of age, and you decide to homeschool, I'd love to see your curriculum plan, and see how the public schools rank with your suggestions.

As you see in the first paragraphs, there are many steps you have to take to legally Home school your child, I think that is what he/she was trying to state to you. That is what I would of thought if someone asked me those questions.
Again, don't underestimate teachers today, for I am one. I came across this blog as I was putting together my curriculum for children seven and older. Why this came up in my search is beyond me. However, I'm glad I did come across it. I hope I helped you understand what it was he/she was trying to explain to you.
Donna Sweeny.

Wendy C said...

Oh and another thing Donna now that I have read through your long line of "talk". No Mass does not require certification either. As a matter of fact so far I have found that the only certification some states require is for the parent teaching the child to have a high school diploma or GED. I know what she was saying to me. It started out with OMG please tell you your taking him to someone to teach him and your not doing it yourself. Not to mention the other comments of telling me I have no right to teach my own child. Are you on my facebook as a friend to see the comments? No. My blog shouldn't have come up fro curriculum search when it is tagged for homeschooling and facebook. I have a child who is in public school. That does not mean my younger child is ready for public school. I got told how I am harming my son by homeschooling him. Maybe people shouldn't underestimate a parent who homeschools. Oh and no I do not mean teaching him his colors, shapes, letters and numbers. My son learned how to do all of that years ago. He can also do some first grade level math. He is working on learning how to read and write. Which is all that they teach them in kindergarten and then some. As a matter of fact to be ready for kindergarten they have to know all of their letters, numbers, colors, shapes, can count to 10... He can do all of that. As a matter of fact we did rhyming words yesterday and he picked up on it after the first two words and was sounding ALL of the words out and telling me which ones rhymed. He was counting to 15 and cutting out 15 pictures of flowers to glue on to his construction paper which in turn he counted all 15 out to me. He knows all of his major body parts. He has been learning stuff from what the state requires for them to learn in kindergarten.
We even read Thomas for our down time. I don't care to show you my curriculum because I am sorry but you are not a state worker or a DOE worker for my state and I don't have to show you anything. I could use nothing but nick jr right now to teach my son. It's not against the law. I am tired of people telling me what I am doing wrong and telling me how I am under estimating when they aren't even reading the full thing. You couldn't even read and post the full homeschooling state law for Louisiana.

Here for anyone else who would like to doubt...

http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Louisiana.pdf

As far as someone telling me what the other person was "trying" to tell me... Don't. You don't even know what was said to me. So don't try to analyze something your not seeing. If you are a public school teacher then I hope you don't teach your students to analyze what they can not see. It is wrong to make an opinion of something you aren't reading. It is wrong to make an opinion using only a small portion of the facts. If you are going to show facts then make sure it is the full facts. I would hate for my son to be taught he can make an accusation with only a 1/4th of the facts.

Wendy C said...

I hate when I post a comment and it doesn't post. I had a first comment.

That link in the last comment is a link to the law. There are 2 options for home schoolers. Option 1 is where Donna posted line 4 from. Option 1 is if you are going to go through and have an approved home study program through the state DOE. Option 2 is more for those who are doing an unapproved private school. Most families who homeschool due to religion and want to have their curriculum based around their religion use this option. This option simply is all you have to do is send in a letter with your schools name and stating how many children are registered for the year with your school.

You do not have to have an approved curriculum with option 2 which if my son decides to continue to homeschool that is what I am going to use because I would like to be able to teach my kids at their pace not at the DOE's pace. If my kids want to work ahead they can. I can buy my curriculum and books for their grade level and I know how to use my local library. My oldest went into the first grade with almost a 4.0 GPA and his teacher was sending home stuff she couldnt get him to understand in a weeks time for us to help him with it. She seen he would come back the next day and ace the test no problem. Wow I really don't know what I am doing huh. I am a good parent and I know the difference in parenting and in homeschooling. I am not an uneducated person who can not comprehend what someone says to me. I know how to read very well thank you and how to comprehend what I read. I was homeschooled when I was in high school. My mom wasn't certified. As a matter of fact she didn't even teach me. My books did. I read and done my test sent them in and they would get graded. Funny I got straight a's and I was doing college level stuff at that for my college prep courses.

Wendy C said...

Oh yea! Donna I got my information from the Louisiana Department of Education and from my Parish School Board Office. Not just from the internet. The law posted up online which you copy and pasted line 4 from is the same law they have off the internet as well.

Anonymous said...

OMG, you were homeschooled, that explains it!!!
Your wrong about MA. I work it, so please don't tell me my job. I don't care what the internet tells you.
You posted what he/she wrote!! How could I get 1/4 of truth, when it came from you? Your blog!
Now I know why your so called friend took you off his/her page, because there is something mentally wrong with you.
You post on your blog, and you only want answers/opinions that you agree on. Read your history book dear.
Thank god our guidelines are highter than the one where you live, at least we don't act like know it alls, and honey, you sure don't know JACK!!
Tell me, how many times were your kids taking away from you? Because any state that allows someone like you to home school their kids, is doing a misjustice to the poor children.
Social interaction is just as important as learning! If your can't talk to your peers, and learn to coexist with them, then they fail in the game we call life.
You really don't get it, I bet you stay at home all day, and the only interaction you get is online time, or with your kids. Because you sure don't make much sense, say one thing write another. WOw, I thought I taught children, but after reading your rant, I can't wait to get back to work and never ever talking to you again. Your a very evil person with a big mouth, maybe you should shut it, stay where you are and never I repeat never come to MA, you wouldn't make it here. Not for one minute.

Wendy C said...

Omg. You read bits and pieces of what I said. Your a teacher yet you are going to personally attack me as a person and a parent? Way to be mature. I hope you don't teach your students that bullying is ok. Considering that is how you are acting. Your trying to tell me about my state laws which I got from our state DOE and parish school board office not the internet, but I am being called a know it all? If me being correct and you throwing a tantrum makes me one so be it. You don't know word for word what was said to me on FB. I only posted up about her calling me a liar and why. I never put up word for word the attacks. Oh and FYI she removed me because I had said she found her way off of my friends. She deleted a bunch of people besides me then tried to add everyone back. Now since your so smart do you know what cyberbullying is? Maybe you should read up on it before you attack me again. Oh and if I didn't have a life outside of my house and my computer then I wouldn't be on my phone outside of my house right now replying to your stupid comment.

Anonymous said...

so just because homeschooled kids are more advanced in their education makes those parents stupid????? it has been proven that children who are homeschooled score higher on state assesment tests then those who are in a public school, it has also been proven that homeschooled kids are better prepared for college, if you really are a teacher then you should know all that, you should also know that homeschooled students do interact with other kids their age through programs in their area such as the ymca,summer camps,ect.there are alot of resources out there for parents of these kids to use plus alot of the kids make friends in their own neighborhood alone, i feel that her choice to homeschool her child is justified, he doesnt need to be in school right now and she has a right to do what she pleases, its her child and her god given right to teach him.if you want to argue about ethics,and being politically correct email me and i will let you know how it is, if you truly are a teacher then you know that the public school system fails students left and right our nation has the highest rate of high school drop outs think about that and then think about yourself ast a teacher and the example you are setting cause my child will not be in your class this year or ever.