Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The beginning of a disturbing trend?

Here's a fascinating article I just saw: School officials trying to bully homeschooling parents to put their kids back in school. The article dubbed it "the beginning of a disturbing trend."

Apparently homeschooling parents in Ritchie County, West Virginia are being contacted by school districts who don't like the fact that so many children are not enrolled in public schools (thus costing the districts $12,000 per pupil of government funding).

So what's a desperate school district to do? "The county’s superintendent ordered a campaign designed to convince homeschooling parents to put their children back in the public schools."

And how does a school district "convince" parents they shouldn't homeschool? By harassment, intimidation, and quasi-stalking. HSLDA reported that one family "had gotten so many calls at their place of employment that their work supervisor was asking questions about the calls."

Yeah, real convincing technique, guys. Really illustrates how much you have the children's best interests at heart.

The article says, "[HSLDA staff attorney Michael] Donnelly points out that besides trying to use the judicial system to its advantage, the public school system is instigating battles with homeschool communities. He tells how officials are now maneuvering to deploy a combative strategy to instill fear in home educators so that they will surrender their children back to the schools."

As one commenter wrote,"Maybe homeschooling parents will send their children back to public schools when the public educational system gets back to the basics; when they stop indoctrinating the kids with socialism, globalism, multiculturalism, Islam, the homosexual activist agenda, dispensing ritalin and telling them what kids cannot eat for lunch. It wouldn't hurt to honor God in the classroom again either."

17 comments:

  1. Here here.

    Sounds like the school districts are escalating the pressure. Between them and the social services department they have always tried to get a foot hold into any family that home schools.

    They want our kids bad.

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  2. Thank God my kids are pretty much done with school. I hope my grandchildren have the opportunity to get a good education - not an indoctrination. As an Associate Professor (technical field) myself I would have a few words for anyone who harrassed my family over home schooling.... ....! Natokadn

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  3. They are "luring" homeschool families back via online charter schools with "freebies", like free iPads, free curriculum. Just wait until they turn the screws on what you are teaching not being to their "standards". "The Wild and Free Pigs of the Okeefenokee Swamp" explains the problems with freebies! DWLee3

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  4. -hi. thanks for the news. i am from West Virginia and i see the hillbilly ethics of self reliance and minding your own business are dead.
    i am praying God will come down on the 'officials'.
    we home-schooled, though not in W.Va., and i did it all sub rosa. it is none of anyone's business how you educate your children
    in the home-schooling movement we often learned of abuses by 'officials' who plainly stated that they were paving the way for eventually making home-schooling illegal.
    everyone stick to your guns. the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
    not to mention your children's souls.
    on the judgement day God will ask where are the children He gave you.
    have a good answer.
    deb h..

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    1. God is not going to come down on the school officials. He wants US to do that. I don't understand why more parents don't hire attorneys to fight these "progressive" harassers. Too many Americans are allowing themselves to be pushed around. It's time they put their foot down!

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    2. God will push all the right buttons if we ask Him to enter into any situation. He will direct those who don't know what to do but want to fight wrongs.
      deb h.

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    3. most people don't have money to hire an attorney. we should not need an attorney to fight for rights we already have. there will be other solutions because people are sick of losing their rights. and we all know whose side most of the attorneys are on as always follow the money

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  5. Being a parent of a WV high school senior I can tell you the schools are horrible. We moved here last year due to my employment and I am so glad my son only has to endure 1 year in this archaic educational system.
    I definitely miss our MidWest high school and the caring professionals that my son had for most of his high school career.
    Homeschooling is not an option, but we did try cyberschool and it was a complete disaster.
    My saving grace is that my son is bright, opinionated and not afraid to stand up for what he believes.

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  6. I sincerely hope there will be legal action taken against these harassers. I would think seeking no-contact orders would be an appropriate place to start, and the clearest possible rejection of this unacceptable aggression should be made as publicly as possible, starting with the school board.

    A. McSp

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  7. I wouldn't call this the beginning of a trend. It's been going on for quite some time, now! The liberal-progressives have just stepped it up a few notches.
    The last paragraph of this article really sums it up for me. We wouldn't need to homeschool if they would stop indoctrinating our kids with socialism, globalism, multiculturalism, Islam, the perverse homosexual agenda, dispensing Ritalin and telling kids what they can and can't eat for lunch! Yes, and it sure wouldn't hurt to honor God in the classroom again! But that will never happen as long as liberal-progressives remain in charge of our lives. They have to go! --Fred in AZ

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  8. Personally, I'm GLAD I went to high school in West Virginia...

    ...but that was a long time ago. Most of my teachers were "old goats" back then, and even in my day I saw them slowly being replaced with good little soldiers for the progressive agenda (who were, to a (mostly wo-) man, NOT GOOD TEACHERS.

    My dearest friend is a teacher's aide in Doddridge County; I think I know what Ritchie County is doing, and it makes me sad. A HUGE part of it is an effort to hang onto funds, which I find contemptible. The other part of it is the tendency of the board members and too many of the teachers to see themselves as rescuers, come to save the poor ignorant hillbillies from themselves. And that, friends and neighbors, I find DISGUSTING.

    That is WHY the hillbilly ethic is dying. That, along with morphine derivatives and the idea that one must being either conventionally employed or on welfare-- the institutionalized contempt for thrift and self-reliance-- is WHY my home state is turning into the stereotypes that have been promulgated against us for so long.

    Obviously, though, the fight going down in Ritchie County shows us that the spirit is still alive. May Ritchie County parents remain "Hillbilly Tough."

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  9. This is why folks need to be members of HSLDA. They will defend you if you run into problems. HSLDA has done a fine job at this for 30+ years. (I wish the young Mom's in my area of Oregon would listen on this.) DWLee3

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  10. Glad I live in Idaho, I'm planning my HS curriculum now and my little dude is only 13 months :) I'm hoping it's not illegal to homeschool in 4 years. Not that I'm waiting that long to start teaching :)

    Renee

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  11. Well, I find it disgusting that the school system is harassing these parents. I am a teacher, I work for a charter school. However, I am very much pro home school. However, there are irresponsible parents out there who for mostly selfish reasons, won't use this option. I do know that some caring parents are not in a position to home school, which is why charter schools exist. They are not perfect, but they can be a good alternative to overcrowded government schools.

    That said, I totally support a parent's right to home school. I am not one of those teachers who thinks they know what is best for your kids. Parents know what is best for their kids. Of course for those higher up the food chain in (cough) education, it is about control, and indoctrination. You should sit through some of the "professional development" garbage I must endure. It would make your stomach turn when you hear how they think parents should do things their way.

    I could write a book about the garbage that is pushed off onto our children. But, I have "essays" to grade. My new group of students are about to be shocked that this teacher expects them to actually answer the questions, in their own words. I am such a mean teacher :)

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  12. We home schooled in California. Our children are now grown up and gainfully employed. We never registered with the state so we missed a lot of the type of activity you mention. We were not on their radar. We still lived in constant fear of social workers knocking on our door.

    Stick with it people. It is your children you are trying to preserve.

    Grace and peace.

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  13. In 1994 we moved to a rural school district in WI. We homeschooled and were such an oddity to our neighbors. The school district sent us a letter saying that we should put our children into their system sooner rather than later because waiting would trigger a lot of "difficult testing" and put a lot of stress on the children. One call to HSLDA and one letter from them to the school district put an end to all that nonsense. Joining HSLDA costs about $100 per year. It is more than worth it. I now pay that fee for my children who are homeschooling.
    DJ

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  14. This is disgusting! I sincerely hope those parents fight back in some way. If they don't fight when they have a chance, it might take away somebody else's chance to speak out about this entirely.

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