Let's keep this alive...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

I'd hate to see this forum deleted from the new site. It's not easy being a liberal homeschooler...especially when there are so many people on our liberal DU who seem to think homeschooling is for misinforming children about evolution or somesuch!

I've gotten a lot of helpful info from this group...I hope you have too!

[mzteris]

1. amen to that!

People need to know that hs'ers aren't all a bunch of rw fundie fanatics!

[Maat]

2. I agree (n/t).

[lbrtbell]

3. I was wondering about that

How do you keep sane, being surrounded by Fundies who want to teach their kids the earth is flat?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. The group that I'm with may not be all liberal, but

they do all seem to respect science.

The program we use, Calvert School, is for the most part quite good. I like the fact that I can read precisely what my son is learning, and explain, point out errors, or update when necessary. The people he meets for social interaction are racially, religiously, and culturally diverse. They are also kids from different age groups, which I think is important. I wonder why we feel it's so important to hang out only with people who are the same age...

[onpatrol98]

5. Someone one DU2 made the same point...

Someone on DU2 made that same point. I had never considered it, before. He or she...mentioned that age was actually a horrible way to group children in terms of learning. Children learn at different levels and mature differently, etc. It's kind of a factory way (efficiency sake way) of educating our children.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. Exactly...

And interacting with kids of different ages allows them to learn from each other and teach each other...Far more valuable than the "social skills" I was told my son needed by teachers at the local public school.

[Boojatta]

11. I suspect that the alleged "social skills" advantage ...

is simply a pretext for age-based rather than learning-based progress through the grades. Coincidentally, isn't it known as "social promotion"? (Note the word "social" that is also in the phrase "social skills&quot .

After all, if your actual goal were to teach some person social skills, then would you arrange for that person to attend classes, as a regular student, in some arbitrarily chosen academic course from which the student is likely to learn little or nothing?

Also, if the academic authority is not completely competent in the academic subject that the authority is teaching, and is spreading misconceptions among the students, then what are the odds that a student who has the understanding required to make a positive contribution to solving this problem will actually have an opportunity to make a positive contribution? First, that kind of problem cannot be identified without provoking hostility from people who have power. How is a student going to solve a problem that officially doesn't exist? I suspect that in that kind of situation a student will develop a social phobia rather than social skills.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Well said

[onpatrol98]

6. Best thing about homeschooling...

I think one of the best things that would appeal to me about homeschooling IS the notion that people get to choose the best way to educate their children.

Even [insert appropriate derogatory term] individual can want to educate their children their way. And, we can educate our children our way.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. Yes!

And when we find one way isn't working, we can alter the delivery of the material at the moment, rather than frustrating our kids by belaboring the issue.

Some kids really thrive in a public/private school environment. Others don't. It's great to have options!

[miss_hope27]

7. I am a Liberal Homeschooler!

I moved to Alabama 6 years ago from NY, and noticed that the public schools try to force feed Christianity whenever they can, so I decided to just homeschool for right now.. My son is only 6, I may not do it forever, but until I find a school that doesn't try to teach Creationist garbage I will be doing it..

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. I'm sorry to hear that...

I don't understand why parents can't let their kids get a religious education in Sunday school and at home. Are there any groups of like-minded homeschoolers in your area?

[NYC_SKP]

13. I'm a big supporter of this group.

They'll have to run me over to close it down!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Thanks, NYC_SKP!

We get busy sometimes, and it's hard to keep up with the group; but I'm glad it's here; especially when people start bad-mouthing homeschoolers!

[qanda]

15. I had to come and see if this group was still around

I agree that we cannot let this group die. Back in the day I used to post a lot of valuable links and such. It's always an encouragement to find and receive support from like-minded people.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. It's especially helpful when

the anti-homeschoolers are on the warpath in other forums.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

17. I'm not a homeschooler, nor a homeschooling mom or dad, nor do I even have kids

But I have a sister that began homeschooling back before the right wingnut Bible bangers hijacked homeschooling and made it their own, as if they'd come up with it.

In total, she has homeschooled 8 kids (3 biological, and 5 adopted). She's sold on homeschooling. Of the two who are now adults, one is an attorney and the other is a physician.

She's extremely frustrated by the homeschooling groups, though, because they are all right wing extremist groups, and push right wing politics and evangelical religion into them. If you ask me, that's probably one of the reasons why there aren't too many libs involved with homeschooling, because the homeschooling groups are (as far as I've seen) right wing religious nutjobs.

As I said in the beginning, I have no kids and have never homeschooled, either in teaching or being taught. In fact, my sister and I have discussed this issue before, and I kinda liked attending school. I wouldn't have wanted to stay home always, having to learn there.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. I can understand her frustration...

Fortunately, since I live in a blue state, there are homeschool groups that make a point of not pushing a political or religious agenda. I hope your sister can find a group of homeschoolers that she can relate too...or maybe she could start one herself.

[kaanguler]

19. we were kids is to stay at home

we were kids is to stay at home, that could be love, always spent our days in the park in search of a cat and a dog, but now the new guys want to sit at the computer at home

[Joel thakkar]

21. +1

Liberal are not against homeschooling...it can be actually good depending upon the situation.

[NYC_SKP]

22. K/R and I think it's unlikely that we'll lose this group.

And I think it'll get more and more traffic.

[mzteris]

23. We need to let people know

we're here.

We've lost many DU'ers that homeschool due to the hostile atmosphere by many. (You know, the ones who think they know what homeschooling is or isn't, but have nothing but "one" anecdotal tale about someone they may have known or just heard of. . . )

I'd like for us to be a safe place to meet and offer support and suggestions. To let them know that, yes Virginia, there is such a thing as liberal homeschoolers!

[NYC_SKP]

24. Have any of us posted a heads-up in the actual DU Education Forum?

In advance of doing that it might be a good idea to ask one of the hosts for permission, just to avoid being blocked from that group for doing so.

I don't think that there are any rules to prevent posting about our group in GD or the Lounge, and maybe cross-posting in Religion and Rural groups, too.

[mzteris]

25. I don't go there anymore

It was just - too - hostile, and made my blood pressure way too high.

Eventually, I realized there wasn't much point in my even trying to communicate with them. The level of animosity became so great, I don't think most of them bothered to even read what I was actually saying or look at the links provided. It was just attack attack attack flame war mode.

I still say there should be a "regular teacher's forum" and have the EDUCATION forum for the GP. The teachers seem to think they, and they only, are qualified or allowed to "teach" - or even have an opinion. Mere parents know nothing. (And god forbid you're a homeschooler. Blasphemy!)

You could try if you want. The host there and I are not on friendly terms.

Edit to add: Actually, I think the Asperger's/PDD group might be a good place. There are many who hs who fit this profile.

[Sdaniel0919]

26. Liberal Homeschooler in South Carolina (gasp!)

I'd love to join this group! I am in my second year of homeschooling my two boys (ages10 and 9). We live in South Carolina, where there is a lot of support for homeschoolers, but most of it is VERY conservative and religious in nature. It can be frustrating and discouraging at best and downright infuriating at worst. The only liberal group around me seems to be the Charleston Unschoolers, but they, too, can be quite judgmental towards those who use a curriculum. Why can't we all just get along?

[TBF]

27. Good question!

I'm in Texas and have many home-school friends. Some are religious (of course!) but several secular as well.

I don't know if you are on Facebook but there are several groups on there for secular folks. Moms Beyond Belief, Secular Homeschool Families, Homeschooling Freethinkers are just a few - many will come up in a search. I know some folks in a couple of these groups and they are from around the world so you are bound to run into someone from South Carolina.

(DU is on Facebook too!)

[mzteris]

28. hmmm

Thanks to your responder - I never thought about Facebook. Back when I actively hs'd it was Yahoo "groups"...

but a cursory search turned up:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/scsecularhomeschoolers/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/565560290146344/ (Sometimes the SAY they're inclusive, but really aren't, but worth a look)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeschoolingcharlestonstyle/ (These may be the unschoolers of which you speak - though it may not even be Chas, SC. - I used to know the - nothing but "unschooling" type, though we got along well enough. We were an eclectic whatever-the-hell-works "car" schoolers. lol)

There are probably more.

However, one thing I did - living in WAKE FOREST, NC - home of the originator of the fundamentalist movement that destroyed - er - changed the Southern Baptist Church - I put up flyers in the Library and other gathering places saying what type of hs'ers I was looking for. One phone call led to a small group of us that met for about five years before we moved. They continued for another two or so until the kids were all teens. Those kids are still friends even though they're spread around the country.

Oh, one more thing - some of our members were "religious" but they weren't hsing BECAUSE they were religious. They weren't dogmatic, they didn't use religious material, and they were very liberal. We had two Methodists, an Episcopalian, a couple of pagans, an agnostic/atheist, and my son was Buddhist for a while, and an American Indian "spiritualist'. Good group. Sometimes families would visit our group, and decide we were too liberal and move one.

I found words like "secular", "liberal", "tolerant", and inclusive were good words to weed out/in people.