If there is but one flag – and there are many – flying high from the mast, as it were, of the Black Pearl having been stolen from the family, renamed and retrofitted with the heavy armaments of the National Education Association (NEA), it is the Jolly Roger of secularism and cultural relativism, of which emblematic of both is Sex Education.
What vestiges are left of a parent’s right to inculcate values, character and principle – to name just a few of the traditional building blocks of community and society – are under attack.
On June 18-19, 2020, Harvard Law School’s Child Advocacy Program will host a private and by invitation-only event entitled “Homeschool Summit: Problems, Politics and Prospects for Reform.”
In convening the summit, co-sponsor Elizabeth Bartholet – who is the Morris Wasserstein Public Interest Professor of Law at Harvard Law School – writes with regards homeschooling: “The focus will be on problems of educational deprivation.”
Among the proposals for the reform of homeschool is one called for by Bartholet when she presents at the morning session on Day 2: “A Presumptive Ban.”
First listed under recommended reading in preparation for the convention is Bartholet’s own work in which she writes, in the very first sentence of her Abstract: “This Article describes the rapidly growing homeschooling phenomenon and the threat it poses to children and society.”
Among the 475 footnotes in her 80-page paper she cites Germany as an example of what might be done with regards homeschooling.
There isn’t any.
It’s banned.
“Home education is not allowed in Germany . . . fines, criminal prosecution, and loss of custody of children are possible state actions against families who persist in homeschooling” (footnote 377).
Farfetched in America?
No.
“The National Education Association,” writes Bartholet, “the nation’s largest teachers’ union, has taken a strong position against homeschooling being permitted at all” (277).
The NEA of course, in partnership with Planned Parenthood, the latter “part of a panel responsible for creating widely accepted standards for sex education,” want, not surprisingly, more control of the child’s mind having most recently championed “an upgrade” – speaking of grades and education – of sex work – or at least sex talk, that discussion to take place not at home, but in schools.
As if it were a problem, which Bartholet believes it is, she writes, “A very large proportion of homeschooling parents are ideologically committed to isolating their children from the majority culture and indoctrinating them in views and values that are in serious conflict with that culture.”
Unwittingly, the leadership typically charged with such responsibilities – values, character, and principles, those planks which one would think were most important in keeping our country afloat – the parents, increasingly find themselves countermanded by public schools, their influence on their own children pirated away.
There’s been an ill wind blowing in so-called education, in what will become known as schooling’s Golden Age of Piracy.
It will, that is, unless prevailing are enough signers of the declaration of independence, otherwise known as Referendum 90, which would repeal Sex Ed Bill 5395 the totally partisan mandate that was signed into law by Gov. Inslee of Washington this past March 27.
Who is needed to take the helm in this hour are those of whom Ann C. Crispin wrote of none other than the notorious Jack Sparrow in what would be her last novel, namely, those “whose moral compass revolts.”
It always has been, it forever will be, and most certainly it is such who are needed now to hoist their own sails of opposition for, as Crispin entitled her book, it is “The Price of Freedom.”
Lose the battle over Sex Ed in Washington Schools (get your petition here), and next will be Homeschools.
The next salvo won’t be across the bow.
Good Day. Educated children have less unwanted pregnancies. This has been proven over and over again. Look at Norway and Sweden. If values are taught at home then children will know their religious parameters. Learning about consent, about where babies come from and what Mom and Dad are doing in the next room is not a danger to your child. There is no need to panic. Age appropriateness is taken into consideration. Boys start looking up girls dresses at 6 and 7 and having sex by 11 and 12 if left to their own devices. Better to let them know about all of the sideways things that can happen before it does because Dad doesn’t think his precious Suzy knows about those things…He is wrong. 100%. Girls are faced with sexual challenges at a stupidly early age. Boys need to learn about consent and how to protect girls and girls need to learn how to protect themselves and what from. 1 in 4 women are raped usually before they are 25. Look in your front room. Is there 4 women there? Someone is keeping a really good secret. Starting age appropriate material early could possibly raise a safer generation. First graders already know some of their friends have 2 Moms or 2 Dads. So how does that work? Sure understanding it will make it appear “normal”. And guess what. It is ok, because it is none of your business. Kids in school are not sheltered from other kids in school. Kids like to figure things out then they move on and usually don’t give it a second thought unless the parent brings it up.
Secondly, Nobody is coming for your home schooled children. If anything the opposite may happen and parents will have to keep their child on task with a computer at home. If anything, this quarantine shows us, is how easily one can work and be educated at home. So many children do not fit into the standard mold of school. They learn better at home without the hours of wasted classroom time. Home school can usually be done in half the time of regular school, so it has many benefits. Teachers cannot give every student the special attention they need because there are too many of them in one class. Why home school will always be there, it is cheaper for the State. Follow the money.
If you are a very conservative person you need to know that maybe you want to send your child to a private school. I went to both. I grew up very conservative and am now lean more liberal. I understand both sides. Education is not the enemy. If you only want a certain type of people to surround your child, then make it so. That is not the everyday world we live in or environment your child is going to encounter. Prepare them in a way that you see fit. For the masses sex ed early is the smartest move.
Well-said Mr. Anderson. My father was a college professor and my first major in college was education.
Based on what we saw happening in the public school, my wife and I decided to home-school our sons. As sophomores they began attending a private high school. After graduating, they attended Northwest University and graduated ahead of schedule. My younger son, in fact, graduated summa cum laude at age 20. They have grown into responsible young men (with no debt, other than my older son’s mortgage on his condo–which he purchased at age 24) are now doing well in their careers.
Countless other families who chose to home-school their children demonstrate similar success.
My wife gave up her career as a CPA to home-school our sons, and we have absolutely no regrets. We have numerous friends who are educators, and they are very concerned about the often-questionable values they are asked to impart to their students.
It should be the parents who teach morality to their children, not the public school system. At the very least, parents should have the option of where and how their children receive their education.
Homeschooling is a blight, right up there with charter school programs.
Many of the parents you see doing homeschooling seem like the types who belong to the anti-vaxxing facebook groups – the types who buy into conspiracies and such. Couldn’t think of a worse type of person to have sole control over developing children.
For the most part, a thoroughly enlightening article. One that should interest every citizen who values democracy’s alleged freedoms. You get a mere sampling of how quickly and easily those in power convince people that they know what’s best for everyone.
As a career educator, I applaud the home-school families and their right to recognize the deficiencies ( for their children ) in the public school system.
There are some very strange opinions wedging their way into established thinking, not just in education… these certainly warrant concern.
It is truly a shame that some must resort to name calling and dismissive categorization in an attempt to taint other’s opinions.
FYI, “anti-vaxxers” (for the majority ) aren’t! They are concerned citizens who are fighting for SAFE vaccines and “conspiracy theorists” as well are not! They are alternative and often times factually significant investigations. Really just people looking for answers to questions that aren’t asked.
Peace
Steve, you don’t know what you are talking about. That is why you resort so quickly to personal attacks. Please provide evidence for your claim that homeschooling is a “blight”.
Even if you think homeschooling is bad, you have no right to initiate violence against others to make them do what you want them to do. In a free country, you would have to persuade them and not use force. Who the hell do you think you are to force others to educate *their* children the way you want them to? No thanks, we don’t need a slave master.