MoreThanFine

Not quite 2 years

2009-01-13T11:37:00.003-05:00

I have not posted here for almost 2 years! But I wanted to post some of the articles I have written for The VaHomeschoolers Voice, the newsletter for the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers (www.vahomeschoolers.org)..Here goes---From Sept 07

When an Unschooler Chooses Traditional Schooling
I began my journey as a homeschool mom, before I was a mom. I decided to homeschool before I ever met and married the father of my children. Fortunately, he shared my vision and since I was already a school teacher he trusted that I could make it work. So when my oldest, Andrew, was 5, I created a little home classroom, bought some cool curriculum and got down to this business of schooling. We zipped through all of Kindergarten and 1st grade during that first year and while it was fun “playing” school, the curriculum (I honestly don’t remember now what it was) was a little boring and I decided the second year that I wouldn’t purchase anything, I would just follow our interests and see where it led us. I hadn’t heard of unschooling, I just fell into it because it seemed more interesting for both of us. Somewhere along the line, I read about the Colfax family and their experiment raising their children without formal schooling and how their boys who went off to Ivy League colleges and I embraced unschooling further. As the years passed, all 3 of my sons were largely unschooled as I allowed their interests to direct the direction of our schooling choices.

As Andrew began his high school years, he became discontent with the path our unschooling was taking. Many of his friends were enrolled in homeschool co-ops and often talked about homework, taking exams and writing papers. He wasn’t doing any of these things but began to feel that he wanted to be doing them. Shortly before the beginning of his sophomore year, he expressed the desire to enroll in one of these academically rigorous co-ops. I was initially opposed to the idea because I had embraced the unschooling lifestyle and was comfortable with the ease and freedom it had allowed us as a family to explore what we were interested in and be free of the rigid schedules and demands of a more ‘schoolish’ approach. But because I was also committed to allowing him to choose his own path, I investigated the co-op he was interested in. Initially I was told there was a waiting list of 13 families and it was unlikely he could enroll for that year. He was disappointed, I was relieved. But, a few days later, I got a call and the head of the co-op, who offered to let my son enroll if I was willing to teach high school World History. I was not excited about enrolling him, but I love history and I love to teach, so I knew that a plan was coming together, in spite of my reservations.

He began the 2006 school year enrolled in Biology, Writing, World History and Spanish. He went to class 2 days a week and came home with piles of homework. We struggled to figure out a schedule that would allow him to complete these assignments, get good grades and keep up with his other activities and responsibilities. I began to call it the “Co-op that Ate My Life”. Many days it was overwhelming and seemed to have taken over the easy, satisfying life of unschooling we had previously enjoyed. I also struggled with idea that he was no longer unschooling and had embraced the academic style I had moved away from over the years. But he was loving his new schooling experience and really learning in all his classes. One day I finally realized that this was unschooling, because it was what he wanted to do and he was learning because he had embraced the academics and he was excited about it. I am not sure why this would be a surprise to me, because I had also loved school and became a schoolteacher because I loved it so much. Why should I be surprised then, that my child, who is like me in many ways, would enjoy it just as much as I had? As a bonus, he made a great connection with his writing teacher and discovered that he loved to write and is good at it. He is even considering making writing a career choice.

So now we have begun our second year at the co-op (that ate our lives) and his younger brothers are each taking a couple of classes and our lives feel very “schoolish” to me. It is not where I expected to be but it is where unschooling has brought us. It is just another path in the homeschooling journey we have been on for 10 years and next year will probably look a little different still, as Andrew turns 16 and enrolls in classes at community college and gets his drivers license. If unschooling means allowing my children the freedom to direct their learning, to pursue their interests and embrace their passions; how can I complain because their freedom has led us in a surprising new direction? That is what unschooling does, even if it means unschooling becomes schooling.

True Learning and the Stinkin' Co-op

2007-02-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

Long ago (last year) I wrote a post titled "We don't do no stinkin' co-ops"...beware of such pronouncements as they may come back to bite you!! My oldest son, the lifelong unschooler, decided last September he needed to try academics and through a surprising series of events (iow it was a God-thing), got himself enrolled in a highly academic co-op. As part of the deal, I got to teach World History to high schoolers at the co-op.

In my mind, it became the "the co-op that ate my life". It has been a major adjustment to arrange our lives around a school and homework schedule after 10 years of unschooling. He had to figure out how to organize his formerly laid back ways, where the biggest demand had been an hour of piano practice everyday. Now he had to fit in homework from 4 classes, algebra at home and, oh yeah, that hour of piano practice; plus, playing music in 2 bands, working on Saturdays and teaching piano lessons to a friend. On top of his schedule, I needed to prepare lessons for World History every week which led to competition for Word Processing time! It has taken us 6 months to finally get the hang of it all. Which is why I have not posted here for many a moon--the stinkin' co-op was kicking my butt!

So now I look back at that six months and see what has come of it.
One of my all time favorite quotes is from John Holt:
"True learning--learning that is permanent and useful, that leads to intelligent action and further learning--can arise only out of the experience, interests, and concerns of the learner."
So the interesting thing about it is, he is experiencing that true learning that I value so highly in a new setting that is the opposite of unschooling. His Writing and Literature class is his favorite! He is loving it, soaking up so much knowledge and learning to love writing. And because he chose the co-op and he wants to succeed at it, he is truly learning some valuable skills for organizing his life and making good choices with his time. The fact that this is his chosen path and so it is addressing his interests and concerns, makes all the difference for me.

It makes the whole stinkin' co-op that ate my life morethanfine after all!

Bridge Week

2006-08-31T11:16:00.000-04:00

Okay my blog got mentioned in the VaHomeschoolers latest e-newsletter (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHomeschoolersAnnounce

Or join via email: VaHomeschoolersAnnounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com)

so I guess I better get a new post or two up!

I am writing quickly as I am on my way to the dentist in a few minutes (gotta get that out of the way!). And I am trying to focus on wrapping up all the loose ends from the amazing, way morethanfine VaHomeschoolers Conference in Richmond last week (fun, fun, fun) and preparing for school to get really underway next week. So I guess this is our bridge week! I am looking at the schedule for next week which includes co-op classes (for the family that once was the "we don't do no stinkin' co-ops" family...ahh the irony), music lessons and tumbling class; and I wistfully see the long lazy summer ending and an energizing new school year beginning! One last long weekend and the checkered flag will be waving and we're off!

The Fringe of the Fringe

2006-08-15T21:05:00.000-04:00

I forget sometimes when I use the term 'unschooling' that it is a weird, unknown term to many people outside the homeschooling circles I run in most of the time. Of course, it is weird and unknown to some of the people *inside* the homeschool circles I run in too! At a recent board meeting of VaHomeschoolers--the statewide homeschool group I work with--we were discussing how homeschoolers are on the fringe and since most (all?) of us on the board are unschoolers, I pointed out that we are the on the fringe of most homeschoolers--we are the fringe of the fringe. Academic rebels who have purposely placed ourselves outside the mainstream. It's funny because I was never outside the mainstream growing up. And even though I went to a radical college (Berkeley) I stayed pretty much in the mainstream (except for becoming a born again Christian :o) until I had kids. But as a mom, I began to slip out of the mainstream! I didn't have any interest in working anymore, I wanted to stay at home, breast feed, eventually homeschool and finally, I fell completely out of the mainstream altogether and began to unschool. lol So here I am in my own little eddy on the side of the river surrounding myself with morethanfine fringe-fringers like myself. Come on in the water's fine!

Unschooling continues

2006-08-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

While my oldest DS may be gearing up to go academic (he is now wondering what he's gotten himself into lol) , my youngest continues innocently and obliviously unschooling, which is morethanfine with me! His most recent project is using a spiral notebook to copy 3 words or phrases from the morning paper and then reading them back. He is still a beginning reader and is using this activity (although he doesn't realize it) to expand his vocabulary. It is so gratifying to watch kids teach themselves the stuff they want and need to know! Middle DS has started voluntarily reading the comics, in response to his little brother messing with the newspaper I think. As a very reluctant, not very fluid reader, this is a big step for him. So while the biggest brother will be off exploring new educational philosophies, the unschooling continues (but please don't tell them that is what they are doing! ;o)

3 Months Neglected!

2006-08-08T09:39:00.000-04:00

How could 3 months have gone by! I can't believe it. I guess that's what a morethanfine summer will do to you! It has been a new kind of summer for us with oldest buy, 14yo, away from home for 4 weeks altogether. A week of Mountain Expedition camp, a week of Surf Camp and 2 weeks of his first real job working in the kitchen at Triple R Ranch. 4 weeks out from under his parents thumb, a 14 year old's dream come true! lol

The other change has been his desire to try a tough, academically rigorous class schedule twice a week in a local homeschool co-op. Haha, after my reckless declaration "we don't do no stinkin' co-ops", now we are doing the very stinkin' co-op that riled me in the first place. I am learning the #1 law of teenager hood, what mom and dad provide, the teenager will want the opposite. In addition, I am teaching teh high school World History class at same said co-op. I know it will be fun, even though it will take a little effort to get into a 'real school' mindset---assigning homework and papers and projects and giving quizzes, midterms and finals! But I have refused to use the textbook (lol) that has been used in previous years! I may have climbed back into the box but I've got my toe hanging out the edge!

Unschooling Lightly Defined

2006-05-20T10:43:00.000-04:00

Now that we have been outed on TV as unschoolers, I have wanted to be able to put into words what unschooling is and on one of my favorite e-mail lists, a friend (Susan M--the radical Christian unschooler) took a stab at defining it for her family. I have taken that and modified to describe our version. So here it is, I hope you find it morethanfine.

Unschooling Lightly Defined:

There is no exact definition of unschooling, because it is so individual.

John Holt, who was one of the first to write about unschooling said: "True learning--learning that is permanent and useful, that leads to intelligent action and further learning-can arise only out of the experience, interests, and concerns of the learner."

Based on that here's one definition:
Basically, unschooling is "not school". It is believing that what a person needs or wants to know can be learned through their everyday activities, pursuing their interests and just living life. So the emphasis isn’t on assigned textbooks, workbooks, on line courses, etc…

It is personal learning, led and focused by the learner. There are times when a person might choose to take an on-line course or use a textbook or workbook, or even take a class somewhere, but it is their choice and in their control, not their parents or someone else's.

For a parent, unschooling requires a measure of trust. Trusting that kids will learn what they need to know when they need or want to know it. In return, parents give them guidance and information so that they can make right and good decisions, always talking a lot about what they are doing or want to do, and doing most things together. Parents are the facilitators, helping them by providing information and counsel, also making it financially and logistically possible for them to have that freedom needed to explore their interests.

So imagine, if you had total freedom from any and all school obligations, what would you want to do? Travel? Learn Spanish? Learn how to bake? Horse back ride? Raise guinea pigs? Work on writing a short story or novel to get published? Get a job? Play video games? Build your own website? It is all unschooling, all learning, all worthy and good.

Mark Twain said, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” And I think many unschoolers would concur. A final quote to reflect the heart of unschooling: "Learning can only happen when a child is interested. If he's not interested it's like throwing marshmallows at his head and calling it eating." -Anonymous

TV Stars--the follow up

2006-05-15T12:35:00.000-04:00

Well, our TV debut was Friday night on the 11 o'clock news. I think they overall did an okay job. As long as it remains on-line you can see the video at:

http://wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=4896897
(click on Site Features: Leaving Normal School Behind? to play the video)

It was funny that it was supposed to be a report on unschooling and the main video they chose
was us sitting around the kitchen table doing math.  The reporter asked us to sit at the table and
do something, so (what you didn't see) I asked the boys what they wanted to do and
they chose math, because that is one of the few things we do at the kitchen table LOL!

My 14yo was a little humiliated because he thought they took him out of context and made him
sound lazy.  An early lesson on media spin I guess!  And he has received encouragement from
other unschoolers, who totally understood what he was saying.

Priscilla Monti, the reporter was very nice and seem to pretty much 'get' unschooling.  I think it was
the editors that made it seem rather 'schoolish'.  You really can't expect much from a 3 minute
report, so overall, we are pretty pleased. It was generally a morethanfine experience.  I have an
inquiry from a magazine reporter for an interview---we'll see how that goes :o) 
My kids are wondering how they got into this!?

TV Stars?

2006-03-20T18:46:00.000-05:00

We had an interesting morning today. A reporter from the local CBS affiliate called and asked if she could interview us as relaxed homeschoolers for a report coming in May on alternative types of education. I agreed and she asked if she could come by in an hour (!) and fortunately my house was clean from having friends visit yesterday LOL.

She and her camera man spent a little over an hour with us, interviewing my 2 older boys (my youngest declined the opportunity :) and myself about how our days are and how their education is different from both school and 'school at home.' It was overall very positive and I spent alot of time talking about natural learning (I actually said 'birds fly, fish swim, children learn') and how my kids really enjoy learning. My 14 yo said he thought relaxed homeschooling was great and that if he had to go to public school he might die!

When we were done she said to me "you seem to really love what you do" and I had to agree!
It was, overall...morethanfine!

Gifted but Difficult

2006-02-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

When I was a schoolteacher, I taught the gifted and talented within my regular classroom. Most kids identified as GT are academically high achieving and enjoy the school experience if they are challenged. However, there is a subset of GT kids who (though they may be high achievers in the right setting) have a rough time managing their own behavior and an especially difficult time socializing with their peers. Homeschooling is definitely the best setting for these kids, in my not so humble opinion, but even as homeschoolers they may struggle with behavior in their family and have difficulty making and keeping friends--they are often bullied and form better friendships with adults than with peers.

Do you know (or live with) any kids like that? I am leading a roundtable discussion session at the VaHomeschoolers Conference in August on the topic and it would be morethanfine to get some input from parents who live with, or have lived with, what I refer to as a 'chronically gifted' child. I have the teacher perspective and am good friends with 2 moms who are parenting difficult GT kids, but I would like to suppplement it with even more parental perspective (especially if you have girls--most of my experience is with boys.)

My friend Shay's smart blog!

2006-02-28T13:31:00.000-05:00

My friend and colleague at VaHomeschoolers now has her own blog. Shay is the president of VaHomeschoolers and recruited me 2 years ago to serve on the board. We are as different as night and day in many areas but we both love helping homeschoolers and seeing our inclusive statewide organization be strong and vital. Shay is a great writer and I recommend her blog Anecdotal Evidence and her website Synergy Field for interesting reading. A quote from her first post:
"recognize that human beings are hardwired to learn, to allow oneself to dance free of the constraints of institutional thinking, and to truly grasp that most things worth attaining cannot be measured by any test"

That is my kind of talk and a way morethanfine statement on the nature of education. I am reading Alfie Kohn's book "What does it mean to be well-educated?" Very thought provoking. For me it reinforces what I know to be true from my years of school teaching and homeschooling. To be truly well-educated is custom fit, personalized, life long process. Tests and boxes and cookie cutters, bending to the demands of authority and being a good worker bee do not fit into my definition of being well-educated.

Like a death...

2006-02-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to but not wanted to blog for a few days. The marriage of some close homeschooling friends has broken down and the couple has separated, hopefully temporarily. It was such a shock because we never saw it coming. We knew some stuff was going on but we tchalked it up to a career change and the new trials of being self-employed. Looking back you see little pieces that you recognize, in hindsight, as indicators that something was going on behind the scenes but we never connected those dots.

Now we are in the midst of feeling helpless, trying not to take sides and even going through some of the stages of grief, as if something has died--and I guess it is our ignorant bliss, our loss of innocence and shock about the hard stuff that was occurring behind closed doors and especially the pain at feeling that we were in some way tricked by the happy masks that hid the garbage from site.

The helplessness is the worst; hugs, prayers, encouraging words are all we have to offer--our love in the midst of pain. It is so depressing and I endeavor to find the morethanfine in there somewhere...

Yes, Virginia...You CAN Homeschool Without a College Degree!

2006-01-26T19:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, Virginia...You CAN Homeschool Without a College Degree!
This is the title of an article on the VaHomeschoolers site.
Under the current Home Instruction Statute, homeschoolers are already being taught by parents without college degrees, lots of them!

Currently, there are bills (SB499/HB1340) moving through the Virginia General Assembly that would allow parents without a college degree to homeschool their children more easily. In reality, parents without a college degree can already homeschool their children pretty easily and this bill really just eliminates one hoop that they have successfully negotiated since the Home Instruction Statute was written in 1984.

Let me explain. There are 4 options for homeschooling in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Any one of these four criteria qualifies the parent for homeschooling under Virginia's home instruction statute:

Option 1--holds a baccalaureate degree in any subject from an accredited institution of higher education

Option 2--is a teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education

Option 3--has enrolled the child or children in a correspondence course approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction

Option 4--provides a program of study or curriculum which, in the judgment of the division superintendent, includes the standards of learning objectives adopted by the Board of Education for language arts and mathematics and provides evidence that the parent is able to provide an adequate education for the child.

The new proposed bill will eliminate Opt 4 with its paperwork and change Opt 1 to read:
--holds a high school diploma. That's it, that's the whole change.

While the media will probably be confused and present this as a profound change and a big victory for homeschoolers and a lowering of standards, it is none of those things!

This is a small change that eliminates one step of paperwork! Which is a small, but welcome victory for homeschoolers

YOU CAN ALREADY HOMESCHOOL WITHOUT A DEGREE IN VIRGINIA--folks have been doing it for years.

The change is morethanfine, it is just minor.

Ding Dong the Bill is dead!

2006-01-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

Happily the bad bill HB 537 died quietly in subcommittee yesterday. Now we wait to see what happens with the 3 good homeschooling bills moving through the General Assembly. There is a bill that would change the requirement for all homeschooling parents to solely a high school diploma, there is a bill that would require school districts to offer the PSAT to homeschoolers and one that would tie up some nagging loose ends in the Home Instruction Statute.

All 3 bills have been worked on together by both statewide organizations and have a fighting chance this session...morethanfine, anyway you look at it!

Come Visit the HEMisphere

2006-01-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

On a Yahoo list recently, someone referred (in a less than complimentary way) to the "HEMisphere". The reference is to the wide and varied activities that emanate from the publishers of HEM aka Home Education Magazine. The focus is all things relating to independent homeschooling. If you are unfamiliar with the HEMisphere, it is very easy to check out on-line. Just start here: www.homeedmag.com/index.html

You will find homeschooling resources, HEM's on-line presence of blogs and e-lists and the actual print magazine---the HEMisphere is swirling with morethanfine people, ideas and resources.

That and VAEclecticHS are my favorite on-line places.

VaHomeschoolers Leg Report: the bad bill 2006

2006-01-17T10:24:00.000-05:00

This kind of bill is why VaHomeschoolers Govt Affairs committee watches what is being introduced everyday in the General Assembly. We feel that this bill was not intended to be malicious and its patron is actually sympathetic towards homeschoolers. We feel confident this will be resolved positively (which would certainly be the morethanfine outcome!) VaHomeschoolers Legislative Report January 2006 by Celeste Land, Government Affairs New Home Instruction Bill HB 537 Would Heavily Regulate Homeschoolers As the 2006 legislative session begins in Virginia, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers would like its members to be aware of an especially dangerous bill, HB 537, which has been introduced in the House of Delegates. If passed, HB 537 would create significant additional regulation and oversight for homeschoolers across the state. VaHomeschoolers opposes HB 537. Status of HB 537: HB 537 (Parrish, R-Manassas) was introduced at the request of the Manassas City Public Schools, at least partially in response to a difficult situation involving a custody dispute. Hard cases make bad laws, and this particular bill, if passed, would have unfortunate implications for thousands of families well beyond the single case it was designed to address. VaHomeschoolers is working with Delegate Parrish's office and other homeschooling organizations to try to resolve this quickly and peacefully. It is our hope that the patron will withdraw this legislation before it comes to committee. Delegate Parrish is a friend of homeschooling and did not intend to harm or offend homeschoolers with this legislation. As such, we do not recommend action by our members at this time. We will keep you informed of HB 537's status as the session progresses. For complete text of HB 537 or any other bills, see "Legislative Information" on the General Assembly's web page at http://legis.state.va.us/ or contact VaHomeschoolers for more information.

Stillwater--a new effort

2006-01-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

Helen Hegener of Home Education Magazine has started a new on-line effort for homeschoolers nationally---morethanfine...join in!

STILLWATER HOMESCHOOL ALLIANCE ~Building Understanding and Perspective~ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StillwaterHomeschoolAlliance •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Vol. 1, Issue 1, Weekly Edition Monday, January 16, 2006 o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Quaere verum - Seek the truth o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o -SHA Goals Working for a greater understanding of homeschooling issues and concerns, thereby promoting a more informed, cohesive and effective homeschooling community. The long term goals of the Alliance shall include encouraging grassroots homeschooling efforts, providing homeschool-specific information to groups and individuals, and advancing the rights and responsibilities of parents who wish to educate their children at home. As a first step in achieving these goals this Alliance will work toward developing a coalition of individuals, support groups, businesses, organizations and other entities which support the long term interests of the homeschool movement. This Alliance will also work toward the development of The Stillwater Institute for Homeschooling Research and Studies, which will seek to inform legislators, educators, media reporters, legal professionals, researchers and others with a bona fide interest in homeschooling via position statements, news releases, white papers, opinion pieces and more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Stillwater Homeschool Alliance Discussion List Interactive communications for the week of January 9-15 at the group discussion list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StillwaterHomeschoolAlliance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Current Projects for SHA * Create a Handout for legislatures A few examples that were shared : http://atypicalhomeschool.net/articles/unschooling-and-the-need-to- know/ http://cthomeschoolnetwork.org/CHNLegislativeGuide.pdf ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Website Progress Report SHA has secured the following website URLs: www.stillwaterhomeschoolalliance.org www.stillwaterhomeschoolalliance.com www.stillwaterhomeschoolalliance.net www.stillwaterhomeschoolalliance.info We are actively seeking people experienced in website management and anyone interested in learning more about designing, creating, and maintaining a community-oriented site to promote the work of the Alliance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weekly Quotes from the Discussion List http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StillwaterHomeschoolAlliance "SHA's goal is to provide reliable information, resources, tools, support and whatever else is necessary to empower individuals and groups of individuals to roll their sleeves up and do the work that needs to be done." -Helen Hegener "The only way that we can protect what we have is by grass roots organizing. When accurate information is available to people --when they know their rights, and, as we tell folks at our hs info meetings, they let others know that they know their rights, people have the ability to empower themselves." -Debra in Ohio "Stillwater does not seek to be 'another voice representing all homeschoolers'. That's wrong, we do not all belong to or support any org. Stillwater seeks to empower and educate homeschoolers so they can represent themselves as individuals, or assist them in forming their own group to represent themselves." -Mary McCarthy "If no other organization works toward providing an alternative voice, then HSLDA is the de facto voice of homeschooling." -Valerie Moon "HSLDA stands for federalization of homeschooling - the proof of that is the legislation that they have already had passed to put the word homeschooling in about 12 places in federal statute, as well as the pieces of legislation that they are currently pushing to have passed. http://nheld.com/fedleg.htm" -Judy Aron "I can't imagine not educating myself on what is really happening out in the world regarding my freedoms! I don't believe we can take it for granted that homeschooling will always just 'be.'" -Laura in California "And along with the mindsets of the population in general, the other major task awaiting is that of changing the mindsets of the legislators who think that they really own our children." -Mary Hud "As I see it, the education of our families is a fundamental right, no matter what the latest law states. If we understand that fundamental right and build on it, we can and will know our rights, stand our ground and let others know we are an informed citizenry." -Mary Nix o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Thanks for reading, and a special thank you to our volunteers who work to provide in-depth information and ideas that help to protect and maintain homeschooling freedoms. Join us on the Stillwater Homeschool Alliance discussion list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StillwaterHomeschoolAlliance ~Tracy Merritt, editor Readers are encouraged to forward this newsletter in its entirety, including headers and footers, to others who might also find its contents helpful. © 2006 STILLWATER HOMESCHOOL ALLIANCE (All rights reserved).

Homeschool vs the School Board

2006-01-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

More and more lately, cases are coming up in Virginia of homeschoolers wanting part-time access to public school classes or activities and also, situations where homeschoolers are involved, someone discovers a policy against it and then the homeschooler is booted. This happened in Virginia Beach recently where a girl was booted from a Latin class, but later allowed to return and in Isle of Wight County where a band star was booted when another unhappy parent brought up the no homeschooler policy--that is still pending. Sadly, the boy actually enrolled in school to be able to compete in the band's competition season but was so severly bullied he dis-enrolled shortly after.

I think many homeschoolers would like the public schools to be like public libraries or public parks--available to use when needed, without compulsion or extra oversight. But often the attitude of the public school bureaucracy is 'if we let one homeschooler in, they'll all want in and we will be swamped' or 'they chose to leave, let them tough it out on their own'.

I wonder would they be swamped if all the homeschoolers suddenly re-enrolled fulltime?
Couldn't they set a 'space available' policy forpart time enrollment by home (or private) schoolers?
Is the job of the public school to help educate all the children or just the ones they have fulltime influence over?

I am hoping that as more of these situations arise, more school boards will relax their policies and allow public school to be more like a public library or a community college, where all members of the community (who support these institutions with their tax dollars) can take advantage of educational opportunities as needed or desired. That would be morethanfine.

Monitoring legislation

2006-01-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

I have the fun of monitoring legislation in the Virginia General Assembly for VaHomeschoolers. Fun you say? Actually, it is like a treasure hunt--searching terms and then following leads on specific bills introduced that might affect homeschooling.

If you have any interest in following the workings of the legislature in your state, look for your state government's official page and there will probably be a way to search bills of interest and maybe even a tutorial on how to search.

Another bit of legislation that I am following (just because I feel like it) concerns the future management of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. This most amazing engineering marvel currently is run very well by a private board, but the state is considering taking over---bad idea VDOT is not a shining example of good govt management--in fact it is the opposite.
So I am watching that bit of legislation with interest.

I also search each day for bills to be introduced affecting truancy laws, extracurricular access, driver's education and high school diplomas, as assigned by our government affairs committee. The Virginia General Assembly convenes tomorrow and is in session for 60 days until March 11th.

Okay, I know it sounds tedious, but it is really a blast! Totally morethanfine!

The evangelical way

2006-01-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

On a yahoo list yesterday someone said that the characteristic evangelical protestant model of getting things done is (and I paraphrase): 1) form a group
2) pass out assignments
3) act
4) get stuff done
5) clean up the mess afterwards.

I found this troublesome! And it is not characteristic of evangelical groups I have been involved with---at least not of the one I have chosen to remain involved with. The evangelical model from my experience goes more like this:
1) pray
2) gather as a group to discuss and pray together
3) discuss possible consequences and pray about them
4) consult with those who have wisdom and experience and ask them to pray
5) consult with those who might be affected or whose help might be needed and pray with them
6) assign tasks--including assigning some to pray for the tasks & the workers
7) act
8) get stuff done
9) praise God for His work
10) take responsibility for any mess that might result and do all you can to clean it up and humbly apologize to those affected and pray for reconciliation if needed.

Okay, now I realize what was wrong with the first model--that one little thing that is glaringly missing---ya gotta pray.
Of course if there is no prayer there is gonna be a lot of mess to clean up. With prayer there may still be a mess...we are only human after all... but there is a much better chance that people will not be hurt and resentments will give way to forgiveness, that is a much morethanfine model in my book.

Today we are...unschooling

2006-01-05T11:40:00.000-05:00

Today at our unschool we are:
reading aloud
playing Roller Coaster Tycoon
playing monopoly
folding laundry
practicing piano x 3
practicing guitar
practicing bass
making beds
brushing teeth
cooking oatbran muffins for dad
memorizing
playing math shark
playing monkey typing
playing space invaders
going to the library
listening to 'The Two Towers' on tape

Alot of playing and practicing going on! I love unschooling it is soo morethanfine.
On a yahoo list lately someone was trying to define unschooling as un-everything; unlearning, unparenting, unintellectual, undisciplined. We tried to explain that unschooling is best left 'un-defined' lol or at least defined by the families and the learners involved. It isn't easily explained by axioms or generalizations and it does take a large measure of trust in our children that they actually will learn, because of us or in spite of us :)

I have spiritual reasons for trusting my kids to learn--I believe God made them to learn. I also trust God to help them learn and help me help them to learn and I trust God to guide them in the paths they will best follow.

It is so freeing to let go of the PS brainwashing and watch actual learning happen.
joy, joy, joy

I am repeating Annie Sullivan's quote because it is sooo perfect for unschoolers:
"I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must taught to think. Whereas if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less slowly. Let him come and go freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table while a sweet-voiced teacher suggest that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of colored paper, or plant straw trees in flower pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experiences. "

Have a morethanfine day and I hope you get to spend it unschooling!

Some Favorite Quotes

2006-01-04T13:58:00.000-05:00

These are some of my favorite unschooling related quotes. Anne Sullivan's really reflects my personal view of 'education'

Anne Sullivan
"I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must taught to think. Whereas if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less slowly. Let him come and go freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table while a sweet-voiced teacher suggest that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of colored paper, or plant straw trees in flower pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experiences. "

Albert Einstein

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

Stephanie -my friend from VAEclectic
(she didn't write it, she just made it famous lol)
"Learning can only happen when a child is interested. If he's not interested it's like throwing marshmallows at his head and calling it eating."
http://throwingmarshmallows.blogspot.com/

Agatha Christie
" I suppose it is because nearly all children go to school nowadays and have things arranged for them that they seem so forlornly unable to produce their own ideas. "

George Bernard Shaw
" What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of the child. "

Justice Sandra Day O'Conner

"So long as a parent adequately cares for his or her children [i.e., is fit], there will normally be no reason for the state to inject itself into the private realm of the family to further question the ability of that parent to make the best decisions concerning the rearing of that parent's children."

(in the U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion TROXEL Vs. GRANVILLE:)

Homeschool Politics

2006-01-04T10:17:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the stage one in the development of the Federal Dept of Homeschooling

HR 1815 was presented to the President on January 3, 2006.

Many in the home education community followed the bill when we learned that the military section of HR 3735, The Homeschool Non Discrimination Act (HONDA) had been slipped into the bill on November 15th. Many called to object to this addition, but there were only days to act and we are told there simply weren’t enough calls received. In response to homeschoolers objections to section 522, an H$LDA representative was quoted at the time as saying: “IF we fail in our effort to get section 522 signed into law, we’ll try something else, but we won’t give up. It’s been seven years already; it may be seven more years before we feel like homeschool grads have a level path to military service.”

The original section that we objected to that pertains to home educators can now be found in Sec. 591 and will become law.

Part of it reads:

"the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a single set of criteria to be used by the Armed Forces in determining whether an individual is a graduate of home schooling."

source: http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/groupnews/?p=48

I love/hate the holidays

2006-01-04T10:08:00.000-05:00

I love the holidays, I love the decorations and the music and the chance of snow (not this year in SE VA) andI love candlelight services and cookies and Christmas gatherings and piano recitals.
It was thrilling to have my 14yo play piano for the offeratory Christmas morning. He played a very dramatic version of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' and got one of those moments of hush before everyone applauded (yes we clap for stuff like that in our church :)---it was morethanfine! He really didn't want to do it, but agreed to do it for me as a Christmas gift (sniff, sniff--pass the kleenex).

I hate the holidays, the busyness, the cold damp (non-snowy) weather and wrapping presents. (I like buying them and opening them, just not fonding of wrapping them.)

Okay I really love them way more than I hate them :)
So, I am sad that all the decorations are put away and the tree is waiting at the curb for the city to haul it away, but I am glad that life is calm again and I don't have to check the calendar everyday to see if there is an event/recital/concert that I forgot!

Happy New Year!

VaHomeschoolers Legislative Report

2005-12-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

VaHomeschoolers Legislative Report
December 14, 2005
by Celeste Land, Government Affairs

Special Report on Federal Legislation: Recruitment/Enlistment of
Homeschooled Students & HONDA 2005

The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers (VaHomeschoolers) is a statewide homeschooling organization which normally does not lobby on federal matters. However, we do occasionally visit Capitol Hill when federal legislation could impact homeschoolers in our state.

On Tuesday, December 13, VaHomeschoolers lobbyists Scott Price and Celeste Land visited Capitol Hill and met with House and Senate staffers to discuss Section 522 of HR 1815 (Recruitment and Enlistment of Home Schooled Students in the Armed Forces) and HR 3753 / S 1691 (also known as HONDA 2005). In keeping with the mission of our organization, our meetings focused mainly on the implications of these bills from a Virginia homeschooling perspective.

Section 522 of HR 1815 (Recruitment / Enlistment of Homeschooled Students)

VaHomeschoolers opposes Section 522 of HR 1815 because the language on
recruitment/enlistment is not necessary and would lead to greater regulation of

Virginia homeschoolers. [You can read more about our position at
_www.vahomeschoolers.org_ (http://www.vahomeschoolers.org/) ]

While VaHomeschoolers was unable to confirm the exact status of the language in Section 522, we came away from our meetings with the sense that most legislators are blissfully unaware of the controversy within the homeschooling community surrounding this issue. Section 522 has many strong supporters on Capitol Hill, including HSLDA and possibly some influential Defense Department officials as well. This means that Section 522 is very likely to become law without further discussion.

The conference committee is wrapping up its work on HR 1815 and is expected to complete its deliberations any day now. This means that if you have concerns about Section 522, you need to contact your Congressman or Senator immediately.

HR 3753 / S 1691 (HONDA 2005)

VaHomeschoolers has specific concerns about certain language and phraseology in HR 3753 / S 1691 from a Virginia homeschooling perspective, and desires that these particular sections of the bill be amended or deleted as needed. (You can read more about our position at _www.vahomeschoolers.org_ (http://www.vahomeschoolers.org/) .)

HR 3753 / S 1691 (also referred to as the Home School Non Discrimination Act of 2005 or HONDA 2005) is an omnibus bill which attempts to address many different issues at the federal level. Some homeschoolers support the bill in its entirety, some oppose the bill in its entirety, and some take issue with certain portions of the bill for various reasons. (To learn more, go to
_http://www.vahomeschoolers.org/honda.PDF_
(http://www.vahomeschoolers.org/honda.PDF) )

At first glance, the status of these bills appears questionable at best. The House version of the bill has been sent to a variety of different committees and subcommittees, any one of which could kill the entire bill. Meanwhile, the Senate version of the bill has been sent to the Finance Committee, a place where most bills die without much fanfare.

However, the issues and language of HR 3753 /S 1691 are likely to linger for quite some time to come. The original bills are largely promotional in nature. They publicize and call attention to the issues, and allow certain lawmakers to demonstrate their support for homeschooling through their sponsorship. Meanwhile, interested lawmakers can select the language for a specific issue in the original bill and quietly insert it into another bill which is more
likely to actually become law. This is a common practice in Congress and has already happened at least once with this legislation, when the
recruitment/enlistment language in S 1691 was used as the basis for the language in Section 522 of HR 1815.

Meanwhile, VaHomeschoolers has heard unconfirmed rumors that other language in HR 3753 regarding the Higher Education Act has been inserted into another bill on the Senate side. Clearly, homeschoolers who are interested in national legislative issues need to watch not only specific "homeschooling bills" in Congress, but also specific language from those bills, which may surface in surprising places at inopportune moments.

Recommended Action:

As always, VaHomeschoolers recommends that you read the full text of these bills carefully before taking any action. You can find the complete text of HR 1815 (Section 522), HR 3753, and S 1691 at _http://thomas.loc.gov/_
(http://thomas.loc.gov/) .
Contact your Congressman or Senator and let them know your views on this federal legislation. Contact information is available at
_http://www.house.gov/writerep/_ (http://www.house.gov/writerep/) and
_http://www.senate.gov/_
(http://www.senate.gov/) .
Virginia Senator John Warner is a member of the
conference committee on HR 1815, and Virginia Congressmen Frank Wolf, Jo Ann Davis, and Virgil H. Goode Jr. are cosponsors of HR 3753. These individuals would be especially interested in hearing from their constituents.

Be specific when writing or calling your lawmakers. Tell them exactly
what you like or dislike about these bills, which issues specifically concern you, and what (if anything) needs to be changed or addressed. This will help Congress take the most appropriate action.

No time to blog!

2005-12-08T11:15:00.000-05:00

Yikes I can't believe how long I have left my blog to languish! If anyone is still reading--hello again and
Happy Holydays to you all!
I hope to be a more faithful blogger in the New Year!
Joyeux Noel
I hate it when my life is busy but afterpiano recital on Friday, cookie exchange on Saturday, Worship Band Christmas dinner and jam session on Sunday and Progressive Dinner on Tues my schedule really opens up and we might even have the relaxed holidays I always aim for, that will be morethanfine!
Feliz Navidad
Homeschooling this month has become making cookies, cutting snowflakes, practicing for piano recital and watching holiday movies! Don't ya love unschooling!
Merry Christmas
And my 13 yr old becomes a 14 yr old New Years Eve!
Auld Lang Syne-which is Scots (or maybe Gaelic) for 'old long since' or 'days long past' and happens to be what my 13-almost 14 year old is playing for Christmas recital!
God Bless Us! Every One!
If I don't blog you before then--Have a safe, happy, healthy, joyous, morethanfine Holiday season!

All is well more than fine

2005-11-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone that expressed concern for my son and the cat.

Tucker, the 18 lb spotted Bengal, returned home in the evening after all the scary painter people had left and the school buses and trash trucks had completed their late afternoon rounds and the neighbor dogs went in for the night. He is a real 'scaredy cat', in spite of his large size, and I know he was petrified to find himself outside and so stayed hidden until the world got quiet again. Unlike Mr. Johnson, we are all relieved that "the cat came back".

The foot is not as seriously injured as first thought (when my normally stoic 13 yr old was crying from the pain and unable to bear any weight at all) and now we know that at worse he has a hairline fracture. He has to remain on crutches for awhile so that the weakness won't cause a worse break, but he is doing better and managing with some ice and ibuprofen.

Thanks for your good thoughts...now, if I can just catch up on the housework that was left undone from the 2 days of craziness! lol

Sigh....

2005-11-03T17:57:00.000-05:00

When blogs become quiet I guess that is an indication that life isn't!
Today alone, my son broke his foot and our cat disappeared.
When it rains it pours! Not very morethanfine either.

BUT otoh, 'morethanfine' is a choice. Even though it has been kind of a crummy day, I will choose to count my blessings! And so, even though I am missing my kitty and wondering when or if he will return, along with feeling pretty powerless to improve the situation, I will choose to remember all the good things about him and hope for the best.

And I can be grateful that the broken foot is very minor as these things go and it will likely heal quickly with little or no intervention.

So while things are not good, I am still more than fine.

Just Great Quotes

2005-10-31T16:38:00.000-05:00

Albert Einstein

the 'S' word

2005-10-26T11:02:00.000-04:00

No, not that 's' word, the homeschool 's' word. Socialization.
I rarely talk or write about socialization because it seems like such a no brainer to me. But I realize as I read comments from those who are basically clueless about homeschooling that it is a concern, especially when the press throws out stories about neo-Nazi teenagers who happen to also be homeschoolers or homeschoolers with 16 kids and such. It should be obvious these days that homeschooling cuts across all levels of society, all cultural boundaries, all economic classes, all religious varieties and is implemented using virtually every kind of educational style. Practically the only generalization you can make about homeschoolers is they school at home.

So what about socialization? Well, in public school you spend 99% of your time with other people who are the same age as you. How often does that happen in adult life? Right, never. Homeschoolers spend time with all ages of kids and have far more direct interaction with individual adults than public school students do. Which do you think makes a more well-rounded adult?
Homeschool students also have more privacy, more control over their own choices (I never make my boys wait until recess to use the bathroom) and more free time to explore their own personal growth (morethanfine). In school, kids have no privacy, no choices and no time to explore.
Finally, it is rare that homeschoolers get their lunch money stolen or have to sit by themselves in the cafeteria (haha.) See why I think it is a no brainer? There is also not even one teeny tiny shred of research to suggest or support that long hours spent confined with one's age mates is good for a child's development, social or academic. It is my (not so) humble opinion, that the structure of public education is actually detrimental to social development and often something that must be overcome in adult life.

The truth of socialization is it is actually a reason to homeschool, rather than an argument against it.

A taste of radical thought

2005-10-20T10:17:00.000-04:00

In my last post I warned not to read John Taylor Gatto unless your were prepared to be radicalized. Not sure if you are prepared or not? Then I recommend you spend a few minutes with Gatto's American Education History Tour. If you are prepared for a whole new view of the public education model, you will get a little taste of morethanfine radical thought. If you're not prepared, you will have only wasted a little bit of your time!

And from that, a quick thought about test scores:
Former presidential candidate (2000), Bill Bradley had a very low score of 480 on the verbal part of his SATs, yet graduated from Princeton, won a Rhodes Scholarship, and became a US senator;
President George W. Bush got degrees from Yale and Harvard, became governor of Texas, and president of the United States—with a mediocre 550.

If you can be a Rhodes Scholar, graduate from Ivy League schools and become governor, senator, and president with mediocre SAT scores, what exactly do the tests measure?

To have a mind of your own...

2005-10-20T09:55:00.000-04:00

I just thought of another morethanfine reason to keep my kids out of school. I was reading the epilogue of John Taylor Gatto's "The Underground History of American Education"* and he writes about George Washington: "As a boy he learned the hard things: duty, piety, courage, self-reliance, to have a mind of his own..." My! How that resonated with me!

If my 3 boys would just grow up knowing these things, I would know I had succeeded as their mom/teacher. I feel like I need to frame those words and put them on the wall somewhere so I will always be reminded that these are the goals, not Algebra II or spelling or high SAT scores. To have a mind of his (her) own is the greatest gift homeschooling can give a child.

Personally, I still sometimes struggle to not "go with the flow" and to have a mind of my own. Actually, I do have a mind of my own, but it is drawing on that tiny reserve of courage and self reliance that gives voice to that mind that is the real trick. The courage and self-reliance was supressed by the public school experience, so the mind is locked inside the walls of dependence and insecurity, until you find your confidence and the mind is freed and the voice can be heard!

A mind of your own and the confidence to express it! That's the goal.

*WARNING! Do not read Gatto unless you are prepared to be radicalized!

ASTROS WIN THE PENNANT!

2005-10-20T09:37:00.000-04:00

...And Texas hosts its first World Series!
My mom has been a Houston Astros fan for 38 years. We moved to Houston in 1968 and she has never waivered from her support of the Astros even though we returned to California in 1975. I can't imagine how many weeds she pulled listening to Astro games. It takes a faithful fan to persevere with a team that has never even played in a World Series, much less won a championship! I don't know how they will fare against the White Sox, but it is morethanfine to simply be bringing the World Series for to the Lone Star state for the first time ever. Go 'Stros!

Do we really need an expert to tell us what to think?

2005-10-17T13:07:00.000-04:00

I just heard that Dr. Phil is going to weigh in on homeschooling this week on his show. Why, oh why, does anyone care what Dr. Phil has to say about homeschooling? I don't know much about him other than he has a pretty funny pop-psych shtick and says stuff like 'that dog won't hunt' and such. But were his children homeschooled? Does he have personal experience with homeschooling or homeschooling families? Why would we have an interest in his opinion?

I think it is just a symptom of our culture's expert dependency (not to mention celebrity worship, but that is for another day.) We want an expert opinion before we form and trust our own opinions. I think alot of that is a result of our public school upbringing. We are trained from a young age to listen obediently to authority, trust all the information poured into us and not question what those in charge of us say or do. (If you are interested in reading more about that read some of the writings of John Taylor Gatto . ) That training makes us look for an authority to tell us what to do or an expert who we can rely on. Making independent decisions, questioning authority and solving our own problems creates anxiety, we are so carefully trained not to think for ourselves. Kind of ironic that we have to be retrained later in life to "think outside the box", when the system has so carefully trained us to stay safely in the box and wait for the expert to validate us.

I am on the board of a statewide homeschooling organization and one of our goals is to empower homeschoolers with knowledge and encourage them to have the confidence to handle any issues they may encounter along the way. Homeschooling is absolutely and completely legal and if we know the law, there is no need for a lawyer and nothing to fear from school officials or social workers. Kids are designed to learn and it doesn't take an educational expert (aka teacher :-) to help them learn what they need to know. I think part of the homeschooling journey is the thrill of freedom (morethanfine!) that comes when we realize we don't really need an expert after all, maybe just a few friendly veterans homeschoolers will do the trick!

If you don't know any, may I suggest:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HEM-Networking/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AHA-Discussion/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschooling-dotcom/

See ya on the lists!

5 am virtue and the 7:05 Bus

2005-10-10T09:47:00.000-04:00

Why is it, that getting up early is virtuous, but staying up late is a vice? My DH (dear husband) is a night owl who often gets some of his best work done after 11 PM---why is that less admirable than someone who gets up at 5 AM to be productive...perhaps it is a holdover from our agrarian roots, because it is harder for farmers to be productive at midnight?

Personally, I am a big believer in getting plenty of rest. I think the reason some kids have behavior and attitude problems in school is they are just plain tired. It is also my theory that lots of rest is one of the best illness preventatives (along with lots of hand sanitzer!)

One of the very best reasons for homeschooling is never, ever having to worry about the 7:05 bus! I cannot believe all those poor elementary school kids standing in the dark when I go out to get the paper at 6:59 in the morning...and it's not even cold yet!

I am so grateful that if it is cold and gloomy (or just plain pitch black) or if we had a busy weekend or a late night, I do not have to drag my 2 elementary age kids out of bed, force some breakfast down their throats, search for bookbags and homework and drag them off half asleep to stand in the cold darkness to wait for the bus! Okay, maybe that is a little overstatement, but I am grateful nonetheless. When we have particularly busy weekends, we often have "sleep late Monday" and there isn't anything much going on til at least 10 am. What a perk! I can also allow my high school freshman to read the book he is into until 11:30 if he wants, knowing that he can sleep in the next morning--what difference does it make if he does school (aka reading) from 9:30 to 11:30 PM instead of AM? It just leaves more daytime to practice that complicated Chopin piece. Yes, flexible schedules are just one more way homeschooling is morethanfine.

Barb

Baseball , the NBA and NASCAR

2005-10-10T08:57:00.000-04:00

My thoughts turned to sports this weekend as the Astros defeated the Braves in an 18 inning game. Although I am not really an Astro fan, or even a very faithful baseball fan anymore, it brought back great memories and made my mom supremely happy!

As long as I can remember, I have been a sports fan. I get it from my mom! When I was a kid, we lived in Houston and she would take me to watch the Astros in that amazing architectural wonder the Astrodome (okay, it was 1969.) My dad wasn't into baseball and my brother and sister were older and definitely not interested--so that left me. She taught me how to use the scorecard and keep score and we always had a great time, even though the Astros rarely won much back then.

When we moved back to California (I was 13), I became a Dodger fan, while my mom remained an Astro fan. We made it a point to go see the Dodgers play the Astros a couple of times every season, even though she would totally embarass me, rooting out loud for the visiting team; but California fans are pretty mellow, so no one ever paid much attention.

Then the Dodger management changed and they traded away most of my favorite players and stopped being the team that nurtured young players through the minors and stuck with them for years and became just another trade 'em away franchise---my interest waned. Now I don't pay much attention to Major League Baseball, although we do go to a few games of the local triple A team, the Norfolk Tides, each season. But watching the Astros playing the Braves and then the Angels playing the Yankees reminded me how I used to be so into baseball. It all came back: the lingo, the plays, the strategies. It was fun. I hope the Angels beat the Yankees tonight. (After all the Angels manager is long-time Dodger Mike Scioscia and I just hate the Yankees on principle---to much arrogance, like USC and Notre Dame.)

But after I lost interest in baseball I became, for a time, an NBA fan. First it was the Showtime Lakers (Magic, Kareem and Worthy), then it was Kobe and Shaq (until they became to unbearablely childish to root for) and finally the San Antonio Spurs. I loved the Spurs style of play--it was about the team, not about the superstars--even though with Robinson and Duncan they had bona fide superstars. It is tough to keep track of basketball living in a football town---the NBA coverage in the local paper is often limited to one column a couple of times a week (don't even get me going on the who-cares-Redskins lol.) Now I only really watch the playoffs and finals (I really like Manu Ginobli :) So we have become (much to my amazement) a family of NASCAR fans.

It all started one day in 2003, when Matt Kenseth won a race. My youngest (then 6 yr old) son had to stay home from church one Sunday with a fever. He was laying on the couch flipping channels and discovered a NASCAR race and ended up watching the cars go around in circles for 2+ hours. Matt Kenseth won that race, so my son became a Matt Kenseth fan--although he only knew him as #17 for a long time. Since then everyone in the family has chosen a driver (Kenseth, Stewart, Gordon, Johnson and Sadler) and we watch the races that are on regular TV (no cable, so we miss the races on TNT.) We are certainly not fanatical, but we enjoy rooting for our drivers and rooting against those we don't like (we aren't terribly fond of Biffle or Junior) and the broadcasters' commentary and all the inside info they throw around make it interesting. There is also an amazing amount of science involved!

Funny thing is---my dad was a NASCAR fan for years, he loved the Intimidator (Earnhardt Sr.) and was also a Mark Martin fan. Dad passed away a couple of years ago before his youngest grandson converted the rest of the family. There is something kind of full circle about it. I started out as a baseball fan because of my mom and have become a NASCAR fan like my dad (he would have been happy to see Mark Martin win at Kansas yesterday.) Interestingly, the last year of my dad's life, he was an invalid and so my mom would sit with him every Sunday and watch the race---as a result she is a NASCAR fan too! I guess sports are all in the family (even my sister is a fan, although she persists in following NFL football :) BTW I also like to watch Grand Slam tennis and the occasional golf tournament!

Morethanfine,
Barb

We don't do no stinking co-ops

2005-10-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

Okay, no offense to those who use, run or love co-ops but lately it seems the lives of some of my dear homeschooling friends have been taken over by co-ops and become frightenly schoolish! Granted, I am the only admitted unschooler in the group...although my nefarious relaxed ways have infiltrated the homes of some of the once tightly scheduled. But lately, all I hear from my kids' friends are "I have to finish my homework", "I have a paper to write" or "I need to stay home and memorize vocabulary words for a test tomorrow." Don't get me wrong I love these people and I think they should pursue whatever course works for their family, but all these classes (8am-2pm for some) do not fit into my idea of homeschooling. It made me sad when one 14 yr old friend of my son's chose to skip an awesome field trip to see historical reenactors at the local botanical garden, because he needed to study his Spanish vocabulary all day...*sigh*.

However, in the name of true disclosure, we do attend one co-op, that is quite different from those I have described, which makes it morethanfine. It it tiny (6 families) and more fun than academic and there really isn't anything in the way of 'homework'--at least not as long as I have any say in the matter!! This year I am doing Reader's Theater with middle school and high schoolers, we are starting with "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (abridged) and I am really looking forward to it. In my book, co-ops are for enrichment and fun (you know that 'socialization' thing lol) not to turn homeschooling into a part time version of traditional school. Once again I am the rebel that doesn't follow the trend of my peer group .

And I am sure in the future my sons will enroll at the local community college for some of the academics I don't want to tackle at home...but in the meantime, we don't do no stinkin' co-ops.

Barb

Our calls count

2005-10-04T14:29:00.000-04:00

Thanks Kara for following up on the calls to the Senator's office. It is good to know that we are being heard and they are logging the calls. Guess Scott just checked in a little too early yesterday. Here is what Kara said on homeschoolingfreedom:

"I just hung up from a very nice discussion with a woman in Senator Inhofe's office. I explained to her that I was calling regarding yesterday's comments from Mr. Somerville on my blog. I told her how I picked out Senator Inhofe for the calling campaign*. This person was very nice and interested in what I had to say. I read her the comments and she asked me who Mr. Somerville was. I explained who he was. She assured me that Senator Inhofe's policy on calls was to log in the issue and tally the for and against calls. She said that two people had that responsibility in the office and that she was one of them. I asked her if it would be fair to categorize that the office was receiving a fair number of calls on both sides of the issue and she said yes. So there you have it folks. Our calls do count and they are being received. I had explained about how I was working on the issue with the blog and she asked for the url. I shared this url and and the one for HR 3753/ S 1691-Homeschool NonDiscrimination Act 2005 with her. I explained to her the diversity of the opinions that I linked to from this blog and I thought it reflected how HSLDA does not speak for all homeschoolers. She assured me that she would speak with the Senator about our conversation. I left the conversation feeling good about our work on this bill. Let's keep those calls and emails going."

Fringe benefits

2005-10-02T01:05:00.000-04:00

I observed a morethanfine fringe benefit of homeschooling yesterday afternoon. We had taken a field trip to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens for their annual 'History Alive' event--where there are reenactors from many different historical eras. 5 homeschooling families got together to go with kids ages 3-14.

At one point, I watched as my 8 year old son walked and talked with the 12 year old daughter from another family. They had no concern about the 4 year age difference or that he is in 3rd grade and she is in 7th or that she is a girl and he is a boy. They are just friends who were enjoying a conversation about a Viking reenactor.

It is too bad that school often forces kids into an age/grade segregation mindset. It is cool to see all different kids mingle together and enjoy each other's company regardless of age. I am so glad we are homeschoolers!

Barb

Christian unschooling?

2005-10-01T15:15:00.000-04:00

Can you live in a Christian home and 'unschool'? Interesting that this is a point of controversy in some Christian circles. I think there is a great deal of misunderstanding about what unschooling actually is (and of course it is different in every family.) John Holt used unschooling just to mean homeschooling--schooling outside of the traditional classroom. The word has morphed quite a bit over the years--it now tends to mean schooling at home without a set curriculum, following the interests and talents of the children instead. To some it means never using a textbook or curriculum material, to others it recognizing the gifts and talents in their children and allowing the learning to be directed by that. And unschooling is not a description of a parenting style, permissive or otherwise--it is a learning style.

One scripture that speaks to me is Deut. 6:6-7 "And these words... you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

To me that sounds like schooling all the time and learning at every opportunity--that is like unschooling. I also think of the way Jesus taught---he didn't sit the disciples down with the Pentateuch and the Torah and begin teaching them formal lessons. He told them stories and parables and taught the people as he walked among them using examples from nature and from their lives. If I told you I taught my kids following Jesus model with stories and examples from their lives and from nature, I don't think you would have a problem with that. For me that is what unschooling is all about.

Morethanfine..right?

Barb

Unschooling is a tricky word

2005-10-01T14:30:00.000-04:00

I was just reading on a homeschool list that a mom didn't like to tell people they were unschoolers. I was the same way until recently. I used terms like eclectic and relaxed and child led to dance around that loaded word 'unschooling'.

I admit, I was worried about what other people thought about it and it seemed the disapproval would come from two opposite fronts. From the perspective of those who use a curriculum and follow a tight schedule and have a yearly plan, unschooling looked sort of like no schooling or overly laidback go-with-the flow random scatteredness. But, among the group that looked on any use of curriculum or texts as a no-no, the fact that my son used an algebra curriculum and that we followed the Sonlight book list, 'disqualified' us as unschoolers . So we were relaxed, eclectic, interest driven, autodidatic homeschoolers (r.e.i.a.h?). Try to say that 3 times fast (or even remember it once :).

But this year I decided to just say it...outloud...we are (gulp) unschoolers! We learn together each day with a loose structure, no overarching yearly plan and a smattering of curriculum when we feel we need or want it. The loose structure is pursuing some reading, writing and math each day and practicing piano everyday and reading aloud everyday. The rest is unpredictable and always open the whims of interest and desire.

It's funny to look back and realize even when I was a school teacher I often unschooled. I was required to have a daily schedule posted outside my classroom door, but the chances of you walking in and actually finding us doing what was on the schedule at any given time was pretty slim. I was a teacher of tangents--if we got interested in something as a class, we would pursue it, even if it meant grammar or math would have to wait until after lunch--or even til tomorrow. I actually had to shift my reading aloud time from after lunch to before, because we would start reading after lunch and get so into it we would read right through til the final bell :)
Sadly, in our test obsessed schools these days teachers rarely experience that kind of joy of learning nor the freedom to pursue their students interests. What a shame.

So in a nutshell, I have always been an unschooler but it has just recently become morethanfine to admit it! And there is great freedom in just being what you are and not making excuses for it.

Barb

from Homeschooling Illinois Leg and Learning (HILL) blog

2005-09-30T21:35:00.000-04:00

Passing this idea on from Homeschooling Illinois Leg and Learning (HILL) blog:

http://homeschoolingfreedom.blogspot.com/

Call Senator Inhofe's Office Monday

This is Kara's idea regarding Senator Inhofe's letter --- call his office to register opposition to his bill.

Here's the information:

So, Monday it is! Tuesday if we're able to flood the lines so completely as to overload the phone lines on Monday!
In the Senate, the bill is known as S 1691 a.k.a. Homeschool NonDiscrimination Act or HoNDA.

You might like to state that you're a homeschooler and you are opposed to the bill, you believe it will harm homeschooling, and are asking Inhofe to drop his sponsorship of the bill.

Here are Inhofe's phone numbers:
It's probably best if you're out-of-Oklahoma to call the D.C. office, but I left all the numbers here anyway.

Senator's Offices

Washington, DC
453 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-3603
Phone: 202-224-4721
Fax: 202-228-0380

Tulsa
1924 S. Utica Avenue
Suite 530
Tulsa, OK 74104-6511
Phone: 918-748-5111
Fax: 918-748-5119

Oklahoma City
1900 NW Expressway
Suite 1210
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405-608-4381
Fax: 405-608-4120

McAlester
215 E. Choctaw
Suite 106 McAlester, OK 74501
Phone: 918-426-0933
Fax: 918-426-0935

Enid
302 N. Independence
Suite 104
Enid, OK 73701
Phone: 580-234-5105
Fax: 580-234-5094

Kill the Bill

2005-09-30T00:40:00.000-04:00

http://hr3753.blogspot.com/

This link is a source of information about H.R.3753/S.1691
for people working to kill the bills -- again --and keep homeschooling from being further defined by federal legislation.

I especially like that the anonymous authors of the blog are using the pen name 'Publius'
which was used by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay when they published The Federalist Papers anonymously.

I thought it was kind of clever since they are challenging the constitutionality of the
federal government making laws concerning homeschooling and the
federalist papers were written to influence people to support the
constitution. And IMO, opposing this bill is supporting the constitution.

(Especially since the constitution grants the federal government no power to establish or regulate education at all, that right is reserved for the states and the people.)

A tiny tidbit to consider: "Some provisions of this bill practically require that the federal government define homeschooling..."
(quoted from http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/205/sotch.html.)

Do we really want the feds defining and regulating homeschooling?
That is SO not morethanfine!

A couple of other good sources for information:

http://homeschoolingfreedom.blogspot.com/

http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/newscomm/?p=119

Barb

What are we afraid of?

2005-09-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

Last year the Virginia assembly passed a law that required school districts to inform Homeschoolers when the PSAT is administered. Well, the school board of one good sized Virginia city has a policy that disallows homeschoolers from participation in any school sponsored activities. So this district has interpreted the new law as requiring them to notify of the PSAT but not to administer it to homeschoolers, which they are within the letter of law able to do. But some feel the intent was to allow homeschoolers to take the PSAT at the public school.

Okay, so what. Both big statewide organizations are on top of it and will be represented at the school board meeting. But the bothersome thing is very few local parents are willing to contact their school board representatives and even fewer will consider going to the actual board meeting where the exclusion policy will be discussed. You might think it was just a lack of enthusiasm, but it really feels to me like a lack of confidence.

The thought of facing even local elected officials is very intimidating. Now one would think that since homeschoolers are willing to separate from the 'system' , they might be bold speaking face to face with the representatives of the system they've left. You would think there is nothing to fear from a school board member, they might be your neighbor or the coach of your kid's soccer team. School board members are not usually career politicians savvy in the ways of power brokering--they are local concerned citizens for the most part.

So what are we afraid of? Why does the state organization have to cajole folks into speaking up for themselves? The lack of confidence is sadly not morethanfine. But I admit I feel beset by it myself at times---it is much easier to speak to 'official' type people as a Board member of a statewide organization, than as just little old me, citizen. Why are homeschoolers intimidated by school board members? They really don't have power over us personally, since they have no power over our children if we are homeschooling legally. And yet we fear them.

I have thought of 2 explanations for it:
--we are programmed by our own public school upbringing to be intimidated by authority and not to question the dictates from on high. We are trained to be powerless, especially if we were good students working hard to please within the system. It takes some mental reprogramming to get into a place where questioning (especially the schools!) is not outside our comfort zones.

--And a certain big homeschooling legal organization has spread the myth of the scary school officials far and wide and we are often under the (usually) false impression that they are out to 'get' us and that the relationship between schools and homeschools is an adversarial one. But does it really need to be?

So I will repeat what I have said before (and will undoubtedly say again), we need to empower ourselves with knowledge, work hard to protect our homeschool freedom and homeschool with confidence.

We generally don't need experts (who is more of an expert on your kid's education than you?) and we usually don't need a lawyer---we usually just need the knowledge and the confidence and then I think we might be able to change the world, one school board at a time :)

Barb

Thoughts on my Christian duty

2005-09-29T01:45:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking about my duty as a Christian, a person who endeavors to be Christ like in her life. Of course, Christ gave the commandments to love the Lord fully and to love your neighbor as yourself (your neighbor being pretty much any member of the human race), but I was wondering how else I can pursue my duty in the Christian life. I am sure there are many others but two have popped up in my life lately.

My eldest son is studying theology this year and one of the books he is using is the Westminster Catechism. In today's lesson it talked about our duty as a Christian according to the Bible and references Malachi 6:8
"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Be just
Love mercy
Walk humbly with God

Those certainly seem worthwhile to pursue.

And my middle son has been memorizing from 1 Thessalonians 5 which says, in part:
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,

My! How different the world would be if we could always live by those instructions, regardless of our chosen faith.

The "be joyful always" part certainly fits in with my Morethanfine mentality, although it is sometimes beyond my personal ability to achieve---same with giving thanks in all circumstances. But then that takes me to the 3rd lesson God has been giving me lately, from John 15.
He is the vine and we are the branches and apart from Him we can do nothing. Lots of times I find myself trying to do something for Him or make something happen for Him or insisting that I will be joyful and thankful all the time and then feeling angry and sad over the way someone has treated me or someone I love. I realize I just cannot be Morethanfine unless my branch is firmly rooted in the vine, nor can I be just, merciful, loving and humble without Him.

Apart from Him I can do nothing.

Barb

Okay, Okay! You can comment now!

2005-09-28T20:16:00.000-04:00

Alright, I have enabled the comments on all the posts now--so you can go back and comment if you want to...

Thanks to those of you who have already commented, both at the blog and in e-mails.

Funny how many friends I have made who are still just in the virtual world, and yet they are as kind and supportive as if we were real life friends. It is heart warming, which is (of course) morethanfine.

I have had the additional joy of meeting some of my Virginia homeschool friends in real life. The VaHomeschoolers Board I get to see 4 times a year, of course and also many others at VaHomeschoolers special events (waving to Stephanie, Amy & Marjorie :)

But there are also a few folks out there in the cyberworld who don'tregard me in such a friendly way (okay, I admit I have been banned from an e-mail list once...but just once!) and I guess I was afraid I would hear from some of them. Hopefully not. The unfriendliness stems from one of the hot potatoes in the homeschool world and that is the blending of public schooling at home with independent homeschooling. But that is for another post...I'll get to it eventually.

Want to comment now? Ready, set, go!

Barb

Morethanfine redux: I am Christian hedonist

2005-09-28T12:45:00.000-04:00

What's was Morethanfine again?

"More than fine" is my response when people ask 'How are you?'
It means I am a Christian hedonist who has embraced the joy of God which causes me to choose to be more than just fine in all circumstances.

'Christian hedonism' is the idea that if God is the source of our greatest delight then God is our most precious treasure; which makes us radically God-centered and not self-centered. And if we treasure God most, we glorify Him most.

Christian Hedonism may seem a contradiction if one sees Christianity as just 'religion', but it is not that; it is the unique one on one relationship with Jesus. And who doesn't take pleasure in a satisfying, loving relationship?

Being a Christian hedonist is desiring the vast, ocean-deep pleasures of God. I'm a Christian hedonist because I believe Psalm 16:11, "You show me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy, in Your right hand are pleasures for evermore."

I pursue satisfaction in God, because God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him.

[credit for much of these words and ideas go to John Piper of 'Desiring God' Ministries]

The More than Fine phrase comes from the Switchfoot song by Jonathan Foreman from the "Beautiful Letdown" CD.

When I'm up with the sunrise
I want more than just blue skies.
I want more than just ok, more than just ok.

I'm not giving up, giving up, not giving up now.
I'm not giving up, giving up, not backing down.

More than fine, more than bent on getting by.
More than fine, more than just ok.

Barb

On my 3rd day of blogging some comments came to me...

2005-09-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

At the end of the my second day of blogging I got up the courage to open some of the posts up for comments. It was nice on the 3rd day to get friendly comments. It was a great feeling to get that support and know that someone has read what you wrote and actually liked it...thanks!

It is an interesting exercise to take the contents of your brain, spill it on the screen and put it out there for anyone to read. I have been active spillling my brain on e-mail lists for a couple of years, but since the blog is all me, not just me responding, it is more exposed.

My 3rd day discovery is a blog is a great place to put all those thoughts I don't always have a chance to share or that I have already shared a hundred times, or the ideas that resonate in my mind or just those important issues that need to be discussed. I can see why there are now millions of blogs out there, what a great place to store the contents of your brain.

I have *never* been one to write in a journal---how is it that a blog seems easy to write, while a journal is torture? I have no idea, but this blogging stuff could be addictive. It gives me that morethanfine feeling.

Barb

A conventional musical family

2005-09-27T19:50:00.000-04:00

I always thought that musicians were unconventional and lived a different kind of bohemian life. Maybe that is just professional musicians, because I realize we are a family full of musicians who lead a pretty conventional, vinyl sided suburb kind of life--except for maybe the homeschooling part, but even that is conventional in the groups I hang around with.

My waymorethanfine husband plays drums and all variety of percussion.
1st born son plays piano, keyboards, guitar and is thinking of taking up the bass (he is 13, but plays keyboards with our adult band.)
2nd born son is in his 3rd year of piano and is considering what instruments he will play when he is old enough to be in the band. He is considering percussion, congas etc...
3rd son taught himself through the primer level piano book last year and is now taking his first year of lessons, he also has some natural ability with the drums and a pretty decent singing voice for someone 8 yrs old.
I play the flute, sing and diddle a little on the piano.

So I guess we are a family of musicians since obviously music plays a big part in our lives. Looking at the schedule we are involved in musical activities 4-5 days a week, we play in 2 different bands, have 4 sets of lessons and 3 practices a week. Wow, that is more than I realized until I wrote it down. So we aren't unconventional, but we are definitely musicians.

I am not a soccer mom, I am a piano mom.

Barb

Everything wrong with Federal Homeschool Legislation

2005-09-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

Here is a snippet, read it all at

http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/205/sotch.html

Home Education Magazine

September-October 2003 - Articles and Columns

Taking Charge - Larry and Susan Kaseman

Say No To The Federal Homeschool Legislation

Aunt Tilly calls. "You know I support your homeschooling. But I just read an article about how homeschoolers are demanding special favors from the federal government. It's really not fair for homeschoolers to expect to be allowed to homeschool and still get everything kids in regular schools get."

From State Senator Reasonable you hear, "I've gone along with your notions about homeschooling laws over the years, and I know all three of your kids are doing well. But I'm concerned about families where the kids aren't learning anything. According to the federal bill that just passed, you homeschoolers are proud of how well your kids score on standardized tests. Senator You-Know-Who is getting a lot of pressure from the teachers union and social workers and is introducing a bill requiring you guys to take the same standardized tests that everyone else takes. Seems fair to me."

Then Oscar Keep-Em-In-Line, a local school official, sends you a letter: "According to our records, you have complied with state laws governing homeschooling. But under the new federal law, you are now required to submit your curriculum to my office for review and approval."

What's going on? This is an illustration of what would be likely to happen over time if the U. S. Congress passes H R 2732, a recently introduced homeschooling bill.

read it all at http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/205/sotch.html

All over the map

2005-09-27T14:35:00.000-04:00

In my life recently, I have been described as (or described myself as):
Independent Homeschooler
Activist
Jesus Freak
Fundamental
Evangelical
Conservative
Republican
Christian
Left Wing
Radical
Inclusive
Unschooler

One might surmise I was a little confused or at least a little scattered.
I guess it is all about perspective.

1 Corinthians 9 says Paul became all things to all men for the purpose of the Gospel.

Can I be all things to all homeschoolers, to advance the cause of homeschooling while also shining the light of the Gospel with my life?

It is an interesting tight rope walk. It often seems I am either in the midst of a group that thinks I am pretty radical and 'out there' as a kinda leftist unschooler choosing to work in an inclusive homeschool organization among the radicals --or-- I am the lone evangelical, conservative, Christian republican (shhhh) amidst the inclusive, independent (and very often liberal and/or left wing) homeschool activists. Have I mentioned I try not to talk politics?

So I don't quite fit in here and I don't quite fit in there, but I love being both places.
It seems that even being sort of a misfit can be Morethanfine when you have truly loving and amazing Christian homeschool friends and really talented and passionate Radical homeschooling friends.

(Oh! my radical friends are amazing and loving too and my Christian friends are also talented and passionate...
she said carefully balancing on the rope.)

Barb

An inclusive evangelical unschooling homeschool activist

2005-09-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

When people find out I serve on the Board of Directors of the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers (or VaHomeschoolers) they often wonder how I, as an evangelical Christian, came to be involved with the state organization that is inclusive of all homeschoolers regardless of philosophy, politics, or theology, instead of the organization that has a Christian worldview and requires a Statement of Faith of its board members--wouldn't I fit in better there?

Well maybe, but I have come to the conclusion in my 9 yrs of homeschooling that ALL homeschoolers' interests are served when we are seen by government, news media, and the public as a diverse people united in our love of our children and in our valuing freedom to teach and learn at home* (thanks Shay for those good words). When homeschoolers are viewed as an exclusive group of fundamental Christians, we are pegged as a narrow niche group and our ability to preserve and expand homeschool freedoms becomes limited. That defeats the pupose of being effective for homeschoolers.

The fact is VaHomeschoolers is not the secular statewide homeschooling organization, it is the inclusive statewide homeschooling organization. While those of diverse, unconventional or simply no faith may feel more comfortable in our organization, that does not mean that it is secular or in any way excluding those who embrace the Christian faith--after all they let me serve...lol

A couple of other reasons:
In Virginia (and in most states) the Christian worldview organization has close ties to that national legal defense org that purports to speak for homeschoolers (though they do not speak for me!), and so I have philosophical issues with joining or supporting them.

And Jesus was not exclusive, so why should I be? I do shelter my children in many ways until they are older, but I see no reason to shelter myself from those with common interests and goals in the homeschooling community. And as much as I adore the fellowship of like-minded Christian homeschooling believers, I also choose to work with those of different ideas and beliefs for the good of homeschooling and maybe my light will even shine a bit among those who haven't met my lovely Savior.

Sometimes, it means I bite my tongue when others speak unknowingly but irreverently of something I hold dear or that I remain silent when those of vastly different political views say things I might find offensive, but I think it is worth it. I have made many dear on-line friends and acquaintances with homeschool activists who share my views on independent homeschooling. And on the VaHomeschoolers Board I have made real-life friends with people who probably shake their heads at my 'Jesus freak' mentality, but appreciate that I am willing to work side by side and even hand in hand with those who come from a whole different world of faith.

So in the big world of homeschool activism, inclusivity is Morethanfine and VaHomeschoolers is way Morethanfine!

Barb

Do I need a lawyer? aka homeschooling with confidence

2005-09-27T12:10:00.000-04:00

Many new homeschoolers ask me if they need to join a certain national legal defense group for homeschoolers. My answer is always a resounding 'no way'.

Why? Because homeschooling is legal in every state and you don't need a lawyer to engage in a perfectly legal activity. What you need is knowledge of the law for your state and a little bit of confidence. I cannot in good conscience ever recommend joining that particular national organization that claims to speak for homeshoolers because I have serious reservations about their mission and strong objections to their activities.

They are into creating an unnecessary culture of fear around homeschooling, as if the truant officer, the social worker or the school district is just lying in wait to snatch your kids as soon as they can find a way to catch you. They send out alarmist alerts and newsletters filled with parents whose freedoms have been threatened until they rode in to save the day--when in fact, those situations are the exceptions rather than the norm.

The reality is, the vast majority of homeschoolers never encounter any opposition from any official source. If they encounter difficulties with local school authorities, it is almost always resolved by understanding the law, remaining calm and having a civil conversation about the law's requirements with the appropriate official. Often just a simple letter solves the issue.

That same organization is also the architect of the most restrictive HS laws in the nation. They are also trying to enact Federal legislation that is at least unnecessary and at worst brings the federal govt into the business of regulating homeschooling [shudder]--and who needs to deal with federal regs on top of state ones? Of course, if that happened then you might need a lawyer...gee, would that increase the membership of a certain organization.

They have a national presence that they could be using to encourage, educate and empower homeschoolers (like another group NHELD does), instead they use scare tactics to build their membership--I personally find it reprehensible.

BTW, most legal cases that involve homeschoolers are custody cases--and that big national organization doesn't even take custody cases.

So here is my conclusion:
Empower yourself with knowledge and homeschool with confidence, because homeschooling with confidence is Morethanfine.

Barb

Reflections of the mom of a 13 year old 9th grader

2005-09-26T17:45:00.000-04:00

My oldest son has a late birthday. Very late actually. Dec 31st to be precise. Far too late to start school with the other kids born that year. But I started him anyway, in homeschool that is. I wanted to "do school", he loved workbooks, it was a good fit...at the time anyway.

Now he is 13 and he is a high school freshman and pursuing a study of Church History and Systematic Theology (---his choice).

He is certainly academically ready for High School.
And he is socially ready--- serious and responsible, but goofy enough to fit in with his buddies.
He plays keyboards in our adult praise band.
Guess I am one the one who isn't ready...

It was also disconcerting when there was a question about our High School Youth Group as to whether 13 y.o.s should be allowed, even if they were entering High School...as if chronological age really accurately reflected maturity. As if...must be the school mindset, pretty sure the question would never have come up if they had skipped a grade in school and were enrolling as 9th graders at the local high school. That generated some unpleasantness, but God still managed to be glorified in the midst of it.

So, if my 13 y.o. being a 9th grader will bring glory to God through his life, then I guess it is Morethanfine with me, even though it has just gone entirely too fast...sigh

Barb

Why Homeschooling?

2005-09-26T17:00:00.000-04:00

Why do I homeschool?
Why have I chosen to travel out of the mainstream?
Because I know who my sons' best teacher is (that would be me :)
Because I love being with my kids and I love teaching them (or rather helping them learn) and learning alongside them.
Because it is what God called me to do.
Because we never have to be up early enough to catch the 7:05 bus.

When my oldest was 4 we started Kindergarten (side note from the mom of a 13 yr old high schooler--don't start them early!) and we have never looked back. When each of my sons reached school age, I couldn't even imagine sending them off to be molded and shaped all day by a stranger--I knew most of the other moms did it, but for me it was just never an option (did I mention God's calling?)

But there is one other reason--not my original reason, but a political reason:
Because I no longer believe in the public education system and its results, for both individuals and for society. I have been radicalized by the writings of John Holt and John Taylor Gatto. I believe that traditional public education does more to hinder learning than to educate citizens.

Once upon a time, I loved school, I loved going to school and I was a good student. I became a schoolteacher so I could go to school forever! And I loved teaching school for 7+ years. But I have changed my mind. Go on-line and read some Gatto about the genesis and structure of public school, read some Holt about how children actually learn, maybe you will change your mind too.

In my heart I realize I have no other choice but to homeschool
--and that is Morethenfine with me.

Barb

Autodidactic Unschooling

2005-09-26T14:20:00.000-04:00

Autodidactic Unschooling-sorry if that is redundant.
Autodidactic means self educated
Unschooling (according to me) is Child Directed Autodidactism
Homeschooling is fine, but unschooling is Morethanfine.

True learning - learning that is permanent and useful, that leads to intelligent action and further learning - can arise only out of the experience, interests, and concerns of the learner. John Holt

Birds fly, fish swim, children learn. Paraphrased from John Holt
(actual quote "Birds fly, fish swim, man thinks and learns.")

"Learning only happens when a child is interested. Otherwise, it is like throwing marshmallows at their heads and calling it eating."
(unattributed but thanks to Stephanie from VaEclecticHS)

What's Morethanfine?

2005-09-26T13:20:00.000-04:00

"More than fine" is my response when people ask 'How are you?'
What does it mean? It means that I am intent on living with the joy of the Lord in my heart in all circumstances. I have chosen in my life to glorify God and enjoy Him forever---if I am enjoying Him, I must be more than fine and certainly more than just okay.

The phrase comes from the Switchfoot song of that name from the "Beautiful Letdown" CD.

The things that make me Morethanfine are Jesus awesome presence in my life (of course), because there is nothing better than that joy. Then my terrific husband, my 3 amazing boys, music (theirs, mine and ours), my great friends who are gifts from God, reading long books (especially historical stuff), homeschooling and helping others homeschool (the best hsing organization Vahomeschoolers), moving water (waterfalls, rivers, oceans whatever) and peace and quiet (that is the introvert in me.)

So I choose to be Morethanfine.

Barb