I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll send my stupid forms in.
We’ve lived in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. And are now returning to Georgia. Now of these lovely southern states, which, do you suppose, has the most backwards requirements for schooling at home?
Yes, that would be Georgia. Who knew?
It seems in the fair land of Scarlett, O’Hara, I must submit monthly attendance forms, showing that I comply with teaching my children 180 days a year. At least 4.5 hours per day. And my fabulous local school superintendant will file these on my children, and keep me out of jail, or from fines for truancy. Should these be later than the 10th of each month, he or she can call on me and verify that I am, indeed, being true to my children’s education. And are they freaking kidding me? Don’t all parents teach 24/7? If you’re children go to school, they learn there, and then come home and you teach and influence them some more. It has to be one of the 3 "R"s to count?
If that’s what needs to be kept up with the most, other than, say, quality of character, morals, or a common sense of courtesy and decency, maybe this explains the quite often found current state of children and their behaviour. They ought to be asking, if they really care, for parents to submit forms on the number of lies told, or ugly backtalking spewed, and consequences received. But then again, I don’t want to be communicating on any level, for any reason, with any state official over the state of my children’s development. It was just a pot shot at what’s getting emphasized, and what’s not.
Blech. Blah. (me sticking tongue out, and considering the finger) NUNYA. (as in none of your business)
I had no idea we’d been so free to do whatever we have wanted to. What else is necessary out there? What states are even more stringent? Tell me. I don’t want to go there.
I have this sick fantasy of non-compliance, wherein I am possibly large with child (not that we’re planning), and my other children are clinging to me, as the Sheriff hauls me in for not sending in my attendance forms by the 10th. I see photographers. TV. Primetime network coverage. Interviews. The HSLDA sweeping in on our behalf, and ground breaking legislation from the trial wherein I kick the state’s ass and reming them that our teaching our children is NUNYA!
But. And big BUT. That would take an awful lot of energy. And I’ll be challenged to just get those damn forms in on time. So I’ll do it. I’ll do it begrudgingly, but by-gum, it’ll get done.
So we can keep doing what we feel is our right, and not a privilege, as some legislators apparently feel. Send your children to school, if you choose. Private, public, magnet, charter, whatever. Or do it at home. I just think anyone else ought to regulate what that choice is. Even though, I know, at it’s origins, maybe, these laws were enacted to protect children who’s parents may not be able to, or choose to, place any importance on their future education. I doubt these laws would really help that, afterall, though.
Doesn’t it often seem the very laws intended to protect one group, often become a hinderance for others, and have no positive effect on the original group to begin with?
I happen to think it’s much more than that. Something along the lines of control, and often NEA quoted opinions of parents’ lack of qualifications to teach at home, you know, because they didn’t major in childhood education and learn how to teach politically correct nursery rhymes to 22 children at once, and surely that being a parent to a child gives no qualification to being able to raise them the best you see fit, but regardless, I have to live with it.
I’ll do it. I’ll send in the forms. I’ll register with my local superintendant, but I won’t like it. And I’ll huff and puff all the way to the mailbox.
Maybe I’ll send a little note with each attendance form. Just to keep him up to date with what we’re doing, of course.
You might want to double check those laws. Granted i don’t live in Georgia, but I have a B-i-L who does and a cousin who does and they both homeschool and neither of them have to do all of what you are saying. I’d check with the HSLDA to find out what is required by law and what the superintendent is requiring as “law” (they could be two very different things).
Comment by SmockLady — June 4, 2006 @ 2:58 pm
DO they have Umbrella schools in Georgia? Because you can find some who let you do whatever you want and as long as your kids are registered with them you don’t have to jump through as many hoops, at least that is the case out here.
Teaching kids is state business. Every state uses the “education system” to create “good citizens” even our good old democratic US of A. What that entails may vary, but it’s basically a mild form of thought control, some of it even positive. OF course they think it’s their business to educate our kids, it’s how they get the kind of adults they want. YOu know the kind that don’t actually vote and are entertained/drugged/distracted/addicted by mass media and believe everything they hear on the news. BUt I’m sure you already read that when you signed up with HSLDA. Or maybe that comes from Noam Chomsky. Ever watch Manufacturing Consent?
Comment by carrien — June 5, 2006 @ 2:22 am
What a MAJOR pain in the rear!
I would just tell them you’re moving out of the country if you can. One thing that we do is give the government as little info about our children as possible…what children? The less they know, the better. I’ll be the deciding factor of how my child is educated - thank you very much. The state cares nothing about the quality of character, morals, or a common sense of courtesy and decency so we don’t care to enroll them in the system.
Mexico - here you come. Hey, if Mexico treated foreigners like America does, then you should be able to get free health care, living, food, education and everyone will cater to your needs and have English printed and spoken everywhere you go. Sounds pretty good.
Comment by Dani — June 5, 2006 @ 7:57 pm