SpunkyHomeSchool

• Quote of the Day

  Shamelessly swiped from the Facebook status of my dear sister Donna, a homeschool mom of eight children 17 and under: It only takes......One Macy's catalog to convince me I'm not beautiful enough...One Timberdoodle catalog to convince me that I'm not homeschooling enough...One Vision Forum catalog to convince me I don't' [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 12:56pm EST
  

• NEA Puts Power Ahead of Kids

  It's really no surprise to anyone ever that the NEA was more interested in protecting its power than educating children. What is surprising is that they actually feel confident enough in their power to admit it. Here's the NEA's General Counsel admitting as much in his retirement speech this past' [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 9:11pm EST
  

• Homeschoolers and Health Care

  For all my homeschooling friends who think ObamaCare will solve their financial and health insurance woes, think again. It may give you temporary relief for your financial headache, but it may also invite government nannies into your home to improve your child's well-being and health.HR 3200 that passed the House [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 7:53am EST
  

• Subsidizng Irresponsibility

  Regarding the punitive consequences for those that do not acquire health insurance, Obama said this to Jake Tapper. "I think the general principle is simply that people who are paying for their health insurance aren't subsidizing folks who simply choose not to until they get sick and then suddenly they'" [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 4:03pm EST
  

• Rebutting Socialism

  This week, a group of college students at Washington University in St. Louis sought to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the eventual end of communism in Russia. But the university forced them to take down their display because it was "too offensive." Instead of going away quietly, [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 6:24am EST
  

• Reaching Homeschoolers

  At a homeschool convention last year, another vendor and I struck up a conversation. He had a lot of energy but seemed a bit uptight; however, he readily admitted that he felt totally out of place because he didn't homeschool and this was definitely not his "typical convention." Not really' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 8:17am EST
  

• The real epidemic in our schools

  Obama declared H1N1 a national emergency but there's another virus that is threatening our children's minds that could prove more widespread than once believed. Big Hollywood has posted 11 more videos of children in various schools around the country singing praises to Obama and quoting his speeches. This is about [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 12:24pm EST
  

• Hardball on Homeschooling

  Last night, MSNBC's Chris Mathew's announced his litmus test for Republican candidates and wrongly stereotyped homeschoolers in the process. In a post election round-up he posed this question to Club for Growth President, Chris Chocola, after Chocola talked about the limited role of government: MATTHEWS: Last question—here‘s my litmus test—are [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 4:44pm EST
  

• Courtship in the 24/7 Era

  My friend, Kim, has a saying on her Facebook, "A woman's heart should be so lost in God, that a man has to seek Him in order to find her." But this generation seems to be lost to Facebook and their cellphone making it way too easy not only to [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 7:13am EST
  

• Rules For Radicals

  If the maxim is true, we are what we read, then the NEA's book recommendation tells us much about what they want their teachers to become. The National Education Association recommends its teachers read Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals and Reveille for Radicals as "An inspiration to anyone contemplating action" [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 10:46am EST
  

• Homeschooling and High School

  Parents thinking about homeschooling in the early years and then sending them off to the local high school for their last four years may want to rethink that strategy.Drew Gamblin, a 16 year old gifted student, desires to go to the local public high school after being homeschooled. He hopes [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 6:05am EDT
  

• Obama: The Balloon President

  When asked a month ao about the H1N1 flu shot for the First Family Obama said,"Here's what I guarantee you. We want to get vaccinated. We think it's the right thing to do. We will stand in line like everybody else. And when folks say it's our turn, we will" [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 8:10am EDT
  

• Advice for Aspiring Homeschooler

  Crunchy Con author and BeliefNet blogger, Rod Dreher, had a reader write to him seeking advice regarding homeschooling. A reader writes to say that his five year old came home from public school kindergarten with a flyer alerting parents that the kids are about to have a whole week of [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 7:27pm EDT
  

• H1N1 and Our Children

  Interesting. President Obama has declared the Swine Flu or H1N1 a national emergency. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission. But if this is [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2009, 5:47pm EDT
  

• Pick of the Clicks

  Some of the better stuff I've read, watched, or heard this weekOn EducationA Truly Divine Moment: Too good not to post again.Who's the Teacher: "I encourage you to try and find small ways throughout your day when your children can teach- whether it’s you, a sibling, or the family dog!"HomeschoolShare:' [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 2:14pm EDT
  

• A Truly Divine Appointment

  I wish I had been a fly on the course when this event took place. Let me explain...I have a very dear friend who lives and homeschools in the city of Detroit. Her neighborhood is rough and her circumstances are difficult; yet through it all she manages to smile and [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 10:29am EDT
  

• Hey Mikey, He likes it!

  Salon writer and homeschooling father of Kindergarten twins , Andrew O'Hehir, has joyfully discovered what many parents do when they try homeschooling; But it isn't simply that Nini and Desmond are enjoying themselves, have learned a bunch of names and stories I didn't know until I was much older, and' [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 5:26am EDT
  

• Twitter Me Silly Then

  I have a Twitter account that I use whenever my thoughts can be condensed to 140 characters or less; which as most of you dear readers know, is not very often. And even less often do I venture into issues that are not related to the family or education. However, [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 7:10pm EDT
  

• Mensa Studies Homeschoolers

  The Mensa Foundation conducted a study of first-year college performance of homeschool graduates. The purpose, "was to determine differences in first-year college academic performance between home school and traditional high school graduates, measured by grade point average, retention, ACT test scores, and credits.The conclusion, "Families who home school their children [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 10:29pm EDT
  

• Autumn Treasures Unit Study

  Fall is in full swing. The air and the apples are crisp, the footballs are flying (Go Blue!), the leaves are falling (in Michigan anyway), and the children are smiling (hopefully!).To go along with all the fall fun, The Old Schoolhouse and Amanda Bennett (the "guru" of Unit Studies) have [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 2:12pm EDT
  

• Am I the only one...? (Update: Fake or Real?)

  ...who breathed a small sigh of relief when I found out that the six-year old boy thought to be drifting in a hot air balloon was both safe inside his garage AND not a homeschooler? FORT COLLINS, Colo. - A flying saucer-shaped helium balloon drifted away from a home in [...]
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  Posted: October 15, 2009, 8:37pm EDT
  

• Chris Klicka

  I've been offline for a few days attending the funeral of my dear friend's mother, but I wanted to extend my deepest sympathies to Tracy Klicka and her family for the loss of their husband and father.HSLDA has a memorium of his life and contribution to home education. A longtime' [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 7:45pm EDT
  

• Define "suitable" and "efficient"

  Questions which ask who is a "true" homeschooler are not just theoretical nor are they meant to be divisive. They are important as public officials attempt to develop policies which balance the desire of parents to home educate with their alleged desire to keep all children safe and learning.Currently, government [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 10:33am EDT
  

• Who is a "true" homeschooler?

  When a mother at church asked me about homeschooling our six children and I mentioned our involvement in a co-op, she said, "That sounds good, but it doesn't sound like true homeschooling to me."So, who is a "true" homeschooler?A recent Wall Street Journal article referenced a 2007 statistic by the' [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 8:33am EDT
  

• The Pros and Cons of Co-ops

  Are you in a homeschool co-op? I joined one last year so my son, a high school junior, could take a Physics class; we enjoyed the experience and signed up again this year. There are quite a few co-ops in our area and they appear to be a growing trend [...]
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  Posted: October 06, 2009, 8:24am EDT
  

• Obligatory DC Photo Op

  Spunky & Co. in front of the US Department of Education.It was closed for the day and I pray one day it will be closed permanently.Thanks to Kelly at the Accidental Homeschooler and her her family for taking the time to meet with us and show us around DC. The [...]
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  Posted: October 04, 2009, 9:31pm EDT
  

• Power to the People in DC

  Favorite quotes from the Defending the American Dream Summit."It's really exciting being in DC. It's where it all happens!" Michaela Gnec0 (homeschooler, age 15)"Even Tom Delay made it to Round 3 of Dancing With The Stars,” Laura Ingraham noting Obama's failure to bring the Olympics to Chicago."A recession is when [...]
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  Posted: October 03, 2009, 8:50am EDT
  

• Blogging The DC Summit

  What could be better than driving nine hours through the night with very little sleep, a grande Starbucks, a five mile whirlwind walking tour of DC with my girls, a Capital Hill rally, and a Diet Coke to finish the afternoon?An evening enjoying a great dinner (that I didn't have' [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 4:55pm EDT
  

• Defending the Dream in DC

  Thanks to Scott Hagerstrom and the wonderful people at the Americans For Prosperity Foundation, I'll be attending and blogging the Defend the American Dream Summit in Washington, DC this weekend.Featured speakers include, Newt Gingrich, Laura Ingraham, Senator Jim DeMint, Larry Kudlow, Rep. Mike Pence, and two of my personal favorite,' [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 5:16pm EDT
  

• The Future of Homeschooling

  Dana at Principled Discovery asks a question similar to the one asked by a friend recently, "Do you see homeschooling replacing public schools?" Dana quotes James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency, who sees a trend away from centralized schooling. In the future, there will no longer be centralized [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 8:45am EDT
  

• Government is NOT our Savior

  To some, a government solution is the only solution to all our problems, including who is best able to protect our children from harm. In fact, protecting children from parental abuse is often the first reason government officials provide for increasing regulation on homeschooling.Government officials feel more regulation is necessary [...]
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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 10:01am EDT
  

• Obama Schooling

  We are starting to get a glimpse of what is in store for America's school children should they choose public schools under Obama - end summer break and spend more time in school learning to serve the state. "Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly" [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 2:52pm EDT
  

• Prayers for Chris Klicka & Vickie Farris

  Praying and passing this along this email from Homeschooling with the Trivium via Facebook.Two emails from Tina Farewell:Dear friends,Bob's in Colorado Springs this week at the HSLDA Leadership Conference...~ He just called asking for prayer for his dear friend Chris Klicka, who, amazingly, since the sharp downturn in his MS [...]
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  Posted: September 26, 2009, 5:52pm EDT
  

• The First Church of United Statism (video)

  (Scroll down for updates)My daughter sent me this link tonight. Some of the audio is muffled but don't worry you'll catch on to the beat real quick. So on the count of three, everybody say it together...Barack Hussein Obama.The young boy in the beginning recites a familiar hymn about the [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 9:14pm EDT
  

• Great Deals in Hard Times

  The first great deal is from my daughterThe second great deal is a lot less exclusive...A subscription to the Old Schoolhouse Magazine for only $7.95. To order, click here and enter coupon code FB795. But hurry, the offer ends at midnight tonight. [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 3:23pm EDT
  

• A Good Takeover?

  With little opposition, the House of Representatives voted today to give the federal government direct control over all student loans. Prior to the vote, TIME Magazine noticed the lack of conservative critics and asked if that indicated that Obama's Student Loan Plan is a "Good Takeover?" On its face, it [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 3:14pm EDT
  

• Just Say No to HR 3221

  Over decade ago, I called a journalist from the Wall Street Journal to discuss the expanding federal role in education and the move toward national curriculum and standards in America. He didn't want to hear about it. In fact, he laughed loudly in my ear and said, "It'll never happen." [...]
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  Posted: September 16, 2009, 1:00am EDT
  

• Another "Teachable Moment"

  A white students is beaten on a school bus by a group of black classmates on their way to school.The 17-year-old victim was white and the teen assailants were black. Police released a video of the beating, which shows the victim being punched repeatedly while other students on the bus [...]
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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 10:50am EDT
  

• Being An American Essay Contest

  The Being An American Essay Contest may be of interest to many homeschoolers with high school students. The largest high school essay contests in the country is back, asking students to answer the question, "What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?" With over 31,000 [...]
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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 7:00am EDT
  

• Why Worry?

  "Mom!" My daughter shrieked as she rushed into my room early one spring day. "I've got a problem!"Barely opening my eyes, I yawned and mumbled, "And what problem would that be?""I haven't finished my school work yet, how am I ever going to graduate?" She sighed as she tossed her [...]
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  Posted: September 14, 2009, 7:00am EDT
  

• Just A Little Choice and Competition

  In an interview touting ObamaCare on CNN, David Alexrod said, [W]hat is very important is that we have the kind of competition and choice that will help consumers. In many states in this country, there’s one insurer that dominates the entire market.Couldn't the same thing be said about education? In' [...]
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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 9:48am EDT
  

• I Don't Get It

  In his speech to school children Barack Obama said, "I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are," [...]
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  Posted: September 10, 2009, 8:00am EDT
  

• Get (Home)Schooled

  On the heels of Obama's address to school children across the nation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation along with a host of corporations are launching a new Get Schooled Initiative complete with a Student Bill of Rights. The home page screams I want, I want, I want, accompanied by [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 10:37pm EDT
  

• Unschooling = Dropout

  Webb Eggerton, a clinical psychologist, and Pat Farenga debate the merits of unschooling on Fox and Friends (video at link). Farenga does an excellent job defending unschooling as a legitimate means to an excellent education. However, it is troubling to listen to the psychologist make the subtle transition from unschooling, [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 9:48am EDT
  

• That was then, this is now

  Then: When George H. W. Bush gave his speech to school children, then House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt said, "The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students. And the president should be doing more about" [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 8:00am EDT
  

• Did Obama Break School Rules?

  According to Christina Erland Culver, who is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Education, the classroom activities provided by Obama for his speech may violate federal statute. Federal statute denies any authority to the Department of Education to provide any kind of curriculum or anything that can be passed down [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 4:42pm EDT
  

• Obama's Lecture

  Here's the prepared text for Obama's lecture to America's school children. And an excerpt,Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility. I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 12:41pm EDT
  

• Silly Season (with link to Obama's speech)

  According to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, parents who keep their children home because of Obama's speech on Tuesday are "just silly." He said that the children can go to school and just not watch the speech. What does he suggest they do, turn their chairs around in protest or lock' [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 10:10am EDT
  

• What if?

  Conservatives rightly decry the "public option" in Obamacare but annually choose the "public option" when it comes to their child's education. But what if....all the children of smart parents were “yanked off the premises” not just next Tuesday, but permanently. If this is the event that finally reveals to smart [...]
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  Posted: September 04, 2009, 12:14pm EDT
  

• Tyranny for the Children's Sake

  In order to protect the children, a British school barred their own parents were from attending a sports day because it was too great a risk on their own children. No kidding!Paul Blunt of the East Bedfordshire School Sports Partnership, which ran the event, said the 'ultimate fear' was that [...]
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  Posted: July 06, 2009, 6:27am EDT