You'll be signing a different tune when we are invaded by Aliens or humans from an alternate dimension. Just because we are faster then every competitor in today's race doesn't preclude a newcomer from cleaning our clock.
Your final point was another reason why only the relatively wealthy and well educated can home school. Try trekking a kid across the state to meet friends if you use public transportation or have a crushing workload. These kids are also meeting a self selecting a self selecting group. There may be diversity, but I guarantee it is not the same as a vibrant community, maybe it is more diverse then a small town.
When was the last time you were in a room with thirty people exactly the same age as you and that you had no choice in associating with? Not exactly the same age, but you just described going to work, which I did yesterday.
I actually talk to no one I went to public school with. I was an Army brat. I would also like to know how your home school babysitter stacks up against a professional teacher who has years of experience. There are bad apples, but many, most in my area, are excellent. I know because I stay involved. Of course I know about children co-learning. That is a major benefit of public schools as well as the clubs and exposure to other ideas (more opportunity).
I agree, sneaking out of the house is not part of my cultural heritage, and gun safety is something I was taught and teach my children. I own no firearms only because of cost, I desire one. I do not desire a pistol. I think a nice carbine will satisfy all my needs.
However, I do think having a gun readily available has a tendency to escalate situations, and could easily result in a higher instance of gun violence affecting someone. Statistics seem to bear this out.
We will have to agree to disagree. You can educate away filth, it has happened multiple times historically, that's were our current sanitation systems come from. If Sanitation in New York disappeared overnight the city would empty to a more sustainable level. Changes don't happen in a vacuum.
I also have no problem with home schooling or private schooling. I do think charter schools are a money/power grab although they do address a real issue. I also think the only reason home schooling is viable for most people is the strength of their public school education.
Show some proof, there are plenty of statistics indicating voter fraud is extremely rare.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/04/24/the-myth-of-voter-fraud
I have nothing against home schooling, when it is not used to box your child into a belief system. Children need to be taught values by their parents, but they don't need to be over sheltered.
Public schools did not follow wealth, it was an important aspect of colonial life in most places. It was often one of the first things established in new towns. Granted there were places that had to be dragged into it, and the were mostly places of poverty.
Public schools give kds more opportunity then they will ever get being home schooled. These are the people they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives, why shelter them from the truth. Every parent should be adding to what their kids get in a public school, it should be a base, not the sum of their education. Pawning their "home schooling" off on siblings or babysitters is the biggest cop out I have ever heard. Providing them self study opportunity is great, but not as a replacement for schooling.
I agree, kids need supervision. For what it's worth, I do supervise my kids. I see 5 year old kids tasked with watching their 3 year old sibling and I cringe. When I am outside with my kids, the neighborhood children are more interested in bothering me then playing, because the crave adult attention and they aren't getting it at home.
I got my stat from wikipedia and it does appear to be incorrect, I apologize. I still think education trumps sanitation. You can have a bunch of clean morons, or you can teach people to clean up. Kind of like the old give a man a fish, or teach a man to fish parable.
In my state, and several others you do need a license or gov issued ID to vote. So far, the Justice dept. has disallowed this rule in places with a history of discrimination, so maybe there are afew good guys left.
Sad world...
The NRA has the same problem that Unions and our Government have. It has been co-opted by a vocal minority. Many people have left or refused to join. Which is why a simple google search on "NRA membership coupon" turns up a plethora of discounts and ways to get free memberships.
As a parent of 5, let me stick up for javapimp. Kids need freedom, even infants need to crawl around and examine things. This is how they learn. I try to encourage the child scientist, but many people are ok with snuffing it out and forcing a strict regiment of dance, music lessons, homework, bed.
Raising kids is tough, your first (or only for some) is a record of every mistake you make as a parent. With every subsequent child you do better, but the chaotic input from older siblings becomes greater.
Why is it ok for the gov to pay childcare for people to work low wage jobs? I have no problem with a mother collecting welfare to stay home with their children. I think it is a net gain for society.
The US has a 99% literacy rate. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. That doesn't mean you should take away the water and leave him in a desert.
Have you seen how many children are growing up with both parents working, or a single parent? How can these people home school? My wife is a stay at home mom and we choose to send our children to an excellent public school even though the rent in our area is high compared to nearby areas with worse schools. We volunteer in the schools and know our children's teachers and schoolmates. We are greeted by name when we step into the office.
Public schooling has given us the standard of living we take for granted and it gives opportunity to children across the US. The only reason public schools measure up poorly against private and charter schools is they are required to take all comers. They often end up pouring resources into high needs students. These can be disabled students, or just disruptive students. I have myself seen teachers forced to dedicate a substantial amount of time to a handful of students whose parents have lax discipline. I don't begrudge the disabled, but I do begrudge the unruly.
Yes, professional teachers do a very important job, but there's a reason our society did just fine without mandatory school laws for so long.
Our society did not do just fine, it got by, but things have improved at an increasingly accelerated rate since public education was introduced. I can see how that is problematic for Luddites and conservatives.
Slashdot Mirror
You'll be signing a different tune when we are invaded by Aliens or humans from an alternate dimension. Just because we are faster then every competitor in today's race doesn't preclude a newcomer from cleaning our clock.
Your final point was another reason why only the relatively wealthy and well educated can home school. Try trekking a kid across the state to meet friends if you use public transportation or have a crushing workload. These kids are also meeting a self selecting a self selecting group. There may be diversity, but I guarantee it is not the same as a vibrant community, maybe it is more diverse then a small town.
My state is extremely home schooler friendly. My wife and I have discussed it at length.
When was the last time you were in a room with thirty people exactly the same age as you and that you had no choice in associating with?
Not exactly the same age, but you just described going to work, which I did yesterday.
I actually talk to no one I went to public school with. I was an Army brat. I would also like to know how your home school babysitter stacks up against a professional teacher who has years of experience. There are bad apples, but many, most in my area, are excellent. I know because I stay involved.
Of course I know about children co-learning. That is a major benefit of public schools as well as the clubs and exposure to other ideas (more opportunity).
I agree, sneaking out of the house is not part of my cultural heritage, and gun safety is something I was taught and teach my children. I own no firearms only because of cost, I desire one. I do not desire a pistol. I think a nice carbine will satisfy all my needs.
However, I do think having a gun readily available has a tendency to escalate situations, and could easily result in a higher instance of gun violence affecting someone. Statistics seem to bear this out.
We will have to agree to disagree. You can educate away filth, it has happened multiple times historically, that's were our current sanitation systems come from. If Sanitation in New York disappeared overnight the city would empty to a more sustainable level. Changes don't happen in a vacuum.
I also have no problem with home schooling or private schooling. I do think charter schools are a money/power grab although they do address a real issue. I also think the only reason home schooling is viable for most people is the strength of their public school education.
Show some proof, there are plenty of statistics indicating voter fraud is extremely rare.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/04/24/the-myth-of-voter-fraud
No matter you arguments, there is still a greater likelihood of hurting someone you love, then foiling a burglery.
I have nothing against home schooling, when it is not used to box your child into a belief system. Children need to be taught values by their parents, but they don't need to be over sheltered.
Public schools did not follow wealth, it was an important aspect of colonial life in most places. It was often one of the first things established in new towns. Granted there were places that had to be dragged into it, and the were mostly places of poverty.
Public schools give kds more opportunity then they will ever get being home schooled. These are the people they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives, why shelter them from the truth. Every parent should be adding to what their kids get in a public school, it should be a base, not the sum of their education. Pawning their "home schooling" off on siblings or babysitters is the biggest cop out I have ever heard. Providing them self study opportunity is great, but not as a replacement for schooling.
I agree, kids need supervision. For what it's worth, I do supervise my kids. I see 5 year old kids tasked with watching their 3 year old sibling and I cringe. When I am outside with my kids, the neighborhood children are more interested in bothering me then playing, because the crave adult attention and they aren't getting it at home.
I got my stat from wikipedia and it does appear to be incorrect, I apologize. I still think education trumps sanitation. You can have a bunch of clean morons, or you can teach people to clean up. Kind of like the old give a man a fish, or teach a man to fish parable.
For over 200 years our system has worked, why do we need to change it now? My guess is because other forms of discrimination have been disallowed.
In my state, and several others you do need a license or gov issued ID to vote. So far, the Justice dept. has disallowed this rule in places with a history of discrimination, so maybe there are afew good guys left.
Sad world...
Not for $30.
I think your understanding of biology is lacking.
The NRA has the same problem that Unions and our Government have. It has been co-opted by a vocal minority. Many people have left or refused to join. Which is why a simple google search on "NRA membership coupon" turns up a plethora of discounts and ways to get free memberships.
I cut down, my parents had 8.
Here is the Haynes manual It's worth every penny. I buy one for every car I work on.
It seems like they would be prone to rolling down the fridge.
So you need a non-ferrous barrel. Like a brass cannon.
As a parent of 5, let me stick up for javapimp.
Kids need freedom, even infants need to crawl around and examine things. This is how they learn. I try to encourage the child scientist, but many people are ok with snuffing it out and forcing a strict regiment of dance, music lessons, homework, bed.
Raising kids is tough, your first (or only for some) is a record of every mistake you make as a parent. With every subsequent child you do better, but the chaotic input from older siblings becomes greater.
Why is it ok for the gov to pay childcare for people to work low wage jobs? I have no problem with a mother collecting welfare to stay home with their children. I think it is a net gain for society.
The US has a 99% literacy rate. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. That doesn't mean you should take away the water and leave him in a desert.
Have you seen how many children are growing up with both parents working, or a single parent? How can these people home school? My wife is a stay at home mom and we choose to send our children to an excellent public school even though the rent in our area is high compared to nearby areas with worse schools. We volunteer in the schools and know our children's teachers and schoolmates. We are greeted by name when we step into the office.
Public schooling has given us the standard of living we take for granted and it gives opportunity to children across the US. The only reason public schools measure up poorly against private and charter schools is they are required to take all comers. They often end up pouring resources into high needs students. These can be disabled students, or just disruptive students. I have myself seen teachers forced to dedicate a substantial amount of time to a handful of students whose parents have lax discipline. I don't begrudge the disabled, but I do begrudge the unruly.
Yes, professional teachers do a very important job, but there's a reason our society did just fine without mandatory school laws for so long.
Our society did not do just fine, it got by, but things have improved at an increasingly accelerated rate since public education was introduced. I can see how that is problematic for Luddites and conservatives.