Showing posts with label public school issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public school issues. Show all posts

Dealing with Detroit Illiteracy problem, and links to free literacy sites

So, I made this video about the state of education in Detroit in an effort to urge parents to take their kids out of school and homeschool them.




As a result, people are engaging me in conversation over the topic, and it seems that certain celebrities and leaders are looking into forming alternative schools... and I asked, why not do something different?  Why not try a homeschool model... traditional schooling hasn't worked, why do more of the same thing?

I got an answer I wasn't expecting. 

Parent's are struggling with illiteracy issues.  How can they teach their children?  I am floored.

My answer... online, with technology.  This conversation continues, seriously.  I am considering traveling to Detroit.  Let me find the right people to meet up with.  I am there.

Meanwhile, I am listing some free literacy online programs.  Parents and kids can sit side by side and learn to read if necessary.

Can't read to your kids?  Let actors do it. https://www.storylineonline.net/
More storytime by performers: https://blog.reallygoodstuff.com/11-free-reading-websites-for-kids/3/
Free phonics and vocabulary http://www.readingbear.org/
Teach your monster to read: https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/
ABC Fast Phonics http://www.abcfastphonics.com/

These are just a few I found via google. 

If you are in Detroit (or anywhere) and are worried about your kids' literacy, and have internet access, spend the summer having your kids use these sites just to play around.  You'll be surprised how much they learn.

Rabid homeschool blogger returns with renewed interest in advocating homeschooling

I advocate for and encourage ALL parents to homeschool their children.  Right now, however, I am seeing it is just getting less and less safe for children who look like mine. Incidents like this one are getting all too common.

Black child all but tortured in California school.

Add that to the fact that someone took the time to call me and remind me that my gifting is education. While they thought I should open a school, the course of action became very clear.

I have started homeschool blogging again, and once I finish celebrating turning 50 on this blog, I will go back to the previous title and devote this blog solely to homeschooling.

Here is my youtube page. 


Another "teacher" abuses student

This heavy handed treatment of our children needs to stop.
COLUMBUS, Ga. - A 13-year-old boy had to have his right leg amputated after a contractor at a Columbus, Georgia, school "body slammed" him repeatedly, an attorney for the boy's family said.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/national/teen-loses-leg-after-teacher-body-slam-lawyer-says

Tired of the abuse

Thankfully this teacher was caught and fired, but how often does this happen?  How does this set up our children to not trust adults and to not trust anyone in authority like perhaps police?

https://blackmattersus.com/18177-texas-teacher-fired-after-abusing-little-black-kid/

I removed my kids from the schools for far less than this.

Amendment 1 Georgia 2016: Will allow the state to take over failing schools.

It sounds good, right?, but somehow I'd never even heard about it until I ran across a Facebook video today.  I couldn't pull the video, but here is the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KeepGeorgiaSchoolsLocal/videos/249804532083705/?pnref=story

Then I read this: https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_Authorization_of_the_State_Government_to_Intervene_in_Failing_Local_Schools,_Amendment_1_(2016)

And this: http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/fight-over-opportunity-school-district-amendment-gaining-steam/article_1b261f1b-f247-5edf-b21c-d54ba637286e.html

and I am not feeling too good about it...

to paraphrase, from what I understand is the state will take over failing schools that could not meet the numbers in 3 years.  Then they would be able to hire and fire and change curriculum, and hold that school for 5-10 years, and if THEY could not then bring the school up to par, they would close the school.

That's bothersome.  I'd like to know more... a lot more.

Racial Bias in Preschool

Is your preschooler being racially profiled?

How would you ever know?

It's not one of those things you can put a finger on, especially if you are not looking for it, but something usually nags at you that your kid might be getting a raw deal.  Pay attention, does your black kid get in a lot of trouble for things a kid their age normally does?  That might be a problem. If your kid is one of few in his class, chances are he IS getting a raw deal.

Read:
Bias Isn't Just A Police Problem, It's A Preschool Problem

New research from the Yale Child Study Center suggests that many preschool teachers look for disruptive behavior in much the same way: in just one place, waiting for it to appear.
The problem with this strategy (besides it being inefficient), is that, because of implicit bias, teachers are spending too much time watching black boys and expecting the worst.
I have become convinced that homeschooling is the answer for parents of black children who want to give their kids a fighting chance.  

Maybe black parents should really, really consider homeschooling their black sons

Do I even need to say why?

We could start with this suspension that just happened because a 12 year old boy was accused of staring at a young white girl.  The case makes me sick to my stomach because this same girl was able to dump milk in someone's lunch and get a way with it.  She sounds like a little tyrant, but a black boy "stares at her" and he gets suspension. No kid needs this!


It is no secret that black boys are unevenly disciplined in school.  Let's look at my own son before we started homeschooling.  The kid sitting behind him who was not black was allowed to smack him in the back of his head all.day.long.  But, the second he spoke up or yelled at the boy, or touched the boy, he was threatened by the teacher.  I'm sorry, that's just crap.

But if that's not enough for you, lets look at the facts as a whole.  By fourth grade many African American boys are already falling behind in the classroom.    This tells me that black boys should skip at least elementary school, maybe middle school too.  They need time to become independent boys, assured of their value and place in the world, before joining any formal education institution.
But you can't homeschool?  You are a single parent? Do you need two salaries?  That's not really a problem.  There are dozens of homeschool academies in every major city your kid can attend... but do your due diligence and be careful.  Make sure it is being run by people who will make your kids a priority. 


I guess that is all I have to say for now.  I try to stay away from race for the most part, in my life, and in my blog, but this is one of those straws-that-broke-the-camels-back type of moments.  fur-real.
These kids need to be given a chance, and if the school are not going to do it, then it is the job of the parents to figure it out. 




Once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler

It's been over two years since we were active homeschoolers, and I still find it creeping into my thoughts, my conversations, and my life.

Take for instance, the young man who showed us our NYC apartment. He mentioned that he needed to get his kid out of public schools, and off the conversation went into the land of homeschooling.  Hubby, actually needed to be held back.  He really feels it is the only way to go.  I could tell however, that this young man and his wife were both working outside the home and neither were in a position to pull back and to deal with all the restrictions, rules, and regulations of a NYC homeschooler... I although I did mention that the laws were much more lax in Jersey, right across the river.

We talked about successes, things I would differently if I had to do over, and so much more.  We ended up taking the appointment, but the conversation was all about homeschooling.  Go figure.

Then there's the fact that people ask me about my kids. I give ages, and most moms do.  Then I give years in college because people always want to know what young adults are up to... and then I have to explain why someone who is still 18 just completed her Sophomore year of college.  Homeschooling, of course.  I'm sure there are numerous other reasons, but in our case, the answer is homeschooling.

I test myself sometimes to see how long I can go without mentioning homeschooling. It amazes me how much education in general comes up in polite conversation! And then there's just the times that homeschooling just invades my mind and heart when I hear a story about some kind of school mistreatment. The parent who was arrested because her child had more sick days than allowed... the child how got handcuffed, for being a child.  The black boys who get suspended way more than the other kids for the same reason...  It breaks my heart. I know that homeschooling really is the answer to many of these atrocities, but poverty, and single parenthood, and other issues can make it near impossible.  My heart bleeds for these families.

There has got to be a way to help enable people who want to homeschool who can't.  My wheels are always turning.

Life just might be easier if you homeschool

The news stories out of schools has my head swimming.

Here's the story of a 5 year old being sent home for wearing a sun dress.  To make things worse, here is how the school went overboard: "It's not even the shirt they made her put on over her top, it's the pants they made her wear underneath. It's a full-length dress that she has to hold up to keep from getting wet in uncut grass. She even had a small set of shorts underneath because it was gym day. But because the top part of her dress apparently exposed the immoral sinfulness of her bare shoulders she also had to pull on jeans even though her legs remained completely covered as part of her punishment." (from mom's blog)

Oh, and this happens ALL.THE.TIME.  See here and here

And then there is the policing of the lunch box.. (which by the way did not start with Michelle Obama, because it happened to me 12 years ago, when my child's snacks were taken).  

Then there is the problem that you can't take a few days away from school for important bonding with your family. 

Personally, for me, if it were me there would have been some upset teachers and school administrators, who had dared question my parenting.  I promise you they would have avoided me going forward, because I would have some some things to those people that could not have been repeated in mixed company.  For real.  

So what does that have to do with homeschooling?  The fact remains that there are rules... and if you submit your child under the authority of the school, they then feel empowered to police the children, and even your life as a result.  

As someone who homeschooled their kids, my knee-jerk reaction is "forget them... homeschool".  But I know it is not always possible.  However, I don't feel like these battles are anything you can win, especially in the short amount of years that a child is actually in a school (compared with the length of ones life. ) I also feel that these are precious years and the child's time and psyche should not be affected by arbitrary rules written to protect the school as a whole, that in the meanwhile, does NOTHING to help the individual child.  

So, in my opinion, if you want your child to dress according to their own whims, and eat based on what you see fit, and to take off and have family times based on what you feel is important, it would be easier, and probably wiser to remove the child from under that "authority", thumb your nose at the school (just because it feels good) and to homeschool that child. 

just sayin. 

The problem with passing and failing

In order for a person to have power, he would need some powerless folks to lord over.  Let's look at the relationship between the Medieval Lord and Surf. The serfs worked the land in addition to doing extra work for the for the lords in exchange for food and protection. The land, the wealth, and the army belonged to the Lord. Meanwhile, the Noble Lord death with prayers, politics, and sometimes fighting.  There was often evening entertainment.  Without the work of the serf, the lord would not be able to maintain is more cushy, though often more stressful life.

Bring that to modern day for comparison, and we have the working poor and the filthy rich. Take Walmart for instance. Walmart workers are tied to low skill, low paying jobs, in order to scrape by to keep the family off the streets.  They barely make enough money to accomplish that.  Many Walmart workers are also on government assistance. Meanwhile, Walmart owners, are kabillionaires, making infathomable amounts of money, while refusing to raise the employees to livable wages, because they know there is always some unemployed person who will take the place of the barely making it workers if they complain.  But these Super rich owners, don't have the responsibilities of the Medieval serf.  Things are out of balance.  They longer feel responsibility to the worker, to make sure he is protected with house and supplies. They are only concerned with their own leisure.

And this imbalance starts young and is programmed into the mind of children.  Indulge me for a

Lies about common core.

This image came up on my Facebook feed. Just the image, not the caption above it. I was incredulous. Why would you take such a simple numerical problem and complicate to to such and extreme. I felt it was stupid and said so.

(By the way, I do get it, it is a counting up method in where you take the smaller number, 12, and add 3 to get to 15, a number where skip counting can be easier, then you add 5 to 15, to get 20, then you add 10 to 20 to get 30, and then you add 2 more to get 32.  Then you simply add all the numbers you added by.  3+5+10+2=20.  It is more of a math puzzle than a math problem, and should not be used to teach math in my opinion.)

So later on today, after a few friends had commented on my status update, I looked at it on my iPad and noticed that it was formatted in a way that the caption, "This is Common Core" above it and a picture of the Lovely Victorian Jackson above it. (Big fan of her comedy, especially from her younger days, not a fan of her poltiticing). 

What upset me this time, is that this "new math" is being presented as common core, when it has nothing to do with

I don't think you need permission to keep your kids home from school... for weather

I realize it has been over a decade since my kids were in public school, since I started homeschooling them for 2nd and 4th grade.  So, maybe I'm a little naive. But I am having trouble understanding why people are arguing with various Governors and Mayors about schools not being closed.  Last week, it was Atlanta. His week, New York. In one specific tweet fight, Al Roker complained,

"So my daughter's NYC public school is being let out early,... Is it worth putting kids' Safety at risk?"
 For goodness sakes, he is Al Frikken Roker.  If anyone should have the authority in his own home to make a weather call, it should be Al Roker.

So what about you?

The National Weather Service is interrupting all your favorite daytime talk shows, soaps, and syndicated comedy programs to tell you that you are about to experience hell on earth in a major weather event.  Do you

A. Watch the new scroll and check the internet waiting to hear weather or not your school is closed, and if it is not, send them to school against your better judgement. or

B. Send the kids back to bed, because you are the momma or daddy, and don't want to leave your child's fate to the bus driver?

...Although, I have to admit some of them did a bang up job in taking care of kids on stranded busses, getting them home, or returning them to the schools to sleep overnight.

It is up to you, but as a homeschooler who is looking in from the outside, it looks like you gave up your right to parent your own kids?

I'm all for school dress codes.... if in fact you decide to use traditional schools

I'm all for school dress codes.... if in fact you decide to use traditional schools, but they need to be more careful about dictating hairstyles.  READ MORE HERE: http://www.bubblews.com/news/765838-this-is-how-my-hair-grows-from-my-head-i-should-be-able-to-wear-it-this-way


What am I supposed to say about local public schools

I hate these conversations.  New person moving into the area asks me which school district is best.  How do I answer that?  I truly believe they all pretty much suck.  Technically, the area I live in has the best schools.  There is even a premium to buy a house in my neighborhood.  The same exact house on the other side of town is $30,000 cheaper.  For real.

Still, after 2 years attendance in this magnificently wonderful school district, I pulled my kids out.

Classroom trailers
Too much ADHD testing
Not enough gifted testing
Bullying on the Elementary level (not even middle school yet)
Child safety is very questionable.

How do I in good conscience recommend these schools.  I know this person does not want to homeschool, so I just tell them what they want to hear- I guess.

Stay on top of your child's education and they will be fine wherever you put them.  That means, read every piece of paper that comes into the house.  Volunteer at the school.  Sit with them during homework.  Don't let guidance counselors make decisions for them... be involved.

Still, I know that is not enough, but what am I supposed to say?
I know that test scores and drop out rates numbers are misrepresented.
I know that our schools guilty of the same CRCT cheating that Atlanta Schools are in trouble for.
... and so much more.

But I am not here to convince you to homeschool or to volunteer to homeschool for you.  Don't know what else to do.



FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE
ahermitt.com

Butts in the air

Today was one of those kids of days that I completely despise.  Spring in the south in completely exasperating to me, and it looks like it is going to start early... that means TORNADOES.  So the day was spent watching the news, keeping track of tornado watches and running errands when it looked safest. (Of course errands were kept to a bare minimum.)

I just watched a news segment that shows what they do in the schools during this kind of weather.  When it is determined that a tornado is within a certain distances (up to a half hour away), kids are lined up in hallways and positioned facing walls, on their knees with their butts in the air.

Now, the buildings are seldom strong enough to stand up against a tornado (which I don't understand at all... we should have schools made from monolithic domes in this part of the country), so I don't know see how being in the butt-up position is going to help kids any more than hopping around on one foot.  I actually like that idea better because kids aren't being traumatized by the oncoming storm, they are

Local School Emergency Drama

This is on the news right now.  There was a carbon monoxide emergency (highest readings the emergency people have EVER detected) at Finch Elementary school.  Most parents found out about it because they noticed helicopters in the neighborhood and walked or drove to the school.  Some kids and teachers were taken to the hospital, the rest were bus on a but and taken to Brown Middle school.

Parents were told on the news that they could come and get their kids if they want, but now parents

Educating Black boys part 2

Remember my post about educating black boys?   Remember me complaining about a boy who was an honors student in one school, only to be called unteachable in the next?



Well, in 6 weeks time, this young man was helped by a homeschool consultant who helped him meet graduation requirements.  In this short time period time, he made up for 3 semesters of math, which was never assigned to him.  Not only did he learn it, but he demonstrated that knowledge by knocking the ACT exam out of the park.

This kid who the counselor would not give permission for a standardized test...
This kid who the counselor would not put in proper math classes...
This kid who the counselor said would not finish high school even in 1 more year...
Yeah, this kid, will be starting college in a few weeks.

Homeschooling can turn a failure into a glowing success.


FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE
ahermitt.com

Maybe public school graduations are too big?

My son's graduating class, 9 kids total

image altered to protect the innocent










 A friend's graduation

over 850 students



Of course this is the difference between a local homeschool graduation, and a public school graduation.  My son's class got to be more playful, and even throw their hats in the air. Needless to say, there are lots of rules imposed on the larger crowd. 

Speaking of which, A South Carolina mom was actually arrested for cheering too loudly at her child's graduation.  When a graduation is so large that all the fun has to be sucked out of it to make it manageable, then it is time for smaller graduating classes.  Of course that would mean smaller schools wouldn't it?

That would be nice.


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Questions about educating black boys



I don't like picking on public schools, but I am feeling a bit fed up right now.
  • Someone tell me what they are supposed to do with a Special Ed child who has neurological issues if the school system removes the tech track?  Is he just supposed to leave school after his 8th grade graduation? 
  •  Someone explain to me how a child can get mainstreamed from Special Ed in grade 8, only to go into high school with no tools to do math and language arts at grade level?  He basically went from elementary reading and math to high school reading and math. What did they expect but for him to fail?
  • Someone explain to me how a child can enter a new high school mid year grade 11 who in the previous school was in honors class and even passed AP tests and suddenly becomes unteachable?  No the kid did not change.  He just failed everything he touched in the new school.  Now, you could say that the old school was just pushing him through, but .... like I said, he passed AP exams in the 9th and 10th grade.  (AP exams are HARD ya'll.) Makes me feel like the new school did not want to teach him. 
  • Can you explain to me why a child could get kicked out of public school in the 9th grade, being referred to an alternative school, who after 4 years of homeschooling, ends his freshman year in college with a 3.3 GPA?  No this child did not change. The approach to teaching him did. 
 I ask these questions, be cause I either know or have first hand knowledge of these kids... all African American boys by the way. Is it no wonder that I want to start a homeschool  program just for them?  Sometimes I feel like teachers and administrators look at these boys and make snap judgements about their intelligence and worth, long before they ever see the results of an exam... they know nothing about them, and never will, if they don't try to sit with them, and have a heart to heart conversation.  But there is no heart in educating these boys.


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So what's the purpose of public school?

 I'm in a bit of a Tizzy.  I've been upset for a few days because I realized that a couple of kids I know that are about to graduate from public school and that I thought were excelling were just squeaking by. It saddens me to see kids that I know are BRIGHT and ON-IT and find out that they too were pushed through school with learning issues never addressed.

Put this on top of the fact that I know too many kids that were 'huge problems' in school that weren't quite such a pain at home that were just pushed out.

So I have to ask, if the good kids aren't being served, and the troubled or active kids aren't being served, then what is the purpose of a public education?

Hmmm?

 When I started homeschooling, I Liked to say that at least I knew that I could not screw my kids up worse than the public schools were doing.  I had no idea just how right I was.

So all this time, I am looking at kids in public school that are all shiny and awesome and wondering if my kids hold up.  Now, I see clearly that while my kids' carrots have small plumage, that they have produced a much better vegetable.

(photo credit: I found this photo all over the net and traced it back to the earliest posting I could find in effort to give it proper credit.  If anyone knows where the credit should go, please leave a message.)




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12 grade year of homeschooling, Finishing Strong

We are almost done with my college prep series. There will still be a video on completing the transcript.    Stay tuned... meanwhile, ...