Scary Stuff

So, I got on here to complain about summer doldrums. The kids have been out of school for a couple of weeks and already they are driving me nuts. They are either fighting, watching tv, fighting about watching tv or saying they're bored. Sounds like a long summer ahead, huh? But, I saw one of the blogs I read regularly had a new post so I decided to read that first. Here it is. Now, this is of interest mostly to those of us who homeschool, but scares me on so many levels.

We are on our way to no longer being the "land of the free". When I have to answer to government officials/standards about my children's education. Are they my children? Or do they then belong to the government? Now, I'm not talking about not answering to anyone at all...I get that they have to make sure kids are getting a fare shake in this world and are getting educated. Shame on those parents who let their children raise/educate themselves and call that homeschooling. It gives the rest of us a bad name. But, I'm talking about us parents who are doing a great job (**pats self on back here**) and our children are at or above where they need to be. I spend my $$ every year on good curriculum (money that is not reimbursed to me in any way by any government institution and for which I get no discount on the property taxes which I pay yearly to support the public school system, whether we use it or not) for my children so that they are a) learning what they need to learn and b) not being indoctrinated with filth and lies. Oh, that's the problem I guess. My kids are not getting an indoctrination into secular humanism. Okay. Maybe I do need someone to test my children and fill in the gaps.

It's already bad enough that (in our state at least) your children only have so many days a year that they are allowed to be sick (or out for any reason) without going into some kind of a hearing. If you need or want to take your children out of school you must first have permission. Excuse me? Whose children? Oh, that's because the school gets money for each little bottom filling a seat. So what if they are learning...as long as they are there and the school gets their precious dollar for that bottom in that seat. And as long as they can answer the question on the TAKS test, who cares what else they know? Because when they answer the question on the TAKS test (or any state test for that matter) the school gets kudos for that! It doesn't really matter if they know the answers or just make the pattern on the bubbles you fill out cute-as long as the answer is right (when the computer grades it)! That's the goal. God-forbid that I'm teaching my children on a daily basis and in a one-on-one situation and I know (without any bubbles or computers) whether they know it or not.

(*For the record: I have not taught my children to disrespect the president. I have told them that although we disagree heartily with Barack Obama he is our president. I certainly didn't wish for him to be in that position or vote for it, but through the process deemed fair and reasonable by our ancestors/founding fathers...he is.)

Apparently this was worse to me than the summer doldrums. Much worse. For this is permanent. And scary. And so many Americans are buying into it.

*****Disclaimer: I'm not in any way putting down teachers in schools! They signed up to teach children. Most prob'ly not having a clue of the beauracracy that would hound them day after day to teach to the tests. I have a lot of respect for the teachers that are out there doing their best and working for such a meager living to teach the children of other people-some of whom don't give a rat's behind if their children learn, as long as they don't have to deal with them all day long.

*****Second disclaimer: (Ugggg, I'm getting sick of defending everything I say lest it might be misconstrued and hurt someone's feelings) I don't suggest that all parents send their kids to school just to get them out of their hair. Notice that I emphasized SOME! Because I know that homeschooling is not for all families and I would never ever in a million years suggest that someone who does not homeschool is less than a loving, involved parent.