More planned for later, but I have some interesting links I thought I would share. For some educational activity on these warm sunny days, take a look at creativekidsathome. It looks to have several fun outdoorsy kinds of things to do with your children for fun and education. Also, why not join the experiment that is sweeping the nation? Gotta get some coke and Mentos. Who doesn’t want pop volcanoes in their backyard…that can reach up to 20 feet?
I also should be posting the next segment of my freedom and liberty study…this one required a little more preparation as it steps outside my comfort zone of etymology and delves more into the history of the Jewish nation. And I’ll be posting the next bit of the Descent Into Unbelief series this weekend.
Also, out of curiosity, have I ever called for the burning down of all public schools? I’m involved in a lot of discussions in a lot of places, but I don’t recall ever taking such an extreme position. To be sure, our public education system needs a lot of reform and while I may advocate restructuring, I have never called for its eradication. Is it just me, or is Tracy reading what she wants to read and not what I actually said?
And so long as this seems to be a catch all post, I thought I’d announce that my article on developing and educational philosophy was published by Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and is in their current issue. They also accepted my article on the practical and spiritual advantages of homeschooling. Exciting for me…hopefully someone finds them informative!
Oh, and Spunky has a good post up on testing. I am reading a good book right now…”Standardized Minds” by Peter Sacks. It is kind of funny that it came out a few years before No Child Left Behind…it could have just as easily been written today. Anyway, look forward to some commentary on our culture’s testophilia as I work my way through this very informative book.
And an addition, because this isn’t really worth a post of its own. I first heard of reddit from Why Homeschool, but have never looked at it much. I just found out one of my posts was recommended over there. (Not a post from here). Not sure exactly what that means, but it seems kind of cool.
Principled Discovery is a place to stop and discuss news and information related to faith, family and particularly education. Pour yourself a cup of tea and join the conversation! 
I thought you handled Tracy very well. NCLB is a sticky issue. The biggest problem is that people are isolating it out instead of seeing it as part of a larger reform sweeping through the nation. Further, many who critique it look at it from the vantage point of what is best for the child. That’s not the main thrust of NCLB and therefore will give a very inaccruate picture of its success. From the stand point of the state it is hugely successful. “Failing” schools and districts boards are being taken over without voter approval. Local school boards in general are just figure head postions but without any control of what is really going on in their district. So NCLB and and its reform is humming right along doing what it was intended to do. Remove education from the local level and hoist it up the ladder to the state and federal level. That’s why you won’t see much parental involvement. All the decisions are being made at a level they never speak to.
Thanks, Spunky! I don’t get too many discussions going on in my comment box and rarely have much disagreement. I like discussion…but it is very difficult addressing arguments made against something I have never said. There is enough that a staunch public school supporter can say against any of my posts without continually attempting to say I’m saying/implying/believing something I have never said, implied or necessarily believed.
What is so threatening about parental involvement? It is twice as predictive of academic success as any other factor in education. Pointing out that it is strangely absent from all discussion of education reform is somehow the same as implying the eradication of an entire system? I believe that an increase in parental recognition of their own responsibility in education would solve all of our education problems. First, there is the obvious and immediate benefit of modelling to the children. I’m sure those 15% of Christian youth who managed to hold on to their faith through public schooling had involved parents. Their input is twice as important as any other factor, after all, and hence able to balance a lot more of the garbage than we might think. Second, there is the direct effect on the school. If every parent reviews assignments, texts and classroom materials, a lot of things would not be accepted and pressure would mount. Third, if parents really cared and really took responsibility, they would never allow the state or federal government this sort of control. Instead, they see a problem mounting in their schools, they are concerned and they go to their legislator. So the state gradually takes over because the parents defaulted, the local government defaulted, and someone has to take over.
oh, yes. And fourth…if parents cared, they would make sure their school had the materials they needed, even if it meant bake sales.