I thought it was an interesting distinction. And really, shouldn’t we be looking for the same thing? Supporters of homeschooling, but not necessarily a nation solely of homeschoolers?

I thought she made an interesting point about how homeschoolers, who tend to research the kinds of books they want for their children since they are using them for their education, are asking for books that other families are finding useful. Meaning that the costs that are being imposed on the system are beneficial to all families using the library, not specifically homeschoolers.

Mrs. C, I agree. I think a bit much is made of the conflict. Some of that, like you say, is just the way media tends to take extreme views and pit them against each other. And it is a phenomenon of the internet as well. Controversy garners more traffic and links. But I think it has something to do with that independent nature of many homeschoolers, perhaps especially among the “old guard.” It still amazes me to think of how strong your convictions must be to face school districts, officers, court and potentially prison for home schooling. Those who chose to homeschool in those days had to be a little more committed to the thought that public schools were damaging to even try something different.

We are all also very affected by our own experiences. Sometimes I feel a little out of the loop having had a positive public school experience.

I do think their are definite problems with the system, but that is not meant to criticize the people in the system trying to do the best they can in a faulty system.

Terri and I among so many wonderful homeschool parent thinkers, were working on this back in 2002, as shown in this NHEN forum discussion full of provocative ideas Dana might want to include now.

I titled it “Homeschooling Changing Schools Instead of Other Way Around?” and the whole theme was how to show that HS benefits society when schooling becomes more like home education, and it would hurt society for School to regulate home education into being more like it.

I know what she’s getting at though. We just have to work on it, think it through more clearly. Btw Nance and I had many such evolving discussions with Terri herself, back before any of us had worked through our own home education ideas enough to proclaim global principles like this. (We’re all from Florida and like most states, our hsers are of many different POVs.)

Coming from a family of public school teachers, I have gotten nothing but help and encouragement. The teachers in the family have been on the front lines, and they know the pitfalls of public education in the U.S. They want better for my children.

I think that the media does go out of its way to publicize the battle between the extreme elements in both camps. I can’t blame them. It sells.

I have two older children in public school and like anything else, there are some things I love and hate about it. I’m not “anti” public ed. in *theory.* But when I look at statements from folks in the NEA and from teachers, social workers or others in the media about how we ought to be forced to give our children up to the professionals or be otherwise monitored, I feel like war has been declared. Then again, media has that annoying tendency of quoting the most “strident” from either side of an issue because it makes good copy.

:]

I think you did a good job with a difficult situation on the internet connection! And I learned I don’t really want to ask to adopt Susan’s cat from your test show LOL!