Search Results for: blog homeschooling in new york

Planet Explorers: New York City

What are the Planet Explorers? Well, if you’re planning a family trip, you’re going to want to know the answer to that question! Planet Explorers are guidebooks for kids that work on your Kindle, Nook, or smartphone, and they are only $3.00 each. Your child can learn all about your family’s destination and be your tour guide the whole time you’re away from home. Let’s start by taking a look at the book for New York City. We start out with a table of contents listing all the major attractions in New York City, and there are hyperlinks to jump … Continue reading →

Homeschooling Hits the News … Again

The eyes of the nation are on this case. A Pennsylvania couple—Louann Bowers and Sinhue Johnson—was arrested for concealing their five children from the eyes of the world, raising them without heat or electricity, not providing for their basic health care, isolating them from anything found on the “outside,” and for not seeing to their educational needs. The couple is currently locked up in York County Prison, and the children have been placed in foster homes. They have received medical treatment and most of them have been enrolled in school. The parents say they have been homeschooling the children, but … Continue reading →

R.I.P. Rocky Mountain News

It seems as if the invention of the Internet is killing traditional print newspapers. For years now, I have been reading that subscriptions were down and that papers were in the red. Now, another “victim” has bitten the dust – Denver’s Rocky Mountain News. After almost 150 years in the business, the Rocky Mountain News sent out its last issue on Friday. What did the final headline read? It said “Goodbye, Colorado.” The articles went on to say “It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to you today. Our time chronicling the life of Denver and Colorado, the … Continue reading →

Oklahoma Homeschool Bills to Add New Restrictions

Oklahoma homeschoolers are calling new proposals to homeschool laws an over reaction and an insult. The reason for these proposals is claims that homeschooling is being used as a cover when parents are dragged into court for truancy. There are also claims that homeschoolers are academically two years behind traditionally educated students. (That’s a first!) Read: School choice: Homeschool bills insulting to families Channel 8 News in OK reports the two proposals as: Senate Bill 472 would require parents or guardians who homeschool their child to notify the local school district and provide a report of academic progress to school … Continue reading →

Has the California Verdict Affected Your View on Homeschooling?

I cannot say I have ever seen as much conversation about homeschooling as I have this past month. It started, of course, with the California verdict declaring homeschooling without credentials illegal. This ruling has been followed with a literal flood of articles, opinion, and comments. While the majority of the articles are positive toward homeschooling and parents rights, the comments are brutal, critical, and often immature. I have personally been trying to ignore the bru-ha-ha, but decided to speak up because I feel that the California verdict has affected the views of many towards homeschooling… in a bad way. I … Continue reading →

Ask a Homeschooling Blogger: Why Are You So Against Government Involvement Part 2

Note: As I have explained in my previous blog this morning, I have received an e-mail that I think articulates the opinions of many who do not home school and don’t understand why those of us who do might see government intervention as a bad thing. I generally ignore these letters because they are often riddled with poor language and have clearly not been thought out. For the original question in part, please see the first blog. This is a continuation of my response. Those Who “Claim to Homeschool” Every so often, we hear of a news story about a … Continue reading →

Giuliani Supports Homeschooling–Sort Of

I have to start off by admitting my bias right off the bat. I really like Giuliani. I lived in New York City when he was mayor and frankly, I think he was good at it. Overall, he made the city a much safer and nicer place to live. But this isn’t a political endorsement. I mentioned awhile back that I would start talking about presidential candidates and their positions on education and how that might affect home schooling. Supporting School Choice Any candidate that supports school choice is probably a safe bet for homeschoolers. In education, school choice is … Continue reading →

You Call That Homeschooling?

I took my kids to the grocery store in the middle of the day recently. It’s a trip I avoid in part because we can be no where inconspicuously and in part because I simply don’t have enough hands to hold each of the twins, plus the four year old, all while making sure that what’s in the cart is actually what we intended to purchase and not something one of my children decided would be a good purchase for us. There was no way around it though, my husband wouldn’t have been home until too late and I just … Continue reading →

A Response to the NEA’s 2007-2008 Homeschooling Resolution

The NEA, for those of you who don’t know, is the National Education Association. And every year, they pass a set of resolutions as the ’experts’ in education. To be fair, this is one itsy bitsy tiny piece of their entire resolution. In short, they are against home schooling and always have been. They are so against home schooling in fact, that they’re willing to tout an article, written by a janitor, as good reasons not to home educate their child. But I digress. Below is this year’s resolution, and my response. B-75. Home Schooling The National Education Association believes … Continue reading →

Other Creative Activities That ‘Count’ as Homeschooling

The other day, I wrote some articles on how to keep track of hours and attendance for your home school records. If you live in a state that doesn’t require this then you’re lucky! Several states do require some type of log, including New York. I also wrote an article about what I considered as counting for school (lunch for example) and what I wouldn’t count in my hours. Here are a few more creative activities that are slightly outside the norm, but count towards schooling. Cooking and Entertaining Often, people are at a loss for what to do for … Continue reading →