The Down Side of Virtual Schools
An interview with Freelance writer Susan Ohanian in Home Education Magazine had this to say about William Bennett's K12.
Let the buyer beware.
You've reviewed and reported on the curriculum of William Bennett's K12, Inc. What did you find?
I examined the history curriculum in grades K-2. I found a shocking disregard for age-appropriate curriculum and a total misuse of computers. Here, computers deliver worksheets (in the form of tedious PDF files that parents must download and print out). It would be much easier to buy a workbook than printing out this material. The curriculum offers blind devotion to a chronological approach to ancient history, which means very young children are reading--and doing coloring sheets--about the horrors of Hannibal and Attila the Hun. I wrote to K-12, objecting to the relentless militarism but did not receive the courtesy of a reply.Do you believe these programs threaten homeschooling? Is there a comparable situation in public education where you have seen ground lost because someone marketed to teachers and parents a "wonderful, new way of education?"
I am appalled and fearful of anybody -- public school or homeschool -- who sells out principles for the lure of gimcracks--free computers, whoop-de-doo classroom supplies, whatever. Canned curriculums make a mockery of the homeschooling tenet of basing learning experiences on children's interests, abilities and needs. K-12 sales pitches brag about families receiving 90 pounds worth of material. It sounds like 30 pieces of silver to me.
Dr. Samuel L. Blumenfeld laments that homeschoolers are succumbing to government handouts at the price of their homeschooling freedoms.
Sen. Loren Leman, R-Anchorage, now lieutenant governor, introduced Senate Bill 134, designed to completely deregulate home education in Alaska. The bill passed both the Senate and the House unanimously. But no sooner had I arrived in the great Northland than I was told of a significant problem that independent homeschoolers are now facing. Despite their total independence, thousands of home-educating families had joined a government program that offered them free money. The program is called Interior Distance Education of Alaska, or IDEA. The whole idea seemed to contradict what Alaskan home education was all about: independence, religious teaching, academic freedom and rugged individualism. But money talks, even in Alaska.
- Alasandra Addresses The Eight Homeschooling Concerns Educators Had And Offers Eight Public School Concerns She Has
The post Educators Criticize Homeschooling list eight homeschooling concerns. This is my reply to them. 1. Deprive the child of important social experiences. I assure you homeschooled children aren't deprived of social experiences. Some homeschool...
- Top Myths About Homeschooling
I am totally mystified by the number of people who know absolutely nothing about homeschooling but feel compelled to write post on homeschooling full of misinformation and false assumptions. Here I will address some myths about homeschooling that have...
- Kestrel9000 Attacks Homeschooling At Daily Kos
First off I am going to take umbrage at the title of the post, Revisionist History: The Christian Right and the Miseducation Of Our Children. Shining Celebi and Lord Epa are mine and The Big Kahuna's kids they do not belong to anyone else. The idea...
- Stupid Comments Of Public School Jingoist
Lately I have read with amusement the comments on some blogs by non-homeschoolers bashing homeschooling. You would think if they were going to comment on another parents educational choice they would at least take the time to find out something about...
- Educational News
Homeschoolers are a very diverse group contrary to what some people think. For the Native American Homeschoolers amongst us The Native American Homeschool Association and Native American Homeschoolers are two groups you may want to check out. *********************************************************************************...