When Teachers Strike

With the start of the school year, usually students and parents utilizing the public school system, are again becoming concerned with classes, notebooks and pencils. But this school year brought a far greater concern: teacher strikes.   

In Washington State, we have recently watched as our Washington Education Association, (WEA) (or state branch of the National Education Association, the NEA, (or teacher's union..) encouraged school teachers to don red t-shirts and illegally go on strike.    In other-words...the teacher's union, is encouraging and organizing it's members to oppress parents and students and politicians in order to strong arm their own way... and get what they want.

Not only is it illegal, but this is a type of bullying.  Let's consider....

"Bully,"  as in to bully someone, is a verb. It means, to "use superior strength or influence to intimidate another person," ( typically to force him or her to do what you demand.)  The word, bully has synonyms, including words like to oppress, intimidate, strong-arm, and coerce   There have been mass anti-bullying ads on television renouncing "bullying"  as typically is done between school children, alarming the public as to this problem of bullying in the schools, but bullying is not just a problem with kids... no... no... adults do it too.

"Teachers in eight Washington school districts have decided to walk out of class for one day to protest what they say is too little funding for the state’s public schools.  Teachers want to see better health-care benefits for school staff, more money to pay for voter-approved class-size reductions and higher cost-of-living raises than the state House or Senate have proposed so far."  SeattleTimes,  Originally published April 17, 2015 

"Too little funding?"  (Don't people often vote to fund levies and bonds for our schools?)

"Better health care benefits for school staff." ( The teacher's union offers health care benefits too.)
"More money?"  The salary for Seattle teachers, as reported by one article about the recent Seattle teacher's strikes, a salary which includes some extra school hours and other pay, was $67,124 on average, but salary for teachers is usually not for an entire year as it does not include summer months and depends on the experience level of the teacher.   (Spokane Schools teacher's salaries can be viewed here. Hint: Look at salary by job title figures..)

"Class size reductions." (Is class size REALLY the issue?)

"Higher cost-of-living raises."....

Interesting note here might be that there is never any issue of curriculum content, better textbooks or free pencils and crayons for students.  No, when it comes to teacher strikes it is  always about the pay check and the hours.  

The teacher's union, the NEA, does not advocate bullying,  In fact, they have their own "anti-bullying" campaign.  So why then does the NEA use teacher power intentionally... to inflict pain on the education system in place by striking?  The answer is easy.... It works.  Then get what they want, because after all, they have the power to disrupt the flow of things and inflict pain in doing so.  

"Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power. Most often, it is repeated over time."                          http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/bullying_tips_for_administrators.page

Make no mistake, teacher have power.  They control grades and seating in classrooms, they dominate parent teacher conferences.  Unions have power too... over teachers.... and therefore students and parents too.

"The last time teachers across the state held similar, one-day protests was in 1999, when thousands of teachers from about 50 school districts voted to walk out over a period of weeks, Wood said. That year, lawmakers granted a 3 percent raise for all public-school employees in the state."                                                            SeattleTimes,  Originally published April 17, 2015 

This year teachers in Seattle were on strike for a week.  Current headlines read,

" School will resume Thursday for Seattle's 53,000 students after teachers who have been on strike for a week reached a tentative agreement with Washington state's largest school district."SeattleTimes,  

Bullying works.

Teacher strikes are no small matter.  They negatively affect everyone in the community, and unions use this to their advantage as they tear down local control of schools by encouraging their members, local public school teachers, to strike, and to make it hurt parents, students and legislators s much as possible when they do.  

You can bet that legislators feel the pain when they work for votes after the public sees how the strikes are handled, or scramble for more funding to pay for the effect of a teachers strike and facilitate the legal ramification that ensue.  You can bet that parents feel oppressed as they are challenged to make adjustments for the absence of a child's overseer for the day if the parent is working outside of the home, or come up with activites and lesson plans to keep the kids busy while at home.  You can be confident too that they and their children all feel the threat of a loss of normalcy for the month of September, an effect that could quite possibly last the entire year.  Concerns about academia, sporting events and future in-school relationships with those who had been depended upon to teach that use the civic duty entrusted to them by the public for personal gain.  

Students not only feel the abandonment of not having a classroom to go to or a teacher to teach, but must also pay the penalty of extended days of school to make up for the lost required hours of learning mandated for schools and teachers to provide in a year.  

 In the city of Seattle this year, the strike cost $100,000 per day. Striking for five days cost the city $500,000. Tax dollars are supposed to be hard at work, instead they were on strike.  It makes you wonder what kind of learning could have taken place per buck, but teacher strikes are not done with students and their needs in mind.   They are about money, and control of the schools.  When all is said and done, the net result will be  the nationally organized unions, such as the WEA and ultimately the NEA, ( opposed to local/state governments and legislation,) will have more power over the management of our public schools.

Yes, striking teachers walk on out on  students, parents, and legislators, ignoring laws,  and contractual agreements.  you don't see the teachers marching for their own cause on the street in July or August, because they know all about bullying in the  union, and it works.  A strike will most effectively strong-arm the public into giving-in to their demands.

And what about teachers, parents or students, who cross picket lines?  Oh, it's dangerous to think differently than the crowd,  You have to consider what you plan to do and why you do it, because history shows us that often, these people are "bullied" too.

Curious About Common Core?

"Common Core – Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has been in the national and local news lately. Sometimes we hear negative comments, and sometimes positive. It’s important to re‐ member the state standards are there to help ensure teachers are teaching and students are learning. The new common core state standards will help lead all of our children to a successful future. The standards help to ensure students learn what they need to go on to pursue a technical, associates or bachelor’s degree after they complete high school."

                                                          Holmes Elementary School Newsletter, January 2015, Spokane

This is the propaganda going out to parents from schools regarding CCSS....otherwise known as Common Core State Standards,  but are they "state" standards?

This may come as a surprise..based upon the name of the program, but. the answer is "No."

Valerie Strauss, who studies this stuff reports that they are not state standards at all.  She says, in her article,  Common Core's, Fundamental Trouble, published in the Washington Post, June, 2013,  "They’re national standards, created by Gates-funded consultants for the National Governors Association (NGA). They were designed, in part, to circumvent federal restrictions on the adoption of a national curriculum, hence the insertion of the word “state” in the brand name. States were coerced into adopting the Common Core by requirements attached to the federal Race to the Top grants and, later, the No Child Left Behind waivers."

The history and implementation of the "Common Core" as well as all the controversy is an interesting subject, but it's hard to know everything about it, could even take you years.  Fact is, it is being used in a school near you and for this reason, people need to inform themselves about it, even if they are not subject to the Common Core Curriculum directly.

Homeschoolers, being independent of the direct oversight of public school, (and equal in competency to educate their own children from home in this manner legally) have never been required to participate in testing mandated for public schools. They have yearly testing requirements, but at this time are unaffected by "Common Core."  Just the same, as citizens who pay taxes in support of public education, who's students will be attending colleges in the future, they are often concerned about the issues of public education.  There is even a group in Spokane, parents with kids in the public schools, who are trying to stop Common Core in Spokane and they have created a Facebook page that can be accessed here.

What is wrong with Common Core... (you may wonder.)  It depends on who you talk to.A group like, " Stop Common Core" finds it detrimental.... while  the  National Education Association, (NEA)  for example, thinks it's great. 

The NEA also spends a lot of money promoting it and financially rewarding teachers who get on board with it.  Teachers who promote the Common Core concepts are no longer just "teachers," but are labeled "Master Teachers."  In some states, like Massachusetts, those teachers chosen via application to join the program, who then work to promote the project receive a stipend of $15,000.00.  But not all teachers think it's such a great thing, however, many find they have no choice.  They believe their job is on the line when it comes to support of Common Core.

If you are curious about why some criticize Common Core, you might want to check out the video at Stop Common Core of Washington State of a little girl, Sophia, doing a math problem both the common core strategy of place value, and again using the standard algorithm for addition. It will have you wondering what is the out is in training teachers to train kids to do math this new way and have you considering how your tax dollars are working in the local schools. If you are a homeschooler, your home based educated students are automatically exempt from  meeting common core standards, but you might want to know what all the hoopla about Common Core is about.

Teach Common Core methodology to your kids if you like it, don't teach it if you don't like it;  because as a homeschooler, you can implement your own philosophy on the matter,,,, but  you can bet that local school administers and teachers are being told to meet these standards.  They have already been trained to teach to the tests.... and this is often to the tune of a lot of dollars and cents.  If you are not a homeschooling family, just remember, your kids, even though they are in public school... are YOUR  kids.  You have parental rights and you have a right to know what they are learning and doing in school.

If you are curious about Common Core in our schools, here are some websites you might want to check out:

Learn about the Common Core "in 3 Minutes," (Watch the informative video promoting Common Core to and check out more information from a perspective in support of Common Core at www, corestandards.org

Have a look at National Public Radio's F.A.Q. and answers about Common Core.

Read from Joy Pullman, writing for The Federalist... as she discloses salaries of Common Core's co-authors.  And if you want to know more about who they are and the company they created to make the Common Core, read a concerned Arizona's report about it here.

Test yourself! Try this Math Test Common Core Sampler for First Graders... Here.  Check out a corrected first grade test, here.  REad about the first grader's parent's complaint, in a 2013 Washington Post Article about Common Core in New York public schools by Valerie Strauss.

Watch the Sophia Abelita Video on Vimeo, (if you missed watching it in the link earlier.)

Read a Spokane librarian's report on being "trained." (Important note: she was not being "educated" about, but being"trained" in "Common Core." and there is a difference between educating a person and training a person.  In "training," the outcome of the experience is already determined, and often rewarded.  Education involved critical thinking of the student to determine what to do with what is learned.)

Note the foriegn political slant found being taught to students across
the nation, vis Common Core (masquerading as "English" lessons.)
(Fox News exposed this example while examining
Common Core material.) 

And finally, here's some articles  by Laurie Rogers about (against) Common Core in Spokane Schools.... (particularly in the area of Math:)

Common Core Leading Districts to Adopt Unproved Math Programs

A Battle for Our Freedom

Be informed, learn more about Common Core!

Seven Lies About Homeschoolers

A little truthful humor courtesy of the Taylor Family.

Parentalrights.org

Parents and their children not only have a strong bond, but they belong together.

They are family.  This is why parents sign consent forms at school. 

Contrary to what you might hear from others, your children do not belong 

to the state or to the community.  Your children are your children... 

your posterity and when you have children, their future and your own posterity

is in your hands...

From parentalrights.org:

December 16, 2014

Removing Parents from Public Schools

It is no accident, no coincidence. And it’s not just your imagination. 

There really is a steady trend by the government and the courts to remove 

the influence of parents from the public schools.

I’m not saying your child’s teacher or principal, 

or even your local school board, is out to get you. 

Nor am I suggesting some giant system-wide conspiracy, 

where some shadow organization is secretly working through 

all different channels to rob you of your rights.

It is something bigger and more dangerous than that.

What we are witnessing is the rise of an ideology,

 a statist mindset that actually believes that “expert” 

agents of the state can make better decisions for your child than you can.

In 1979 the Supreme Court held, “The statist notion that 

governmental power should supersede parental authority in all

cases because some parents abuse and neglect children is repugnant 

to American tradition.” Parham v. J.R., 442 U.S. 584 (1979), at 603. 

Unfortunately, a growing, powerful minority no longer find that idea 

repugnant today. 

Visit parentalrights.org.

Terminal Illness

"Won’t it be wonderful when the child in the smallest county in the most distant area or in the most confused urban setting can have the equivalent of the finest school in the world on that terminal and no one can get between that child and the curriculum? We have great moments coming in the history of education."

Schooling and Technology, Vol. 3, Planning for the Future: A Collaborative Model, An Interpretive Report on Creative Partnerships in Technology—An Open Forum byDustin H. Heuston, World Institute for Computer-Assisted Teaching (WICAT) 1984

(As quoted by Charolette Iserbyte, November 14,2014 )

Note how the "great moments" concept is lauded by some people.  It is here being described as being "wonderful"  when no parent, no teacher, spends a day with the child; or "gets between the child and the curriculum."

Who is writing the curriculum?  What does it teach?  Where is the family , the parent... the teacher, the human element of a smile and hug in the life of a learning and growing child?

This is not a "great moment."  This is a travesty. 

Read Charolette Iserbyte's article, 

COMMON CORE'S GLOBAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

 

Compulsory Preschool?

Different states have different requirements regarding the age for compulsory education to begin,  Here in Washington state, that age is 8.  Kids can begin school earlier of course, but by law, they are not "required" to.  IT is however, compulsory that your child be in school, or some form of formal learning when they are eight.  The question here is...what if it were required by law for parents to send children to school at the tender age of four?  How about by the age of three? 

"Preposterous!" (You think to yourself....as you wonder how preschools will be run and who will be paying to operate them.) 

You might think it's a bad idea, expensive for taxpaying citizens... but not everyone thinks so.  President Obama, for one, has compulsory preschool on his agenda.

"By the end of this decade, let’s enroll 6 million children 

in high-quality preschool, and let’s make sure that we are 

making America stronger.  That is good for families; it’s 

also good for the children, because we know investing in

high-quality early childhood education makes all the 

difference in the world, and those kids will do better."

~ President Barack Hussein Obama, Rhode Island College, October 31, 2014

It's not a new idea... Obama has talked about it for years, with hopes of getting people on board with legislation to make it happen in the next ten years. He will also take every media opportunity count for political maneuvering to that end.

The date was  May 21st, 2013, and  President Obama was on national television.  He was  informing the country about the death toll after a terrible tornado tore through a sleepy city in Oklahoma the previous night.  He began by saying:

"Good morning, everybody. As we all know by now, a series of storms swept across the Plains yesterday, and one of the most destructive tornadoes in history sliced through the towns of Newcastle and Moore, Oklahoma. In an instant, neighborhoods were destroyed. Dozens of people lost their lives. Many more were injured, and among the victims were young children, trying to take shelter in the safest place they knew -- their school."                                                                                                            -President Obama

Remarks by the President  May 21, 2013,  
Tornadoes and Severe Weather in Oklahoma, 
State Dining Room, whitehouse.gov

Did you catch that?  The young children were killed while trying to take shelter in the safest place they knew... "their school."  Apparently school is not one of the safest places.... it's the "safest." Apparently those young children thought school was safer than even their home.

Well, we have heard about how in Washington State, schools are getting "safer."  In fact, the schools are, (no kidding,) ridding their playgrounds of a terrible danger..... swings!  Sadly, it's not a concern for the children's safety and well-being that drives the removal of swings; it's insurance liability.  With no swings to fall off of (or get hit with during playground recess, school will be much safer.. until you walk home.

Walking to, and from, school and home,  can be a dangerous journey, and it is dangerous, not just for the little ones, but also for older kids as well. There are known incidents of bullying, from time to time, both during school and after school, and there is as always, the risk of a child  being lured by sexual predators, both outside and inside the school grounds if they are left unsupervised by a caring adult and unprotected.  In many schools, the kids there are so "safe" that they not only need to hire security policemen to help keep the peace and use video cameras to monitor the children in the school.  While school and home should both be considered to be safe places for children, this is obviously, not always the case. 

 We have to face the truth...in school or home, there are dangers.  People are not perfect and life is full of risks and challenges.  So is is just a casual remark of the president as he spoke his own words or are his words calculated, written by a team of speech writers, and then delivered to send a certain message or create a specific effect upon the hearers?  Truth is that this kind of comment spoken when emotions are high, servesd to promote a particular ideology... one that exchanges the role of a parent in the life of a child with teachers and replaces what a child thinks about the home, with "school."

Have you ever heard, for example, that it takes a village to raise a child?  This is a concept that is not only politically motivated but also directly taught to children in the schools.   The impetus for this ideas became popular with the help of the former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, (and her ghost writers)  in her book by the same title:  It Takes A Village To Raise A Child.

It's a "collectivist" mentality, one that usurps the authority of parents in the life of their own children and it's running rampant.  In more recent days, MSNBC helped to proliferate the idea that children do not belong to their parents but rather, to "the collective." (No Joke!) This was done most notably through Melissa Harris-Perry, (Click on ther name to see the MSNBC video)  Melissa Perry is a well-known author, school professor, abortion rights activist and television host that a lot of people admire, but thankfully, not everyone agrees and her comments raised a lot of controversy.  

There are still people who do understand that their children are not the possession of the state, but there certainly are plenty of people,  who  embrace this idea that your children belong to the collective... to the village...to the state.. and, ultimately, to the world.   

Take Paul Reville, for example.  He is the Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a proud supporter of the Common Core Curriculum being perpetrated en mass upon our kids in school.   Reville says, along with many others that your children are not your children, as he declares, your children belong to "all of us."


These people think they know better and feel that they must be in control.... even when it come to deciding what your child can and will (or will not) read or learn in school, and what will and will not count for school credit to graduate... regardless of what you , as a parent may object to.   The anointed ones have a vision... and they believe that they have your child's best interest at heart and  know what is best for your kids, and you... (if you are not sub-servant to them in their role of authority over your kids,) are to have no say in the matter.

It's a battle.  But thanks be to God, there is still freedom in our country to send kids to private school and the freedom to homeschool them too.  Parents do have a special authority and a responsible role to fulfill in the lives of their kids.  The state has no right to take that away... but those of this mindset work hard to get people to think differently... and then perhaps just give it away without contest.

And so, we heard the president, speaking for the "collective" again, when he recently told a gathering at Rhode Island College that there are choices "we" (the collective) want parents to make and choices "we" do not want parents to make.   

He said,

"And sometimes, someone, usually mom, leaves the workplace to stay home with the kids, which then leaves her learning a lower wage for the rest of her life as a result, and that's not a choice we want Americans to make."

Apparently, Americans are not to decide things for themselves,  like weather to say home with kids or work.  After all, one choice that "we do not want Americans to make" is the choice to leave the workplace and stay home with kids. 

 Needless to say, his saying this riled up a lot of stay-at-home mothers and in doing so, the president has been duly reminded that Americans have the freedom, yes... freedom, to make their own choice in what they do with their lives and that some women (and men) actually like their babies and young  children and like being home with their kids and believe it is good for the children too.

Obama's example is about a woman who leaves a well paying job at her workplace to stay home with her kids.  Is this a single mom? We do not know.. And we can also note that he neglects to say "baby." ( Why didn't he say, "baby?") Noteable too is that a woman usually does not get paid for being a stay-at-home mother, so how did she earn a lower wage by staying home with her kids?  Is he talking about welfare?

Secondly,  in his make-believe scenario, we see how we are supposed to view children as being a burden. After all, her leaving work to be a mother affects her negatively... for a long time.... in fact, for " the rest of her life." It's a mindset.  It's an ideology... and it's wrong.  It's also being promulgated on unsuspecting people who, by a continuous outpouring of subtle suggestions think as they are told to think. by those they admire.

Mr. Obama did not talk about how, as president, he would like to see your taxes pay for  daycare and preschool that would be offered for "free" to all those working moms and dads.  (Well, "free" much the way that "free" public elementary and high school are currently offered to... or rather, "forced," upon people... which means you and I will be taxed.)  And by the way, for the last fifty years we have had "free" day cares and preschools, called Head Start.. However, it's been reported, that  "the 48-year experiment with federal preschool has failed to deliver long-lasting, positive developments for its participants."  (source, Fox News 1-13-14.)    

Now, as our president, Obama says that he wants to implement some kind of  compulsory preschool.  He wants to see " 6 million children be enrolled in these "preschools" within the next decade.
 

"By the end of this decade, let’s enroll 6 million children 

in high-quality preschool, and let’s make sure that we are 

making America stronger.  That is good for families; it’s 

also good for the children, because we know investing in

high-quality early childhood education makes all the 

difference in the world, and those kids will do better."

~ President Barak Hussein Obama, Rhode Island College, October 31, 2014

 Remarks by the President on Women and the Economy,

This is the full speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sSO91Zv4uU#t=38 

Do not be deceived.  They won't all do "better."  Big government and capitalism objectors will however do better.... because mothers and fathers will be both working, paying taxes to support government projects and leaving their children in the care of those who maake a living working for the government.  On the other hand, it is a proven fact that children playing and learning learning with mom and dad...loving, being loved, and being a part of family is actually one of the most important thing in a child's life....especially at an early age.  

This is why homeschooling, homeschooling without governmental meddling or governmental monetary incentives, makes sense, particularly in the early years.  Not only that, homeschooling works!

...........................................

Broaden your horizon... Here are some related sites to explore what people are saying on the topic of compulsory preschool:

http://www.universalpreschool.com/faq/ 

http://www.schoolimprovement.com/should-your-state-make-preschool-mandatory/

http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200204110.asp

http://www.ed.gov/early-learning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_Start_Program  

"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. "

–James Madison, U.S. President,

Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on Control of the Military, June 16, 1788

 in: History of the Virginia Federal Convention of 1788, vol. 1, p. 130 (H.B. Grigsby ed. 1890).

On the Education of Young...Nature Studies

I recently read a chapter from an old book, School of the Woods by naturalist, William J. Long.  The book, written in 1902, was at one time used in public schools under the title of the Wood Folk Series.
Intrigued by what I read, I post you this small portion for your educational reading:

'That interesting little comedy by the quiet river, one of the thousands that pass every day unnoticed in the summer woods, first opened my eyes to the fact that all wild creatures must learn most of what they know as we do; and to learn they must be taught. I have had that fact in mind in gathering together from my old notebooks and summer journals these sketches of animal life, which group themselves naturally about one central idea, namely, the large place which early education holds in the life of every creature.

That animal education is like our own, and so depends chiefly upon teaching, may possibly be a new suggestion in the field of natural history. Most people think that the life of a wild animal is governed wholly by instinct. They are of the same class who hold that the character of a child is largely predetermined by heredity.

Personally, after many years of watching animals in their native haunts, I am convinced that instinct plays a much smaller [6] part than we have supposed; that an animal's success or failure in the ceaseless struggle for life depends, not upon instinct, but upon the kind of training which the animal receives from its mother. And the more I see of children, the more sure am I that heredity (only another name for accumulated and developed instincts) plays but a small part in the child's history and destiny; that, instead, training—early training—is the chief factor; that Loyola, with a profound wisdom in matters childlike, such as the world has rarely seen, was right when he said, in substance: "Give me a child till he is seven years old, and it matters not much who has him afterwards. He is mine for time and eternity." Substitute seven weeks for seven years, and you have an inkling of the unconscious thought which governs every little mother in the wilderness.school."

School of the Woods by William Long 1902

You can read in it's entirety, here, (thanks to the Gutenberg Project.)

I think Long made some excellent points and observations.  As I reflected upon the importance of education given to an animal's young by it's mother (and father) I would think of my own observations of both kittens and a hawk that lives nearby.  If it is like this for animals, what is it like in the human experience?  Without a doubt, the teaching and training of children in the early years of their life is phenomenally important, and they absorb so much, making them truly incredible and intelligent beings at even an early age.  This is why, as parents, and especially as mother's, we should be attentive to our children.  It is us parents who first love them, and teach them many other valuable life lessons, including and example of how to live and work and communicate.

The book piqued my curiously.  I found out that in it's day, it was being used in many schools to teach children about animal behavior.... "scientifically," (observational) until the author drew controversy.  I learned too, that some people, even the President at the time, didn't like Long's sentiments of fondness for the animal life he observed and studied and wrote about.  They called him a "nature faker."

The main reason for the dislike, I believe, is that the evolutionary theory of Darwin was pervasive and persuasive at the time. People wanted to think ("wisely" according to the wisdom of the age) that animals were solely dependant on their inborn instinct to do what they do, not any form of particular reason or intelligence.  Many therefore simply concluded that Mr. Long was a "nut." They didn't like the suggestion that animals actually used "reason" and even had to "learn" things from their parents in order to survive.

 (If you skipped the links above, you can read a little about the very popular

 and public controversy regarding these books on your own.  

Start with wikipedia if you like and then perhaps read one 

Long's other book's description here.)

Was Long a "nut?"

Well, that controversy was way back in 1902.   It's 2014... over a hundred years later, and do you know what?  People, like Long, observe animals like tigers... or penguins or otters up close and personal to report their findings that these animal babies must learn certain things from their own moms and dads.  Some creature even learn their names from their parents... like parrots.

 I am not surprised... are you?

Here is an article touting some of the BEST animal mom's.

What Your Child Needs To Know... When

What Must Your Child Learn?

Washington Schools posts a helpful page for parents about understanding of what your child should be learning each year of schooling from Kindergarten until Grade Ten.   For some reason grades 11 and 12 do not exist.

 Read it here in lots of different languages too.

I have slightly modified their text in order to write about it, but for example, in Kindergarten... which is listed here even though children are not required to enroll in school until age eight, (about third grade,) your child will learn:

WRITING
• Knows that an audience exists outside of self and understands writing has different purposes
• be able to analyze ideas, select topics and add details to stories and narrations
• Know and apply spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and paragraphing appropriate to the
grade level as all kindergartners should.

MATH
• Begin to develop basic notions of numbers and be able to use numbers to think about objects and the world around them  (also known as "learning to count")
• Learns what it means to add and subtract by joining and separating sets of objects
• Learns to describe attributes of geometric shapes, such as triangles, rectangles and circles

READING
• Recognizes, understands and applies concepts of print and sounds (Alphabet?)
• Expands oral language skills and gains meaningful vocabulary for reading (letter sounds)
• Demonstrates comprehension by responding in different ways when listening to or viewing text of all kinds (follows directions and can understand the sequence of things...(the beginning middle end of a story)
• Shows interest in a variety of books

SCIENCE
• Learns that scientific investigations involve  trying to answer questions by making observations or
trying things out
• Learns to use simple tools (e.g., pencils, scissors) and materials (e.g., paper, tape, glue and cardboard) to solve problems in creative ways
• Learns about the properties of liquids and solids, objects seen in the sky and the needs of plants and animals

For Kindergarten, that's what the schools have listed as the learning standard.... and Kindergarten is not even "required" by law.... neither is first and second grade.

By the Tenth Grade it gets a little tougher:

WRITING
• Writes for a variety of audiences and purposes, including persuading and explaining
• Analyzes ideas, selects a manageable topic and elaborates using specific, relevant details and/or examples
• Knows and applies spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and paragraphing appropriate to the grade level

MATH (GEOMETRY)
• Formalizes geometrical experiences from earlier grades and uses more precise definitions in developing proofs
• Develops the concepts of congruence and similarity and applies right triangle trigonometry
• Connects algebraic formulas to geometric concepts in order to analyze, model and solve real-world problems

READING
• Shows awareness of vocabulary and comprehension strategies used, especially when encountering
difficult text and/or reading for a specific purpose
• Shows greater ability to make connections and adjust understandings as knowledge is gained
• Continues to increase academic vocabulary

SCIENCE
• Learns to construct sophisticated system models, including the concepts of subsystems, boundaries, flows and feedbacks
• Extends and refines understanding of the nature of inquiry and ability to formulate questions, propose
hypotheses and design, conduct and report on investigations
• Learns that cells have complex molecules and structure that enable them to carry out life functions such as photosynthesis

So... after reading this about your state's learning standards, do you as a parent have any apprehension about you being your own child's primary teacher and being able to provide a great education if you decide you want to homeschool?

A superior help for understanding what to teach when is this.

For Kindergarten

For Tenth Grade

For Twelfth

Howdy Partner

Parent Partnership Programs in the Spokane area had their start over ten years ago through classes offered to homeschoolers held at the YMCA.  Homeschoolers could go swimming... or rather enjoy some Physical Education classes, that is.  It was a likable class... and homeschoolers could sign up and participate in.... "swimming" for free.  

Another one of the first classes offered to homeschoolers was Spanish, taught off school campus by someone associated with the school.  Some people went when invited to these classes...  and of those, some liked it, others did not.  It is important to note also, that at the time that these classes "for homeschoolers" were being offered, not all homeschooling families would be so quick to join up.   This is because for many years families who homeschooled were disapproved of by the schools.

It's true.  Parents were actually homeschooling children instead of sending their children o school to learn to read and write, and the schools disliked it terribly.  Children being homeschooled were considered "truant"  and parents were criminals for it.  Even today, many public-school-oriented-officials do not even think your children should be allowed to attend a private school.  We are a diverse nation.

School officials have sometimes disliked homeschooling for various reasons.  Of course...there is always the two big reasons of political  or religious differences of opinion, but the main reason homeschooling was disliked and still often is...is  money.  Your private school attending or homeschooling son or daughter takes away money from the local school.  For every child enrolled in school... more money is made available to that school, and in case you didn't notice, "school" is the livelihood of those who work, manage and teach in our local public schools.   "School" means jobs for adults in the community and your children are often viewed as a very valuable resource.

However, the parents convinced that homeschooling their own children was what they wanted to do were more than willing to fight legally on the matter.  Time and time again, homeschooling families had to stand legal ground to be able to teach their own kids at home. and then, when it came to making a law to make homeschooling "legal" in Washington state, these parents still insisted that they direct the education of their own children, and this without the interference of local school officials, however they also consented to file intent forms and "be legal" in their homeschooling agreeing officially to ensure a well-rounded education for their own children.  Parents were independently homeschooling.

Now-a-days... people mistakenly believe "homeschooling" is only parents working in some kind of "partnership" with the schools.  Don't be mistaken.  Expensive legal battles, court cases ruled by judges on the matter of homeschooling.  There have even been "studies " conducted by school officials themselves that have proven homeschooling as a legitimate form of education that stands on it's own merit.

Parents who provided home education were proven to be proficient  in teaching their own children and in fact often these children excelled expectations. This is why people like the word "homeschool."It has taken a lot of effort in Washington state by a lot of individuals to make "homeschooling" viewed as legal both locally and nationwide.  It is a proven fact that parents can teach their children well...and do so without the assistance of wither a public or private school.

Deer Park WA once was had a large homeschool community, until there were some classes offered by the schools in Deer Park too.  The first classes were offered after school hours of course, but in the school's building.  Again,  some homeschooling families responded to the invitation to come to a free class for homeschoolers and in this case participate in art.  Homeschooling families, many of them, thought someone in the homeschooling community had just arranged to use the building.  Later it became apparent that this was an offering of the school personnel.... and some homeschoolers, discontinued going... but some did not.

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

Abraham Lincoln

As time passed and various experiences occurred, the Deer Park homeschooling families were deeply divided about these mysterious offerings that appeared as gifts from the local public schools; and as some families embraced the idea of enrolling their children in the programs being offered, other people did not.  The offering of the schools to give families allowances of money to sepend on books and materials tore many a homeschool group and even long time friendships apart.  It was as if someone had carefully calculated their offerings to entice people to join the public school as full time students.. The programs ensured more money for the school, and money for parents who quite homeschooling independently in exchange for allotments to purchase books and pay for classes... like piano and ballet and theater arts.  This turned the Deer Park homeschooling community on edge.

Not much has changed.  Some local school districts publicly state:
"Spokane Public Schools is proud to support parents who homeschool their children." 
Words spoken to camera in a video introduction of the program clled TEC, in Spokane Public Schools, website: www.tecspokane.com 


"Completing this form does not necessarily mean that you will be accepted into the TEC program. Our goal is to ensure this process supports our mission of making TEC a positive choice for families who believe homeschooling in a parent partnership program is the best fit for their children." 
Online TEC registration form, March 24, 2011 www.tecspoane.com 

"Spokane Public Schools is proud to support parents who homeschool their children." 
Words spoken to camera in a video introduction of the program clled TEC, in Spokane Public Schools, website: www.tecspokane.com 


".....as parents who continue to homeschool and partner with us..."  
TEC Introductory Video, www.tecspokane.com


"Testing is......provided as a service to their homeschooling program." TEC Introductory Video, www.tecspokane.com

 
"The Jump Start program is a class for families new to homeschooling." 
TEC Program, Spokane Public Schools; www.tecspokane.com/90day.htm 

 
Whether you're new to homeschooling or an old pro, the WSLP can seem a bit daunting. It really needn't be. In response to numerous parent requests, we've created some parent-friendly instructions and simplified grade level expectations to get you started "
http://www.tecspokane.com/WSLP%20help.htm, offering "Jumpstart" 
 

MEPP in the Mead School District of Spokane and Homelink in the Deer Park School District Area still want to represent those in their public school programs as "homeschoolers" too:

"We are a Parent Partnership Program where parents of home schooled children and teachers from the Deer Park School District work together to define the educational goals and materials our parents and students use at home."
http://homelink.dpsd.org/

"We are excited to partner with parents who home school their children by providing quality educational opportunities and resources." 
THe MEPP program, held at Five Mile Prairie .  from their "ABOUT" page advertising their program,; www.mead354.org

Partner?  Schools want to partner with parents.  Don't be fooled.  Be independent, or at least know that when enrolled in these programs you are being invited to enroll your child full time in a public school and working under the administration of the school district.   

Our Homeschooling Law, the RCW is what legally allows you as a parent to accept the responsibility for your own children, you of course, agree to provide the certain conditions of a well rounded education... but the parent.... not a paid school official directs all aspects of this learning, even diplomas.  Why would you, (if this is what you want yo do,) "partner" with those who fought to take away the freedom of parent to "homeschool?" It is imperative that prospective homeschoolers know what is homeschool and what is not.

Homeschoolers determine the coursework of study completely, they do their own record keeping and when testing is necessary they determine the administration of tests.  They are free to set the pace of learning for the individual student, and free to commit to doing the educating of their own kids, enlist tutors and and create cooperative learning experiences with other homeschooling families, all by their own discretion and without a government agency's assistance.  This much like private schools is a model quite different from a public school system managed by statesmen and government paid educators who answer to voters as well as parents for the coursework, calendar,and expenditures. 

Some people think the PPPs are great, the best of both the public school and homeschooling worlds, however they are, in every way shape and form, full time public school.  PPPs might feel like "home schooling," they might even be promoted by people who used to know about homeschooling or used to homeschool, but one must remember that to join schools are required to tell you that you are full time enrolled and then they call your their PARTNER, which means, the schooling of your children, done at home is subject to their over-site and the WAC.  They want you to think you can be a homeschooler and be enrolled full time in public school.

Home Based Educators, historically called homeschoolers here in WA are not under that same rules and regulations that govern students enrolled full time in public schools. This is because homeschoolers are not public school students,  Despite this, they can, at the request of the student's parents be enrolled (part time) in what is called an ancillary class.  In this case, parents who utilize the school for a class or two in no way give up their liberty as parents to be the director and overseer of their child's individual education. You can be a homeschooler and participate PART TIME in a public school class offering, but you cannot be a homeschoolers AND full timed enrolled in public school.

If you join one of these partnership programs, and they tell you that you are enrolled full-time in the public school....guess what... you are a public school enrollee... full time.  Do freedom a favor and call yourself a member of a Parent Partnership Program, not a "Homeschooler."  You are governed by a different law than those pioneering homeschoolers fought for... you are governed by the WAC.  This of course does not make you less of a concerned or involved parent.  Make no mistake, there are a lot of concerned parents with kids who attend public school, involved parents who work with their kids on schoolwork daily at home.   What you call yourself in a PPP has ramifications for future homeschooling legislation as well as the cultural awareness of what homeschooling is... and isn't.

Parent Partnership Program websites often use the word "homeschool" or home schooling" in describing what it is they do.   These programs are being paid for, sponsored and managed by the particular local public school.  If you want to homeschool, instead of partnering with the local public school, be independent.  Contact a state homeschool support group, get involved in your local  homeschool support group or start one of your own.  If you are in a Parent Partnership, be proud of your school, your yearbook, wear your school colors and obey your school's rules and regulations, but please, don't think or make others think, that what you are doing is actually homeschool.

Happy Independence Day 2014!

The Battlefield of Our Public Schools- Geography

Geography or "Global Education"

I receive a Geography related email newsletter.  One newsletter contained several topics that really didn't sound much like the usual "geography." It contained healines like:  The Importance of Teaching Global Education in the Classroom...and  Making the Case for Geography in Our Schools, and, Geographic Education Revival.  

 "Global Education?"  Does that equate to geography?  Hardly!

You might find it interesting to look up the term.  Take note, as I did, that  " Global Education " is a philosophy of life.  (It's not even geography at all.)  Here in this newsletter, the teaching of a philosophy.... is simply being disguised as "geography.  It is not the same thing.


Geography educates you about facts and figures, it is a study of landmasses and cultures and exploration; Global Education is a worldview, a cognitive orientation of understanding  and an interpreting of perspectives which involves ethics, natural philosophy and a postulation of "values."  

Who's values? 

Whoever can dominate another.. that's who's.  Presented here to look like geography... really, and quite subliminally, something completely different will be taught. 

"Make a case of  teaching geography in our schools?"   Really?  We have to make a "case" in order to teach geography because people just do not want to learn i, land features, cities and capitals?    Since when?  

Geographic Education Revival?  Revival?

This newsletter informs"
 "Surveys recently conducted by the National Geographic Society (the NGS is the expert)  and the Asia Society (another expert) shed light on a growing concern: the decline of multicultural awareness.  

 ("Alarm!  Alarm!" There is a decline in people being multiculturally aware!)

Pardon me, but this is America... the melting pot, where people come from all over the globe and make their home here and bring their culture with them.   How is it that people are not "multiculturally aware?"  More importantly is not geography the study of place and people too?

Seriously, an in this age of  INTERNET accessibility.... in the age of being able to translate languages via computer on command... and in a time where most American families, as well as other parts of the world, people are watching television that consists of well over 600 channels being broadcast from all over the globe simultaneously, people are not multicultural aware?  Who are they kidding.

 We humans do still  read newspapers, take great interest in television programs, like National Geographic and the Discovery Channel and the programming on  PBS.  We visit libraries...  and id our schools do not teach about various cultures and geography and history, during thethe time our kids are there then there is a problem.... with the education our kids are getting and the money being spent on "school."

The article cries, "...studies show that U.S. students lack an understanding and knowledge of different people, places and cultures around the world."  


Please note who the failure is....  It is U.S. students.

The article  goes on to tell the reader, "The need has grown for the public to demand more rounded," (...pardon the interruption, but did you catch the shape of THAT global word? "rounded," do you think it could be intentional?)  " higher-quality education for today's youth, and for teachers to understand the value and necessity of developing lessons based on global education."

It's not just the students in the U.S. who are being labels as deficient....  It is those deficient American teachers that are apparently a problem too.  They don't know anything either. The clarion call is for the public to demand "global education."

U.S.students are not dumb.... and neither are U,S. teachers, who by the way, go to school for years and years learning what is put before them and passing.  But this newsletter considers them inept, or at least uninformed, and "obviously" not as smart as the people (the "experts" on teaching who are writing this article...) which claim to know more about what should be being taught to kids in schools.

Seriously?  Why should the purveyors of a magazine, tell us what to teach and not teach in our schools

 The writers here certainly have a lot of nerve...calling their kind of education and philosophy known as "global education" a "higher quality" education then singling out US students as poorly educated and blaming it on their teachers in our schools.   Beware.  These self proclaimed  "experts" (on everything) are trying to sell you something....but first they have to convince you to get rid of what you currently hold dear.  Your U.S. citizenship and the freedom to choose for yourself what you believe and think.... (and this without their supposed "expertise" on the matter.)  They are nothing but clever marketers who use clever words and hope you will exchange what you have for what they claim, is better.

Last I remembered teachers had been educated, even went to college and most paid a lot of money for that highly prized job which came to them because of their educational training.  Last I looked, maps and books were all over the place and at our fingertips too.  Airplanes trains and automobiles work to transport people all over the world... all the time.  We are not a multiculturally unaware people.

As these "experts" make the audacious claim that it is a necessity for teachers to "understand" "Global education"  it is highly likely that geography teachers know more than some of these self- proclaimed experts who simply have a philosophy to spread... who want "American" teachers to listen to them, answer to them, and "teach" America's kids... . not geography, but something more near and dear to the globalist heart... a "global education."  To do that they have to make you worried and make you think these teachers are stupid... inept and make you think you have to demand they teach what the experts have to sell today...  not geographical knowledge, but a philosophy, a worldview"  This too is what happens then teacher stop teaching and are relegated to only teaching what is in the books.

The article tells us, that "The United States government tried to introduce and incorporate multiculturalism and global education into the system repeatedly since the 1980s but was met with hostility and protests by many of its citizens."  (They mean the conservatives... )"Many conservatives feel that global education introduces anti-Americanism, and that multiculturalism introduces and encourages "separatism and disunity."  They have that right. It is anti American, anti freedom and while it pretends to respect cultures, all it does is separate people into categories based on how they look act or dress.  Example, "What race are you?" asks the multiculturalist.

"Human, thank you." answers the person who believe all men are created equal, that there is no superior "race."

The next title in the pack was Making the Case for Geography in Our Schools.

Now, I cannot speak for your homeschool, but I know that in our home based education, geography was always important.  No one would have to "make a case" for teaching or learning how to read a map or label geographic features and gaining knowledge and appreciation of different cultures and even their history... the flora and fauna of our earth's regions and the people groups who live around the globe.  These were always important in our studies.  Why then would school educators fail to see the importance of such things?    Do they  mean to imply, that public schools fail to teach geography?  

Not exactly... but sort of.  

The article under this title begins, "The education system in this country has never done a satisfactory job in pushing geographic knowledge."  

Evil America.  Our education system "has never done a satisfactory job" 

This is an insult and it is just not true.  Many a student has learned a lot about geography.  Americans should be insulted by always being told how awful the public school system is.   It must be worthwhile in some respects.  Kids are actually learning things in their schools... some more than others and some people some subjects better than others.  The American school system does have problems  but it also has some value, and while I am not an avid advocate of the public school system.... this bad- mouthing of America  gets a little old.

"Pushing? " (Now there is an interesting choice of words.) It's a word that is tale-telling for sure.  This is the problem with public education... unscrupulous people often use it for their own good.  they use it make money.... not for the good of the student and more insidiously, the school system is used to PUSH personal and political agendas. He who had the most money, or mean-ness, usually wins.  There are many schools who do an exemplary job of teaching, and of teaching Geography, (that is, "the study of the Earth and its lands, features, and inhabitants...") which is not equivalent to teaching the philosophies of this thing now dubbed by self-proclaimed "experts" as " Global Education."  


The third article,  Geographic Education Revival. in my opinion, is nothing but an advertisement for National Geographic magazine and Goals 2000 Educate America Act..  If you are not familiar with Goals 2000 or Outcome Based Education,( O.B.E. ) then do some serious research and read up on it. You  might want to begin by reading the document itself... and  Wikipedia, or books and articles by knowledgeable people, like Berit Kjos, Phyllis Schaffley who were well aware of it at the time it was proposed as a model of education and subsequently passed into law. According to the article, Geographical knowledge is not really on the decline it's growing, but they have another name for the "new Geography" too..Human Geography. which is more about the politics of policies and land use, population and the political organization of space than it is about the actual geographical features of our globe.

The earth shakes, the wind blows and the land on the earth changes... land features appear over eons of time.  People adapt and live and learn and grow.... cultures arise and form.  But maps are passe' for he who holds the map... owns the land.... do you must adapt to the map.  Your view and beliefs, what you personally own and value, not the physical features of land mass... is not "geography"  There is more than wind and rain and weather patterns at work to shape the land and human cultures.  There is a driving force that aims to change not the land features, but your mind..

Global Education is not geography at all.  It is and education of mind.  It is the philosophy, values, ethics and political dynamics dictated by self -proclaimed experts, who be-litle America and our American value of personal freedom.  Make no mistake these elitists have vested interests.  They are in business and mean business too.  They are determined, not only to sell their magazines, and textbooks to your school, but determined to shape and manage human thought as they propagate their philosophy globally through the education... of you, and your children through our apparently "inept"American"  schools.
LB