Comments on: The Harms of Homeschooling: A Retort http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/ Blunt Musings: Analytics, Search, Marketing, and Privacy. And other random thoughts. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:23:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Jeremy http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Jeremy Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:21:23 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-168 Excellent retort. I reposted at my facebook page "The Case for Homeschooling" at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Case-for-Homeschooling/107949119240905 Excellent retort. I reposted at my facebook page “The Case for Homeschooling” at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Case-for-Homeschooling/107949119240905

]]> By: The Harms of Homeschooling? Where Are the Premises? : NutBugs http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-158 The Harms of Homeschooling? Where Are the Premises? : NutBugs Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:26:48 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-158 [...] A Retort by razzed.com   [...] [...] A Retort by razzed.com   [...]

]]> By: Mike Howard http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-153 Mike Howard Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:56:50 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-153 Hello, I too have just heard about "Harms of Homeschooling". Wish I had known 20 years ago, when we decided to homeschool our two kids. And yes we are Christians. Think of the awful results... both are now well adjusted, good people. Both have or will soon obtain master's degrees. They are both independant and creative thinkers of the first rank. One got straight As throughout college. Think of that. Straight A's and never attended a day of public school. But we all know that Robin L West knows best. I am sure everything would be so much better if we hadnt home schooled them. /sarcasm off I wonder if Robin L West has a child who will get straight As through college? I doubt it. Because she is the type that has a closed mind, ensuring that her kids cant disagree with her for fear of being called idiots. Hello, I too have just heard about “Harms of Homeschooling”. Wish I had known 20 years ago, when we decided to homeschool our two kids. And yes we are Christians.

Think of the awful results… both are now well adjusted, good people. Both have or will soon obtain master’s degrees.

They are both independant and creative thinkers of the first rank.

One got straight As throughout college.

Think of that. Straight A’s and never attended a day of public school. But we all know that Robin L West knows best. I am sure everything would be so much better if we hadnt home schooled them.

/sarcasm off

I wonder if Robin L West has a child who will get straight As through college?

I doubt it. Because she is the type that has a closed mind, ensuring that her kids cant disagree with her for fear of being called idiots.

]]> By: Jerry http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-152 Jerry Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:18:17 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-152 Robin West would be surprised at the depth and breadth of home school education in some Fundamentalist Protestant homes. Robin West would be surprised at the depth and breadth of home school education in some Fundamentalist Protestant homes.

]]> By: Walter C Bowen III http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Walter C Bowen III Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:34:56 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-151 Re: West's article on the 'harms' of homeschooling: What I hope more people will realize is the truly dangerous bent of those like West who would sooner push America into totalitarian communistic educational systems than admit to her complete lack of understanding in the area of homeschooling education. The first thing that comes to mind when reading some of the excerpts of her drivel is many of the points written so eloquently about by Marlin Maddoux in his book, Public Education Against America. We must all remain ever vigilant in these times or we will see our freedoms steadily and inexorably eroded before our eyes. Please check out Mr. Maddoux's book -- it will open your eyes to what the liberal factions are trying to push and scare you into action. Re: West’s article on the ‘harms’ of homeschooling: What I hope more people will realize is the truly dangerous bent of those like West who would sooner push America into totalitarian communistic educational systems than admit to her complete lack of understanding in the area of homeschooling education. The first thing that comes to mind when reading some of the excerpts of her drivel is many of the points written so eloquently about by Marlin Maddoux in his book,
Public Education Against America. We must all remain ever vigilant in these times or we will see our freedoms steadily and inexorably eroded before our eyes. Please check out Mr. Maddoux’s book — it will open your eyes to what the liberal factions are trying to push and scare you into action.

]]> By: Architect http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-150 Architect Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:40:13 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-150 Here is another response to Robin L. West's article: http://www.nheri.org/Latest/The-Harms-of-Homeschooling-Where-Are-the-Premises.html Here is another response to Robin L. West’s article:

http://www.nheri.org/Latest/The-Harms-of-Homeschooling-Where-Are-the-Premises.html

]]> By: Carol http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-149 Carol Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:06:35 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-149 She actually says that the "unconditional love" of the family is conditioned upon family membership. So her point is that family love is very conditional - not unconditional. I guess, technically she is correct - we love our families because they are our families so you can call it "conditional" if you want. But schools are the ultimate teachers of conditionality - a child's worth is judged by academic, social, and economic factors by both the adults and fellow students. Acceptance is granted based on having the right shoes, or the right grades, or the right home. This is better for our kids? Also - the child abuse thing; if she really believes putting kids in school will stop child abuse or at least help discover it - why isn't she also proposing removing newborns from their mothers' arms? They are not school aged and surely shaken baby syndrome happens before school age? Shouldn't children just be institutionalized at birth to protect them from the harms of their own families? From what she says, it seems it would be so. At least if those families are religious or conservative...she seems to have it in for them, in particular. She actually says that the “unconditional love” of the family is conditioned upon family membership. So her point is that family love is very conditional – not unconditional. I guess, technically she is correct – we love our families because they are our families so you can call it “conditional” if you want. But schools are the ultimate teachers of conditionality – a child’s worth is judged by academic, social, and economic factors by both the adults and fellow students. Acceptance is granted based on having the right shoes, or the right grades, or the right home. This is better for our kids? Also – the child abuse thing; if she really believes putting kids in school will stop child abuse or at least help discover it – why isn’t she also proposing removing newborns from their mothers’ arms? They are not school aged and surely shaken baby syndrome happens before school age? Shouldn’t children just be institutionalized at birth to protect them from the harms of their own families? From what she says, it seems it would be so. At least if those families are religious or conservative…she seems to have it in for them, in particular.

]]> By: The Philosophy and Public Policy of Homeschooling « Red Sea School http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-148 The Philosophy and Public Policy of Homeschooling « Red Sea School Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:30:44 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-148 [...] see Tammy Takashi at Just Enough and Nothing More, Crunchy Mama at The Diosa Dotada Endeavor, Razzed, and Milton Gaither at Homeschooling Research [...] [...] see Tammy Takashi at Just Enough and Nothing More, Crunchy Mama at The Diosa Dotada Endeavor, Razzed, and Milton Gaither at Homeschooling Research [...]

]]> By: Architect http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Architect Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:04:21 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-147 Even if homeschooling is dominated by fundamentalist Christians, why should that justify any regulation? It should be completely irrelevant. Now, government policy advocates are using religion as one of the main reasons to write new laws. I thought that there was supposed to be a separation of church and state. Perhaps West thinks that it's okay to overlook this when it suits her needs. Furthermore, West argues that “authoritarian parenting produces damaged, ethically unrealized slaves who can’t think for themselves” (ethical servility). That is merely a new term for the Authoritarian Personality Structure; a term coined decades ago by the neo-Marxist Institute for Social Research (Frankfurt School). The Frankfurt School saw strong families as being an impediment to their socialist agenda, and so they coined terms like these to ostracized strong families. Although I doubt that West is a neo-Marxist, she is repackaging their tactics while claiming to be concerned with the safety and academic progress of children. Don't fall for her ruse! We can better maintain the safety and monitor the academic progress of our children on our own volition. Even if homeschooling is dominated by fundamentalist Christians, why should that justify any regulation? It should be completely irrelevant. Now, government policy advocates are using religion as one of the main reasons to write new laws. I thought that there was supposed to be a separation of church and state. Perhaps West thinks that it’s okay to overlook this when it suits her needs.

Furthermore, West argues that “authoritarian parenting produces damaged, ethically unrealized slaves who can’t think for themselves” (ethical servility). That is merely a new term for the Authoritarian Personality Structure; a term coined decades ago by the neo-Marxist Institute for Social Research (Frankfurt School). The Frankfurt School saw strong families as being an impediment to their socialist agenda, and so they coined terms like these to ostracized strong families.

Although I doubt that West is a neo-Marxist, she is repackaging their tactics while claiming to be concerned with the safety and academic progress of children. Don’t fall for her ruse! We can better maintain the safety and monitor the academic progress of our children on our own volition.

]]> By: Chickadee http://www.razzed.com/2009/12/22/the-harms-of-homeschooling-a-retort/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Chickadee Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:21:15 +0000 http://www.razzed.com/?p=397#comment-146 Thanks for this, Razzed. It's amazing what passes as scholarly work in an academic journal. Sounds like she wants to regulate homeschool out of existence to root out christian conservatism. "That's it! Get the poor kids with too much unconditional love away from their crazy parents and let overworked schoolteachers adjust their worldview to the right one!" While West seems to think the homeschooler's world is too insular, I think academia is a pretty insular world that tends to harbor slightly liberal, well-"socialized" bookworms who fail to get out of their mindset and into the real world. Robin West's article is a great case in point and your systematic breakdown of her arguments is very, very effective. It raises the question: Who is really being raised to be servile? And to whom? In West's view, it sounds okay to be servile to the politically correct government-funded institution, but it's not okay for conservative parents to instill their personal values in their children. I find this utterly preposterous, and I'm a vehement atheist. It really seems like she's using some specious arguments against homeschooling as a ploy to get conservative christian kids out from under the thumbs of their motivated parents who give a shit about them, and into somewhat secular and culturally mainstream public schools. Why is this better? And what about "the rest of us", secular, open-minded parents who choose to homeschool their kids because we think it will give them a good "education" -- that is, a way to build the skills to discover and pursue their interests in life successfully. School is not evil. It provides a public service - free childcare while parents work. It provides lunch to many kids who need it, academic learning, mentoring, friends, opportunities to grow. But it is not for everyone. Thanks for this, Razzed. It’s amazing what passes as scholarly work in an academic journal. Sounds like she wants to regulate homeschool out of existence to root out christian conservatism. “That’s it! Get the poor kids with too much unconditional love away from their crazy parents and let overworked schoolteachers adjust their worldview to the right one!”
While West seems to think the homeschooler’s world is too insular, I think academia is a pretty insular world that tends to harbor slightly liberal, well-”socialized” bookworms who fail to get out of their mindset and into the real world. Robin West’s article is a great case in point and your systematic breakdown of her arguments is very, very effective.
It raises the question: Who is really being raised to be servile? And to whom? In West’s view, it sounds okay to be servile to the politically correct government-funded institution, but it’s not okay for conservative parents to instill their personal values in their children. I find this utterly preposterous, and I’m a vehement atheist. It really seems like she’s using some specious arguments against homeschooling as a ploy to get conservative christian kids out from under the thumbs of their motivated parents who give a shit about them, and into somewhat secular and culturally mainstream public schools. Why is this better?
And what about “the rest of us”, secular, open-minded parents who choose to homeschool their kids because we think it will give them a good “education” — that is, a way to build the skills to discover and pursue their interests in life successfully.
School is not evil. It provides a public service – free childcare while parents work. It provides lunch to many kids who need it, academic learning, mentoring, friends, opportunities to grow. But it is not for everyone.

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