I mean really talk?
This is about Alternative Learning Programs in public schools....ALP"S
ALP, ALE, PPP, whatever they are called, all are intended to teach the three "R"s (you know, "reading, riting and rithmetic", the A B C's...and 1 2 3 's) and after I recently found myself looking into what the ALP's (like MEPP, Mead Educational Parent Partnership, a subsidiary of Mead Schools) here in Spokane says about itself... I need to talk about it to others who want to know what I have learned.
Red, please, if you will, what they advertise on their webpage about themselves... being a public, tax funded school and all and then, let's talk.
They say:
"Throughout Washington State, educators, parents and community members persistently strive to create strong educational models to best meet the needs of students. Several years ago, the Mead Education Partnership Program (MEPP) was developed in response to the desire of community members for a program that could support, enrich and provide resources to the home school community. At MEPP, the students' education takes place in a variety of locations which may include home, other sites (colleges) as well as the Five Mile Prairie School. Five Mile Prairie School accommodates teaching/learning schedules at home by offering flexible class times. District approved curriculum is chosen by parent instructors in collaboration with certified teachers. For example, classes such as math, traditionally taught for fifty minutes, five days a week, may be taught at Five Mile twice a week for longer periods of time with additional instruction and/or work completed at home. Conferences, which review student learning plans every month, are one way our community collaborates.
Students participate in classes one or more days a week at the Five Mile Prairie School. Students can meet for Physical Science in their own science room, explore robotics in the media room, enjoy dance in the family room, or choose from a plethora of other classes, all of which infuse current technology. While the technological tools we use to teach at Five Mile Prairie School may have changed over time, the mission has remained the same: to create the best education possible for students by listening to and collaborating with parents."
Let's talk about this from a homeschooling, (home-based-education) perspective:
"Throughout Washington State, educators, parents and community members persistently strive to create strong educational models to best meet the needs of students."
Yes, and the homeschooling model of education has proven itself quite well! IT is no doubt a strong model educational model, and it is quite flattering that the public school would actually want to model homeschooling. Apparently homeschooling has worked so well that the public school desires to use it as a model for public education. There are some problems with public schools using this model though.
One problem is that they have to create these new special programs in addition to to the programs already in place, and it costs taxpayers a lot of money to provide these special schools for only a few special children,,,, children who already and who without such programs would actually have the option of this model,....homeschooling... under the homebased education law. This is taxpayer money that could be spent in support of the already established public school. Another problem is that most homeschools are founded upon biblical principals and beliefs and use curriculum that directly reflects their religious beliefs, the same materials used in private and religious schools, and most of these curriculum are not allowed due to demands of separation between church and state, as as such are prohibited for use in public, taxpayer funded schools. Without such things, the public school model of these "models of education" models something completely different indeed.
One problem is that they have to create these new special programs in addition to to the programs already in place, and it costs taxpayers a lot of money to provide these special schools for only a few special children,,,, children who already and who without such programs would actually have the option of this model,....homeschooling... under the homebased education law. This is taxpayer money that could be spent in support of the already established public school. Another problem is that most homeschools are founded upon biblical principals and beliefs and use curriculum that directly reflects their religious beliefs, the same materials used in private and religious schools, and most of these curriculum are not allowed due to demands of separation between church and state, as as such are prohibited for use in public, taxpayer funded schools. Without such things, the public school model of these "models of education" models something completely different indeed.
"Several years ago, the Mead Education Partnership Program (MEPP) was developed in response to the desire of community members for a program that could support, enrich and provide resources to the home school community. "
"Support, enrich and provide resources?"
Wait one moment... the homeschooling community, if anything, developed the homeschooling law.. and the homeschooling law and the individuals who worked framing that law made it very clear that homeschoolers do not want or require the direct oversight of the public school system. In fact, they are quite independant of it. Truth is, here in a free nation, the government via the local public school has no business trying to financially support homeschoolers any more than it should be supporting private schools.
And actually, for the Mead School District to undertake the project of creating expensive programs, complete with state paid jobs for both parents and teacher is a bit out of the intent of what tax payers money should be used for. Not to mention, the school district already provides an educational resource that all parents, even parents who homeschool ,can already access that if they need the resources of public education; it's called the local public school and "homeschooling" people can already access ancillary classes and programs available to all students, like Running Start.
And actually, for the Mead School District to undertake the project of creating expensive programs, complete with state paid jobs for both parents and teacher is a bit out of the intent of what tax payers money should be used for. Not to mention, the school district already provides an educational resource that all parents, even parents who homeschool ,can already access that if they need the resources of public education; it's called the local public school and "homeschooling" people can already access ancillary classes and programs available to all students, like Running Start.
The public education system is a tool that should be used to enrich all students on an equal basis... not simply enrich a special group of people. more than others.... nor should it be used to in-rich the pocketbooks of those who create or enroll in the special programs.
As benevolent as it sounds to be responsive to the community, one would expect public servants to focus on improving our public schools that truely are open to all the public and not to be busy creating private schools for an elite group of individuals. There is however the possibility that such prgrams were developed intentionally by the district in an attempt to prevent parents from homeschooling... without their professional assistance, because we do know some people believe that the professionals always know what is best. It is important to note that one must disenroll from school and then reinroll in school and into this special program and that once enrolled, a once legal "homeschooler" is no longer "homeschooling," (no longer under the RWC) even though the parent feels and is directly involved.
As benevolent as it sounds to be responsive to the community, one would expect public servants to focus on improving our public schools that truely are open to all the public and not to be busy creating private schools for an elite group of individuals. There is however the possibility that such prgrams were developed intentionally by the district in an attempt to prevent parents from homeschooling... without their professional assistance, because we do know some people believe that the professionals always know what is best. It is important to note that one must disenroll from school and then reinroll in school and into this special program and that once enrolled, a once legal "homeschooler" is no longer "homeschooling," (no longer under the RWC) even though the parent feels and is directly involved.
"At MEPP, the students' education takes place in a variety of locations which may include home, other sites (colleges) as well as the Five Mile Prairie School. Five Mile Prairie School accommodates teaching/learning schedules at home by offering flexible class times. District approved curriculum is chosen by parent instructors in collaboration with certified teachers."
In these programs, students are enrolled full time in the public school.. and if the student is enrolled in public school, then they are no longer under the home based education law for their "compulsory" schooling... and as such, they are not homeschooling, though they very well may be doing school at home. Even if Parents work with teachers, even if parents are teaching in the home... the parents are not homeschoolers.
Do these parents now "work" for the state? Are they now controlled albeit "voluntarily" by the state? They now certainly must answer to the state for what is being taught by them to their own children in their home. People, make no mistake, this is not homeschooling. In fact, this is nothing less than the state invasion of the home... and if you think it is not, then know that the state hires certified teachers to teach in schools. We, the general public, do not pay taxes into pots marked "educational funds" for an elite few to dip into the pot and create their own private school.
And besides that, to be under the direct oversight of the school or be taught by a certified teacher is not the point of home based education. In fact parents who homeschool make a deliberate choice to reinvent their own "school." Our WA law declares that once an intent to homeschool has been filed with the district, (which confirms their intent to keep immunization records and secure yearly academic testing for their children in case they do someday return to public school,) all decisions relating to philosophy or doctrine; selection of books, teaching materials and curriculum; and methods, timing, and place in the provision or evaluation of home-based instruction shall be the responsibility of the parent. Homeschooling is not, nor has ever been a financial burden to tax payers and while homeschool parents have always had access as taxpayers themselves.... to, an can make use of public schools, they have never been the paid employees or financial benefactors of our tax-based funded public schools
Furthermore, children are always the responsibility of their parents, unless the parents abdicate or delegate that responsibility to another.. including the parnership that already exists between parents, neighbors, and the local public schools. True and firmly established in our society as well as since the dawn of time itself, children have a belonging relationship not to "school" or "state" but first, foremost and always to the parent, even when that child is enrolled at the local public school.
"For example, classes such as math, traditionally taught for fifty minutes, five days a week, may be taught at Five Mile twice a week for longer periods of time with additional instruction and/or work completed at home. Conferences, which review student learning plans every month, are one way our community collaborates."
Do our public servants (TEACHERS) those who are using the "homeschooling model" of education in our public school system, get paid the same salaries teachers teaching math five days a week do, and this for only teaching math two days a week?
"Students participate in classes one or more days a week at the Five Mile Prairie School. Students can meet for Physical Science in their own science room, explore robotics in the media room, enjoy dance in the family room, or choose from a plethora of other classes, all of which infuse current technology."
Family room?
DO all public schools have a "family room"?
Do all public schools offer a plethora of other classes... like dance classes to their students? Do all public schools offer individual reimbursements to student's parents for piano lessons, violin lessons or purchases ski passes for their students? No.
But for the parents and students in these special programs, they do, and they do it with tax moenies too.
Do all public schools offer a plethora of other classes... like dance classes to their students? Do all public schools offer individual reimbursements to student's parents for piano lessons, violin lessons or purchases ski passes for their students? No.
But for the parents and students in these special programs, they do, and they do it with tax moenies too.
Homeschooling, works pretty good.... not only because it is done in a family environment, a family lifestyle... in a so called, "family room" but because there is room for family and most importantly room for a living and worshiping a true and living God. These programs, touted as "HOMEschool" programs can pretend to be like home, they can even have a "family room," but really they are a sham. The look like homeschool, feel like homeschool, but really, they are all about the money and worse of all they exclude the most important and essential ingredient for excellence in education, that very thing that is the foundation of the home, the very thing that makes homeschooling really work, and that ingredient is... God.
"While the technological tools we use to teach at Five Mile Prairie School may have changed over time, the mission has remained the same: to create the best education possible for students by listening to and collaborating with parents."
Public school at the local building is nothing like these classes being offered. It's a complete different mindset. In fact, if regular public school had half as many fantastic resources for public school families.. as these special programs had, fewer would probably leave. Does your regular classroom do not have robotics classes in the media center, or offer your child dancing in the "family room," at school? Hardly, for they can barely afford to buy a box of facial tissue for their students, which makes all these special classes for a select few individuals seem more than frivolous.. in terms of basic education.
And worse, is the harsh reality... that in these tough economic times of such a great and devastating national deficit, this is all being done at tax payer's expense. In fact, it is being done with fervor.
((((Can we talk?)))
These people are not homeschooling and they should never be referred to as "homeschoolers." They are, like most of us with school age children in America, parents who care about their children's education enough to be involved, but they are not "homeschoolers." They can call themselves many things, but homeschoolers they are not. What they are doing, they are doing it in the name of "public" education, but it really is not particularly public, it's for those who drop-out of already "basic," public school. IF they were "homeschooling" they would not be funded by the state...
While children who are being homeschooled, or private schools may have access to a public school class and classroom, they are not in the business of creating special partnerships with public schools. They take no money for education from the government. There are no working partnerships. In fact, homeschoolers are educating their own children at home and out about in the world, in many ways and for many reasons, and they do it, without creating burdens for Washington State tax-payer's. They homeschool, legally as citizens of a free country and they do it, like private schools, at their own expense.
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