End of Year Assessments
In my state of Ohio, we can turn in the results of a standardized test or have our students' work assessed. Sometimes I give the Iowas, but most often have a certified teacher give the assessment. Our former assessor retired and I had to find a new one, and asked a neighbor who happens to be certified. I mentioned this situation on a Facebook forum page that deals with everything-homeschooling-and-then-some.
The tongue lashing I received was surprising, and a bit disturbing.
"I wouldn't let him within 100 feet of my child."
"Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."
"Conflict of interest."
"It's never helpful to have a public school teacher look at a homeschool."
"They just don't understand our way of life."
I am passionate about homeschooling and I do not take for granted the hard won right to do it. Nor am I willing to give up any of my rights. There are educational elites who would love to see homeschooling strictly regulated or banned altogether. There are some that hate us; they are our enemies, and they are a real threat to our rights.
But the rest? I'm not so sure. There are teachers that are suspicious or just ignorant. But most,who know a few homeschoolers, probably don't feel that way, unless they know the few that are paranoid and secretive and kind of hostile. Like the ladies quoted above.
And in that case, they are their own enemy. Look, I don't want to have any more to do with the public school system and its employees any more than I have to. (Although we let our 17 year old swim for the local high school and it turned out great). But I avoid the system mostly because I know I can do just as good a job, if not better, than they can, and because I am fiercely independent and want to keep it that way. But not because I am scared of them or hostile toward them. Not because I have something to hide. They have their way of doing things, and I have mine, and we both have a right to do it.
We don't do ourselves any good acting that way. If we do, we perpetuate the stereotype that we are all denim-jumper-wearing, living-off-grid, anti-social types that want nothing to do with the outside world. Kind of like the Amish.
What I am doing is perfectly legal, I am not abusing or neglecting my children, and they are getting a solid education. I have nothing to hide. In fact, I am eager to share what I do with an educational elite. Because once I do, he will go on to tell his peers, who very well may be anti-homeschooling or completely ignorant of the facts, what a viable option it is and that he knows some families who do it, and it's working great!
But more than that, is our Christian witness to the outside world. One of the biggest reasons we homeschool (though there are plenty who are not of this mind-set, and that's OK with me) is our Christian faith. We want to openly share with our kids and weave God throughout our academics. So as Christians, what better way to share with the supposed "enemy" then to invite them into our home and show them what we are about. They may not understand. They may not agree. But the more they are exposed to us, the more mainstream and normal we will seem to them. The more they interact with us and our kids, the more they will see that homeschooling works.
Sure, we do need to use wisdom in picking an assessor because it could turn into a bad situation. We do need to be able to identify our enemies in this situation and avoid them, because one call to CPS could make our lives a living hell. But we also need to take care that we do not give anyone cause for suspicion. We need to diligently protect our rights, lest the enemy is looking back at us in the mirror.
Some, not many, but some homeschoolers would say that I am a sell-out, that I am asking for trouble, that I am talking to the enemy.
I was once an enemy of Christ.
The tongue lashing I received was surprising, and a bit disturbing.
"I wouldn't let him within 100 feet of my child."
"Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."
"Conflict of interest."
"It's never helpful to have a public school teacher look at a homeschool."
"They just don't understand our way of life."
I am passionate about homeschooling and I do not take for granted the hard won right to do it. Nor am I willing to give up any of my rights. There are educational elites who would love to see homeschooling strictly regulated or banned altogether. There are some that hate us; they are our enemies, and they are a real threat to our rights.
But the rest? I'm not so sure. There are teachers that are suspicious or just ignorant. But most,who know a few homeschoolers, probably don't feel that way, unless they know the few that are paranoid and secretive and kind of hostile. Like the ladies quoted above.
And in that case, they are their own enemy. Look, I don't want to have any more to do with the public school system and its employees any more than I have to. (Although we let our 17 year old swim for the local high school and it turned out great). But I avoid the system mostly because I know I can do just as good a job, if not better, than they can, and because I am fiercely independent and want to keep it that way. But not because I am scared of them or hostile toward them. Not because I have something to hide. They have their way of doing things, and I have mine, and we both have a right to do it.
We don't do ourselves any good acting that way. If we do, we perpetuate the stereotype that we are all denim-jumper-wearing, living-off-grid, anti-social types that want nothing to do with the outside world. Kind of like the Amish.
What I am doing is perfectly legal, I am not abusing or neglecting my children, and they are getting a solid education. I have nothing to hide. In fact, I am eager to share what I do with an educational elite. Because once I do, he will go on to tell his peers, who very well may be anti-homeschooling or completely ignorant of the facts, what a viable option it is and that he knows some families who do it, and it's working great!
But more than that, is our Christian witness to the outside world. One of the biggest reasons we homeschool (though there are plenty who are not of this mind-set, and that's OK with me) is our Christian faith. We want to openly share with our kids and weave God throughout our academics. So as Christians, what better way to share with the supposed "enemy" then to invite them into our home and show them what we are about. They may not understand. They may not agree. But the more they are exposed to us, the more mainstream and normal we will seem to them. The more they interact with us and our kids, the more they will see that homeschooling works.
Sure, we do need to use wisdom in picking an assessor because it could turn into a bad situation. We do need to be able to identify our enemies in this situation and avoid them, because one call to CPS could make our lives a living hell. But we also need to take care that we do not give anyone cause for suspicion. We need to diligently protect our rights, lest the enemy is looking back at us in the mirror.
Some, not many, but some homeschoolers would say that I am a sell-out, that I am asking for trouble, that I am talking to the enemy.
I was once an enemy of Christ.
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