Government education, even if things like bullying and ignorance in the teaching staff are cured, serves one basic purpose - to indoctrinate the children and prepare them to be good citizens of the state. GE gives the children what they "need" to know to get by in life - or so they claim. The life they want our children living is one where they are loyal to the state, and its economic and political goals.

Children who are home educated are, or at least should be, taught to think critically. It is unfortunate that most fundamentalist home educators don't really do this; unless they are using The Sonlight Curriculum, or The Robinson Curriculum. Both of these curriculum choices encourage the child to read, and to make those reading choices based not on one's already accepted philosophy, but upon critically examining philosophical schools of differing thought.

Government schools prepare the children to be good little union workers for the multinational corporations. This way, the government can ensure the multinationals of the thing they need the most - a steady supply of ignorant workers, who know just enough to put the round peg in the round hole. They may not know why the round one goes there, but since it works, they accept it.

Sadly, after doing some research online, I found out that there are "experts" who are standing behind this bunk.

How they can even REMOTELY expect students to solve problems, without used time-tested solutions, but rather with trial-and-error solutions, is pathetic.

Two questions: Do you know if this "method" used in Howell or anywhere else in Michigan for that matter?

I agree that critical thinking should be a cornerstone of home educating. You are right on!

A while back I did some research and found that while Michigan has the third highest paid teachers in the nation, our students rank only in 20th place; the Governor admitted on the radio that our students rank 37th in obtaining a college education which tells me they aren't prepared for higher education; administration costs are 58% above the national average.

Does she really believe that droves of parents are pulling their children from public schools because they disagree with the Core Democratic Values? Her "socialism argument" leaves out the fact that the values are from the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Gettysburg Address and other foundational documents of the United States. Those are not socialist documents.

She also claims that Everyday Mathematics is terrible. Her proof is a YouTube video. She also dislikes the "coloring pages" used to teach designs and tessellations to elementary aged students. (quote from her personal blog). This shows that she does not understand how to teach geometry and algebra concepts to young children.

Further, her dislike of Al Gore seems to ignore the fact that his movie is not a part of the State of Michigan Curriculum. It also seems highly suspect that a child was forced to watch the movie three times in one day.

It is also false that public schools do not have competition. By her own admissionion, unhappy parents can "choose to put their kids in charter or private schools."  This (along with the Schools of Choice program) is competition.

I have never posted before, but I have always enjoyed reading RightMichigan. This post, however, calls into question the validity of your front-page items.  

You'll forgive me if I doubt your post's sincerity.

We must feed the behemoth monster of the Public Education System!  Because the unions tell us too!  if you don't like increased money going to the teachers, you must hate blue collar workers making $80k/year for 8 months work.

but i take exception to someone sitting on a school board who rails against "socialist indoctrination" and essentially badmouths the concept that students should be exposed to diverse ideas. i can pretty much guarantee that the only "critical thinking" going on at many home schooling homes is that the earth was made in 7 days and god hates _____(fill in the blank).

the person in question has every right to run for a board position and sit on a board. i'm not the entity that badmouths such things--it's usually the anti-union types who get their shorts in knots over elections and candidates.

but the fact remains she has an obligation to be more open-minded than she is about things--especially when she, in the very act of criticizing schools, shows her own biases and narrow mindedness.

Let's be so open minded that our brains fall out.  But let's say someone has the right to be closed-minded, and at the same time say she shouldn't be closed-minded.

I especially liked the categorical hatred (earth created in 7 days/god hates _) statement.

agreed.