Walking Therein

Homeshooling in Indiana may get tougher.... but, this attitude affects ALL homeschoolers!

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9:55 PM, Friday, September 8, 2006 .. Posted by babymakers

You are right. It is a scary time that we live in with the government thinking they own our children. I guess the only thing we can do is pray and be squeaky wheels. You can't really be mad at the person who wrote that article because they are just ignorant and brainwashed. I am sure they are a product of the school system and have probably never been set free by the Word of God. On one hand people like that make me as angry as a hornet and on the other hand I feel bad for them. They have no idea what they are really doing and it is partly my fault for not reaching the world for Christ.

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10:25 PM, Friday, September 8, 2006 .. Posted by Anonymous

Saxon Algebra 2 for a 16 year student....your child is severly behind in school. If you child would be so brillant from homeschooling they would be taking Calculus like my public school students. Our standards state that all high school freshman must be taking Algebra 2 or Trig. by their freshman year. You are clearly failing your children. They will never be prepared for college, not even Ivy Tech. So sad!!!!

Dear John... er, Anonymous, er, ... whoever you are.....

11:45 PM, Friday, September 8, 2006 .. Posted by JacqueDixonSoulRestES

The crystal clear thing about your comment is that it lacks wisdom and truth. As a teacher - which is what you make yourself sound like- you should have done a little more research before presuming to know about my family, my children or my teaching skills. My daughter is 16, for starters. Her sister, who is 15, is also in Algebra 2, with her sister.

In addition, I am training my children to not have to conform to the standards set for the masses by people like you, who raise mostly social misfits in the pss. Do your brilliant students have the capabilities to run a business website, an ebay store, handle packaging, retailing, and correspondence with people not only across the US, but also every other country in the world from where we have a customer? Can your students redesign a website by learning html on their own? Can any of your students run a household budget, help you with your taxes and record-keeping, keep a home, children and garden, teach younger students, put a baby to sleep or handle attending a birth??

I would gather not, as they are too busy preparing themseves to spend countless hours wasting their lives in some state-sponsored college, while my daughter will be fulfilling her God-given role as a daughter of the King, being a shaper of the young minds of her children, caring for her household and husband, setting a higher standard in this world for women than being lackeys who must provide the income, which is the duty of the man of the house. Well, either that or your students are too busy pursuing other extra-curricular activities that, thankfully, our children will not be exposed to in our home.

We are not just educating our children, which is the defining line betwixt homeschoolers and public school advocates: We are shaping the lives of the children who will shape the future for God. We are fostering a maturity unavailable to ps students. I do not expect you to understand this, any more than I expect you to be bold and honest and actually stand up for what you believe in by identifying yourself, instead of being "anonymous".
Algebra is in itself a means by which we teach our children logic and thinking skills. They are not successful because they can pass a test or a class, but because they can think and live in the real world, applying the logic lessons learned in algebra, calculus, etc. Your students have not yet proven those skills, mine have.

As far as your 'concern' for my daughter's future... God has it all mapped out, and we will trust in Him. The measure of her maturity is not in how well she competes in a classroom of her peers, it is how she relates (and very well, too) to adults and adversities in life. We do not believe it is a woman's place to usurp the authority of a man, and while our daughters will always be learning - for the rest of their lives- we will not be sending them to the "adult high school" you refer to as college. (There is not a whole lotta learnin' goin' on there, either. I know from personal experience, as do many homeschool parents, I'm sure.) We will be training them, not pushing our responsibilities for our children off to someone with such a poor attitude about real-life experiences as yours.

Many blessings and best wishes to your students, who are in for eye-widening experiences when they finally do reach adulthood - and considering the new topic I have been studying, "Twixters", that may not happen for many years under your tutiledge.

Like I said in the post: If you have students in your care, you need to focus on them; we are not worried about the future of our children, and they are none of your concern.
Sincerely, Jacque Dixon

****************************************************
Rachel - I am not mad at the witless comments and ideas people come up with, but I will not release them from their responsibilties of using their brains and consulting true sources, instead of listening to people with opinions, lacking experience in such matters.

A teaching degree does not automatically give you the knowledge you need to truly assess a child's growth. The pss treats each child as a break from the same mold, not individuals with different needs and capabilities. That is what "anonymous" is trying to do: fit our children into the generic mold as deemed by "our standards". Whose standards??

I'll tell you what, let's see people- teachers and parents- get their immoral students to have some self-control, and live by the moral and maturity standards my children adhere to... HAH! Now, that would be something to get an education from... for the adults!

I do agree... it will only come by the working of submission to the Holy Spirit!
Thank you for your comment!

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12:24 AM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by babymakers

I wasn't thinking that you were just mad at that lady who wrote the article. Just pointing out something I have learned.

I have to say AMEN, AMEN, AMEN to your comment to anonymous. I agreed with everything you said. It is good to know there are other people out there who are not feeding thier daughters to the dogs of this world and who are not sending the children God gave them to adult highschool! LOL I never heard to it referred to as that.

As for anonymous they must be to cowardly to leave a name. I have noticed that often people hide under anonymous. I find it rude and appauling when people do that! Don't worry they have done it to me too.

You had a good point about teaching children. I was a ps student that passed all tests with straight A's in some years of elementary school but am finding myself relearning everything because I don't know how to do it anymore. It is because I never learned to apply what I learned. I knew the test answers but in the long run it did me no good. So, here I am relearning fractions and grammer this year so I can teach my children. How sad is that? That anonymous person can have the ps because my children deserve better than that.

When I was in high school

12:46 AM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by ThreeLittleLadies

Algebra 2 was the standard for a 16 year old, and most students never passed Algebra 1. I venture to say that it probably hasn't changed much. I'm with you - who is to say how you should teach your own children. Who knows them better than you? There are reasons we homeschool - and it isn't so we can come under the standards of the state as to what kids need to know when and what makes them "educated" when they do graduate. I did take advanced math in high school. It did not dictate which college I went to, or which classes I was able to take in college. I received a degree as a physician assistant, and the same initials follow my name as do every other graduate of the same or similar programs - regardless of how high they went in high school math. I could have gone to medical school, and it would not have been limited by whether I took advanced math in high school - it would have depended on what courses I took in college - whether I completed the prerequisites required - and I'm pretty sure that even now courses higher than calculus are not on the prerequisite list. No worries. I'm sure Jesus at the day of judgment will also not have a list requiring higher math or whether or not we taught higher math to our children. I for one am very impressed with your children!

By the way, I ordered the Elijah Company catalog tonight and am looking forward to reading it on cold nights this winter (won't be long here).

Are you familiar with the HOW curriculum that Canadagirl is planning to use? Do you use it?

Carol

First Things First

6:07 AM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by servingtheKingofkings

We (Christian parents) need to put the Lord first...in our hearts and in our homeschooling. Jacque, that's what you've been doing. You're a wonderful mother and teacher! Your daughters are sweet, Godly, and talented. Don't let that anonymous comment get you down. Obviously, that person's standards are different than yours (worldly standards vs. God's/Biblical standards). Your example of living a life of faith daily will leave more lasting/significant impact on your children than any math or grammar or science, etc. Our children's relationship with the Lord is more important than calculus and college (which is so overrated). We're (and should be) more concerned about them knowing Him, loving Him, and living according to His will, than any academic achievements.
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36

VERY WELL SAID SSiC !!!!

9:49 AM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by Canadagirl

Karen Andreola said in her book Charlotte Mason Compainion.... ( I can't remember the words exactly ) pertaining to the Educational Grinder and at the out end comes educated pork. Oh how I wish I could find my copy and say it a whole lot better. I was in a charter school for 2 years and I can say it is a grinder trying to make all kids have a cookie cutter education. I broke loose this last fall and wanted God to LEAD our education and I LOVE it and cherish our freedom. People say that these Goverment overseers are helping us be accountable. I DO have accountablity to GOD. We ARE living up to a standard and it IS God's standard. We are to do everything to our fullest for the Lord and that includes our childrens education. I really appreciate your boldness SSiC. Go Girl !!! Praise the Lord.
In Him,

That article made me sick!

11:42 AM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by byourlove1

I read the article about Indiana, wow, that is scary, your right I'm here in Kentucky none of us are immune to this garabage. I just can't believe the nerve of her saying homeschoolers might not be at public school status. Please, thats laughable. Did she watch the 20/20 last week about America stupid. There were kids at 18yrs of age that couldn't read. I got tears in my eyes when I saw it, it was just unbelievable. If Indiana tries that stuff they will have a fight on their hands, We homeschoolers will not lay down quietly and let them take our freedoms.. Wow, I don't usually get this fired up but that article made me mad!

Angela

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12:09 PM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by spunkyhomeschool

Thanks for the links and continuing the conversation. People who allow the state to control their lives and the lives of their children will never understand why this is so important. It's based on a worldview that they don't hold. The man who wrote the article was trying to get a dialogue going about state oversight of homeshcooling. The basic premise was flawed so any subsequent conversation is difficult. He can't understand why we reject the premise.

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1:38 PM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by Anonymous

Do your brilliant students have the capabilities to run a business website, an ebay store, handle packaging, retailing, and correspondence with people not only across the US, but also every other country in the world from where we have a customer?
YES!!!!!!!!! Many of our high school students are involved in interships and work at several businesses. They work in hosptials as certified nursing assistants, in law offices as paralegals, in banks as bankers, in architecture offices as CAD drawers, in marketing corporations as graphic designers, writers and sellers. Yes, if the students want to take on a job, they may do so. I have a friend of my who is wanting to run for Mayor of FW, and consistantly has interns from FWCS for his architecture business.

I may add, I have a realitive that owns a shipping packaging that has several different people calling in from all over. We have had excellent well qualified public school students doing interships. They have done an amazing job, in part of being able to handle authority from different individuals. We have interveiewed serveral homeschoolers that have flunked our basic math, english and typing test. Basic things, but they could not do it. I know there are a few students who are homeschooled that could do well on our test, but we have not seen them yet.

Can your students redesign a website by learning html on their own?
Yes! Five years, ago, I worked for a nonprofit organization and we needed a student to complete a website for us. I called up a computer teacher, that taught the basics, and they had a student who had done several extra things on his own. He came and built us one of the nicest websites I had seen. That is just one of many students, that I know of, doing such projects.

Can any of your students run a household budget, help you with your taxes and record-keeping, keep a home, children and garden, teach younger students, put a baby to sleep or handle attending a birth??
Many of the students I kknow can run a household budget and help with taxes and record-keeping. I have meet more teens in the last year working a 3rd shift job to put food on their dinning room table for their family. They know how to do taxes and record-keeping. Trust me, I was a public school student, I learned my 10th grade year how to do taxes on my own. But as we know they TAXES are easy.

Keep a home, children and garden.

Many of the students, with proper modeling from parents can keep a home, children and a garden. Many of the students I work with are required to keep a garden with an inner city gardening program. They are to raise the vegetables and fruits and then distribute them to the needy in the community. Many of the students know how to clean their bedrooms, run the vaccum and even make a dinner. Yes, a few don't, but when you work with extremely improvished children, no long is home after school - parents are working double shifts - so they don't get those lessons at home.

Children
Many of the youngsters, I know love children. I have seen on countless times many of them changing diapers, feeding, playing, babysitting, etc.

Teaching
Yes! Many of the students, particulary those in high school, teach Sunday school at church. Also, in FWCS they have a teaching academy, where the students are required to prepare and teach a lesson, handle discipline, grade papers (if needed) and keep on tabs with the educators, students and parents. These students, because I have seen them in action, do well. The younger students are responsive to them and look up and respect them. Also, at after-school programs, held at churches, Boy & Girls Clubs, etc., youth leaders (those in middle and high school) are often asked to step-up and plan lessons on social skills, stay no to drugs, eat healthy, communicate properly, etc. These young leaders do well. They are able to handle the pressures of listening to multiple adults and balance the needs of the youth. Many times they are the ones responsible for writing grants to teach the lessons.

I have few questions for you to consider:
1. What if you daughter does not get married until 35? Will she stay-at-home because she does not have the basic skills to get a decent jobs.
2. What if that Christian man she marries, beats her...(it happens)? Do you tell her to stay, because she has no one else to go for money.
3. What if her husband dies young, and she is forced to get a job? Even at Scott's and Wal-Mart you have to pass a pretty rigious math test.
4. Does you child know a foreign language? It is required to go onto many of the college's in Indiana, even Taylor University, Huntington College and Indiana Weselyan require it.
5. What about physics and chemistry?
6. What happens if God intended for your child to be the one who cures breast cancer? You stiffling her education, makes it a sin in my eyes.
7. What happens if you die, and you husband is not able to handle the rigors of business and homeschooling? What happens if your students are held back in school due to the lack of educational opportunities you have.
8. What happens if she is upset at the lack-of- quality of education she recieved, she commits suicide? I only bring this up, because a friend of mine who helps with their youth group at church, large homeschooling population, had a situation like this. Sad but true. The parents didn't even know what happened.

Pharoah, LET MY PEOPLE GO!

3:27 PM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by JacqueDixonSoulRestES

Thank you, Anonymous....for proving my point AGAIN!

First of all, you still can't stand up for yourself and your beliefs. I have my name, address, even an available ph# linked to this blog, and you can't even give your 1st name.

Second, you proved that our children are not behind your students. You listed all of the wonderful achievements of your students, and ours are right in there, not behind. Also, you need to check out the actual requirements for high school students in IN.
We do know ps students, as do most homeschoolers, so we don't need you telling us how our children don't compare. We listen to the language - as in speech and conversation- and such of ps students; I am not impressed. Many of them are dull in their own rights (without their friends around) and do not have the skills they need to live as adults, even in high school.

Third, it seems as though you lack faith that I am holding onto, trusting in.... I know God has a plan, and I believe He will follow it all the way to the end for my children. Yes, bad things happen, even to Believers. But, I believe we are being faithful to God and His Word by training our own children up in the LORD, as He instructed in Deut. 6, and He will be faithful to His Word and keep them in His care and see His plans through in their lives.

Why prepare for those things that will more than likely not happen, taking away from what will? Our children are being trained to be thinkers and emotionally stable, which will take care of those fears, as well as in something so much bigger than "handling " these horrible things that could happen to them... they are being taught to trust God and His Providence.

And as far as my keeping them back.. and that being sin: I consider it a far graver sin for my daughters to usurp the authority of man and live in the spirit of Jezebel, according to women's lib, as many believer's today do and allow their wives and daughters to. And, there is no debating that, there will be no fluxuation of my ideals in that area... I do not twist Scripture to get the truth into the women's lib idea, I merely read the WORD, and believe it. Refer to Lothlorien blog for information on being a virtuous homekeeper. That's one of my daughters' blogs.

If dd gets married at 35, which is HIGHLY unlikely, then that means God has plans for her that He will make known to us, not to you.

Our children had a year of latin, and we are learning Hebrew this year. They know functional Spanish... as if you can go to any country and not communicate in English today. Our 1 year old (who is a hearing child) is learning sign language, as are the rest of our chidren. 2dd speaks and writes in Quenya (as a hobby), and is going to learning Turkish.
I had 2 years of spanish and 4 years of high school french, then 2 semesters of each in college. Your point is?

As far as chemistry and physics.... How do you even know what my daughters' or the rest our children's school schedules look like? And, do you know that homeschoolers are just as likely, if not more likely to be accepted into colleges, due to their education and maturity level over their ps peers? They are learning about more at home than just functioning. They are learning how to live.

And, I suppose if I died - which I know is not in God's plan for my life or those of my children - I am sure my dh would be just fine, as I have trained our daughters to train and teach their siblings. I have done this by keeping them home, allowing them to experience it, not just read about it and cram for a test that they will likely forget by the time they are married.

I considered deleting this comment at first, due to its length, but far be it from me to be unfair. That said; I know you have a completely different opinion and worldview than I do, so please get your own blog and link a comment if you feel the need to hijack my comments section again. I don't mind comments, but it is quite rude to do that on someone's blog. And, it is my blog, and dissenting opinions are welcome here, but you have clearly shown that you do not have first-hand knowledge of a Bible-believing, God-trusting, faithful homeschool family, and you have only opinions.

And, by the way.... with all of the under-achievers and illiterate high school students in the pss, why are homeschoolers always held to the standards of the higher achieving students?? Cant we homeschoolers have children who would be average in ps, so we keep them home and they aren't super wizkids here, either??
We expect our children to be THEIR best, not better than the 20 or so children out of 500 you are trying to compare them to. No comparison. They are who God created them, and we are training them for Him, not you or the pss.

Another point proven... you have a mold that every child must fit into. You don't even know all the wonderful accomplishments of our children... being accepted into an art institute at age 13, writing a full-length novel at age 14; helping me prepare my BUSINESS taxes and records each month and for the year; they have put up drywall, siding, and things you have no clue about. SIN? Judgment of our children is not reserved for you. And neither are my teaching skills.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding Proverbs 9:10

sincerely,
SIGNED,
Jacque Dixon

Hi

4:12 PM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by AussieinAmerica

There is some unbelieveable stuff here. I continue to be amazed at how much say the government wants to have in our lives!
I will come back when I have more time to read and comment. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Have a great day,
Stacy

HS vs. PS... there is NO comparison...

6:55 PM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by Jocelyndixon

I am 15 yr old young lady. I have many accomplishments that not a lot of PSS kids could say or even think of having. I spent a season on a softball team with pss girls. They were giddy, obnoxious, loud and brash. Most of the time they acted like bratty boys. They said things that were not meant to be said in public and didn’t care who heard. I made friends with one. She is considered a “higher pss student” but she lacks in a lot of things. When talking with her I would say things/words that she had never heard of and didn’t know the meaning. Intrigued was one. How could some one not know the meaning of intrigued?
The conversations with her were very dull and she always started a sentence with “like”, just a normal pss kid’s lingo. She dressed immodestly and didn’t even notice. Girls these days don’t care if men are staring at their midriffs and other parts of their bodies. I was very surprised to learn she knew how to work a sewing machine but she didn’t know how to use a stove. She asked me to teach her to cook because her mom didn’t have the time or the skills to teach her… she passed it off to someone else.
She didn’t know how to cook, she got paid to mow HER OWN lawn, and she spent time with friends and practically had her own life away from her parents. She doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life and she doesn’t know what she is supposed to do. Maybe after she goes to college gets a job (She really doesn’t like) then maybe she’ll find out what’s been waiting for her all this time and maybe she’ll learn that she should have been preparing for it. Then she’ll realize that all that schooling was for nothing.
It is because of people like Anonymous who tell girls, like my friend, that being out in the world is fine. Working in a science lab is justified because you are finding the cure for cancer. It’s not. The Lord has instructed us (women) to be at home with our husbands, homes and children. If the Lord wants a woman to make this big discovery then he will make a way for her to do that while she is at home.
We are to teach our children and not pass the job off to some “qualified” teacher, who in a few years won’t have a clue where your children are or how they turned out. Why send your children to pss when you have the HONOUR of teaching them yourselves? This has always puzzled me.
I am accomplished in the things I need to be for the Role God has set before me as a Keeper at Home. How much schooling do I need to run a household and train my children? Yes, I will need to know school because I have the responsibility to teach my children, but as I do I will learn more as I go. My learning will always keep reiterating itself as I go through life.
I’m not worried about having Algebra 2 completely when I’m finishing the 9TH grade. I can cook, clean, love and take care of any age children; these are all the things I need to run a successful household as a Wife and Mother. My husband will take care of the finances and so that I don’t have to, though I will have the capability. If I don’t get married until I am a older, I will continue to be at my father’s house, under his protection, though I doubt that will happen.
Does anyone know why kids these days have ADD? I know why. It is because they are forced to sit in a classroom. Most kids don’t want to be there and so their minds wonder… and then they have to take some medicine because they have a “disorder”. I have a real cure… Take them out and let them be at home learning through everyday experiences, not sitting at a desk. That’s pss for ya!

“The level of maturity at which you are measured should be by how well you are prepared for life, not by how much schooling and A’s you have on paper documents.” ~ J. D.

Sincerely,
a HSed younglady, a training KAH,

Alatariel

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7:13 PM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by jengresak

I stumbled onto your blog tonight and you've got me fired up - lol! I am jumping up and down and applauding you Jacque!! My family thinks I am nuts as I sit here and gasp and yell - rofl! Wild applause for you!! Excellent entry! Excellent comments! Excellent all around! What a blessing you are to us and to your family!!
God bless!

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7:17 PM, Saturday, September 9, 2006 .. Posted by jengresak

I lost my comment somehow. Sorry if you receive a double post from me : )

I stumbled onto your blog tonight and..wow! I am cheering you on! What a blessing you are to us and to your family. You entry and your comments are insightful and well thought out. I was jumping up and gasping as I read through this entry. My family thought I was nuts - lol! Thank you so much for this post!! God bless : )

Kelley Coures

8:47 PM, Sunday, September 10, 2006 .. Posted by Anonymous

While I do not agree with Coures, I would like to make the point that Kelley Coures is a he, not a she.

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8:53 PM, Sunday, September 10, 2006 .. Posted by JacqueDixonSoulRestES

Yes, thank you. I wasn't sure (hence the ? after the Mr.)... but, I was just copying and pasting what I found on Spunky's post! It really didn't express one way or the other in his original post.
Jacque

Well......

2:07 AM, Thursday, September 14, 2006 .. Posted by AussieinAmerica

.....I was about to go to bed but thought I would read this first - bad idea!! I am appalled at the attack you have been under by 'anonymous'. I am also appalled by Coures' article. It is obvious that she does not like homeschooling. To include the stories of the homeschooling families involved in murders, etc was very low. It seemed she tried to stay out of trouble by saying that these are just a few incidents and many homeschooled families are fine! It didn't work. It made me ill. I felt she was just making an attempt to appear balanced while trying to drive home her real point of view. Which is that homeschoolers are weird, unstable and incapable.
There are many, many children who go to school everyday and are not REALLY seen. I think many ps kids are watched very little. They are at programs after school, stuck in their room doing homework, or watching t.v. Where is the supervision? It's kids who stay home with their parents that have strong relationships. Their parents REALLY know them and they know what they are doing and where they are. Of course this is not true for all people...but for many it is. The parents of the killers at Columbine had no idea what their sons were up to - where was that in Coures' article?
You know, I fear that someday someone will try to take my kids away just because they think they know how they should be raised. It is ridiculous that we are judged so severely. Why do they care what we are doing? I don't think it is all about the child's welfare. They want control.
I don't want to take over your comments section so I had better finish up.
I just want to add that the response from your daughter was very nicley written. She is obviously a well educated young lady, growing up beautifully under your care.
With much respect,
Stacy