Growing Without Schooling 86
$4.50
Kids in school are often bored. Stories of schoolchildren
staring out the window and passing notes to make the time go faster are almost cliches. Kids get bored in school because they can't control the pacing of what goes on, because they would rather be doing something else, because they don't understand what the teacher is saying or because they already know it and aren't learning anything new. What about homeschoolers? Do theg ever feel bored? What
David, Aleta, and Dana Rees are among those who write for this issue's Focus, "Coping with Boredom," pages 19-22.
Inside this Issue News
& Reports p. 3-5 l,egislator's Thoughts, Access to School Activities, Helpful School District, News from Australia, How Many Homeschoolers
Learnlng from Home-Educated Adults p.
From School to Homeschooling at l4p. Fathers at Home p.
&
7-8
9-10
Handling Doubts and Insecurities p. Chdlenges
6
Concerns p.
to-ll
12-13
Custody Dispute, Relative Disagrees, Phone Friends, School Bias
Watching Children Learn p. 13-14,
29
Writing, Update on Older Reader, Discussing Books, Environmental Group
Book Reviews p.
15-18
with Boredom p. 19-22 A Conversation with Ivan Illich p. 23-24 Further Thoughts on Self-Esteem p. 25-27 FOCUS: Coping
Older Sister Teaches History p.
28
do they do about it? When we asked several young GWS readers these questions, quite a few replied that they never felt bored because they had so many things they could do. Others spoke of occasional (or in some cases frequent) boredom, but whereas kids in school feel bored because they ccrrr't control what they do with their time, for homeschoolers the issue has to do with having so much time and so much of the responsibility for filling it. When homeschoolers feel bored, it seems to be because they aren't sure what they want to do next. But the difference between "I'm not sure what l v;ant to do next" and "I have no say in the matter of what I do next" is so great. The striking thing is ho'"','many options these kids in fact have. Even when they describe being bored and restless, they go on to describe an amazing a-rray of acLivities which they say they do to pull themselves out of boredom. Children in school are usually powerless to do anything constructive about the boredom they may feel. They are restricted to misctrief-making or to meaningful activities that become rebellious because they must be done furtively. When homeschoolers are bored they have the power to do something about it, and even though it may not always be easy to figure out tulwt to do, what they gain from having to cope with that situation is invaluable. I do recognize that chronic boredom which seems to go deeper than the momentary "l can't think of anything to do now" may be a sign that certain changes are needed in a child's life. Maybe the child needs to know about more options, or maybe various feelings or pressures are getting in the way of the child's ability to figure out what he wants to do. Or maybe he has an idea of what he wants to do but isn't sure how to go about it. One thing seems clear from the letters in this issue, though: simply telling a child what to do is not the answer, either during momentary restlessness or during deeper boredom. AII the kids
who commented on this said that they preferred their own ideas to anything their parents or siblings suggested or required. But adults can help kids to know about what is possible, what they would be able to do if they wanted to. I remember talking with a homeschooler who was going through a period of feeling bored and restless, tr].rng to figure out ways to help her through it. She told me in so many words that she needed to find the answers herself and did not want me to give her a list of things to do. I didn't, but I believe I was able, through talking about my own life and letting her know about various opportunities that were available, to give her some material that she could use to work through the boredom herself (of course, I was only one part of this process). The challenge, it seems to me, is to help kids see what they can do without giving them a list of things that they mustdo. Susannah Sheffer
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mind that our ongoing offer of a $5 credit to anyone who brings in a new subscriber at $25 a year has similar benefits: if you convince others to subscribe, you yourself can save money. (See clip-out form on the back page ofthis issue.) In GWS #84 we described the dilemma we feel when people tell us that they borrow a friend's GWS issues instead of
Helping out in the shipping area!
Office News & Announcements
and processing the mail, bringing with her 7-year-old Aidin and 2-year-old Timmy. Mary Maher, who has been entering book orders into our computer for three and a half years (handling several Christmas rush seasons extremely capably!), will now move into the bookkeeping part of our operations (taking over frorn Katherine Doolittle), and Dawn kase has taken on the data entry job. Dawn is an enthusiastic new homeschooler who brings 8-year-old Spencer and 6-year-old Courtney to the oflice with her. Finally, Nancy Walsh, whose younger child homeschooled for a while and now attends Sudbury Valley School, has taken on thejob ofplacing orders for our bookstore, and Randi Kelley is entering new subscriptions and renewals into the computer (taking over from
knard
Diggins).
For this issue of GWS we're using a new printer, Cummings Printing Company in Manchester, New Hampshire. Coping with rising printing costs had been one of our biggest challenges, and we're delighted that Cummings is able to print and mail GWS at such a reasonable price. Those ofyou who have had group subscriptions know that we are now phasing out group subs. The costs of
handling group subscriptions now exceeds the postage savings and it no longer makes any sense for us to offer them. We know that leaders of group subscriptions have been among our best advocates - it takes a lot ofwork to convince several people to subscribe, and to distribute all the issues when they arrive - and we want you to know that we zrre very grateful for what you have done over the years. Do keep in
choose to make use ofteachers. It discusses howwe can give kids access to the broader writing culture and when not writing is useful, and it includes lots of writing by the kids (who range in age from f 0 to l5) and lots of excerpts from the letters betweenus.
Inspired in part by the interviews in
taking out their own subscriptions: on the one hand, we want to see the magazine
GWS #85 with kids who had started their own groups, Sarah-Kate Giddings and I
read by whoever wants to read it; on the other hand, we would be on more stable financial ground if people who could
have organized an older homeschoolers discussion group in this area. (Sarah-Kate is a homeschooler who lives about an hour away from our office and has been volunteering here once a week.) We sent out letters to kids between the ages of about 1 I and 16 who lived within approximately an hour of Boston, explaining what we had in mind. We've met twice so far with nine kids, and plan to meet three more times (weVe been meeting every other week for an hour and a halfl. At the end offive sessions we'll see whether the group would like to continue as it is, or continue in another way, or stop for the time being. Three ofthe kids in the group havejust started homeschooling this year, and the others have been homeschooling for several years; all seem to enjoy the opportunity to meet and talk with other homeschoolers. Sarah-Kate and I had discussed in advance the fact that she wanted the group to offer kids a chance to have fairly focused discussions. as opposed to being simply a social group. I câ‚Źrme up with a list of possible topics, Sarah-Kate picked out the ones that most interested her, and we sent the list to the members of the group, who seemed happy to go along with those topics. At our first meeting we discussed whether kids should have the right to vote, drive, and work, which led to a discussion ofhow kids are treated by adults in general, and all sorts of other things. At the second meeting we continued this discussion a bit because I had brought in copies of homeschooler Vita Wallace's article, "Give Children the Vote," in TheNation(l0/I4lSl - I encourage readers to look it up). The kids then went on to talk about how they a.nswer people's questions about homeschooling. I think it's been good to start out with specific topics, even though the group isn't run like a class and nobody minds if we stray into other topics. A discussion group seems to be a good way for older homeschoolers to meet and talk about things that interest them, so I encourage others to
afford it did subscribe themselves. A reader now writes, "For the past two years I shared a subscription with a friend, only because she didn't save her back issues. Your reminder recently that such sharing presents a problem for GWS financially jolted me into starting up my own subscription." We deeply appreciate this reader's acting on her realization and hope
that others [SS:l We've had lots of staff changes in recent weeks. Phoebe Wells has left to spend time with her new baby. She and her son Eoin had become a special part of Holt Associates during the time they were here, and we will miss having them in the office. Maureen Carey, a homeschooler who has been active in the Boston-area support group, has taken over the job of opening
why self-directed learners sometimes
of you who can afford to
will do
the same.
At the last minute, the American Library Association rescheduled Pat Farenga's speech about homeschoolers and libraries. He'll be going to the AI-A conference in June of 1993 rather than this cdming June, so it will be a while before he can use the information in the library surveys you have been sending in. He extends his thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to the surveys. Pat participated in a program called 'The Educational Wilderness" that the University of Notre Dame prepared for broadcast on the Vision Interfaith Satellite Network. Among the other participants were Howard Gardner. John Gatto, and Keith Geiger (president of the National Education Associationl. We are thrilled to announce that by the time you get this issue, we should have a complete index to GWS #1-85 available. Our indexes have always been created by volunteers, and for a while we had some bad luck; volunteers who took on thejob would become unable to complete it. Now Peter and Sarah Gilbert have completed the index to GWS #7f -80, and Laurie and Ken Huffman have taken on the enormous job ofcreating from scratch the index to GWS #6I-70, which had not been done, and to GWS #8 f -85, and merging all the indexes into one. At press time we have not yet set a price on the complete index, so give us a call or drop us a card if you'd like to order one.
Also available by the tirne you get this issue will be my book, Wrtting Because We Loue To: Homeschoolers at Work (#1573, $ 12.95 + post.). Way back in GWS #62 I placed a notice saying that I was rvilling to read and comment on the work of young writers, and the book is about what happened after that - who responded and what sort of work we did together. The book looks at why it's important for kids to be able to choose their own teachers and
try forming
one.
Because we are getting more and more
inquiries about this, and simply for our own information, we would like to hear from African-American and Latino homeschoolers about your particular experiences and perspective. Maybe we could make this a category on our list of Resource People ifthere's enough interest.
Could someone who sent for our list of GWS stories about testing do us the favor of sending a copy back to us? We seem to have
lost the original! Thanks very much.
Growing Without Schooling #86
3
News & Reports Legislator's Thoughts on Homeschoolers' Letters In GWS #82, we wrote that bill #4936, which would require homeschoolers in NewJersey to take standardDed tests, was introduced into the education committee of the Assembly. Nancy Plent of the Unschoolers' Network now reports that the bill was not re-introduced during the new legislative session. Nancy sent us a copy ofa letter she received from Charlotte Vandervalk, the Assemblywoman who had originally introduced the bill, and the following part of it may provide food for thought for those who write to legislators: 'There have been many homeschoolers who have written to me in opposition to the bill. Some letters were written from the heart, but many were condescending. Why would so many homeschoolers think that I could not possibly relate to their efforts? Why would not the letter-writers minimally read the bill before raising their objections? ... While I feel that the bill could be justified, I did not wish to pursue it because I am concerned that others may seek to add to or amend the legislation as it moves through the legislative process. I recognize the good intentions of the homeschooling families and am familiar with the generally high quality of education resulting from homeschooling. Therefore, I did not want to risk opening up a can of legislative worms and have the original intent of the bill become radically changed."
Access
to
Activities
School in Oregon
Oregon homeschooler Kim Gordon sent Lrs this articLe she urote for her state neussletter:
l,ast spring, our legislature passed a Homeschool Interscholastic Activities law known as House Bill 2574, allowing homeschool students to participate in interscholastic activities in the school district in which the homeschool student resides. Before school opened this fall, the Board of Education adopted a temporary rule to allow homeschool students to participate in interscholastic activities at the beginning ofthe school year. The rule required that students score no lower than the 50th percentile on their yearly standardized test to participate. In January, a public hearing was held in Salem on the proposed permanent rules for the law. The main difference between the temporar5r rule and the proposed permanent rule was that the minimum composite test score for eligibility to participate would be lowered from the Soth percentile to the 23rd percentile. Kim Gordon, represenilng the Home-
Growing Without Schooling #86
school Political Action Committee, along with five other individuals from across the state, testified at the hearing. Nearly all testifring argued that the law did not treat homeschoolers [and school studentsl equally. Only a small percentage of schools in Oregon set any standard for their students to participate in interscholastic activities. Of those that do. a 2.O grade point average is the highest requirement. The Board of Education estimates that a 2.O grade point average is equal to a 23rd percentile composite score. Homeschoolers are therefore being required to meet the highest standard. The 23rd percentile is 8 percentiles higher than that required to homeschool in Oregon. Who is to say that children scoring below the 23rd percentile will not benefit just as much, if not more, from participation in such a program as children scoring above the 23rd percentile? [We also addressed the issue once again
of
why students should have to test to
participate or to homeschool.) In February, the Board of Education adopted the proposed rule as the permanent rule without making any changes. To
participate in interscholasfic activities in your resident district, you must comply
with the homeschool law, achieve a composite test score that is not less than the 23rd percentile, and submit the test score
to your educational service district prior to participation in the interscholastic
activity.
Opposing
House Education Committee dropped the
bill. We all breathed a collective sigh. It so happened that the son of a friend of mine was a legislative intern in the Indiana House during this time, and he said that many educators will be pressing to regulate homeschooling. The main reason seems to be that due to economic considerations, jobs will be scarce and budgets cut. The heavy homeschooling
supervision would create many jobs; therefore the teachers' union supported
this bill. I spoke to many legislators and to friends of homeschoolers during this time. Many of them cautioned me that this would not be the last time such a bill would be introduced. This time around was to feel the waters and we should all be prepared to present our case. I sent a letter to the Education Committee summarta;irrg the research done on
homeschooling in the last fifteen years (much of this information I was able to get from GWS and from books I have ordered from John Holt's Book and Music Storel. Many legislators did not know this information. Unfortunately, many educators and some politicians do not care about homeschoolers' achievements or development, but are angered by those ofus who choose a different path. This lesson made me realize how much homeschooling is part of our family's lifestyle, and how we would feel a great loss if we were forced into another form of education against our
will.
Bill in Indiana
Susan Weintrob oJ Indiana urttes:
Indiana has been an extremely easy state to homeschool in, with a mere registration at the beginning of each school year. There are no assessments, teacher supervision, or any contact necessary with the public school system. Therefore, we were all surprised when a bill was introduced by tle Speaker ofthe Indiana House of Representatives, Mike Phillips, that would have greatly regulated homeschooling. Homeschooling parents would have had to submit an application to the state board ofeducation. and would have had to "prove to the board's satisfaction that the home school's operation is equivalent to that which is offered in the public school for the same grade levels." Local superintendents would assign licensed teachers to each family; the teacher would monitor students' progress, administer annual assessments, and receive "representative copies of the student's class work," all of which would in turn be submitted to the state board for review. Phone committees across the state went to work and I am sure most homeschoolers called and wrote to their reoresentatives. The result was that the
One lawyer gave me some excellent advice. He suggested writing my legislators friendly letters several times a year. The letters would tell about some interesting projects we did as homeschoolers and express our hope that he or she would continue to support our legal right to pursue
this alternative form of education. Then
if
a problem occurs, we have already made
contact with our representatives and can have a more productive encounter. We should also let our representatives know of current homeschooling research, which would relieve many anxieties about equivalent education and socialization, topics which seem to recur in discussions about homeschooling. During this same period another incident occurred which also required my protecting our rights as homeschoolers. A friend of mine is a chess master and offered to run a few sessions about chess for interested homeschoolers. He teaches GROWING WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #86, Vol. 15, No. 2. ISSN #0475-5305. Published bi-monthly
by Holt Associates,2269 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge MA O2l4O. $25/yr. Date oflssue: April I, 1992. Second-class postage paid at Boston. MA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GwS, 2269 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA 02I4O ADVER|ISERS: Deadlines are the lSth ofoddnumbered months. Ask us for rates.
4 at the same university that my husband and I do. When quite a few homeschoolers expressed an interest, he offered to have them meet at the laboratory school associated with the universitSr, where he has a chess club for those students and any university students who are interested. We set up four sessions, publicized in our newsletter. Innocently, my friend mentioned our meeting to the principal of the lab school, who refused to have us in the building. He said their insurance didn't cover non-lab students, and "if they want school programs, let them go to school." As my friend is a volunteer, no money was spent, nor were school facilities opened just for us as the building was in use anyway. So there were no reasons for homeschoolers not to participate, except this man's prejudice. I called off the sessions and stewed for three days. Then I called the university's affirmative action office and explained that we were a group being discriminated against. I discussed the situa-
tion clearly and unemotionally. By that evening, the principal had called both me and my husband separately to apologize, and to welcome us to his school. It is true that part of his apologr was, "l didn't realize who you were." This angered me, as it meant that if he could have gotten away with it he would have. The fact that my husband and I were faculty members should not have mattered. I know the person in charge of affirmative action, as we had gone to school together. I realize that all of these factors influenced the outcome, but I was pleased that I could effect a change and that my children could see that in a democracy we can make changes, not always so quickly or easily, but our efforts are needed. The chess club has met with us now for three weeks, and all seems to be
well.
Helpful School District
in
Ohio From Debbie Westheimer (OH):
We live in the friendly school district of Batavia, Ohio. Batavia is a rural town east of Cincinnati. It is a village district with one elementary, middle, and high school. We have sent our notification form to Robert Whitman, the Clemont County Superintendent. This year our contact person is LarryVaugn, the Superintendent of the Batavia School District. He is the person we are to contact concerning testing, pupil progress reporting, and any other questions we may have. This is the first year that our contact person is a superintendent. In past years we have been asked to contact our local elementary school principal. The principal we contacted two years ago is no longer with our school district, but he helped our family begin a cooperative arrangement with our local school. We began homeschooling in I9BB. Sometime in October of that year, I called the principal to see if he was interested in progress reports throughout the year. He did not see that as necessary. and turned
the whole conversation upside down. He said, "l should be asking you if there is anything we can do for you." He invited our family to use any part of the school and materials that we might like. We ended our conversation with an appointment to meet in person. It just so happened that a friend in our Quaker meeting was (and still is) an art teacher at this school. We made arrangements for our oldest son, then in the second grade, to take her art class. We have never used the resource center or school library, yet these were offered, as well as school pictures. We were invited to take advantage of as many classes, programs or services as we like. That first year we also borrowed workbooks and texts. At Gabe's request, in the fall of 199O, he took speech classes. This year, my second son Nathan is taking saxophone lessons from the band teacher. Both boys have also been involved in team sports through the school. As for assessment, we have used the Califomia Achievement test through Clonlara. Last year we also did a portfolio review and used the portfolio for our evaluation, sent in along with our notification form. I believe my family has the right to utilize the school in the same ways as other community members use the facilities and services. I appreciate that our right has been respected and choices have been made available through friendly
invitation.
News from Australira Australian homeschooler
Iso..de
Petersen sent us a copy of a bill that was
proposed in the Victorian Parliam3nt at the end of last year (in Australia, as in the U.S., homeschooling laws var5r from state to state). The bill. called the The Erlucation (Out of School Education) Act 199 I , allows parents to homeschool only if thel' have been granted an "out ofschool edu:ation certificate." The bill goes on to delril the
requirements for applying for the certificate and the factors the Chief Gene ral Manager (a government official) must consider when reviewing the appljcation: whether "the instruction the child will receive is comprehensive and balanced and is in the subjects which childr:n of comparable age, ability, and maturity would ordinarily undertake in a state school," whether the lighting, ventilation, etc. of the home are adequate, and r-he
number of other children with whom the child in question is to be educated fwhich
must be no more than 4 "unless tht:re are special circumstances"). Under the stipuIations of the bill, once the certificrte is issued and the parents are homeschooling, the Chief General Manager carL appoint representatives to visit anC examine the home school "at any reasonable time," "require information and documentation about the child's erlucation to be given to them," and "take any other action determined by the Chief Gelreral Manager for the purpose of assessi:-tg or monitoring the child's education."
At GWS's press time, the bill had been read twice (out of the required three times) in the Upper and Lower Houses of the Victoria Parliament. According to an article by Jo-Anne Beirne in the Januar5'/February 1992 Australkrn Homeschool Journal, homeschoolers are working to oppose the bill because it is much more intrusive than the existing law, which does not require homeschooling families to register with the state. but only requires that if challenged, the family prove in court that they were providing regular and efficient
instruction.
How Many Homeschoolers? From the December-January issue of Update, the newsletter of the Arkansas
Christian Home Education Association: "According to statistics by the Department ofEducation, as ofDecember 15, 1991, approximately 32OO lchildrenl have been registered to homeschool in Arkansas this year. This is a new high number for the homeschooling experience in this state. We continue to grow approximately 2O to 22 percent in numbers each year." From the Winter 1992 issue of the
Pennsylvania Homeschoolers newsletter: "According to official statistics compiled by the PA Department of Education, there were 3541 students enrolled in home education programs during the f 989-90 school year, and 4844 students enrolled in home education programs during the l990-91 school year, for an increase of 37o/o over the one-year period. From the February 1992 newsletter of the Wisconsin Parents Association: "As of February 13, 1992, therewere 7429horneschooled children in Wisconsin (according to official figures from the Department of Public Instruction), indicating that the modest yearly increase we have been experiencing is increasing. Assuming there are a total of approximately 95O,O0O children of school age [in Wisconsinl, homeschoolers continue to represent less than lolo of the total ... Be prepared to inform critics that homeschooling is growing slowly and that there is no evidence that alleged truants are turning to homeschooling to escape from the compulsory school attendance law." And a mailing from the Home School Associates of New England provides these figures: Number of children in New Hampshire's recognized home school programs:
'9O:91:732 '89-'9O: 588 '88-'89: 556 In Vermont:
'90-'91:86O '89-'90: 50O '88-'89: 46O
In Maine:
'9O-'91: 1620 89-'9O: I144
'88-'89:
7O3
Sources in all cases are the state
departments of education.
Growing Without Schooling #86
News Briefs For addresses oJ state and local organizations, see GWS #84 or our Homeschooting Resource I'ist. ataiLable Jor $2.5O. Be sure to check updates tn GWS #85 ard" in this lssue, too.
Bill Would Glve Parents Choice of Tests
Arlzona: Dave Codier of Bethany Home Educators told us that House Bill 2O75 is now being considered. Whereas the
current law requires homeschoolers to use only the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in the annual testing, the bill would allow homeschoolers choose from among several standardized tests. It would also give parents more choices about where to submit the test results: the current law requires that homeschoolers submit the scores to the local superintendent, but the bill would broaden this to allow parents to submit the scores to some educational entity, including homeschooling support groups and private schools.
Councll's Report Opposes Further Regulation of Home Scbools Brltish Columbia: Homeschooler Stephanie Judy told us that last November a BC school board submitted a motion to the provincial council of school boards proposing that the Ministry of Education determine the general nature of homeschooling programs and establish a way of monitoring homeschoolers' progress. (The current BC law requires only that homeschooling parents register their child at a public or private school, which simply means giving the child's name and age.) According to Stephanie, the council referred the motion to a subcommittee which in tum assigned someone to study home schools and create a discussion paper about the issue. Homeschoolers wrote letters to the administrator who had been assigned this task, and in midFebruary the subcommittee presented a report to the council. It countered all the arguments for further regulation of homeschoolers that the school board members had originally put forth. The report's final recommendation was that there be open communication between homeschoolers and public schools and t]lat homeschoolers be made to feel welcome. Though there is nothing to
prevent the original motion from resurfacing, Stephanie says that homeschoolers feel pleased with the report.
New Rules on Testing Alternatives
and NeElcct
Hawaii: In GWS #83 we reported that proposed regulations were awaiting formal approval. They would have allowed homeschoolers and principals to come up with an alternative way of evaluating students' progress in lieu of the tests which had been required after grades 3, 6, 8, and 10. Linda Inouye of Friends l,earning at Home recently sent us the new rules which were adopted in November and now have the effect of law. In addition to the alternatives to testing, the new rules have two
Growing Without Schooling #86
clauses that were specifically requested by homeschoolers: {1) In the section that says that the principal may intervene in a homeschool if there is reasonable cause to believe educational neglect exists, homeschoolers asked for the additional phrase, "Reasonable cause for educational neglect shall not be based on the refusal of parents to comply with any requests which exceed the requirements of this chapter." (2) When homeschoolers want to take college entrance exams, "the principal of the local public high school shall, upon request, supply written acknowledgment that a child has been homeschooled in compliance with the requirements of this chapter."
New Proposed Rules
for
Homeschoolers Who Want Public School
Dlplomas South Dakota: Deborah Bydlon
sent us an article from tt,e2/ 12/92 issue of the Raprd Citg Journal which says that homeschoolers may soon have to pass competency tests proving that they meet
public school requirements if they want to receive high school diplomas. According to the article, the state Board of Education approved the proposal but it must go through two more readings before it actually becomes poliry. If the policy passes, public school teachers will have to develop standardized tests for home schooled students in each subject. At GWS's press time we had not heard whether homeschoolers were making any effort to oppose this policy.
Calendar April 25. 1992: JohnTaylor Gatto and Linda Tagliaferro will speak about "Options in Education: Alternative and Homeschooling" at Goddard Riverside Community Center in New York City. For information call the Learning Alliance,
2t2-226-7t7t.
May l-2: Homeschool Associates of
New England conference at the Sheraton
Tara Castle in Framingham, MA. Pat and Day Farenga will give a workshop. For info:2O7 -777-l7OO. Malz 16: Homestead Library Services Educational Resource Fair at Morse High
School in Bath, Maine. Curriculum fair, workshops, speech by John Taylor Gatto. For information: Jan Emersen, 207-729' 7247.
June 28-30: Homeschooling and Family Irarning Fair at Whitworth College, Spokane, WA, sponsored by the
Family Learning Organization of Washington. For information: 5O9-468-25O5 or 509-467-2552. Sept. 22-25: Oregon Homeschool Chautauqua. For information send SASE to Oregon Chautauqua, 5360 SW I 92nd Av' Aloha OR 97007. We are happy to print announcements of major homeschooling events, but we need plenty of notice. Deadline for GWS #87 (events in July or later) is 5/ 10. Deadline for GWS #88 (events in September or later) is 7/ 10.
-
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6
Learning fi:om Home-Educatecl Adults J. Gary Knotules, a
researcher at UniDersttA oJ Michigan's draft of a paper called "We'ue Groun Up and We're OK": An Exploratton oJ Adults Who Were Home-Educated as Stu-dents. " lHis arldress is Room 12284 School School oJ Edtrcatian, sent us a
Education, Uniuersitg oJ Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 48109-1259, and he stili urants to hearJrom grown homeschoolers.) Knotules sent 113 surueus to people he had identifed as hauing been homeschooled, and matled 214 suruegs to homeschooling organizatians u;ho tn turn sent ttwm to people on their mailitrg Lists. He receiued 53 returned surueys, and conducted li{e hi.story tnteruteuss tuith those uho had" agreed to be interuietued. Here is one interesting excerpt Jrom the paper: oJ
Life history data, in concert with the survey data, suggest that these people are not liabilities to societlr. While most were
earning relatively modest incomes. none were unemployed, and none were on any form ofwelfare assistance. There was no evidence to suggest that they were not actively participating in their communities, although some of the adults indicated that they were not as comfortable participating in the community as they might have wished. In part the origin of this feeling may rest in the fact that some were, in a sense, dislocated from their home country communities as they accompanied their parents traveling or working in foreign positions. Invariably, high levels of autonomy and independence were the common hallmarks of these individuals and that was evident across a wide number of dimensions that were explored. And that independence or autonomy was not only highly valued, but it was evident in their work patterns and occupations, and the kind of
participation within their communities of residence. As North Americans, particularly citizens of the United States of America, continue to question the function and operation of public schools, including their format and structure, experimentation with new forms of schools seems, in the not too distant future, more than remotely possible. The most creative and innovative homeschool parents and home-educated adults have extensive knowledge about learning and facilitating learning in alternative and diverse contexts to share with professional educators. One could even envisage future small neighborhood learning centers taking the place oflarge schools, as we know them, and parents such as these adults, along with professional educators ofvarious kinds, leading the way. Studies that further explore the attributes and characteristics of home-educated adults will be useful. And. in concert. studies that draw out the pedagogical knowledge ofhome educators, and the sources ofthat knowledge, may prove to be particularly beneficial for understanding their intents and practices, and the students that emerge
from them. Far too prevalent in the home school research literature are studies that investigate the "average." Studies of the most accomplished and least successful ofhome school students, and their lives and careers, is also an attractive and potentially productive research notion, as is exploring the most innovative and creative of home schools and the parents who facilitate them. Further, as a teacher myself, and a teacher ofteachers,just as I learn from the students I workwith and experienced teachers, I can also learn from home educators, especially those who display the most creative and innovative practices and thoughts about home education. And, clearly, understanding the complexities of the less successful home schools may also be important, though, no doubt, a very difficult task. Too much research into home education, thus far, has focused on quanti$ring aspects of the method without attention to the complexities of the human dimensions. In this regard, Kaseman and Kaseman (1990, l99l) are right on tarAet in their
criticism of research as it has most commonly been "performed" on the "srbjects" of home-educating families. Efforts to explore the richness of the human experience associated with home education mag be most helpful and informative to the general public, to professional educators, and even to policy makers, but certainly the honre school community and the particular families themselves ought to and are most likely to benefit. In one sense, many within the home school research community are bound in their thinking about research by the same kinds of shackles that are evidenced by professional educators' insistence on quantifring the educalion process and the progress of children as they attend formal schools. A shift in paradigm could describe many of the needed chrrnges in research into home education. Furthermore, many home-educated adults play active roles within the communities in which they live. This suggests that some ofthem have notbeen denied productive experiences of democracy. Opponents of home education claim that public schools, ari microcosms of societ5r, are eminently suited to the role of preparing students to live in a democratic society. However, home schools may, in some cases, better prepare students as productive citizens simply because students at home most of the
time may have many more meaningful opportunities to act democratically ruithin the parameters of the family. And, certainly, vicarious l:arning of democratic principles is - compared to students leanring about it in uninviting ways in school - as meaningful wherr students do it at home. Simply because students spend conr;iderably more time within the confines of the home, as compared bo spending large amounts of time attending formal school, th(ir presence and decisions within the affairs of the family are more evident (and central in their thinkin$ than experienced in non home-educating families. In comparison, public sch,lol-educated students may exhibit less commitment to ensuring democratic actions within the home. These alternative positions rrotwithstanding, research which explores the process of learning about and practicing democratic principles may be of particular rse, since teaching about democracy is often touted by both publir: schools and some home schools as being an important component of the curriculum. Moreorer, in home school families that I have studied recently... political acilvity is of high importance. And, among some of thr:se families, there is ample evidence to suggest that children are exposed to a wide range of meaningful political activites arrd opportunities for learning about democratic participatory t,ehaviors and principles. Indeed, as a group, the homeeducated alults in this study appeared stable, independent members of societSr, individuals who are padicipating in democratic communiti:s. In light of recent criticisms of public schools (for example the article "Education for Democracy" published in the American lducator, Summer, 1987, states that there is "growing evidence tt at today's young people are coming of age ill-equipped to preserve and extend their political heritage..."), continued research orr the effects that home-educating parents have on their children, a:td their emphases on practicing participatory democracy, may <:ontribute to understanding what educational strategies enable students to become fully functioning participants in a
democratic societlr. Furthe r, I sense that, in many contempora4r home school cases, grea-er levels ofstudent-directed learning take place. Cer-
tainly, the lrome-educated adults attest to this phenomenon. And, many decisions about daily activities are left in the hands of students; high Iocus of control is evident in many home school students that I have observed. If this be the case for the home-educated adults, this is one explanation for their relative surefootedness. Studi:s which explore issues of student-controlled outcomes and their lc,cus of control may provide valuable insights.
Growing Without Schooling #86
Going from School to Homeschooling at L4 V/e're hearing from more and more teenagers who arc iust startlng to homeschool after being in school for many years. Simone McGulre of Oregon left school in the rniddle of ninth grade, and when she had been out of school about three months we sPoke with her about what it is Hke to decide to leave school and to make the transition from school to homeschooling: to
Hou.; did gou leante sctLal?
When gou u.sere ju.st begtnntng to think about it, did. gouhaue ang sense oJtohat gou rtould do iJ gou u)ere out oJ school? I wanted to take more art classes, and I wanted to go to LCC, the communit5r college here. And I really wanted to just take it easy for a while - getting up at 6 and going to bed at I I had been really tiring, so I think at first I didn't want to do any-
thing. I just wanted to rest, take a break, and then after a while start doing other things.
leam that it u;as possible
My mom's friend was talking about this great book she had read, and it turned out to be TheTeenage LiberationHandbookby Grace Llewelllm. My mom looked at it a little bit and then decided to buy it. I read it first and I said to her, "Mom, after you read this book, you're not going to want me to go to school ever again." After reading the book I kind ofrealized that I wasn't going anyluhere in school and that I was having a really hard time. I decided that as soon as possible, I would like to get out ofthere.
Hou trad youJelt about school beJore rearling the book?
I liked school until fifth grade, and then it got a lot harder. It felt like you had to work harder for less. I never really liked it during the past few years, but I never thought about leaving. Quitting just wasn't an option. lt didn't even enter my mind. I was unhappy - I was always tired, and grumpy, and I wasn't doing well at all. But I didn't know I could leave. Whdt uere the parts oJ the book that spoke to Aou, or made sense in terms oJ gour experience?
I liked the stories of kids who were out ofschool, and where the book explained all the other things you could do besides go to school. And I always knew this, but I hadn't ever thought about it - that school is like a jail. That sentence made me think,"Oh, gosh, yes, that is the way it is." I had always thought that if you quit school you were nothing, a failure, but the book made me see that that wasn't true. It's interesting - anAone can read a book, but not eDeryone achnllg takes a tife-changtng step aJter reading a book. We decided that I would try it out, and that if I didn't like it I could go back to school. So it was kind of like changing my life temporarily, which made me more comfortable taking the step.
Growing Without Schooling #86
My idea sounded ridlculous
to them because they
thought, how can you learn if you're not in school?
What u.tere some oJthe thirgs gou uorried about uhen gou thottght about leaDing school? I worried about my dad and stepmom,
because they're very school- and careeroriented, and I worried that I wouldn't get any'rvhere, I wouldn't learn anything, and would just become a failure. My dad was pretty understanding, though. He said, "WeIl. if that's what you want, it's OK." I think he understood that what I was doing wasn't the szune as dropping out.
Hotu soon aJter reading the book did"
you leaue schaol? About a month afterwards, at the end of the first term. I basicallv left as soon as I could. Hous
dtd the kids at schoal react to
gour decision? They had a really hard time with it. I said, -l'm doing homeschooling," and they asked, "ls your mom teaching you?" I said, "No, I'm learning, myself," and they couldn't understand it at all. They just said, "Well, that's stupid." I kept trying to explain that it wasn't stupid, that it was the way I wanted to do it and that it was working out, but I figured out that they're so caught up in school that they don't understand how it could be any different. My idea sounded ridiculous to them because they thought, how can you learn if
you're not in school? I kept saying, "Well, you have to read this book!" Notu ttnt gou'ue been out oJ schooLJor a little while, haue gou been able to gtue them a sense oJ your Lde rtnd explntn gourselJ ang better?
Well, since the middle of junior high I had become - not a loner exactly, but I was doing everything alone and my friendships were starting to grow weaker. So I haven't kept in touch with people from school very much. For a while I was going to the school once or twice a week to eat lunch with my best friend there, but she
just moved to California. I saw her out of school too, and we would sometimes talk about what I was doing. She was a senior, so she was excited about getting out of school herself, and I think that helped her to understand. A few people werejealous, I tJlink. One friend of mine said, "My mom would kill me if I even brought that up." Another friend who has a really active social life couldn't imaging leaving that. But you can still get together with people after school and on weekends, and you can meet for lunch the way I did. I don't think you lose all your friends just because you're not in school. And I'm looking forward to meeting new people, too. Everybody - notjust kids at school, but my parents'friends - would ask me, "What do you do all day?" I would answer, "l don't have a plan for every single day. I get up, eatbreakfast, go to the library or go to the mall, read a book or write a book report. . . "
It mu.st haue been a neu experience to haue so much time in u;hich no one u)a.s telting gou toLtat to do. I didn't get bored at all. At first I thought, "Oh my God, I've got 24 hours on my hands, every single day," but I didn't feel bored even though I hardly did anything at first. Last summer I was volunteering at a
low-income family center, doing filing, and I called them up and am doing that again once a week. I also called up my mom's friend and arranged to do filing at her office. I guess I'm into office work! A while ago my mother and I decided that I would get a dollar for every book report I wrote, because we decided that I needed to get going a little bit. I'm having fun with that because I love to read, and I like knowing that I don't have to write the reports by a certain Ume. One thing I figured out in school is that in high school they kind of drop reading and writing, and I love reading and writing, so I feel I have to get back in the mode of doing it. I felt that in high school I didn't read anything