One of the best articles I've seen in quite sometime, regarding home schooling...
Meet My Teachers: Mom and Dad
Showing posts with label homeschool news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeschool news. Show all posts
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, January 5, 2009
USA Today article: "Home schooling grows"
"The ranks of America's home-schooled children have continued a steady climb over the past five years, and new research suggests broader reasons for the appeal."
View the entire article here.
View the entire article here.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Recent article on homeschooling demographics, etc.
Of particular note in this article is the section regarding admission of homeschool graduates to colleges. It's reassuring to know there are so many paving the way before us, since we'll be joining those ranks in another nine years!
Full text of article at the Hoover Institution
As Popularity of Home Schooling Grows, Greater Numbers and More Diversity among Families Choosing Option
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2008
Contact:Milton Gaither, Messiah College
STANFORD – Home schooling is now popular among a broader and more representative group of the American public than ever before. According to recent findings from the Education Next/Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) 2008 national education survey, 45 percent of Americans report that they know a family that home schools a child--up from 40 percent in 2007--and 64 percent of public school teachers report knowing a home schooling family.
Interestingly, household income levels of home schooling families closely mirror those of public school families, reports education professor Milton Gaither in the new issue of Education Next. Among both homeschooling families and public school families, about 26 percent have an income of $25,000 or less; less than 10 percent of private school families come from the same income bracket. On the other end of the spectrum, less than 22 percent of homeschooling families and slightly more than 25 percent of public school families have an income of more than $75,000, compared to 50 percent of private school families.
U.S. Department of Education data shows the overall number of homeschooled children increased by 29 percent to 1.1 million students between 1999 and 2003. Among minorities, h ome schooling increased by 20 percent to over a quarter of a million students over the same period. Movement leaders suggest even higher overall estimates of around 2 to 2.5 million homeschoolers nationwide.
As the popularity of homeschooling has grown, the College Board has seen the number of home schoolers who take Advanced Placement tests more than triple. Colleges and universities are also reporting an increase in applications by students without a traditional high-school background, spurring the creation of new admissions policies to explicitly address home-schooling. In 1986, no more than 10 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities had such admissions policies; by 2004, over 75 percent did.
The advent of online education and the rise of cyber charter schools may account for some of the extraordinary growth in home schooling in recent years. Led by states like Florida, which enrolled more than 52,000 students in its statewide virtual school for 2006-07, there are now 22 states and several local districts with online learning programs which enable students to do some or all of their schooling at home. Cyber charters have seen a similar rising trend of interest: as of 2006, 18 states had a combined total of 147 virtual charter schools educating over 65,000 students.
At the same time, public school districts with high rates of home schooling have seen significant drops in funding as district enrollments have declined. Many school districts, having lost early fights to criminalize home schooling, now openly court home schoolers. With millions of per pupil funding dollars at stake, some districts are being motivated to innovate in exciting ways that are more responsive to the needs of their families. Some school districts are experimenting with programs that allow students to home school for part of the day but take certain classes at the local public school; others are offering à la carte classes and services through satellite campuses at strip malls and other locations.
“It’s likely we’ll see more accommodation, adaptation, and hybridization taking place as U.S. education policy strives to catch up to the sweeping demographic, economic and technological changes that are affecting our schools,” says Gaither .
--snip--- (go to the Hoover Institution to read the article in its entirety)
Full text of article at the Hoover Institution
As Popularity of Home Schooling Grows, Greater Numbers and More Diversity among Families Choosing Option
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2008
Contact:Milton Gaither, Messiah College
STANFORD – Home schooling is now popular among a broader and more representative group of the American public than ever before. According to recent findings from the Education Next/Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) 2008 national education survey, 45 percent of Americans report that they know a family that home schools a child--up from 40 percent in 2007--and 64 percent of public school teachers report knowing a home schooling family.
Interestingly, household income levels of home schooling families closely mirror those of public school families, reports education professor Milton Gaither in the new issue of Education Next. Among both homeschooling families and public school families, about 26 percent have an income of $25,000 or less; less than 10 percent of private school families come from the same income bracket. On the other end of the spectrum, less than 22 percent of homeschooling families and slightly more than 25 percent of public school families have an income of more than $75,000, compared to 50 percent of private school families.
U.S. Department of Education data shows the overall number of homeschooled children increased by 29 percent to 1.1 million students between 1999 and 2003. Among minorities, h ome schooling increased by 20 percent to over a quarter of a million students over the same period. Movement leaders suggest even higher overall estimates of around 2 to 2.5 million homeschoolers nationwide.
As the popularity of homeschooling has grown, the College Board has seen the number of home schoolers who take Advanced Placement tests more than triple. Colleges and universities are also reporting an increase in applications by students without a traditional high-school background, spurring the creation of new admissions policies to explicitly address home-schooling. In 1986, no more than 10 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities had such admissions policies; by 2004, over 75 percent did.
The advent of online education and the rise of cyber charter schools may account for some of the extraordinary growth in home schooling in recent years. Led by states like Florida, which enrolled more than 52,000 students in its statewide virtual school for 2006-07, there are now 22 states and several local districts with online learning programs which enable students to do some or all of their schooling at home. Cyber charters have seen a similar rising trend of interest: as of 2006, 18 states had a combined total of 147 virtual charter schools educating over 65,000 students.
At the same time, public school districts with high rates of home schooling have seen significant drops in funding as district enrollments have declined. Many school districts, having lost early fights to criminalize home schooling, now openly court home schoolers. With millions of per pupil funding dollars at stake, some districts are being motivated to innovate in exciting ways that are more responsive to the needs of their families. Some school districts are experimenting with programs that allow students to home school for part of the day but take certain classes at the local public school; others are offering à la carte classes and services through satellite campuses at strip malls and other locations.
“It’s likely we’ll see more accommodation, adaptation, and hybridization taking place as U.S. education policy strives to catch up to the sweeping demographic, economic and technological changes that are affecting our schools,” says Gaither .
--snip--- (go to the Hoover Institution to read the article in its entirety)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Homeschooling Surges in US - FOX news article
This article can be viewed in its entirety at their website
Homeschooling Surges in U.S. as Parents Reach for Legal Rights
Monday , September 22, 2008
By Shannon Bream
This is part of the America's Future series airing on FOX News Channel, looking at the challenges facing the country in the 21st century.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Homeschooling is no longer just an offbeat trend or an avant-garde educational choice. It is growing exponentially and its proponents are fighting for new legal rights in the U.S.
With more than 2 million homeschooled students in the United States, parents' reasons for opting out of traditional public school are as varied as their demographics."
Homeschooling Surges in U.S. as Parents Reach for Legal Rights
Monday , September 22, 2008
By Shannon Bream
This is part of the America's Future series airing on FOX News Channel, looking at the challenges facing the country in the 21st century.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Homeschooling is no longer just an offbeat trend or an avant-garde educational choice. It is growing exponentially and its proponents are fighting for new legal rights in the U.S.
With more than 2 million homeschooled students in the United States, parents' reasons for opting out of traditional public school are as varied as their demographics."
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The ABCs of Homeschooling - CBS News
The ABCs of Home Schooling - Today's Model of Personal Education is Not Your Grandmother's Home Schooling
(CBS) For a growing number of American students, "homework" is two words, not one, and a classroom is the one place they're not likely to be, because when it comes to education, for these students and their parents, there's no place like home. Tracy Smith spells it out for us:
Please go to the CBS website to see video and read this article in its entirety
(CBS) For a growing number of American students, "homework" is two words, not one, and a classroom is the one place they're not likely to be, because when it comes to education, for these students and their parents, there's no place like home. Tracy Smith spells it out for us:
Please go to the CBS website to see video and read this article in its entirety
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Parents want kids to have good social skills
Results of a new survey completed for Hasbro Inc. have been released - Raising Happy Kids: Survey Highlights The Importance of Teaching Children Good Social Skills From the article:
"Parents have come to recognize social skills, more than mere niceties for everyday life, are the base for raising 'great kids' who ultimately become successful, confident and happy adults," says Stacy DeBroff, CEO of Mom Central. "These skills, which include listening, being polite and knowing how to share, shape how a child will be perceived by their peers, teachers, adults, and ultimately employers."
Seems reasonable.
Despite the overwhelming significance they place on social skills, today's parents find it a constant struggle to teach their kids proper manners and necessary socialization techniques.
This has been one of my arguments for homeschooling - that the extra time I end up having with my kids allows me to model appropriate behaviors, point out others modeling good behaviors, and help correct inappropriate behaviors as they are happening.
"While parents understand the need for behavior correction, it can become frustrating," said DeBroff. "Especially with the added time pressures of a typical busy family schedule. We don't want to spend what limited time we do have being the 'bad guy' and constantly correcting our children's behavior."
And I imagine it would be incredibly frustrating to feel like the limited time I had with my children outside of school were spent harping on them about their poor manners. It's part of my same argument up above - I want to enjoy my kids' company, not spend those couple of hours each day correcting what's wrong with them. LOL - instead I spend the entire day correcting them! Only joking... a little. ;P
"As preschools and kindergartens turn to an increasingly academic curriculum, the necessity is that children come into the classroom with basic social skills in place," says DeBroff.
So this illustrates two things: one, that the role of the school is to teach academics. That's fine, but it blows the pants off the Socialization issue that opponents always seem to bring up as an argument against homeschooling. Two, maybe sending A. to kindergarten isn't quite the right approach. LOL
Oh, and I'm sure it comes as no surprise that Hasbro has now created a game to help teach kids social skills....
"Parents have come to recognize social skills, more than mere niceties for everyday life, are the base for raising 'great kids' who ultimately become successful, confident and happy adults," says Stacy DeBroff, CEO of Mom Central. "These skills, which include listening, being polite and knowing how to share, shape how a child will be perceived by their peers, teachers, adults, and ultimately employers."
Seems reasonable.
Despite the overwhelming significance they place on social skills, today's parents find it a constant struggle to teach their kids proper manners and necessary socialization techniques.
This has been one of my arguments for homeschooling - that the extra time I end up having with my kids allows me to model appropriate behaviors, point out others modeling good behaviors, and help correct inappropriate behaviors as they are happening.
"While parents understand the need for behavior correction, it can become frustrating," said DeBroff. "Especially with the added time pressures of a typical busy family schedule. We don't want to spend what limited time we do have being the 'bad guy' and constantly correcting our children's behavior."
And I imagine it would be incredibly frustrating to feel like the limited time I had with my children outside of school were spent harping on them about their poor manners. It's part of my same argument up above - I want to enjoy my kids' company, not spend those couple of hours each day correcting what's wrong with them. LOL - instead I spend the entire day correcting them! Only joking... a little. ;P
"As preschools and kindergartens turn to an increasingly academic curriculum, the necessity is that children come into the classroom with basic social skills in place," says DeBroff.
So this illustrates two things: one, that the role of the school is to teach academics. That's fine, but it blows the pants off the Socialization issue that opponents always seem to bring up as an argument against homeschooling. Two, maybe sending A. to kindergarten isn't quite the right approach. LOL
Oh, and I'm sure it comes as no surprise that Hasbro has now created a game to help teach kids social skills....
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Homeschooler wins Hesiman!
Woohoo! Let's hear it for another stereotype being broken!
Tebow may become an all-time great
Peter Schrager / FOXSports.com
Posted: 7 hours ago
When most 20-year-old guys visit New York City for the first time, they leave with a souvenir T-shirt or maybe a basic grasp of the subway system. Tim Tebow's maiden voyage to the Big Apple ended a bit differently Saturday night. Tebow heads back to Gainesville with a slice of college football history and a bronze statue in his hand.
The first college football player to ever run for 20 touchdowns and throw for 20 touchdowns in the same season, Tebow is now also the first sophomore to ever take home the Heisman Trophy. Darren McFadden didn't do it last year. Herschel Walker never did it. Marshall Faulk, fellow Gator Rex Grossman and Larry Fitzgerald all came close but fell shy as well. Even Doak Walker finished third in voting after his sophomore season in 1947.
Yet here was Tebow — a quarterback who threw a grand total of 33 passes his freshman season — walking through the Nokia Theater on Saturday night as a pioneer, the first of his kind.
It makes sense that Tebow would be the first to break through the Heisman's long-standing "sophomore wall." He's unlike any college football player we've ever seen. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Tebow's a freakish physical specimen. He possesses an arm from the heavens, the legs of a horse and the brain of a high school math wiz. In short, he's the prototype. Or as South Carolina head coach and fellow Gators Heisman winner Steve Spurrier put it earlier this year, "He's the quarterback of the future. Actually, he's the quarterback of today. He's really the type of quarterback that almost everyone is looking for."
Radio personality Chris "Mad Dog" Russo describes Tebow as a "linebacker playing quarterback." CBS Sports writer Dennis Dodd labels him "Herschel Walker with a rocket left arm." The accolades are endless. Amazingly, it's not hyperbole. The guy's that special.
The lingering talk in the media room following Saturday night's proceedings circulated around whether or not Tebow could join Archie Griffin as one of just two men to win multiple Heisman Trophy awards. Realistically, there's the potential for more than that.
Yes, Tebow has the opportunity to finish his career in Gainesville as not only the best Gator quarterback of all-time, but quite possibly the most accomplished and decorated player in college football history.
Tebow already has a national title and a Heisman under his belt. With two years of eligibility left, the possibilities for additional records and resume bullet points are endless.
Two more national titles? Why not? Outside of receiver Andre Caldwell and safety Tony Joiner, the Gators return just about every significant playmaker on their 2007 roster next season. Florida's got yet another top-5 recruiting class. The future's more than bright for Urban Meyer's squad — it's glowing.
The SEC career touchdown record? It's do-able. Running and passing for an average of 4.25 touchdowns per game, he's on pace to shatter it.
Two more Heismans? Though I hate to sound like Beano Cook promoting Ron Powlus, there's no reason to believe anything otherwise.
Of course, the kid is not just unique for his on-the-field accolades.
First off, he was home-schooled. On the stigma that goes along with that, Tebow jokes, "I've heard it all. Home schoolers aren't supposed to be athletic. It's like, 'Go win a spelling bee or something.'"
Tebow also happens to be the kind of guy you wouldn't lose sleep over your daughter dating. He's humble and respectful, and strong in the classroom. He didn't spend the night before the Heisman ceremony in Manhattan nightclubs and seedy bars until 3 a.m. He went on a double-decker bus tour around New York instead.
He has a good head on his shoulders and possesses an even greater heart. While most know him as the super-human one-man wrecking crew terrorizing SEC defensive lines each weekend, there are thousands of men, women and children in the Philippines that know him as a familiar face and a friend.
Tebow's spent the majority of his summers in the Philippines — living with his parents and assisting with his father's ministry — the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association (www.btea.org). Where most other nationally recognized high school athletes spent their teenage summers at camps sponsored by shoe companies and enjoying nights out with the prom queen (and more than likely, her friend, too), Tebow — or "Timmy" as his mother Pam still calls him — was in the Philippines each year for two months tending to the underserved.
On top of the ministry work, Tebow's also a regular visitor to the BTEA orphanage located in Mindanao in the Philippines that is home to 49 orphans and 13 staff members. He holds these experiences as close to his heart as the ones on the gridiron.
Too good to be true? Well, there is one negative: He's indecisive. Yes, when asked whether he'd rather throw a 30-yard touchdown or run one in from 30 yards out, Tebow insists he can't decide.
"Whatever coach calls is fine with me."
Other than that, you'll be hard-pressed finding something wrong with the guy.
There are "haters" out there, though. While he's already got a Heisman and a number of school, conference and NCAA records to his name, critics point to Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen's spread system as the real reason for such unbridled success.
Meyer shudders at such a suggestion. The Florida coach explained Saturday night, "I've heard the word 'system' tossed around this week. But let me tell you something — personnel is all that matters. Tim Tebow is a great player. And that has nothing to do with the offensive style he plays in."
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, also a quarterback in a spread offense, finished fourth in the Heisman voting. Speaking with the media following the ceremony, he gave his thoughts on the "system" label.
"The spread offense works. It's now the staple in college football. Tim's a special player."
To be certain, Tebow's a passer first, running threat second. Spread system or not, the guy can toss a football. In 2007, Tebow finished with the highest single-season passing efficiency rating (178.8) of any Heisman-winning quarterback ever. He also threw for 3,132 yards and hurled 29 touchdown passes. You put him in that Hawaii offense, he's going to do just fine. The Wildhog formation down in Arkansas? He'd manage. The Pistol in Nevada? That'd be OK, too.
Tebow's not some interchangeable part. This was known by the Florida coaching staff even before he came to Gainesville. On Saturday night, Meyer recalled a conversation he had with Greg Mattison, the Florida recruiting guru most responsible for bringing the quarterback to Gainesville, two years ago. Mattison and Meyer were on a flight back from a recruiting trip in Pennsylvania. Tebow was going back and forth on Alabama and Florida at the time. Meyer, seriously considering the possibility of Tebow in crimson and white over the next four years, suggested that even if Tebow went to 'Bama, the Gators would be fine. Mattison, a longtime veteran of the recruiting game, quickly and sternly assured Meyer otherwise.
"If we don't get him," Mattison said, "it will set [Florida football] back 10-15 years."
Luckily for Meyer, Mattison and the hundreds of thousands of Florida football fans across the country, Tebow chose be a Gator. In two years, he's proven to be all Madison and Meyer hoped for and more.
And amazingly enough, it's safe to suggest the best is yet to come.
FOXSports.com >> Feedback | Press | Jobs | Tickets | Join Our Opinion Panel | Subscribe
Other Fox Sites >> FOX.com | FOX News | News Corp.
© 2007 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Portions Copyright © 2007 STATS LLC. All rights reserved.
USA Daily wrote up an article on Tebow earlier in the week as well -
"If the strapping 6’3” 235 lb. lad wins the Heisman, he’ll be making history on several counts. First, he’s only a sophomore. Second, he is the only player in NCAA history to run and pass for at least twenty touchdowns each in one season. Third, this son of missionaries to the Philippines was homeschooled in grades K through12. The last fact, no doubt, prompted Sports Illustrated to opine that Tebow is “hardly the typical college athlete.” "
Tebow may become an all-time great
Peter Schrager / FOXSports.com
Posted: 7 hours ago
When most 20-year-old guys visit New York City for the first time, they leave with a souvenir T-shirt or maybe a basic grasp of the subway system. Tim Tebow's maiden voyage to the Big Apple ended a bit differently Saturday night. Tebow heads back to Gainesville with a slice of college football history and a bronze statue in his hand.
The first college football player to ever run for 20 touchdowns and throw for 20 touchdowns in the same season, Tebow is now also the first sophomore to ever take home the Heisman Trophy. Darren McFadden didn't do it last year. Herschel Walker never did it. Marshall Faulk, fellow Gator Rex Grossman and Larry Fitzgerald all came close but fell shy as well. Even Doak Walker finished third in voting after his sophomore season in 1947.
Yet here was Tebow — a quarterback who threw a grand total of 33 passes his freshman season — walking through the Nokia Theater on Saturday night as a pioneer, the first of his kind.
It makes sense that Tebow would be the first to break through the Heisman's long-standing "sophomore wall." He's unlike any college football player we've ever seen. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Tebow's a freakish physical specimen. He possesses an arm from the heavens, the legs of a horse and the brain of a high school math wiz. In short, he's the prototype. Or as South Carolina head coach and fellow Gators Heisman winner Steve Spurrier put it earlier this year, "He's the quarterback of the future. Actually, he's the quarterback of today. He's really the type of quarterback that almost everyone is looking for."
Radio personality Chris "Mad Dog" Russo describes Tebow as a "linebacker playing quarterback." CBS Sports writer Dennis Dodd labels him "Herschel Walker with a rocket left arm." The accolades are endless. Amazingly, it's not hyperbole. The guy's that special.
The lingering talk in the media room following Saturday night's proceedings circulated around whether or not Tebow could join Archie Griffin as one of just two men to win multiple Heisman Trophy awards. Realistically, there's the potential for more than that.
Yes, Tebow has the opportunity to finish his career in Gainesville as not only the best Gator quarterback of all-time, but quite possibly the most accomplished and decorated player in college football history.
Tebow already has a national title and a Heisman under his belt. With two years of eligibility left, the possibilities for additional records and resume bullet points are endless.
Two more national titles? Why not? Outside of receiver Andre Caldwell and safety Tony Joiner, the Gators return just about every significant playmaker on their 2007 roster next season. Florida's got yet another top-5 recruiting class. The future's more than bright for Urban Meyer's squad — it's glowing.
The SEC career touchdown record? It's do-able. Running and passing for an average of 4.25 touchdowns per game, he's on pace to shatter it.
Two more Heismans? Though I hate to sound like Beano Cook promoting Ron Powlus, there's no reason to believe anything otherwise.
Of course, the kid is not just unique for his on-the-field accolades.
First off, he was home-schooled. On the stigma that goes along with that, Tebow jokes, "I've heard it all. Home schoolers aren't supposed to be athletic. It's like, 'Go win a spelling bee or something.'"
Tebow also happens to be the kind of guy you wouldn't lose sleep over your daughter dating. He's humble and respectful, and strong in the classroom. He didn't spend the night before the Heisman ceremony in Manhattan nightclubs and seedy bars until 3 a.m. He went on a double-decker bus tour around New York instead.
He has a good head on his shoulders and possesses an even greater heart. While most know him as the super-human one-man wrecking crew terrorizing SEC defensive lines each weekend, there are thousands of men, women and children in the Philippines that know him as a familiar face and a friend.
Tebow's spent the majority of his summers in the Philippines — living with his parents and assisting with his father's ministry — the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association (www.btea.org). Where most other nationally recognized high school athletes spent their teenage summers at camps sponsored by shoe companies and enjoying nights out with the prom queen (and more than likely, her friend, too), Tebow — or "Timmy" as his mother Pam still calls him — was in the Philippines each year for two months tending to the underserved.
On top of the ministry work, Tebow's also a regular visitor to the BTEA orphanage located in Mindanao in the Philippines that is home to 49 orphans and 13 staff members. He holds these experiences as close to his heart as the ones on the gridiron.
Too good to be true? Well, there is one negative: He's indecisive. Yes, when asked whether he'd rather throw a 30-yard touchdown or run one in from 30 yards out, Tebow insists he can't decide.
"Whatever coach calls is fine with me."
Other than that, you'll be hard-pressed finding something wrong with the guy.
There are "haters" out there, though. While he's already got a Heisman and a number of school, conference and NCAA records to his name, critics point to Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen's spread system as the real reason for such unbridled success.
Meyer shudders at such a suggestion. The Florida coach explained Saturday night, "I've heard the word 'system' tossed around this week. But let me tell you something — personnel is all that matters. Tim Tebow is a great player. And that has nothing to do with the offensive style he plays in."
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, also a quarterback in a spread offense, finished fourth in the Heisman voting. Speaking with the media following the ceremony, he gave his thoughts on the "system" label.
"The spread offense works. It's now the staple in college football. Tim's a special player."
To be certain, Tebow's a passer first, running threat second. Spread system or not, the guy can toss a football. In 2007, Tebow finished with the highest single-season passing efficiency rating (178.8) of any Heisman-winning quarterback ever. He also threw for 3,132 yards and hurled 29 touchdown passes. You put him in that Hawaii offense, he's going to do just fine. The Wildhog formation down in Arkansas? He'd manage. The Pistol in Nevada? That'd be OK, too.
Tebow's not some interchangeable part. This was known by the Florida coaching staff even before he came to Gainesville. On Saturday night, Meyer recalled a conversation he had with Greg Mattison, the Florida recruiting guru most responsible for bringing the quarterback to Gainesville, two years ago. Mattison and Meyer were on a flight back from a recruiting trip in Pennsylvania. Tebow was going back and forth on Alabama and Florida at the time. Meyer, seriously considering the possibility of Tebow in crimson and white over the next four years, suggested that even if Tebow went to 'Bama, the Gators would be fine. Mattison, a longtime veteran of the recruiting game, quickly and sternly assured Meyer otherwise.
"If we don't get him," Mattison said, "it will set [Florida football] back 10-15 years."
Luckily for Meyer, Mattison and the hundreds of thousands of Florida football fans across the country, Tebow chose be a Gator. In two years, he's proven to be all Madison and Meyer hoped for and more.
And amazingly enough, it's safe to suggest the best is yet to come.
FOXSports.com >> Feedback | Press | Jobs | Tickets | Join Our Opinion Panel | Subscribe
Other Fox Sites >> FOX.com | FOX News | News Corp.
© 2007 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Portions Copyright © 2007 STATS LLC. All rights reserved.
USA Daily wrote up an article on Tebow earlier in the week as well -
"If the strapping 6’3” 235 lb. lad wins the Heisman, he’ll be making history on several counts. First, he’s only a sophomore. Second, he is the only player in NCAA history to run and pass for at least twenty touchdowns each in one season. Third, this son of missionaries to the Philippines was homeschooled in grades K through12. The last fact, no doubt, prompted Sports Illustrated to opine that Tebow is “hardly the typical college athlete.” "
Friday, September 14, 2007
More homeschooling in our local news
From the Bothell-Reporter.com
Homeschooling makes the grade for some families
By JOSHUA ADAM HICKS
Staff Writer
Eight-year-old Nnamdi Iheke of Bothell walks just a few hundred feet to school each morning.
His classroom is the family kitchen, a place where he can learn in full-dress or pajamas, whichever suits him.
The Ihekes are one of about 450 Northshore-area families that have chosen homeschooling as their preferred form of education.
Some work completely solo. Others partner with co-op groups, private educators or even school districts to get the job done.
“There are as many ways of homeschooling as there are homeschoolers,” said Marna Marteeny, who teaches her two children, ages 9 and 12, at their abode in unincorporated King County.
Likewise, there are multiple reasons that parents embrace these methods.
Homeschooling puts the student-adult ratio at roughly one-to-one, allowing each student to get an individualized education that fits his or her unique pace, interests and learning style.
It also turns the world into a classroom, where field trips become a regular part of the learning regimen. Trips to the aquarium and even family vacations become a part of the educational experience.
“We took our kids to England,” Marteeny said. “Is there anything you can do in England that isn’t historical? It’s all educational.
“This year, we’re going to Yellowstone. We’re hoping to find wolves.”
Bothell resident Kalisa Fraser says that homeschooling will give her the flexibility for an extended visit with family in Brazil. Her kids will come along and immerse themselves in the culture while learning Portuguese.
And they won’t have to play catch-up after returning home.
“I’m definitely excited to have more control over how we live as a family,” Fraser said. “We’re big advocates of public education, and teachers have all my respect in the world. They do a really hard job, and they do it well, but it was a matter of doing what’s right for my family by controlling our time and the curriculum.”
Despite its touted benefits, homeschooling has its skeptics.
Nnamdi’s father was one of them at first. He grew up in Nigeria, where homeschooling is far from the norm.
“He wasn’t keen on it,” said Nnamdi’s mother, Gina. “We chose to give it a try for a couple of years and decided this was just working for us.”
The more unwavering doubters say that homeschooling stunts social development.
Advocates counter by pointing out that children educated at home typically attend group activities each week.
The Northshore School District even partners with the YMCA to offer art and physical-education programs that allow homeschool children to play with peers.
Proponents also note that homeschool kids aren’t segregated into age-specific classrooms.
“The kids learn to talk to adults like people,” Marteeny said. “There isn’t that separation between the kid world and the grown-up world, so they learn to interact with everybody.”
Homeschool parents do acknowledge certain challenges associated with opting out of a formal education. Most eventually run into subjects that they don’t feel comfortable teaching, for example.
Gina says she found it difficult to explain why multiples of 10 sometimes need to be carried over when doing subtraction. She bought a DVD to help Nnamdi understand the concept.
And when her son asked to learn about spiders — a topic that grosses Gina out — she signed him up for a class about insects at the zoo.
The goal, according to homeschoolers, is for parents to act more as learning facilitators than actual teachers.
That’s when networking groups come in handy.
“List serves are really important because you learn what other people are doing, and you learn about the resources that are available,” Marteeny said. “That mom-to-mom information is the best you can get.”
Several dozen networks and organizations in north King and south Snohomish counties are dedicated to the field of homeschooling.
Parents can also hire outside help or send their kids to classes through co-ops and private schools.
Marteeny’s 12-year-old son, Benjamin, meets regularly with groups that are studying Mandarin, applied government and environmental activism, as well as invertebrate biology.
The Northshore School District also provides enrichment classes and consulting with certificated teachers through its Home School Networks program, which began in 1997 and now serves nearly 600 students a year.
In addition, teens between the ages of 16-18 can take college courses on the state’s tab through the Running Start Program.
Homeschooling requires structure and time commitment, according to parents.
“It consumes you,” Gina said. “It’s a part of my life, like a full-time job. I divide myself three ways, between my house, my family and homeschooling.”
That hasn’t kept working parents from homeschooling.
Marteeny, a former nuclear engineer, tutors math part time when she’s not busy teaching her own kids and running a household.
Fraser works full time with the Microsoft Corp. sales and operations team.
“If I can do it with my schedule and the demands on my time, anyone can do it,” she said.
Washington law states that students who participate in homeschooling must learn 11 subjects — ranging from math to art — and participate in annual testing, which can be done in the form of an analysis by a certified teacher, or by way of a standardized exam.
Those who participate in the Northshore School District’s Home School Networks program must pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning exams, just like traditional students.
Parents wishing to homeschool must meet one of four requirements: either earning 45 quarter units of college-level credit, attending a parent qualifying course, working with a certified teacher or receiving approval from the superintendent of their school district.
Homeschooling makes the grade for some families
By JOSHUA ADAM HICKS
Staff Writer
Eight-year-old Nnamdi Iheke of Bothell walks just a few hundred feet to school each morning.
His classroom is the family kitchen, a place where he can learn in full-dress or pajamas, whichever suits him.
The Ihekes are one of about 450 Northshore-area families that have chosen homeschooling as their preferred form of education.
Some work completely solo. Others partner with co-op groups, private educators or even school districts to get the job done.
“There are as many ways of homeschooling as there are homeschoolers,” said Marna Marteeny, who teaches her two children, ages 9 and 12, at their abode in unincorporated King County.
Likewise, there are multiple reasons that parents embrace these methods.
Homeschooling puts the student-adult ratio at roughly one-to-one, allowing each student to get an individualized education that fits his or her unique pace, interests and learning style.
It also turns the world into a classroom, where field trips become a regular part of the learning regimen. Trips to the aquarium and even family vacations become a part of the educational experience.
“We took our kids to England,” Marteeny said. “Is there anything you can do in England that isn’t historical? It’s all educational.
“This year, we’re going to Yellowstone. We’re hoping to find wolves.”
Bothell resident Kalisa Fraser says that homeschooling will give her the flexibility for an extended visit with family in Brazil. Her kids will come along and immerse themselves in the culture while learning Portuguese.
And they won’t have to play catch-up after returning home.
“I’m definitely excited to have more control over how we live as a family,” Fraser said. “We’re big advocates of public education, and teachers have all my respect in the world. They do a really hard job, and they do it well, but it was a matter of doing what’s right for my family by controlling our time and the curriculum.”
Despite its touted benefits, homeschooling has its skeptics.
Nnamdi’s father was one of them at first. He grew up in Nigeria, where homeschooling is far from the norm.
“He wasn’t keen on it,” said Nnamdi’s mother, Gina. “We chose to give it a try for a couple of years and decided this was just working for us.”
The more unwavering doubters say that homeschooling stunts social development.
Advocates counter by pointing out that children educated at home typically attend group activities each week.
The Northshore School District even partners with the YMCA to offer art and physical-education programs that allow homeschool children to play with peers.
Proponents also note that homeschool kids aren’t segregated into age-specific classrooms.
“The kids learn to talk to adults like people,” Marteeny said. “There isn’t that separation between the kid world and the grown-up world, so they learn to interact with everybody.”
Homeschool parents do acknowledge certain challenges associated with opting out of a formal education. Most eventually run into subjects that they don’t feel comfortable teaching, for example.
Gina says she found it difficult to explain why multiples of 10 sometimes need to be carried over when doing subtraction. She bought a DVD to help Nnamdi understand the concept.
And when her son asked to learn about spiders — a topic that grosses Gina out — she signed him up for a class about insects at the zoo.
The goal, according to homeschoolers, is for parents to act more as learning facilitators than actual teachers.
That’s when networking groups come in handy.
“List serves are really important because you learn what other people are doing, and you learn about the resources that are available,” Marteeny said. “That mom-to-mom information is the best you can get.”
Several dozen networks and organizations in north King and south Snohomish counties are dedicated to the field of homeschooling.
Parents can also hire outside help or send their kids to classes through co-ops and private schools.
Marteeny’s 12-year-old son, Benjamin, meets regularly with groups that are studying Mandarin, applied government and environmental activism, as well as invertebrate biology.
The Northshore School District also provides enrichment classes and consulting with certificated teachers through its Home School Networks program, which began in 1997 and now serves nearly 600 students a year.
In addition, teens between the ages of 16-18 can take college courses on the state’s tab through the Running Start Program.
Homeschooling requires structure and time commitment, according to parents.
“It consumes you,” Gina said. “It’s a part of my life, like a full-time job. I divide myself three ways, between my house, my family and homeschooling.”
That hasn’t kept working parents from homeschooling.
Marteeny, a former nuclear engineer, tutors math part time when she’s not busy teaching her own kids and running a household.
Fraser works full time with the Microsoft Corp. sales and operations team.
“If I can do it with my schedule and the demands on my time, anyone can do it,” she said.
Washington law states that students who participate in homeschooling must learn 11 subjects — ranging from math to art — and participate in annual testing, which can be done in the form of an analysis by a certified teacher, or by way of a standardized exam.
Those who participate in the Northshore School District’s Home School Networks program must pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning exams, just like traditional students.
Parents wishing to homeschool must meet one of four requirements: either earning 45 quarter units of college-level credit, attending a parent qualifying course, working with a certified teacher or receiving approval from the superintendent of their school district.
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