Welcome to the Free Talk Live bulletin board system!
This board is closed to new users and new posts.  Thank you to all our great mods and users over the years.  Details here.
185859 Posts in 9829 Topics by 1371 Members
Latest Member: cjt26
Home Help
+  The Free Talk Live BBS
|-+  Free Talk Live
| |-+  The Polling Pit
| | |-+  Government or Private Education?

Poll

Where did you spend your K-12 years?

Government (Public) Schools
- 39 (58.2%)
Private School (Religious)
- 9 (13.4%)
Private School (Secular)
- 6 (9%)
Homeschool
- 3 (4.5%)
Combo (Explain)
- 10 (14.9%)

Total Members Voted: 27


Pages: 1 [2] 3   Go Down

Author Topic: Government or Private Education?  (Read 8147 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

rabidfurby

  • Guest
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2007, 06:43:05 PM »

Kindergarten through the first few months of 8th grade in private school; 3rd grade onward was in a "gifted" school.
I started to hate the private school, so I left in October of 8th grade and was homeschooled for the rest of the year.
9th and 10th were in public high school. Hated it.

For 11th and 12th grades I did Running Start, which is a Washington state program that lets juniors and seniors take community college classes and get both high school and college credit. I more or less dropped out of high school - I was still officially enrolled, but didn't go for anything other than practice for the Knowledge Bowl team, which I ended up being captain of) and took classes only at the community college. The end result was that I was able to escape the shittiness of high school, got an Associate's Degree the same day I graduated high school (one of four people in my graduating class who did so), and got the requirements for all the bullshit survey classes at my 4-year university waived.
Logged

Laetitia

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3952
  • ...
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #16 on: March 05, 2007, 07:45:44 PM »

To everyone who is voting and/or replying, thank you so much.

I never went to kindergarten, but attended various church affiliated schools in Illinois & Vancouver, BC through elementary grades. There was one semester in a govt. school in Dixon, IL. My mother was horrified by the results & pulled me to what was the best school out of all. It was church affiliated, had about 100 students, K-12. Used a work at your own pace curriculum. You had to complete 8 books a year in each subject, but could do as many as you wanted. I went through almost four grades in two years. It was soooo much fun!
Finished middle & high school in govt. schools. There just weren't private schools available with the band & orchestra programs I wanted. Not available in my mom's budget range, at least. Went from being an honor roll (where it meant something) student who gave a damn to being a bored honor roll student who read sci-fi & fantasy novels in class instead of studying.

My husband was educated entirely in government schools. His high school was a math/science magnet school. Turned out to be great, since it was probably one of the few schools in his region to actually teach how to think instead of what to think.

Of my three children, not one fits into the traditional class/school setting. My 12 (13 in 3 days) year old comes closest, but that's only after years of struggle. My 5 y.o. is in kindergarten, and would already rather stay home to read books, play music and teach her stuffed animals math on the whiteboard. I get called in to conferences constantly about my 7 y.o. - not because of his grades. Straight A's, but he sometimes decides he doesn't want to do anything in class. Or, he wants to read a book about sharks, instead of doing math. Or write stories about things blowing up - Thank you, Mythbusters.

The kids are currently in (Govt) charter schools, but we're struggling with what to do as the schools become less suited to their growing brains. We've done private, church affiliated school. Hard to reconcile creationism with a little boy's dreams of studying stars & dinosaur bones. We're considering homeschooling, but that leads to tons of questions about how much freedom to give them in choosing studies outside the math & grammar fundamentals.

This is longer than my normal posts - but you all are helping me compile a list of options & concerns as we're making this HUGE decision. Thank you again!
Logged
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of experience comes from bad judgment.

YixilTesiphon

  • FTL AMPlifier Silver
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4284
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #17 on: March 05, 2007, 08:06:59 PM »

Joy - Your kids sound inquisitive. This means that, with the help of the Internet and some books, they are perfectly capable of teaching themselves anything they want, with suitable encouragement and progress checks from you and your husband. I know I learned more at home even while in public schools than I did at school, thanks to my parents' encouragement of learning and my inquisitive nature. Homeschooling them will be less of a time commitment then you think. Finding out how to give them time with other kids their age might be more challenging, however.
Logged
And their kids were hippie chicks - all hypocrites.

rabidfurby

  • Guest
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2007, 08:55:15 PM »

I get called in to conferences constantly about my 7 y.o. - not because of his grades. Straight A's, but he sometimes decides he doesn't want to do anything in class. Or, he wants to read a book about sharks, instead of doing math. Or write stories about things blowing up - Thank you, Mythbusters.

You should have him watch Weeds so he can get some ideas from Shane:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MVHjlCIHnFE
Logged

error

  • AMP Call-In Line Provider
  • FTL Crew
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3340
  • Department of Homeland Stupidity
    • View Profile
    • Department of Homeland Stupidity
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #19 on: March 05, 2007, 09:33:31 PM »

I've been to Dixon, Illinois. I'm so glad I'll never see that place again. :)
Logged

Laetitia

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3952
  • ...
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #20 on: March 05, 2007, 10:38:58 PM »

I have fond memories of my time there. Small midwest town, kids, and bicycles.
Happy, Happy.  :D
I should probably stay away from there now, as it might ruin all that for me.

I've been to Dixon, Illinois. I'm so glad I'll never see that place again. :)

Shoot! So much for my 1,000th post being something profound.
Logged
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of experience comes from bad judgment.

error

  • AMP Call-In Line Provider
  • FTL Crew
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3340
  • Department of Homeland Stupidity
    • View Profile
    • Department of Homeland Stupidity
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #21 on: March 05, 2007, 10:56:42 PM »

I got pulled over there for a busted headlight once. That's why I remember it. I probably should have stayed on the tollway.

As for profound, you can't possibly expect me to be thought-provoking ALL the time!
Logged

Lindsey

  • Rock Star
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30370
  • I like Mars.
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #22 on: March 05, 2007, 10:57:12 PM »

I have fond memories of my time there. Small midwest town, kids, and bicycles.
Happy, Happy.  :D
I should probably stay away from there now, as it might ruin all that for me.

I've been to Dixon, Illinois. I'm so glad I'll never see that place again. :)

Shoot! So much for my 1,000th post being something profound.

Welcome to the big leagues. 
Logged
Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.
         -George W. Bush

AlexLibman

  • Guest
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #23 on: March 06, 2007, 12:28:23 AM »

Public school in the USSR, including boarding school for 2nd grade (I was one bad kid, by their standards), and I was home-schooled for a few months after I knocked four of some guy's teeth out.  Good times.

Then I was in American public school starting with 5th grade, which was a zoo of retards in comparison, so I didn't take school seriously here either.  Then a charter high school.  I still regret that I didn't drop out at 16.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2007, 12:34:17 AM by AlexLibman »
Logged

Gordee

  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 169
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #24 on: March 06, 2007, 12:34:15 AM »

The kids are currently in (Govt) charter schools, but we're struggling with what to do as the schools become less suited to their growing brains. We've done private, church affiliated school. Hard to reconcile creationism with a little boy's dreams of studying stars & dinosaur bones. We're considering homeschooling, but that leads to tons of questions about how much freedom to give them in choosing studies outside the math & grammar fundamentals.

Joy.

I don't know if you attended the Education Panel at the Liberty Forum. They discussed homeschooling, its benefits and limits. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay during the entire presentation, but what I've heard surprised me and it's related to it's limits - since the state still holds the education monopoly, homeschooling parents have to "obide" certain requirements and have their children take standardized tests every year to make sure that they have reached some kind of educational level.

Perhaps, a good way to learn more about homeschooling, if you haven't so far, is to contact panelists - here is more info:

http://freestateproject.org/libertyforum/2007/educationpanel

I also talked briefly to Wayne, FTL co-host, who is homeschooling his children. You may try to contact him to get some additional info.
Logged

Wayne

  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 377
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #25 on: March 07, 2007, 08:25:41 AM »

I don't recall kindergarden, and am not sure I even attended.

Grades 1-3: Department of Defense-run public school on a U.S. army base in a foreign country
Grades 4-6: Public school in the U.S.
Grades 7-10: Private Christian school in the U.S.
Grade 11: Same as Grades 1-3
Grade 12: Homeschooled through a correspondence curriculum (classes on video, fun!) while in said foreign country

Personally, I was always a rather strong-willed and independent-thinking (contrary might be a word my teachers used) kid. And when the system--political and educational--is as broken as ours is, it's almost inevitable that someone who's always asking "why" and demanding a straight answer will see the problems with it.

I also taught for a couple of years after college at my church's small Christian school. That was... eye-opening.

Joy, if I could suggest a book that has both philosophy and a compilation of resources, you might want to look into The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education, by Grace Llewellyn. It had me rethinking the entire modern approach to education, as by the time I read it I had already begun to wonder about alternatives. There are suggestions and such for homeschoolers in there as well.

(I should probably note though... for whatever reason, the title of the book alone is controversial enough to generate immediate, deeply emotional reactions from others. On two separate occasions when I simply brought the book into a room--without even saying a word!--it elicited remarks ranging from snide to downright nasty, with one or two walkouts. And both times these were people I knew, friends and coworkers!)

-Wayne
Logged


"Buy low, sell high." Are YOU stocking up on silver yet?

Laetitia

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3952
  • ...
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #26 on: March 07, 2007, 09:16:27 AM »

Gordee -
I did attend the first half of the education panel. It was right at the end of my volunteer shift. As much as I hate to admit it, my need to go up to the room & kick off my shoes for a quick nap overwhelmed my desire to hear the rest of the panel.
I did have some great conversations with a couple of the other volunteers who are homeschooling moms. I think contacting a couple of the panelists for some direction is a good idea though. Thanks for the pointer.

Wayne -
Just added the book to my amazon shopping list. Another of Llewellyn's books popped up in the "buy together" option - Guerrilla Learning: How to Give Your Kids a Real Education With or Without School Think I'll toss that in the basket too, since I have a couple of younger kidlets too.

I don't really care about controversy. I love telling about the ridiculous conferences we get called in for on our middle child. And when I get notes from gym teachers asking that my 12yo. son not wear libertarian t-shirts at gym class. (Sports & Cartoon shirts are fine though.) I also read disruptive stories to the kids on my mystery reader days (capt. underpants, tra-la-la!)

Again, to everyone posting their experiences here, THANKS!
I'm pitching the whole FSP/Homeschooling thing to my husband this week on our dinner date. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but think I've put together a pretty well rounded argument. And, I'll be wearing an awesome dress, which should help.)
Logged
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of experience comes from bad judgment.

Brent

  • Guest
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #27 on: March 07, 2007, 10:41:15 AM »

Government school all the way through.  Fortunately for my young mind, my father didn't allow my sister or me to watch TV at home, so I read much more than most kids.  By 3rd grade, I'd stopped paying attention to school altogether.  I spent most of class sitting in the back reading a book while ignoring whatever the teacher was saying.  Ironically, I probably have my father's draconian prohibition of most forms of popular entertainment to thank for my freethinking mindset. 

Advice for anyone still wasting their time in public school:

Take the GED (or don't) and get out.  When I was a senior in high school, the school board decided to "earn" the district some extra money by forcing the senior class to help normalize the GED.  I could have passed that shit with flying colors fresh out of 6th grade.  You don't have to waste your time in government school if you don't want to.  I regret staying all the way through. 
Logged

YixilTesiphon

  • FTL AMPlifier Silver
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4284
    • View Profile
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #28 on: March 08, 2007, 08:51:59 AM »

Government school all the way through.  Fortunately for my young mind, my father didn't allow my sister or me to watch TV at home, so I read much more than most kids.  By 3rd grade, I'd stopped paying attention to school altogether.  I spent most of class sitting in the back reading a book while ignoring whatever the teacher was saying.  Ironically, I probably have my father's draconian prohibition of most forms of popular entertainment to thank for my freethinking mindset.

Similar experience - no TV at home forced me to read. I taught myself how to read when I was 3.

Quote
Advice for anyone still wasting their time in public school:

Take the GED (or don't) and get out.  When I was a senior in high school, the school board decided to "earn" the district some extra money by forcing the senior class to help normalize the GED.  I could have passed that shit with flying colors fresh out of 6th grade.  You don't have to waste your time in government school if you don't want to.  I regret staying all the way through. 

Also agreed. Here's something people are surprised to find out - most colleges don't give a shit about you graduating from high school. Take as many classes and APs as you can in your first 3 years of high school, then go to college. I am a high school dropout at Cornell and I wouldn't have it any other way. (Yes, I mention that a lot. I'm proud of it and it serves to make a point.)
Logged
And their kids were hippie chicks - all hypocrites.

Taors

  • Guest
Re: Government or Private Education?
« Reply #29 on: March 08, 2007, 04:08:23 PM »

I'd be proud of that too. I plan on just saving money for now and starting businesses, then going to college in a few years when I'm like 22 or so.
Logged
Pages: 1 [2] 3   Go Up
+  The Free Talk Live BBS
|-+  Free Talk Live
| |-+  The Polling Pit
| | |-+  Government or Private Education?

// ]]>

Page created in 0.021 seconds with 36 queries.