Author Archives: Jeffrey

3 Reasons One Public School Advocate is Giving Up on the System

When it comes to discussion of public schools, all too often battle lines seem to be drawn between those on the inside and outside of the system: the teachers and the parents. The teachers understandably want to defend the job they do, while the parents want to ensure that their child doesn’t become another dismal statistic.

But every once in a while an individual comes along with credentials to look at the issue of public education from both viewpoints. Such is the case with Erin Brighton, who recently wrote an op-ed for the Huffington Post entitled, “Goodbye, Public School. It’s Not Me, It’s You” Brighton starts out by saying: Continue reading →

Let’s Go Backwards in Education

Maybe part of the “New Normal” should be the “Old Normal” – ’cause it sure beats Abby Normal!

In the last two weeks, lost among the coronavirus ruckus, some organizations have issued reports revealing the poor scores of our elementary and middle school students on standardized tests. From the Pioneer Institute comes a study showing the failures of Common Core in basic subjects like reading and math.

“Nearly a decade after states adopted Common Core,” said the Pioneer Institute’s Executive Director Jim Stergios, “the empirical evidence makes it clear that these national standards have yielded underwhelming results for students. The proponents of this expensive, legally questionable policy initiative have much to answer for.” Continue reading →

Old time religion in modern clothes

As I have examined the phenomenon of government controlled schooling, it has been a continuing mystery to me why this type of totalitarian enterprise could have been imposed on a country that was ostensibly founded on the primacy of individual liberty and freedom of conscience. I can understand why today’s citizens are generally oblivious to freedom of conscience issues due to the indoctrination and psychological conditioning that are essential components of government schooling – but why would such a system be accepted by citizens who had not been programmed to accept it? As noted in my previous posts, that system was imposed through propaganda and false promises and was often met with resistance, but due to the police power of the state it was ultimately imposed top-down by special interests. However, even considering political manipulation and the raw power of the state, there still seemed to be something missing. Continue reading →

Oh c’mon – even the teachers need a laugh!

The Late Murray Rothbard Takes on the Constitution

A lost volume of American history finds the light of day…

The Constitution is traditionally seen as the culmination of the American Revolution. But in the fifth and final volume of Conceived in Liberty, the libertarian firebrand Murray Rothbard portrays it as a reactionary counterrevolution against the Revolution’s radical principles, orchestrated by a powerful array of monied interests who hoped a more centralized government would reproduce many hierarchical and mercantilist features of the 18th century British state. Continue reading →

The 13th Amendment to the united States Constitution

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865 in the aftermath of the Civil War, abolished slavery in the United States. The 13th Amendment states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Continue reading →

Thanks to Shutdowns, Many Will Learn That Public Schooling Isn’t All That Essential After All

While some of America’s most demagogic politicians try to exploit the COVID-19 outbreak, some Americans are trying to make the most of their de facto state of house arrest.

Government-imposed lockdowns have resulted in the shutdown of a number of schools across the nation. During this period some schools have gone online, while others have closed up indefinitely. Society is conditioned to believe that children cannot possibly be able to receive an education under such circumstances. After all, education can only take place in a classroom, at least in the social planners’ view. Continue reading →

John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson and the “Tariff of Abominations“

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John Quincy Adams is generally regarded as an excellent diplomat and an outstanding abolitionist but not a great president. That’s not an altogether fair assessment. Adams did not enjoy universal respect due to the manner in which he became president. (He finished second in the popular vote and electoral college, but since no candidate had a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives decided the outcome.) Adams was stymied by a Congress controlled by his political enemies. His lack of doling out patronage appointments didn’t win him any friends either. But as president, Adams made some strides in modernizing the American economy and promoting education. He also succeeded in paying off much of the national debt. Continue reading →

A Laid-Back Homestead Homeschool Routine

Homeschooling continues to be more interesting as these months go on. You should consider making it routine in your family. Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know – “But there are other obligations that I must return to.”

Yes – but the FIRST obligation a family has is to their children – so stop turning them over to someone else to raise! Teach, Learn and Grow together – as a family!

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How Taxes Caused the Civil War ~ NOT Slavery!

Taxes caused the Civil War: Although I’m no scholar of American history, there are a few seminal events that I’ve always felt confident in having a basic understanding of. One of those is the cause of the Civil War, which was slavery, of course. But then, I did some research, and I had to rethink everything.

It seems that the root cause of the Civil War was not slavery, it was taxation. Continue reading →

Mike Pompeo Lashes Out at Critics of Homeschooling, Says Radical Leftists Are Indoctrinating Children

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted critics of homeschooling and accused radical-left academics of imposing their values on American children.

Harvard Magazine, an independently edited magazine affiliated with Harvard University, recently published an article warning of the risks of homeschooling as part of their May/June edition. It quotes Elizzabeth Batholet, Wasserstein public interest professor of law and faculty director of the Law School’s Child Advocacy Program, in saying that homeschooling violates children’s rights to a “meaningful education” while also limiting them from contributing to a democratic society. Additionally, Bartholet argues that homeschool is inadequately unregulated across the U.S. and can isolate children from others. Continue reading →

New York teams up with Bill & Melinda Gates to ‘reimagine education’

With 4.2 million students absent from their physical classrooms, the state is looking to take a tech-focused approach to learning

Elin Eaton, 11, studies during home schooling in New Rochelle, New York, in March shortly after schools were closed. Nola’s mother, Farrah Eaton, is a former high school administrator, and holds sessions with her three children during weekday mornings. – Getty Images

Though the coronavirus pandemic is a “devastating and costly moment in history,” Cuomo said, there are lessons to be learned and opportunities for betterment across many sectors.

New York should “take this experience and really learn how we can do differently and better with our education system in terms of technology and virtual education,” Cuomo said. “It’s not about just reopening schools. When we reopen schools, let’s open a better school and let’s open a smarter education system.”

Just remember – Bill Gates brought the world of Common-Core to our schools – and even HE admitted that is was a resounding failure. So he should be given a second chance??? ~ Ed.

Continue reading →

Don’t just think about it… Do something about it.

Exactly! Schools teach one thing: dependence. Since we would eventually like our children to be independent, I think we better continue to handle this ourselves. ~ DeeAnn Schank Standlee

The Myth that Americans Were Poorly Educated before Mass Government Schooling

Early America had widespread literacy and a vibrant culture of learning.

Detail of Girl Reading by Edmund Charles Tarbell (Public Domain)

Parents the world over are dealing with massive adjustments in their children’s education that they could not have anticipated just three months ago. To one degree or another, pandemic-induced school closures are creating the “mass homeschooling” that FEE’s senior education fellow Kerry McDonald predicted two months ago. Who knows, with millions of youngsters absent from government school classrooms, maybe education will become as good as it was before the government ever got involved. Continue reading →

Our Children Are Not Slaves of the State

Last week brought two special delights…

Though I had read and even taught Francis Gray Patton’s novel Good Morning, Miss Dove, I had never seen the movie. With forlorn hope, I went to YouTube, punched in the title, and there it was, a wonderful film released in 1955 starring Jennifer Jones as “The Terrible Miss Dove,” an elementary school teacher whose principles, stern classroom discipline, and general demeanor terrify her students but make her a beloved figure in the town of Liberty Hill. Continue reading →

Attacks on Homeschooling Suggest Nervous Government Schools

It’s funny how homeschooling – that once-upon-a-time fringe movement of education – has now become the norm. Everyone’s doing it out of sheer necessity.

For some, it’s going great! What was at first a stressful and uncertain task is now becoming routine. In fact, a recent poll conducted by EdChoice found that over half of respondents hold a more favorable view of homeschooling as a result of the coronavirus. Continue reading →

Sez it all…

We Fought with America in the Vietnam War, but Most Americans Don’t Know About Us

Many know the Vietnam War as one of the bloodiest and most unpopular wars in U.S. history. Some even label it a mistake. During the 1960s, the spread of communism brought fear to the American people. For the U.S. government, communism posed a political threat as the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, and other countries started emerging as “red” states. They were afraid more dominoes would fall, so they placed themselves between them. American representatives were sent to Vietnam and neighboring countries to prevent the spread. This is where the story of my people begins. Continue reading →

Top 10 Reasons to Learn Cursive

Developing an attractive, legible cursive handwriting style certainly has great aesthetic value, but it also has numerous mental, physical, social, and practical benefits. Continue reading →

Science Teachers Adapt To Lockdown With ‘Burping Bags‘ And Other At-Home Experiments

With most schools out across the country due to the coronavirus lockdown, science teachers have been getting creative when it comes to finding experiments to keeep their students entertained.

“My thing has been to get science into their homes and get them doing science… it’s about discovery,” said Lockhart, Texas science teacher Avri DiPietro, who’s assigned a “burping bag” experiment to her 160 or so students between the ages of 11 and 14. Continue reading →