MorningStars Home Education NewsMorningStars Home Education NewsMimi Rothschild is a homeschool mom just like you. She shares her thoughts about homeschooling her eight children with you each week. Articles
Home Schooling Virtual Schools Will Save American Education
2007-07-18 14:11:00 By Mimi Rothschild Robert Jacobson, senior editor of eSchool News online, wrote an eye-opening article on virtual schools and discusses how virtual schools could dramatically transform America?s education system. Laboratories of Reform: Virtual High Schools and Innovation in Public Education , a new report from Education Sector notes that ?Virtual schooling is driving the same sorts ... More About: Star Academy , Home , American
Welcome to the Jungle that is Public School: Guns, Gangs, and Teachers?
2007-07-18 13:57:00 By Mimi Rothschild As if public schools weren?t dangerous and chaotic enough. Public schools now have to deal with dodgy teachers lurking in the classrooms waiting to pounce on vulnerable students. Of course, the majority of public school teachers are not a threat to students, but the number of crimes being committed by teachers ... More About: Guns , School , Jungle , Gangs
Public School Educator Gives Home Schooling High Marks
2007-07-03 19:08:00 By Mimi Rothschild Hello all, this is a short post, but I thought I?d share this great article I read. Duane Sheppard, a retired educator with almost three decades of experience in the public school system, wrote a compelling article on home schooling and home schooling?s increasing popularity. I find Mr. Sheppard?s article to ... More About: Star Academy , Public , Home , School , Morning
The Decision to Homeschool
2007-07-03 18:53:00 By Mimi Rothschild Thirteen years ago, Jon Yarrington was on his way to way to work on the first day of school when his wife told him that she wouldn?t send her children to the local public school anymore. Yarrington was a skeptic of home schooling at the time, but 13 years later he is ... More About: Star Academy , Morning , Decision , The D
Corporations in the Classroom?
2007-06-20 18:30:00 By Mimi Rothschild Children all over the United States and Canada are being bombarded in their own public schools by a slew of marketing messages from corporate America. Public school students can no longer walk down the hallway, ride the bus, or even open up their textbooks without being subjected to a message that essentially ... More About: Star Academy , Morning , Corporations
Homeschooling Receives Long Overdue Credit From Mainstream Media
2007-06-12 23:31:00 By Mimi Rothschild Michael Alison Chandler of The Washington Post wrote a compelling and positive article on homeschooling yesterday. Often times the mainstream media has been critical of homeschooling. Media outlets have overlooked homeschooling?s success and instead focused on a number of unimportant related issues during the debate over homeschooling. Chandler gives credit ... More About: Credit , Homeschooling , Long , Mainstream Media
The MorningStar Academy Summer Reading List and Summer Programs
2007-06-06 19:01:00 By Mimi Rothschild What are your homeschoolers doing this summer? Going back in time? Sailing on the high seas? Hanging out with the three little pigs? Summer is the perfect time for homeschoolers to improve their readings skills and have a blast while doing it. We?ve compiled a comprehensive summer reading ... More About: Reading , Academy , Programs , List
Interview Reveals Number of Homeschool Students up Twenty-Nine Percent in A
2007-06-05 19:04:00 By Mimi Rothschild Parents are dramatically pulling their children out of public schools to homeschool them instead. According to the National Center for Education Statistics the number of homeschool students in 2003 is up 29 percent from 1999. Just imagine the increase of homeschool students in America now in 2007. Parents are discovering the benefits ... More About: Students , Interview , Twenty , Went , Number
Christian Homeschools Growing as Critics Hurl Stones
2007-05-31 23:35:00 By Mimi Rothschild America is at the crossroads in many different facets of life. Religion, or difference in opinion on religious issues, acts as the catalyst that has propelled America to this new era of hostility between Christian s and Atheists. According to Rachel Zoll of The Washington Post Christopher Hitchens has published another anti-Christian book entitled ... More About: Growing , Tones , Rowing , Crit
Experienced Educator Explains the Inadequacy of Public Schools in New Book
2007-05-24 17:29:00 By Mimi Rothschild Patricia Kokinos, a teacher and an assistant principal for more than 25 years paints a dark picture of the public school system in America. ?Angel Park? is a fictional novel that was inspired by Kokinos career as an educator and her experiences in fighting for school reform. The novel describes the ... More About: Schools , Star Academy , Public , Book , Morning
Michelle Malkin Understands Homeschoolers
2007-05-14 17:28:00 By Mimi Rothschild It’s a short post, but it’s something. Possibly the hottest conservatively-minded politics and culture blogger, Mich elle Malkin has linked two news stories that should make your blood boil. The first, from the Edmonton Sun paints a picture of absolute terror as sixth graders were subjected to a staged gun attack. One of the teachers ... More About: Homeschoolers , Hell , Michelle Malkin
The Importance of Creativity in Education
2007-05-10 22:04:00 By Mimi Rothschild Ken Robinson provides us with a witty and incisive critique of how the public school squanders the minds of children by squelching their natural creativity. Arguing that creativity is just as important as literacy (which we’re not doing so well on either), Robinson declares that so many children are shuffled from class to ... More About: Education , Star Academy , Creativity , Morning , Ducati
Stupid in America
2007-05-05 00:30:00 Have you ever seen John Stossel’s “Stupid in America ” documentary? If not, I highly encourage you to check it out when you have a free forty minutes. It doesn?t tell we homeschoolers anything we don?t already know, but it justifies our cause like no other video, book, or lecture I?ve watched. We all know naysayers that ... More About: Star Academy , Morning
Announcing the Jr. Picasso Contest
2007-04-27 23:22:00 Attention all starving artists! The MorningStar Academy is now accepting submissions for our Jr. Picas so Art Contes t . Submit your artwork now for a chance to win a gift certificate from Utrecht Art Supply! All children under the age of 18 are welcome to enter. Please visit the following web page for more information. Homeschooling Art ? The ... More About: Star Academy , Test
Our Prayers are with You
2007-04-16 23:15:00 By Mimi Rothschild I would like to take a moment to extend our sympathies and prayers to the families of the students who were killed in the Virginia Tech massacre. In times like these, it is difficult to find words to express what we are feeling. As a mother who has lost a child, I know ... More About: Prayers , Prayer , With , Raye , Pray
Homeschooling Professor Lays it Down
2007-04-10 16:04:00 By Mimi Rothschild I was overjoyed to read an article in the Boston Pilot that served as a pretty good introduction to the joys and advantages of homeschooling. Prof essor Michael Pakaluk is a professor of philosophy in Cambridge, Mass. who has chosen to homeschool his 16-year old daughter. He provides the following excellent list. 1. ... More About: Homeschooling , Home , School , Homes
Sam Harris vs. Rick Warren
2007-04-03 15:39:00 By Mimi Rothschild In one corner we have the it-boy of evangelical Christendom, Rick War ren . Pastor of the 25,000-strong Saddleback mega-church, Warren is certainly a force to be reckoned with. In the other corner, Sam Harris, prominent atheist author and student of neuroscience. When these two power-players square off, it is bound to be interesting. I’m disappointed in ... More About: Arri , Rick Warren
Announcing Online Summer School Program
2007-03-26 16:30:00 By Mimi Rothschild The MorningStar Academy is pleased to announce our online Summer School Prog ram! This program allows existing homeschoolers and public school students to enroll in a course from July 2-August 31. This program is a wonderful solution for children who are interested in preparing for college, wish to make up a missed class, learn ... More About: Online , Summer School
Legislators Attempt to Raise Compulsory Attendance Age
2007-03-20 15:45:00 By Mimi Rothschild Problem: Children don’t like going to school. Solution: Make it mandatory! Problem 2: Children still don’t like going to school. Solution 2: Make them stay longer! From the HSLDA: “Senate Bill 171 is a legislative proposal which would raise North Carolina?s compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 17, until the child graduates from high school. If enacted, ... More About: Dance , Comp , Tend , Legi , Puls
Colleges Friendlier towards Homeschoolers
2007-03-13 15:02:00 By Mimi Rothschild The Deseret News has some good news. College s are becoming friendlier towards homeschoolers. In the past, college admissions departments raised an eyebrow at the applications of homeschoolers. As homeschooling grows in popularity, these institutions of higher learning have begun not only considering homeschooled applicants, but seeking them out. And with good reason! Home schoolers ... More About: School , War
Homeschooling Triples in Britain
2007-03-01 04:16:02 By Mimi Rothschild At least 16,000 children in the UK are homeschooling, according to a recent Guardian article. According to parents, bullying is the primary reason that parents choose to homeschool. I’ve heard that bullying in Britain makes America’s average bullying behavior look tame. Children have committed suicide over it. The UK’s increased religious subgroups such as Muslims, Gypsies, and Christians have also opted to remove their children from government-sponsored schools. A DfES spokesman said: “Standards have never been higher and with record funding in our schools we believe the best place to educate a child is actually in school. Not all homeschoolers are convinced. And why should they be? Funding does not equal quality. “Some of the parents interviewed felt that standards of education had declined,” the report said. This, coupled with a view that the current education system is overly bureaucratic, inflexible and assessment-drive... More About: Homeschooling , Home , School , Homes
Strong Families as Idols
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild The Highland’s Study Center’s Every Thought Captive is a wonderfully insightful publication. Consider a recent entry regarding the idolatry of the family. When we get ourselves backwards and pursue as our primary goal the family-integrated thing, the homeschooling thing, the patriarchy thing, the breeding thing, the modesty/home-baked bread thing, or the “making sure our boys are tough warriors and not wimpy” thing, instead of God’s glory, idolatry is just around the corner. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with any of these things I have just mentioned. But they are means, not ends. Yikes. I think that some Christian homeschooling families tend to err on this side of the continuum. Some of us are so pro-family that we forget what a strong family is for in the first place. Every institution or lifestyle decision should be made to give glory to God and spread his love and truth. While a strong, God-fearing family i... More About: Idol , Tron , Families , Strong , Lies
Crunchy Cons Embrace Homeschooling
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild What are “Crunchy Cons”? According to Rod Dreher, the author of Crunchy Cons, they are conservatives, usually Christians, who uphold traditional Christian values, but adhere to certain beliefs that are popularly considered “lefty” such as pro-environment, pro-organics, and anti-capitalism. Many of these folks are homeschoolers, or “hip homeschooling mamas” as the cover of Dreher’s new book claims. These folks take the concept of “pro-life” and expand it to every aspect of living. This includes eating organic foods free of pesticides and growth hormones, raising crops on healthy soil, supporting environmental awareness campaigns, parenting large families with 10+ children and more. Essentially, they are attempting to live life naturally, as God would have us live. Godly and groovy! Although these characteristics may seem conflicting, it really makes sense that these two subcultures are beginning to mingle. &... More About: Homeschooling , Home , School , Race , Homes
Unschooling Picks Up Steam
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild The Louisville Courier-Journal ran a recent story on the growing popularity of unschooling. Unschooling was the hot topic of the homeschooling world in 2006 and it shows no signs of slowing down. Self-taught learning, educational autonomy, child-led learning, are all names for what is now considered “unschooling.” “It’s an awareness that learning is always happening because it’s part of living,” said Jane Van Stelle Haded of Hobart, who unschools her two children. “It’s almost trying to capitalize on whatever your children are interested in.” Whether that means baking bread with mom or playing an education video game with little brother, learning can happen anywhere. This type of learning stands in stark contrast to the rigid structures and testing formats of the public school system. Educators are currently unable to tell if unschoolers can stack up against their public school counterparts academically be... More About: School , Team , Pick , Steam
Creative Class Turns to Homeschooling
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild This Business Week article takes a fascinating look at a growing number of upper-class folks who have embraced homeschooling to avoid the intellectually stifling atmosphere that they endured as children. These are families that could afford expensive private educations, but choose to make sacrifices, such as dad working his office time around the kids, or even (gasp!) mom staying at home full time. Religion, generally thought to be the primary impetus for homeschooling, comes in a close second to concerns about the learning environment itself. This includes peer pressure, bullying, irresponsible teachers, self-esteem pressures, and boring class work. Many of today’s parents are realizing that the public school no longer has to be a given. Many don’t want their children to suffer through the boring busy work and drawn-out lectures that they did as kids. The best part of the article is the comparison made between the public school system and old assemb... More About: Creative , Homeschooling , Home , School , Homes
Public School Crushes Souls
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild I would encourage all parents to read Steve Olsen’s heartbreaking account of his experience in the public school. Here we have a brilliant young mind that is systematically stifled and neglected over the course of twelve years. He went to one of the best schools in one of the most highly regarded states in terms of education: Minnessota. Here was a student that had a real burning curiosity for learning. His passion was stifled by uncaring teachers and peers. Two years later in Jr. High, I took an Apple II computer class. On the first day of class, I looked through the syllabus, found the last lesson, loaded the 5 1/4 inch floppy, and completed it. I beamed with pride and arrogance. The teacher looked at my program, turned bright red, yanked me out of my seat by my ear, and I fell to the floor humiliated. He pointed to the door and said, ?get out of my classroom.? He forced me to sit in the hall the rest of the semester and failed me. Tragically, that was t... More About: Public , School , Soul , Souls , Rush
Homeschooler Banned from Spelling Bee
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild Here’s another example of the inability of the public school system to appropriately deal with homeschool students. A bright homeschooler wanted to participate in a Philadelphia-area homeschool spelling bee and she was declined because the first round of the spelling bee is a “classroom activity” rather than an extracurricular activity. Is there any reasonable way that the school administration can justify this behavior? What positive outcome can this decision yield? I can see only negatives. I am forced to assume that the school administration doesn’t like to see homeschoolers put their students to shame. The hostility that school administration has shown homeschooling families (especially ones with bright kids) is well documented. When a homeschooler comes into a classroom and shows everyone up it embarrasses teachers and administration. There is no other explanation. The law says that home-schoolers must be allowed to participate... More About: Home , School , Homes , Spelling Bee , Anne
Public School Cultivates Learning Disabilities
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild Joel Turtel, author of “Public School s, Public Menace” cites a harrowing tale of the public school’s incompetence. He was a volunteer reading instructor some time ago and was asked to help a young boy read. He was dismayed to find that the child was never taught to sound out words using phonics, but simply memorized words that were simple enough to sight read. As a result, the boy insisted on reading only certain books that he had been able to memorize. When Turtel expressed to the boy’s parents that the reason why their child has not excelled in reading is not due to a learning disability or disinterest in reading, but because he had never actually learned how to read. When the school’s administrators found out about his suggestion, they were furious and demanded that he leave the premises. This heartbreaking story is indicative of a greater problem that is endemic to the public school way. Reading is perhaps the most tangible o... More About: Cult , Earn , Learning
Public Charter Schools Doomed to Failure
2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild Although it doesn’t seem that the mainstream media is interested in reporting this, I came across this innocent-sounding blurb at 21st Century Cyber Charter School , a Pennsylvania government-sponsored virtual school. We have been notified by the Department of Education that we have once again made AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress). 21st Century Cyber was the only cyber school to make AYP last year, and is the only cyber school in PA that is not on the academic warning list. Congratulations to our students and staff! Congratulations indeed! Out of the twelve public cyber charter schools based in Pennsylvania, only one is meeting AYP standards set forth in the No Child Left Behind plan. What a track record! This news comes hot on the heels of the HSLDA’s recent announcement that public virtual schools are performing worse than not only private schools and homeschools, but the very public schools for which they were designed to provide an alternative! P... More About: Schools , Public , Arte , Hart
Department of Defense Discontinues Homeschool Support
More articles from this author:2007-02-27 16:14:06 By Mimi Rothschild Last week I read a somewhat disappointing news story at the Leavenworth Lamp. DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates and manages the education programs for Defense Department family members who would otherwise not have access to a high-quality public education. Although operating a home-schooling program is outside of its directed mission, officials said, DoDEA has administered the Remote Home School Program since school year 2001-2002, when it received the first in a series of unsolicited allocations and grants to support the program. What’s good about this is that maybe families will begin looking for private alternatives to this public service. The HSLDA has a wonderful page for those who are not yet convinced that public homeschooling programs are undesirable. What’s sad, however, is that this is going to leave thousands of children without an education in the fall. Many military families value homeschooling because they so often move from place to pl... More About: Men , Port 1, 2, 3 |
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