12-20-2007

Unity in Diversity

By Renae

Delacroix, The Battle of Taillebourg, 1834-1835

Is unity in diversity possible? Can the schism between secular and religious home educators ever be reconciled? Perhaps not, but a new blog, Unity-N-Diversity, began with the purpose to “educate, inspire, and facilitate healing.” Even though I do not agree with every post and comment, I cling to the idea that unity can exist, in fact, does exist.

Getting everyone to agree about everything is impossible. As Unity-N-Diversity points out, the founding fathers of America faced that, too. Not everyone wanted the Declaration of Independence signed or the Revolutionary War fought.

The Pilgrims dealt with a similar crisis. After the long voyage across the Atlantic their ship landed outside the king’s jurisdiction. Some aboard the Mayflower jumped at the chance to be free from government. Others knew that without any law their lives and property were in danger. The Mayflower Compact formed “a Civil Body Politic, for better ordering and preservation…for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.”

Do we need such an agreement as homeschoolers? In America, the Constitution protects our rights. We educate our children according to conviction, but what if our freedom to do so is endangered? I believe, no matter our differing personal beliefs about discipline, creationism, or government, home educators will defend one another’s liberty. Our common ground is love. We want freedom to teach our children and that is worth fighting for.

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18 Comments

  1. Mani 12-20-2007, 12:28 pm

    Amen to that. What ever happened to ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’?
    I believe that Congress is sticking there nose into too many trivial pursuits just to garner headlines and therefore have their photos/words in your face - and I’m talking prior to the presidential candidates ‘dog-and-pony’ show. What a shame.
    Blessings to you and yours during this Christmas season.

  2. Charity 12-20-2007, 3:24 pm

    “I believe, no matter our differing personal beliefs about discipline, creationism, or government, home educators will defend one another’s liberty.”

    Unfortunately, this is not always true. I have read other HSers on the VT homeschool message boards state that we need the home study law to make sure that the parents who are not educating their children are caught. (Our law is pretty strict.)

    Also, there was a post on Daily Kos, written by an non-homeschooler, who wanted the religious exemption in his state removed, and at least one other homeschooler commented that even though she is doing a good job, we need the laws to make sure that others (read: Christians who believe in creation and/or providential history) are doing a good job (ie teaching “real” science and history).

    People like that do not respect our rights to home educate unless we think like they do. To me that is scarier than the non-homeschoolers who do not defend our freedom.

  3. Renae 12-20-2007, 4:20 pm

    Charity,
    I almost wrote, “I hope” instead of “I believe,” because there are such divisions. But if someone wants the right to teach their children they need to uphold other’s rights as well. Even with the myriad of reasons that parents home educate, do any really want the state looking over their shoulder? Do they not see the slippery slope of government oversight? That is scary.

    We need to have this conversation in our home school forums. I did ask the question when some were discussing differing state requirements. No one responded, but I refuse to despair. God is my liberty. I trust him, not the state.

    Honestly, I never thought about these issues in regards to home education until I started blogging. It is easy to live here in the land of Texas and soak in my freedom, but we all need to be mindful of the arguments and laws being discussed. I can never go back to hiding in my corner again.

  4. Matt 12-20-2007, 4:26 pm

    It is a very difficult topic; like you stated no one can agree all the time..even our greatest document in American History has been disputed..and still is. I guess like you said you just want freedom to learn/teach as you want to. Good read

  5. Renae 12-20-2007, 4:37 pm

    Mani,
    The government is too large. I try not to question motives, but I do know that “we the people” keep voting for representatives who increase the scope of government control.

    Peace to you and yours on Christmas.

  6. Dana 12-21-2007, 12:51 am

    Nice thoughts, Renae. And what you are talking about is possible and does happen. That is the one thing that really stands out to me when I read some of the forums discussing homeschooling in Germany. There are fundamentalist Christians that really do go to an extreme by our standards and atheists working together. They recognize that they need each other.

    Here in the US, we are fortunate that our liberties are pretty secure.

    When we start talking about rights, I think it kind of goes both ways. The things that come to mind the quickest are the things like what Charity mentioned because they are discussed more and they affect me more.

    But the way I read Nebraska state law, unschooling is illegal. The way I read HSLDA’s membership materials, they will not defend unschoolers. I don’t know how it actually works in practice, but both require a “sequential program of learning.” I have to turn in my scope and sequence to the state.

    I know some Christians who support these things completely because they think that unschooling is based on false foundations or whatever. I think that really falls under parental rights and the state should have to prove educational neglect (and have cause to investigate) beyond methodology used.

    But then, I’ve never written a letter in protest of the law nor shown up at the capital. I guess because it doesn’t affect me.

    And speaking of divisions, did you know our state law actually has two rules covering homeschooling? Rule 13 covers religious objectors and Rule 12 covers philosophical objectors. I filed Rule 13 just because I’m Christian and I’m asked to do less things (like I don’t have to file vaccination records). But Rule 12 actually says that you think the accreditation process undermines your right as a parent to direct the education of your child. (Or something…it has been a few months since I filed.)

    I keep toying with filing Rule 12, just because I like the wording better.

  7. Barb the hot tips Mom 12-21-2007, 8:49 am

    Yeh, diversity is scary to some government officials. Here’s a letter sent
    to our local paper a couple days ago:

    “Dear Editor,

    “A homeschooling mom, Denise Mafi, who has been homeschooling for
    ten years here in Utah, where homeschooling is fully legal, has been
    ordered by 7th Judicial District Judge Scott Johansen to enroll her
    children in a government school within 24 hours, or he would order
    her children taken away from her.

    “The judge is not alleging that the family or the parents are not meeting
    educational or attendance requirements mandated by the state, but that
    an easily corrected paperwork filing last year did not reach the proper
    state authority.

    “Two things are obvious: 1) Judge Johansen is a glaring example of
    a government school education gone horribly wrong; 2) The judge
    has been seduced by the lust for power, and should be legally and
    speedily removed from the bench.”

    I heard yesterday that this Mom has now moved with her children to an undisclosed location outside Utah, and the Utah legislature is examining the Judge’s actions.

  8. Sunniemom 12-21-2007, 9:08 am

    I have read various homeschooling blogs in recent days, and some of them have made comments about Christians and creationists along the lines of “those people shouldn’t be allowed to breed, much less teach”.

    I don’t know that *all* homeschoolers would support *everyone’s* right to home educate, but they’d be hard pressed to find a way to exclude those of certain religions or philosophical viewpoints.

    Americans do tend to bond more under pressure though, so if push came to shove…. I think HSers would support each other overall.

  9. Dana 12-21-2007, 9:52 am

    It probably depends on whether homeschoooling were attacked, or specific practices within homeschooling. There was division amongs some regarding the case in Califorina regarding whether a student who had attended an accredited Christian school which taught creation could be admiitted into a state school due to their opposition to specific teachings within science. Some thought the people were stupid, but we can’t go that route so let them be ignorant. Which is a viewpoint I can respect because I tend to agree…there is a lot I disagree with in various movements, but I don’t want to give that power to the state.

    But others saw it as a good thing and think that such teachings should be regulated, even in the home.

  10. Renae 12-21-2007, 3:38 pm

    Sunniemom,
    I ran across some of those ugly words, too. I try to dismiss them, but they are talking about individuals.

    This week my husband stood up for a lady who was fired because of her criminal history. Some thought it was good for a laugh. He didn’t find it funny. People’s lives should never be dismissed with a joke. Whether or not you agree with someone’s teaching, we are all valuable human beings protected by the same law.

    Sunniemom, I hope to God that we are right, and pray we never have to find out if we are wrong.

  11. Renae 12-21-2007, 3:47 pm

    Barb,
    Yes, I have read about that case. At first glance, even I found myself first questioning the mother rather than the state. Did she really comply with the requirements? What other issues are there that I don’t know about? In retrospect, I realize that if states legislate more homeschool requirements more of us will be in court due to technicalities.

    I pray this mother gets the legal counsel and support she needs.

  12. Renae 12-21-2007, 4:12 pm

    Dana,
    I never realized how many requirements there are in other states until I began my internet adventures. The topic is rarely discussed in our local homeschool forum because Texas doesn’t have strict laws. We are required to have a written math and English curriculum, but no one ever checks. We do not have to turn anything in to the state. Maybe unschoolers have issues with even that requirement though. I never thought about it.

    I wonder about the creationism thing, too. Since there is support on many sides for homeschooling the lines are being drawn even more narrowly. Could it really become against the law to teach intelligent design, let alone that there is a God in the universe? I do not want the state dictating what I can and cannot teach my children.

  13. Andrea 12-21-2007, 6:13 pm

    You should see the law here -it’s so vague that the local districts try to slide by parents with “it’s policy” for the stuff they try to get us to comply with. All the law says is that we are exempt if the minister if Education finds we are under sufficient instruction elsewhere.

    And that’s it.

    Of course, local districts have done everything from trying to get us to submit a yearly scope and sequence (four pages of your year’s plan for each child) to submitting portfolios yearly or even on demand. It wasn’t until parents from different districts starting talking and realizing it wasn’t the same province-wide.

    now, without a legal battle and mostly through non-compliance, we’ve got it down to basically a legal waiver. if you don’t sign it, they dont; even care much anymore. it’s not worth it to them to fight us, they’re overworked as it is.

    I wrote them a nastygram quite a while back and haven’t had a governmental issue since. I *have* helped quite a bit of people pull their kids out of school, especially when principals have given them erroneous info, such as telling parents they need permission before the kids can leave. As if - whose kids are they? Also, it takes the distircts most of the school year to ‘approve” parents anyway!

    There’s SO much work to be done - and we’re in a ‘good” province. :-/

    AFAIC, these are MY kids. If I can exempt them from something like medical attention (extreme exampehere) then I should be able to exempt them from school. no questions asked, none of their business.

    Honeslty I find a lot of the divisional conversations lately just a variation on the arguments about different kinds of parenting.

  14. Dana 12-22-2007, 2:41 am

    “Honeslty I find a lot of the divisional conversations lately just a variation on the arguments about different kinds of parenting.”

    I think that is very true…and probably why some of it gets so personal. It is difficult to just discuss ideas because it strikes at something very important to all of us.

  15. Sunniemom 12-22-2007, 6:59 am

    I agree that many comments and blogs I have read are more about parental choices than about home education. What I do and don’t expose my kids to has nothing to do with my estimation of someone else’s worth. We choose to challenge our kids in whatever way we feel best builds their characters. Those who complain about some of the choices Christians make in order to be consistent in their faith also make choices consistent with what they believe, so what’s the problem?

    Pots and kettles all over the place- as well as a few sacred cows- we could have a cook-out! :p

  16. Renae 12-22-2007, 8:31 pm

    Thank you all very much for the discussion. It seems to me there are a couple of quarrels. The most heated are the arguments over parenting. The other issue is whether or not the HSLDA speaks for homeschoolers.

    Andrea,
    I am glad you have helped homeschoolers and increased your liberty. I never had my children in school, but I bet it is intimidating to pull them out. I wonder if any are pressured to leave their children in public school.

    What does the district have to “approve” parents for? Why do parents have to give information to the school board anyway? I agree with you that our children do not belong to them. If we accept it, it will continue.

    Sunniemom,
    Thanks for the laugh! Where shall we have the party? Let’s cook your sacred cow first though, okay? I am not ready to sacrifice mine. On second thought, it might be better to avoid fire altogether. :)

  17. Andrea 12-23-2007, 7:18 am

    Yeah, I’m a mover and shaker on the provincial level here. :D From what I;ve heard from others, they are under a *lot* of pressure to keep their kids in school. (depends on the area a bit). We’re in a place where a lot fo the smaller schools are closing because of low number,s and they are setting up more super-schools that look liek prisons.

    I keep meanign to do a photo comparison on my blog over that. :-/ my mom works at a youth prison and it looks pretty much like a school.

    Some days it’s a tough, hard, uphill fight.

  18. Dana 12-23-2007, 2:34 pm

    ok, off topic, but Andrea, if you do see if you can trach down a photo of the high school in Port Isabel, TX. That school, at least from the highway, bothered me. No evidence of windows…just a solid brick building.

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