New DHS Probe

[DuggarWatch]

Not sure if really that many special needs children, or if she's just a bad teacher and can't tell the difference.

:lol:

[halcionne]

Not sure if really that many special needs children, or if she's just a bad teacher and can't tell the difference.

Agree. Just because a Duggar said it, doesn't make it true. :snooty:

[ShepherdontheRock]

Agree. Just because a Duggar said it, doesn't make it true. :snooty:

Or (this just occurred to me) she could have been lying to gain sympathy/excuse herself.

But I guess, no matter how you slice it, these poor children have suffered some TERRIBLE educational neglect.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

Or (this just occurred to me) she could have been lying to gain sympathy/excuse herself.

But I guess, no matter how you slice it, these poor children have suffered some TERRIBLE educational neglect.

I always figured that there's some level of difficulties in learning, especially because dyslexia is hereditary. HOWEVER, not every "learning difficulty" needs a lot of intervention. I have dyslexia and, as a child, I suffered from Executive Functioning Disorder and I was borderline OCD. However, beyond a little bit of extra help from my parents and a little (sometimes a lot) more time spent on my homework than my classmates (mostly because with EFD, it's really easy to feel overwhelmed by an assignment and then lose focus), I was perfectly capable of making honor roll without intervention from professionals.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

In Alabama parents have to sign a form stating they do not want corporal punishment used to discipline their children.

I had to sign the same thing in Florida.

[mamallama]

The original question here was why do homeschoolers freak out over suggestions of more oversight and since there is a public school teacher here I have a question(btw I hope what I said did not come across as bashing teachers my kids spent over half their academic career in classrooms so over half of their speshul snowflakeness is due to them;o)) Do you feel that government oversight programs such as No Child Left Behind or Common Core have done anything to address any deficiencies in public education. To me there has been a huge cost as far as tying the hands of creative teachers and punishing kids who learn differently. That's my fear of oversight. I think for great parents it would be another layer of bullshit to be dealt with. Fort he mediocre parents they would figure out what they had to do to meet the requirements and it would just take away time from what little they spent on their kids already. For the evil religious fanatics they would get turned down and scream persecution and probably get an exemption. The truly sadistic would just find another way to be off the radar.

Now here's my rant as a homeshool mother. I hate it when people say something like

And on the issue of homeschool isolation, one image stands out in my mind from the Duggars. Jessa on camera is confident and strong. But that engagement scavenger hunt? She seemed terrified to go up to anyone she didn't know just to ask a simple question. She looked like she was afraid of being bitten. They even pointed out that Ben was forcing her outside of her comfort zone.

The Duggars are fucked up for many reasons from what I've seen the least of them is isolation. Having had my kids in many educational settings there are gregarious kids and shy kids in all settings. But as an aside one factor in my decision to homeshcool my youngest was her poor social skills. She was kind of a bitch in kindergarten and it came out as snarkiness. Kindergarteners being what they are this led to her being beat up multiple times which did nothing to improve her social skills. When we homeschooled she was among kids of all ages and her snark was met with snark and frankly I think she just got old enough to develop a filter. In any case I just got really tired of hearing about someone who knew someone who was awkward because of homeschooling as if no kid in school ever was shy, bullied, immature, aggressive, impatient, etc.

[Mom-mouth]

Mamallama, by the way, love your name :)

I agree with you on public school. My kids went to public school. My oldest son went in kindergarten. He knew more going in than when he came out. We weren't "from around there" and the mentality was that we weren't welcome there. As I was told many times "Just cuz a cat had kittens in the oven don't make em biscuits." At 5 years old, my son started talking about dying, wanting to die, hating himself, how stupid he was, etc. The school was horrible as far as education goes as well. They thought it was funny to teach him triangles were squares, that you aren't allowed to count past 20 even if you can because they aren't learning that yet, and that the moon is in the sky because god cut it out of construction paper and pasted it in the sky. No kidding. Homeschooling was a much better option there.

The only downside was we went to homeschool groups to find people to interact with. We were asked not to come back to one because my style of dress was "distracting" and I was making the boys lust after me. At 300 pounds, I took it as a compliment. But I still refused to dress in long sleeves and ankle length skirts. It was 100+ degrees out. One lady, out of spite, called CPS after threatening my children and telling them they would be her kids when she was finished and they would be washed in the blood of the lamb. My kids were terrified. Luckily CPS saw through the BS. Homeschooling and all, I kept my kiddos and was much more cautious of meeting people. We were pretty isolated though.

We homeschooled until we moved to California which is when we went through a charter school program. So the kids had teachers and public school oversight but did the work at home (plus classes at the school during the week). Have to say, this was my absolute favorite. I wish we had that from the beginning. It was the best of both worlds. We got help for their weak areas, they did work the way they learned best, and we weren't isolated like we were in TN.

When we moved to another state, they did go to public school for a year. I thought it would be good for them. They heard we homeschooled and never sent for any records from California and immediately plopped them in remedial classes. And by remedial, I mean both boys (4th and 8th grade) were put in Kindergarten and first grade levels of everything because they "needed to start over".

One figured out that if he sat there and did nothing, then they would just give him the answers. His verbally abusive teachers were never reprimanded and I was told I have no rights as a parent.And he got in trouble for "arguing" with teachers. His arguing was, "No, we are not superior because we are the only country to go to space. Other countries went to." and "No, not all mountains are volcanoes" and other information the science teacher got wrong. This is the same teacher that called the kids effing idiots and morons and sluts and a$$holes... but the school wouldn't do anything about him, they just moved my son to another class (after I threatened a lawsuit and informed them of his secretly recording the class)

My other son tried to suck it up and just do it but he wasn't allowed to go to problem 2 until everyone in class finished problem 1. He was correcting the teachers on things they were doing wrong. He had no science, no history, no social studies... just math, reading, PE, and English. And he was only allowed to bring first grade level books to read on "free reading" day. I put my foot down on that one. He took the books he was reading with him (the Uglies Series) and the teachers were mad at ME.

They were not allowed to carry their inhalers with them, their allergies were largely ignored, I had to pick them up and take them home many times because the school disregarded their health issues, and they complained that I sent them home lunches. A toddler would starve on the rations they gave them. I was blown away when one of my kids took a picture of his lunch. It was one taco (and a small one at that) and a fruit cup. So I sent full meals.

The next year, we started homeschooling again because they really needed an education. But I feel like I am just on my own with no help or resources. I would love to move back to California for the charter schools but that just isn't an option right now.

If every state had charter schools like that, I think it would be great. Because one of my sons struggled with reading. Instead of treating it like it was all my fault (like my husband said) they did a site meeting where we discussed different ways of helping him, styles of learning, and even got a psychologist involved. It was awesome! Why people don't want that involvement is beyond me. I don't care if "the man" is involved. He did finally "get" reading and when he did, he jumped 5 grade levels in a year. It was amazing but he had such a huge support network (well, mom too) that if we didn't, I don't know he would have done as well.

Plus, my kids are two different spirits. One is painfully introverted, the other is very extroverted. You could look at my two kids separately and make an argument for and against homeschooling depending on the child. The only thing I hear most often is "They are so SMART! Is that why you homeschool?" Honestly, I don't know if it is because of homeschool or if they are just smart. But after seeing the kids from public school here, I can see why people think we homeschool because they are smart.

A few of my family members worry about their "socialization" so I decided to be a smarty-pants and reply with "What? I drink, do drugs (I am on medical marijuana), cuss, and let them watch inappropriate movies. They'll get the same social interactions with homeschooling as they would in public school."

[Librul]

Hmmm.

[violynn]

Mamallama, by the way, love your name :)

I agree with you on public school. My kids went to public school. My oldest son went in kindergarten. He knew more going in than when he came out. We weren't "from around there" and the mentality was that we weren't welcome there. As I was told many times "Just cuz a cat had kittens in the oven don't make em biscuits." At 5 years old, my son started talking about dying, wanting to die, hating himself, how stupid he was, etc. The school was horrible as far as education goes as well. They thought it was funny to teach him triangles were squares, that you aren't allowed to count past 20 even if you can because they aren't learning that yet, and that the moon is in the sky because god cut it out of construction paper and pasted it in the sky. No kidding. Homeschooling was a much better option there.

The only downside was we went to homeschool groups to find people to interact with. We were asked not to come back to one because my style of dress was "distracting" and I was making the boys lust after me. At 300 pounds, I took it as a compliment. But I still refused to dress in long sleeves and ankle length skirts. It was 100+ degrees out. One lady, out of spite, called CPS after threatening my children and telling them they would be her kids when she was finished and they would be washed in the blood of the lamb. My kids were terrified. Luckily CPS saw through the BS. Homeschooling and all, I kept my kiddos and was much more cautious of meeting people. We were pretty isolated though.

We homeschooled until we moved to California which is when we went through a charter school program. So the kids had teachers and public school oversight but did the work at home (plus classes at the school during the week). Have to say, this was my absolute favorite. I wish we had that from the beginning. It was the best of both worlds. We got help for their weak areas, they did work the way they learned best, and we weren't isolated like we were in TN.

When we moved to another state, they did go to public school for a year. I thought it would be good for them. They heard we homeschooled and never sent for any records from California and immediately plopped them in remedial classes. And by remedial, I mean both boys (4th and 8th grade) were put in Kindergarten and first grade levels of everything because they "needed to start over".

One figured out that if he sat there and did nothing, then they would just give him the answers. His verbally abusive teachers were never reprimanded and I was told I have no rights as a parent.And he got in trouble for "arguing" with teachers. His arguing was, "No, we are not superior because we are the only country to go to space. Other countries went to." and "No, not all mountains are volcanoes" and other information the science teacher got wrong. This is the same teacher that called the kids effing idiots and morons and sluts and a$$holes... but the school wouldn't do anything about him, they just moved my son to another class (after I threatened a lawsuit and informed them of his secretly recording the class)

My other son tried to suck it up and just do it but he wasn't allowed to go to problem 2 until everyone in class finished problem 1. He was correcting the teachers on things they were doing wrong. He had no science, no history, no social studies... just math, reading, PE, and English. And he was only allowed to bring first grade level books to read on "free reading" day. I put my foot down on that one. He took the books he was reading with him (the Uglies Series) and the teachers were mad at ME.

They were not allowed to carry their inhalers with them, their allergies were largely ignored, I had to pick them up and take them home many times because the school disregarded their health issues, and they complained that I sent them home lunches. A toddler would starve on the rations they gave them. I was blown away when one of my kids took a picture of his lunch. It was one taco (and a small one at that) and a fruit cup. So I sent full meals.

The next year, we started homeschooling again because they really needed an education. But I feel like I am just on my own with no help or resources. I would love to move back to California for the charter schools but that just isn't an option right now.

If every state had charter schools like that, I think it would be great. Because one of my sons struggled with reading. Instead of treating it like it was all my fault (like my husband said) they did a site meeting where we discussed different ways of helping him, styles of learning, and even got a psychologist involved. It was awesome! Why people don't want that involvement is beyond me. I don't care if "the man" is involved. He did finally "get" reading and when he did, he jumped 5 grade levels in a year. It was amazing but he had such a huge support network (well, mom too) that if we didn't, I don't know he would have done as well.

Plus, my kids are two different spirits. One is painfully introverted, the other is very extroverted. You could look at my two kids separately and make an argument for and against homeschooling depending on the child. The only thing I hear most often is "They are so SMART! Is that why you homeschool?" Honestly, I don't know if it is because of homeschool or if they are just smart. But after seeing the kids from public school here, I can see why people think we homeschool because they are smart.

A few of my family members worry about their "socialization" so I decided to be a smarty-pants and reply with "What? I drink, do drugs (I am on medical marijuana), cuss, and let them watch inappropriate movies. They'll get the same social interactions with homeschooling as they would in public school."

Oh my stars and garters, that is absolutely horrible! I feel like my very short foray into homeschooling is just ridiculously blessed compared to the horror stories you tell and so many others I've heard/read. We moved to a new neighborhood, the junior high my girls were supposed to attend had no 'honors/ap' type classes, so since we were only going to be living there half of the school year, I just taught them at home. I gave them so much more work (To them, anyway) they were more than happy to reenter public school when we got back into our old place again. Bless you Mums and Dads who do this for many years w/multi kids! :worship:

[Fascinated]

I have little to contribute here except I'm Canadian and was not homeschooled, did not homeschool and know not one single homeschooling family. I don't know if this is more of an American phenomenon but I am truly amazed at how many here, and by extension, elsewhere, homeschool, or were homeschooled. Maybe some other Canucks can let me know: is it even allowed here? Are there any homeschooling Canadians here?

It simply never occurred to us to homeschool. I was very involved in volunteering at our kids' (public) schools for many years, to the point where I was burned out (as were my kids, no doubt!). But I can't imagine how much effort and dedication it would take to homeschool. That's a huge responsibility for someone with no teaching credentials.

[MichellesCrunchyHair]

I have little to contribute here except I'm Canadian and was not homeschooled, did not homeschool and know not one single homeschooling family. I don't know if this is more of an American phenomenon but I am truly amazed at how many here, and by extension, elsewhere, homeschool, or were homeschooled. Maybe some other Canucks can let me know: is it even allowed here? Are there any homeschooling Canadians here?

It simply never occurred to us to homeschool. I was very involved in volunteering at our kids' (public) schools for many years, to the point where I was burned out (as were my kids, no doubt!). But I can't imagine how much effort and dedication it would take to homeschool. That's a huge responsibility for someone with no teaching credentials.

Not a Canuck (I wish!), but I was curious - according to Wikipedia, yes it's legal. There's a research article called "Reasons for Homeschooling in Canada" (DOI: 10.2307/1585954) that you can access for free from Google Scholar (scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=reasons+for+homeschooling+in+canada&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C5&as_sdtp=). It's pretty interesting, but the results reported are only from 18 families in Ontario and British Columbia, so take from that what you will. There's also "Homeschooling and Canadian educational politics: Rights, pluralism and pedagogical individualism", which you need may need to ask someone from a uni to get you access to it since it's behind a paywall :/

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

The original question here was why do homeschoolers freak out over suggestions of more oversight and since there is a public school teacher here I have a question(btw I hope what I said did not come across as bashing teachers my kids spent over half their academic career in classrooms so over half of their speshul snowflakeness is due to them;o)) Do you feel that government oversight programs such as No Child Left Behind or Common Core have done anything to address any deficiencies in public education. To me there has been a huge cost as far as tying the hands of creative teachers and punishing kids who learn differently. That's my fear of oversight. I think for great parents it would be another layer of bullshit to be dealt with. Fort he mediocre parents they would figure out what they had to do to meet the requirements and it would just take away time from what little they spent on their kids already. For the evil religious fanatics they would get turned down and scream persecution and probably get an exemption. The truly sadistic would just find another way to be off the radar.

Now here's my rant as a homeshool mother. I hate it when people say something like

The Duggars are fucked up for many reasons from what I've seen the least of them is isolation. Having had my kids in many educational settings there are gregarious kids and shy kids in all settings. But as an aside one factor in my decision to homeshcool my youngest was her poor social skills. She was kind of a bitch in kindergarten and it came out as snarkiness. Kindergarteners being what they are this led to her being beat up multiple times which did nothing to improve her social skills. When we homeschooled she was among kids of all ages and her snark was met with snark and frankly I think she just got old enough to develop a filter. In any case I just got really tired of hearing about someone who knew someone who was awkward because of homeschooling as if no kid in school ever was shy, bullied, immature, aggressive, impatient, etc.

My favorite thing is how people mistake "socializing" and "socialization" as the same thing, and that one can only be "socialized" if they go to school and socialize with other kids. Except, socialization is "a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position." I'm pretty sure that a child can learn that in any social setting. Not to mention, how much "socializing" actual happens at a school? I mean, recess is going by the way side, PE doesnt happen in most schools, and lord help a child who talks in class...

[onlyme]

Home schooling is legal in Canada. My kids have a few friends from Grand Prairie that are/were home schooled.

I've home schooled all my kids, four are graduated and my middle daughter wanted the school experience so she is in a small public charter school. I think it's been good for her and she's made some nice friends. Sometimes she gets frustrated with weird rules, working at everyone else's pace, and a certain teacher who seems to enjoy making people feel uncomfortable. I just tell her "Well, that's why...." But she knows she can leave when ever she wants. She wanted to go back next year because she really does enjoy having group activities like choir and drama.

At this point I think it just depends on the kids and the school situation in an area. I am glad for the choices we have now. When I was a kid I had to lie to go to another school in my town-giving an aunt's address. Other than private school there weren't any choices. Every option has it's strengths and weaknesses and you have to be aware of them all and make compensations.

[Fascinated]

Thanks you guys for your responses. That's very interesting. I am going to look into this further. It must be much more common in the States, though, eh? :lol:

Our two countries have a lot of similarities but there definitely are some cultural differences. I find this whole topic quite fascinating.

ETA: pretty major thread drift! :cracking-up: (Never used this smilie before. Had to do it.)

[acheronbeach]

I have little to contribute here except I'm Canadian and was not homeschooled, did not homeschool and know not one single homeschooling family. I don't know if this is more of an American phenomenon but I am truly amazed at how many here, and by extension, elsewhere, homeschool, or were homeschooled. Maybe some other Canucks can let me know: is it even allowed here? Are there any homeschooling Canadians here?

It simply never occurred to us to homeschool. I was very involved in volunteering at our kids' (public) schools for many years, to the point where I was burned out (as were my kids, no doubt!). But I can't imagine how much effort and dedication it would take to homeschool. That's a huge responsibility for someone lwith no teaching credentials.

I too suspect it's more an American thing, but it's totally legal in Ontario.

I would direct you to our very own homeskooled, Alberta-raised fundie princess... Kendalyn Staddon, formerly Kowalchuk, she who named her child "Sauntina Laverle" because "Laverle" means truth in French (a misapprehension that would've been cleared up with Grade 1 public school French class).

[GotCaughtDancing]

I too suspect it's more an American thing, but it's totally legal in Ontario.

I would direct you to our very own homeskooled, Alberta-raised fundie princess... Kendalyn Staddon, formerly Kowalchuk, she who named her child "Sauntina Laverle" because "Laverle" means truth in French (a misapprehension that would've been cleared up with Grade 1 public school French class).

I know my French is rusty, but was she shooting for la vérité and mangled it that badly? :lol:

[fortunecookie]

Someone posted this on Josh's Facebook Page:

A few gems from the book Michelle references in how to raise her kids. The book is called To Train Up A Child, Michelle Duggar has spoken rather highly of it. This is the kind of environment her children grow up in.

"If he continues to show defiance by jerking around and defending himself, or by expressing anger, wait a moment, lecture again, and again spank him until it's obvious he's totally broken."(TTUAC, p59)

"Switch him 8-10 times on his bare legs or bottom. While waiting for the pain to subside, speak calm words of rebuke. If his crying turns to a true, wounded, submissive whimper, you have conquered; he has submitted his will. If his crying is still defiant, protesting, and other than a response to pain, spank him again. If this is the first time he's come up against someone tougher than he is, it may take awhile...if you stop before he is voluntarily submissive, you have confirmed to him the value and effectiveness of a screaming protest!" (TTUAC p80)

"If you have to sit on him to spank him, then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he has surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher, more patiently enduring, and are unmoved by his wailing. Defeat him totally...A general rule is to continue the disciplinary action until the child has surrendered." (TTUAC p46)

[GotCaughtDancing]

Someone posted this on Josh's Facebook Page:

A few gems from the book Michelle references in how to raise her kids. The book is called To Train Up A Child, Michelle Duggar has spoken rather highly of it. This is the kind of environment her children grow up in.

"If he continues to show defiance by jerking around and defending himself, or by expressing anger, wait a moment, lecture again, and again spank him until it's obvious he's totally broken."(TTUAC, p59)

"Switch him 8-10 times on his bare legs or bottom. While waiting for the pain to subside, speak calm words of rebuke. If his crying turns to a true, wounded, submissive whimper, you have conquered; he has submitted his will. If his crying is still defiant, protesting, and other than a response to pain, spank him again. If this is the first time he's come up against someone tougher than he is, it may take awhile...if you stop before he is voluntarily submissive, you have confirmed to him the value and effectiveness of a screaming protest!" (TTUAC p80)

"If you have to sit on him to spank him, then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he has surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher, more patiently enduring, and are unmoved by his wailing. Defeat him totally...A general rule is to continue the disciplinary action until the child has surrendered." (TTUAC p46)

Kidnappers and cults have been using that method for years.

This is so not the way to raise a healthy child.

[RosyDaisy]

That is more sinister than spanking a child out of anger. Both are horrible though.

[onlyme]

Oh, here's a kinda well known home school family from Canada-my kids always thought their videos were pretty funny. They related to the "Home Alone" one.

[SpeakNow]

The original question here was why do homeschoolers freak out over suggestions of more oversight and since there is a public school teacher here I have a question(btw I hope what I said did not come across as bashing teachers my kids spent over half their academic career in classrooms so over half of their speshul snowflakeness is due to them;o)) Do you feel that government oversight programs such as No Child Left Behind or Common Core have done anything to address any deficiencies in public education. To me there has been a huge cost as far as tying the hands of creative teachers and punishing kids who learn differently. That's my fear of oversight. I think for great parents it would be another layer of bullshit to be dealt with. Fort he mediocre parents they would figure out what they had to do to meet the requirements and it would just take away time from what little they spent on their kids already. For the evil religious fanatics they would get turned down and scream persecution and probably get an exemption. The truly sadistic would just find another way to be off the radar.

Now here's my rant as a homeshool mother. I hate it when people say something like

The Duggars are fucked up for many reasons from what I've seen the least of them is isolation. Having had my kids in many educational settings there are gregarious kids and shy kids in all settings. But as an aside one factor in my decision to homeshcool my youngest was her poor social skills. She was kind of a bitch in kindergarten and it came out as snarkiness. Kindergarteners being what they are this led to her being beat up multiple times which did nothing to improve her social skills. When we homeschooled she was among kids of all ages and her snark was met with snark and frankly I think she just got old enough to develop a filter. In any case I just got really tired of hearing about someone who knew someone who was awkward because of homeschooling as if no kid in school ever was shy, bullied, immature, aggressive, impatient, etc.

In your post (not sure how to hold on tapatalk) you asked if I thought that NCLB and common core addressed the deficiencies in the public school system. In my opinion, NCLB hasn't because it is a misguided piece of legislation. It looks at test scores without looking more deeply into the reasons behind those test scores (socioeconomic status of students, funding of the school district, class size, etc). I actually like the idea of common core. The standards are plenty high, and school districts can adopt higher standards should they desire. I think it's important to ensure that all students in the U.S. Are held to the same basic standards in order to avoid the drastic differences in educational standards that currently exist. I think the testing that goes with Common Core is faulty and needs improvement.

My question for you is twofold. What on earth do NCLB and common core have to do with homeschooling oversight? No one has said that either of those things would be applied to homeschooling. Additionally, how do you propose we fix both the public education system, and how do you propose the U.S. should oversee homeschoolers to make sure that all students get a quality education?

[SpeakNow]

Mamallama, by the way, love your name :)

I agree with you on public school. My kids went to public school. My oldest son went in kindergarten. He knew more going in than when he came out. We weren't "from around there" and the mentality was that we weren't welcome there. As I was told many times "Just cuz a cat had kittens in the oven don't make em biscuits." At 5 years old, my son started talking about dying, wanting to die, hating himself, how stupid he was, etc. The school was horrible as far as education goes as well. They thought it was funny to teach him triangles were squares, that you aren't allowed to count past 20 even if you can because they aren't learning that yet, and that the moon is in the sky because god cut it out of construction paper and pasted it in the sky. No kidding. Homeschooling was a much better option there.

The only downside was we went to homeschool groups to find people to interact with. We were asked not to come back to one because my style of dress was "distracting" and I was making the boys lust after me. At 300 pounds, I took it as a compliment. But I still refused to dress in long sleeves and ankle length skirts. It was 100+ degrees out. One lady, out of spite, called CPS after threatening my children and telling them they would be her kids when she was finished and they would be washed in the blood of the lamb. My kids were terrified. Luckily CPS saw through the BS. Homeschooling and all, I kept my kiddos and was much more cautious of meeting people. We were pretty isolated though.

We homeschooled until we moved to California which is when we went through a charter school program. So the kids had teachers and public school oversight but did the work at home (plus classes at the school during the week). Have to say, this was my absolute favorite. I wish we had that from the beginning. It was the best of both worlds. We got help for their weak areas, they did work the way they learned best, and we weren't isolated like we were in TN.

When we moved to another state, they did go to public school for a year. I thought it would be good for them. They heard we homeschooled and never sent for any records from California and immediately plopped them in remedial classes. And by remedial, I mean both boys (4th and 8th grade) were put in Kindergarten and first grade levels of everything because they "needed to start over".

One figured out that if he sat there and did nothing, then they would just give him the answers. His verbally abusive teachers were never reprimanded and I was told I have no rights as a parent.And he got in trouble for "arguing" with teachers. His arguing was, "No, we are not superior because we are the only country to go to space. Other countries went to." and "No, not all mountains are volcanoes" and other information the science teacher got wrong. This is the same teacher that called the kids effing idiots and morons and sluts and a$$holes... but the school wouldn't do anything about him, they just moved my son to another class (after I threatened a lawsuit and informed them of his secretly recording the class)

My other son tried to suck it up and just do it but he wasn't allowed to go to problem 2 until everyone in class finished problem 1. He was correcting the teachers on things they were doing wrong. He had no science, no history, no social studies... just math, reading, PE, and English. And he was only allowed to bring first grade level books to read on "free reading" day. I put my foot down on that one. He took the books he was reading with him (the Uglies Series) and the teachers were mad at ME.

They were not allowed to carry their inhalers with them, their allergies were largely ignored, I had to pick them up and take them home many times because the school disregarded their health issues, and they complained that I sent them home lunches. A toddler would starve on the rations they gave them. I was blown away when one of my kids took a picture of his lunch. It was one taco (and a small one at that) and a fruit cup. So I sent full meals.

The next year, we started homeschooling again because they really needed an education. But I feel like I am just on my own with no help or resources. I would love to move back to California for the charter schools but that just isn't an option right now.

If every state had charter schools like that, I think it would be great. Because one of my sons struggled with reading. Instead of treating it like it was all my fault (like my husband said) they did a site meeting where we discussed different ways of helping him, styles of learning, and even got a psychologist involved. It was awesome! Why people don't want that involvement is beyond me. I don't care if "the man" is involved. He did finally "get" reading and when he did, he jumped 5 grade levels in a year. It was amazing but he had such a huge support network (well, mom too) that if we didn't, I don't know he would have done as well.

Plus, my kids are two different spirits. One is painfully introverted, the other is very extroverted. You could look at my two kids separately and make an argument for and against homeschooling depending on the child. The only thing I hear most often is "They are so SMART! Is that why you homeschool?" Honestly, I don't know if it is because of homeschool or if they are just smart. But after seeing the kids from public school here, I can see why people think we homeschool because they are smart.

A few of my family members worry about their "socialization" so I decided to be a smarty-pants and reply with "What? I drink, do drugs (I am on medical marijuana), cuss, and let them watch inappropriate movies. They'll get the same social interactions with homeschooling as they would in public school."

I'm sorry, but your story seems a bit far-fetched. If the school district did put your children in special classes, you children should've had an IEP (since classes that are that far below grade level are generally self-contained classes). If they had an IEP, you should know that you have a right to due process should you feel the school district isn't addressing the needs of your child. If what you say is true, I guarantee that any court of law would rule against the school district. Something is just not adding up for me.

[2manyKidzzz]

Someone posted this on Josh's Facebook Page:

A few gems from the book Michelle references in how to raise her kids. The book is called To Train Up A Child, Michelle Duggar has spoken rather highly of it. This is the kind of environment her children grow up in.

"If he continues to show defiance by jerking around and defending himself, or by expressing anger, wait a moment, lecture again, and again spank him until it's obvious he's totally broken."(TTUAC, p59)

"Switch him 8-10 times on his bare legs or bottom. While waiting for the pain to subside, speak calm words of rebuke. If his crying turns to a true, wounded, submissive whimper, you have conquered; he has submitted his will. If his crying is still defiant, protesting, and other than a response to pain, spank him again. If this is the first time he's come up against someone tougher than he is, it may take awhile...if you stop before he is voluntarily submissive, you have confirmed to him the value and effectiveness of a screaming protest!" (TTUAC p80)

"If you have to sit on him to spank him, then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he has surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher, more patiently enduring, and are unmoved by his wailing. Defeat him totally...A general rule is to continue the disciplinary action until the child has surrendered." (TTUAC p46)

This is so upsetting to read, even though I have seen it before somewhere. For this reason alone, the Duggars need to be called out. But of course they won't

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

Kidnappers and cults have been using that method for years.

This is so not the way to raise a healthy child.

Anyone raising their child in a cult is not looking for healthy children/childhoods.

[elizasc]

Somehow I previously missed the story on Sauntina's middle name. Talk about a SOTDRT fail