Blogging, Schlogging

This thing, this ... "Blogosphere," is a strange place. What a wonderful opportunity to share with friends, family, the world all about your life. A convenient exercise in writing. A great way to learn something new and share all you've learned. A place to get things off your chest or toot your own horn.

The problem is...
Who the fuck has the time to post?!

A Rant:Or, Why NLSV is Becoming an Official Nonprofit Organization

{dusting off soapbox}

I read the other day that public schools in our region spend about $10,000 per student per year. I assume this includes everything from books and teachers to buses and nurses. But it also includes art and music supplies and playground and gym equipment. How much is spent directly on the "academic" portion of molding young minds, I don't know, but the overall expense to basically shepherd a child into adulthood is a whopping $10,000. Each student. Every year.

Go back and read that again. Now tell me this, fellow home educators: what kind of education would your children receive if you had that kind of cash to put into their upbringing?

My family brings in about the same amount after taxes -- for the whole year. I know we're on the low end of the financial spectrum, and we've occasionally received assistance from others. But not only can I educate my two children --year round!-- I can also feed them and their parents, keep a house and drive a car (less lately), all for the price of what our schools are spending to teach those kids from 7am to 3pm. It boggles the mind.

Not that I want the schools to spend less per child for the education they try to give these kids. And I certainly don't wish on them the stress of stretching the $$ they way I need to. God, no.

What I do wish is to have that kind of money to spend on my kids' education. Do you know what I could DO with 20 grand?! We could go stand in front of the Sphynx and inside the pyramids when we study ancient Egypt, experience the true immensity of the Grand Canyon or the California redwoods when we learn about Westward Expansion, or learn to haggle in Spanish in a real Latin American street market when we explore foreign languages.

Noah could have the much-easier-for-mom algebra program and be involved in fencing and Lego League and have his own real lab equipment. Aengus could have every possible board and card game, take part in every sport he wanted, and experience all the art and science activities I could find.

We could go on every field trip our friends get to go on, catch all the movies we love to use in our curriculum, visit every museum we've been dreaming about, and take all the wonderful day trips our area has to offer. What a wonderful education they'd have!

But they're stuck with broke parents who can only give them the basics -- much of what they'd get in school, actually. The environment is certainly better here at home, and they will definitely learn the material here (as opposed to reciting the information onto a test and promptly forgetting it). They get P.E. and music and the 3 R's and science and history. And they get it in some interesting ways other than through the read-the-textbook-and-take-a-test method. In short, they get a comparable education in a more gratifying way than the public schools -- without the expense. But with that $20,000 ... Now that's the education I want for my kids.

Which, of course, begs the question: What about vouchers and tax credits? Bah. I want nothing to do with them. Ever the middle child, I can see both sides of those political issues. But whether they are ethical or constitutional or moral or even practical is irrelevant to me. The fact is, once the government is, in essence, giving us cash, they are giving themselves the right to have a say in how that cash is spent. And until a law is written in which we get money with no strings -- and no potential for strings -- regarding the education of our own children, they can keep their money.

I believe that all home educating families understand the value of these enrichment oppotunities, though, and that many of us are struggling financially. I doubt any of us would have trouble finding a fantastic educational opportunity for our kids if we had a little more cash. So, given those dreaded governmental strings, we need to look to the private sector to help fund these so-called "extras."

This is why I want Natural Learners to become a way for homeschooling families to connect with people willing and able to support our cause. "Our cause" is the same as the public schools, but without government support: that of an educated populace. Granted, our methods and standards are a bit different, but we all want our kids to be happy, educated, and hopefully successful contributors to this society.

{neatly placing soapbox back in the attic}