Fantastic Homeschool Leader Makes First Endorsement

the HSLDA has tons more members from Arkansas than from Texas and I don't mean that Arkansas has more homeschoolers. When you decide as a family whether to pay dues, you ask yourselves what are the chances we'll have interference from the state. If you're in a state with fewer HSLDA scare stories, you're more likely not to bother.

Loyalty to what the HSLDA did in the 90's falls down on your list of priorities when you're trying to afford a better curriculum. The HSLDA has found a friend in someone who just pretends to be an advocate for getting/keeping the state off the backs of homeschoolers. The HSLDA knows its future doesn't lie in completely unregulated homeschooling, but in an ambiguous environment where you'll still choose it as an option, but still be looking over your shoulder and not entirely confident you can handle the bureaucracy alone.

A. Get Ron Paul elected. This is an endorsement from a well respected/known person.

B. To educate (for lack of a better term) Americans.

I have learned as much from following other links posted in threads as I have from the threads themselves.

....your name suits you and I am so glad you posted. Please encourage other home schoolers to post here in order to educate those who don't understand. It is about real education. It is about forced vaccinations (all you have to do is read about the pharmaceuticals to understand, folks.)

I hope this thread stays alive with really great information that the public so needs to hear. My daughter is an elementary school teacher who is now considering home schooling her children and the children of friends. The Department of Education in league with an agenda is destroying a generation.

I am from MS too. And since we do not have a religious/philosophical exemption...I will be homeschooling all of my children next year. MS has very relaxed "laws" on homeschooling and I would not be pleased if the rules get more stringent.

I think you must have missed it, did you scroll down? He is winning with over 90%. Huckabee only had 10 votes when I looked :)

www.homeschoolersforpaul....
great piece on there,btw,discussing why Huck is NOT a good choice,and why of course RP is.

The THSC is awesome. They have are very proactive, and I get their weekly newsletter where they put in political articles. They have been very objective and pretty Ron Paul friendly. They give good discounts with membership as well. I think www.thsc.org is their website, and I like that they stay involved in politics in Austin.

I think I will forego the HSLDA and look into the THSC. I hadn't thought of it before, but now I will. Thanks a bunch!

There are thousands of families across the country that homeschool, but those rights haven't been easy to come by. I'm in Tennessee, and 20 years ago or so, it was illegal to homeschool in this state. A number of families risked being arrested to fight for what they believed was their right to raise their children the way they wanted to.

Just as Dr. Paul is constantly talking about there are those who want to tell us how to live our lives, there are those who want to put an end to homeschooling - the NEA, as well as several of the candidates, either directly or by non-involvement.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) defends the rights of homeschooling families. Their website and a monthly email show where that have been threats to the freedom of homeschool families - not just in the US, but they've also been working on cases like those in Germany wanting to homeschool - it's been illegal to homeschool in Germany since Hitler.

And that's why many want to homeschool - they don't want their children indoctrinated by the state (local, state or fed). The whole history behind public (read: government) schooling is based on indoctrination (but that's a topic for another time).

We're new to homeschooling this year, but have several friends who been doing it for years. And we started the learning process a year earlier to learn the in's and out's (every state has different laws regarding homeschooling). And while HSLDA definitely appears to be great at defending homeschooling rights (we're members), there does appear to be some concern about their internal workings.

As background, here are comments from a homeschool blog site, including the PAC director for HSLDA when they endorsed Huckabee:

(begin article)
In my last post, I mentioned Ned Ryun's statement concerning Mike Huckabee. He's updated his blog to reflect that he is no longer at HSDLA. He had some very interesting things to say,

"My web designer is on a month long honeymoon, and I’m behind on updating my blog profile. I think some people thought I was still at HSLDA. I am not at HSLDA anymore, folks, and have to say, thank God. Dissent is not allowed in Mike Farris’ world, as was demonstrated last year at PHC (a travesty, and BTW, the professors accused of not being Christians, etc. were all cleared by their churches of any wrongdoing; I could blog on that issue for awhile, and maybe I will in the future). If I was still at HSLDA blogging like I have been, I would have probably either been told to stop or risk being fired. So I hate to disappoint some who think that freedom of thought and conscience are allowed at HSDLA. I was still at HSLDA when HSLDA-PAC endorsed Huckabee, but even though I was the PAC director at the time, was not informed of the endorsement until after the fact. I actually laughed when I was informed of it. I brought up the fact that we do not endorse in primaries unless there is a clear-cut conservative vs. liberal match-up. I was told by Mike Smith, President of HSLDA, that these were extraordinary circumstances, which I heard as really meaning Smith and the HSLDA board members lacked the courage to say no to Farris. As has been clearly documented by Spunky Homeschool, HSLDA has condemned Huckabee’s anti-homeschool legislation in the past, and yet now endorses him because . . . I think HSLDA members need to ask, Is the defense of homeschooling still the priority for HSLDA, or are there other things that are priority? And really, what are membership dues being used for?"

Why did HSDLA-PAC endorse Huckabee and not tell their director until after the fact? There's clearly something odd going on at HSLDA. Ned Ryun may have left HSDLA, but his courage and willingness to stand up and ask "why" is the hallmark of most homeschoolers I know. We don't accept something just because...

So I'll join in with Ryun and ask, is the defense of homeschooling still the top priority of HSDLA? And if so, why did they endorse a candidate who clearly opposes the very things that they exist to defend?

(end article - found at
http://www.homeschoolblog...)

By the way, I received that endorsement email from HSLDA several months ago - before Huckabee was a so-called 'viable' candidate.

I believe HSLDA's endoresment is largely responsible for why people believe homeschoolers support Huckabee. And it may be why many do - many homeschoolers are Christians, and when someone like HSLDA endorses someone (especially another Christian), many may vote for him based on their endorsement.

That's why it's important to be in conversation with homeschoolers for Huckabee, and let them know that his most recent record in Arkansas was not a friendly one for homeschoolers (not to mention his endorsement by the New Hampshire NEA and his socialistic record on other issues).

Here are a couple links of interest to pass along to homeschoolers. Unless you're a homeschooler, try to resist blogging on these... there's been some good dialogue going back and forth between homeschoolers, and I think it best that people with a vested interest in homeschooling specifically do the blogging (there are already a lot of Paul homeschoolers blogging on this site)
http://www.homeschoolblog... http://www.homeschoolblog...

sort of strange and thought why in the world would anybody want to do that? I went to public school and I turned out fine. Little did I know how misinformed I was about everything that is going on in this country. I used to watch the news and read the paper and think I knew what was happening. LOL! Of course, now I know differently. Since being involved in this Ron Paul freedom movement, I've learned an incredible amount of information that I wish I knew years ago. The majority of my RP meetup homeschool their kids...and since meeting them and doing some reading on homeschooling, I'm seriously considering doing this with my kids. It's not only what they teach your kids, but how and using what examples. I know for a fact that my sons teacher is voting for Clinton...and I wonder how this colors the way she teaches about different areas. Plus, think about it, the kids are taught to be quiet, stand in line, don't question authority, just to be nice little obedient citizens. Pretty scary, huh?

....and while the reasons for decisions to home school are varied, they boil down to wanting their children to have a real chance to know history as it happened (not as Federal Department of Education has decided it should be), wanting thier children to learn to be critical thinkers and have the opportunity to think and write essay answers instead of multiple choice, wanting their children to rank with children from other countries, desiring to expose their children to the arts and philosophy (knowing that a society that cares not about the arts cares not about creativity and most likely cares not about destroying historical artifacts from the cradle of civilization).

In short, the number of parents working two jobs in order to make ends meet are asleep to what is happening in education. They do not understand the agenda behind "Leave No Child Behind" or "Agenda 21" or the fact that School District Superintendants and Principals and even teachers can only keep their jobs if they turn in *scores.* The scores happen in one of two ways: National Evaluation tests scores are inflated or teachers teach the tests all year. The list goes on and on.

Department of Education tax payers dollars go to the administrators and those who get grants for new ways of teaching like Chicago Math rather than learn to count and multiply and learn statistics and get the tools necessary to allow you to become a scientist or a world-class mathematician or a real economist.

The Home Schooling movement is growing and will continue to grow. Unfortunately many who believe in it can't afford to home school. The movement, in itself, is a resounding "NO' to the abject failure of the Department of Education and big government to dictate education and may well be an indication of a very nefarious agenda perpetuated on the next generation. I hope that helped answer your question.

the subject of homeschooling, you might try:

http://homeschooling.gomi...

Homeschooling draws people from every different collective group that you might care to name. Contrary to what the MSM likes to broadcast, it is not simply a right-wing religious crowd. Years ago, New York even produced a successful presidential candidate who was homeschooled, at least until he attended Groton in Mass. His name was: Franklin Roosevelt. There are many other names in the list and you may be surprized by the contents. Good luck. The parents who choose homeschooling usually do so because, after having evaluated the public school system(s), they opt for education rather than indoctrination. You will also find people who will claim that homeschooling does not provide the same kind of social interaction as in the public schools. (drugs, weapons, gangs, etc.) That's almost correct. In terms of good kinds of social interaction with other students, there is far more available in the homeschool communities than sponsored by, or available in, public institutions.....and yes, that includes sports too. Like so may other things, you get out of it what you put into it.

...is a no-brainer. Public schools are garbage pretty much everywhere in this country and MANY parents care enough about their kids to make sure they get a good education.

I live in Nebraska, and while homeschooling isn't huge... it is done here. Through my Ron Paul meetup group I've met 3 families who home school. I've known a few others who have done it as well, so I'm positive it's bigger than what I see so far.

The whole thing with home schooling is people are tired of government run schools, especially federal government run schools. Why should someone in washington be able to tell you what is best for your school, your area? That decision should be between the parents, teachers, school board, and local officials.

Public school is dumbing down people in this country, and that is why you are hearing a lot about home schooling lately. It has to do with the whole freedom movement. Freedom to teach your kids how you think they would be best taught. Maybe actually teach them some true US history? Maybe actually teach them about the Constitution? But hey, teaching too much about that document is a threat to national security... as being a Constitutionalist and a homeschooler, might get the swat team called on you because you're such a great threat. (that just happened to a family)

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He is an amazing guy. He certainly "educated" me. That's for sure.

I wish we could get his endorsement!