So much coverage of the horrific events in Newtown made our house quiet from television noise. We couldn’t bear to watch.  One story on Facebook about the brave teachers and helpless little ones caught me.  I could only repeat it to my husband in tears. There has been  much unapologetic mis-information in the news media.  Some of the news coming out reported the killer was homeschooled.  The previous lack of facts in the 24 hour news cycle wasn’t an appealing reason to post anything here. Besides respectful sympathy seemed proper in silence and prayer.

Then a homeschooling mom who knows Newtown posted her beloved hometown reflections. That seems fitting.

An excerpt below from Simple Homeschool‘s Jamie Martin about the community that offered them a warm welcome:

Newtown as I know it

I fell in love with this small town over two years ago. My kids attended a week-long summer camp here. After dropping them off I would wander–finding a place to write or take a walk–until time to pick them up again. Driving these country roads birthed a new dream for my family–a different type of life that would include fields and farms, refuge and freedom.

A safe place for my children to love, learn, and grow.

It has been that–and much more. You could say that Newtown was the answer to our prayers.

Homeschooling Roundtable

Education Week reporter Sarah D. Sparks discusses the current state and impact of homeschooling two million students in the United States.

Homeschooling mothers, former teacher Holly Longino, author Jamie Martin, and “babble” blogger and designer Rachel Faucett, discuss why and how they homeschool their children. They talk with Jane Williams on Bloomberg Radio’s “Bloomberg EDU.”

In the first half, Sarah Sparks offered responses to Bloomberg EDU Jane Williams‘ questions from the standpoint of an education research reporter. In 2010,there was a government estimation that 4% of all United States K-12 kids homeschool, while also stating these statistics are offered by interested government and academic sources.  Sparks reported the modern homeschool movement started in the 1970′s with a small percentage until the last decade, when they believe the numbers doubled.

I will point out homeschoolers generally don’t worry about homeschool numbers, as the option to count us often means answering to a bureaucrat.  We prefer quality usage of our time.

It was reported religious values are one of the top reasons to homeschool – “nearly a third because they’re concerned about imparting moral values in addition to whatever academic values.”  Sarah Sparks also said one of reasons now are bullying and school teaching practices,  which outrank “religious values” slightly.  Then the difficulty of objective determination caused by sample studies was pointed out.  This was specified while discussing academic success, even as college admittance tests have shown homeschooling success.

The “hybrid homeschooling program” term used in this particular context  seems to mean the use of the computer/internet, community resources such as parks, museums, recreational centers, along with cooperatives.  I found that phrasing odd, as that is just plain homeschooling.  Homeschoolers living and learning in their community.  From my observations over the years, the hybrid homeschooling terminology was previously used in reference to public school at home or virtual public schools.

Holly Longino and Rachel Faucett homeschool in Georgia. Author Jamie Martin educates her children in Connecticut.  Holly homeschooled her children after her middle school teaching experiences.  Rachel started homeschooling after the devastating loss of her 3 month old and because of her oldest children’s health issues.   As time passed, they all continued homeschooling because it became a natural fit in their lives. Theses moms’ explanations why they homeschool were distinctly intimate to their families’ needs. Homeschooling dads were discussed and Jamie was asked about the socialization factor. She hit a home run response that it became the “least concerning” homeschooling aspect while her kids were “engaging with the world”.

These homeschoolers did a great job of laying out the joys,flexibility and freedoms of homeschooling.  The program ended with Jane Williams giving a “hats off” to these hard working moms.