So The Romeikes Can Stay?

In a seemingly strange turn of events, the Department of Homeland Security has decided the Romeikes a “famous” (at least to home educators) German homeschooling family that fled their homeland after threat of having their children removed because they choose home education over state schooling can stay in America.

The Romeikes fled Germany in 2008 to avoid the compulsory education law and to have the freedom to home educate their large family.

But it’s been an uphill battle.  Until yesterday the Romeikes were going home to face the music of the German system unless something drastic happened.  Why?  Because the Supreme Court decided NOT to hear their case for asylum.  Removal of their children, fines etc.  awaited them upon return to their homeland.

But in an unheard of event the Department of Homeland Security has decided they can stay indefinitely.

And many are praising God for this miraculous decision!  And they should!

How nice of the DHS!

Or is it?

While I am thankful that the Romeikes get to stay, you can be sure there is an agenda behind the decision.  This is a government that has been slowly (and sometimes rather quickly) stripping Americans of their freedoms and rights for a long time…and we’ve allowed it. Most Americans have forgotten that this is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”  Lincoln continued,” that shall not perish from the earth.”

Or will it?

This decision is just one step in the process.   The administration wants us to relax and rest.  They want us to think we’re safe.  But let me assure you, it’s NOT time to relax and rest. 

This is a war!  We must be on guard, something bigger is coming.

HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) has been battling to keep the Romeikes in this country, every step of the way.

At one point Eric Holder even made the statement that “home schooling is not a fundamental right”

This is coming from the Attorney General of an administration that believes no one has any fundamental rights for anything.

But now, they’re playing nice and telling the Romeikes “you can stay”

Don’t be foolish!

It’s coming.

Are you battle ready?

You better get that way if you aren’t!

It won’t be as easy this time around.  And in case you’ve been under a rock for the last 30 years,  it wasn’t easy the first time; but it will be much, much harder this time.

There is no radar to sneak under, there is no Doctor with his traveling blue box to rescue us.  With modern technology, there’s no place to hide unless you’re totally unplugged.

But home educators have never been ones ready to sit down and take it.  So I don’t imagine we will now.   On the other hand, I wonder…because the face of home ed has changed over the past 30 years.  Many home educators that didn’t have to fight or don’t know people that were in the fight are soft.  They want to take advantage of government school “services”  they’ll homeschool a year to “catch the kids up” and then put them back into government school.

These people don’t understand this is a WAR!  They don’t understand that what is now happening in Germany, happened in this country too!

In a war, you don’t walk up to the enemy and ask to borrow their ammo!  You make your own!  And we have.  Anything the government school does, we can do, and most often better.  Whoops, I’m  getting ready to go down a bunny trail, but I’ll refrain. That’s another days topic.

There are no federal regulations for home education at this point; but considering the administration’s view on pretty much everything, you can be assured there is a time coming…

My guess?  It’ll probably begin in the form of Common Core requirements for home educators…DON’T get me started on CC!  We think we have poor government education now?  Just wait!

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil  prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  1 Peter 5:8

Just What are the Children in Government School Learning ADULT EYES ONLY!

This post is intended for parents!  Not for children of any age.  PLEASE abide by my wishes if you are still young and innocent.  For after you read this, you will be less innocent.

I recently subscribed us to a one year free subscription to the AFA Journal. We used to get it a long time ago, and then for some reason we stopped.
Anyway, here’s the point:
An article in the newest issue talks about the s*x education children are receiving in government schools

“How crazy is the school committee in Provincetown, Massachusetts? Crazy enough to institute a policy whereby condoms could be distributed to all students – including those of elementary age – whether or not parents approve.”

“It’s happening elsewhere – like Shenandoah, Iowa, for example. According to Fox News, a co-ed sex education class for eighth graders in that community demonstrated how female exams are performed, how to properly use a c*nd*m, and some of the s*xual positions that kids could use during s*x”

I also received Bubba’s “birthday card” in the mail from Medicaid (which we cannot seem to get off of, even though we only used it when he was first born because of his complications in NICU and have never, ever used again).    This “birthday card” was really a reminder for for what immunizations he “needs”   at 11-12 years, they are “recommending” HPV.  In case you don’t know this is an immunization for a S*xually transmitted disease.   My sweet boy is not even remotely interested in girls, and when we gave him the bare bones, a few months ago, about the subject, he shuddered!  If we even tease about smooching, he gets says gross and gets a strange look on his face.    There is no way my sweet 11 year old NEEDS a vaccination for an STD!

Prayerfully, he will NEVER need that vaccination, as we are teaching him that s*x is for one man married to one woman for life.

Home Ed is it for Everyone?

There I said it!

Yep!

I’m one of those.

One of those that thinks nearly all Christians should be home educating their children.  (there might be a rare case where it is not in the best interest of the family).

Today, I heard someone described themselves as “not a homeschool fanatic”  because this person has children that are home educated and children that are in government school…

I had just come fom having lunch with our region’s director in our state  homeschool organization.  Who, like me, is a home educting fanatic.

Long ago, my husband shared the history of home education with me…the homeschooling veterans put their children and families on the line for YOUR right to home educate your children, much like the men in centuries past secured the freedoms we enjoy in America today.

Many parents don’t know or remember the sacrifice these veterans made…but I’m married to a child of a homeschool veteran.  I’m married toone of the first modern day homeschool graduates.  I have access to first hand knowledge of children being removed from their homes for “abusing their children because they removed their child from school to homeschool them.”

I was told today by a reliable source, that the homeschooling still has a “code” on the list of codes for abuse.

I have very little tolerance for those that think dual enrollment is home education.

I have little tolerance for those that take their children in and out of government schools like yo-yo’s.

Judgemental?  You may think so…

Standing strong for what I believe?  Most certainly YES!

And I’m praying ferverently that you’re “right” to do those things will not ruin my right, or my children’s rights, or my grandchildren’s rights, in the future to home educate their children.

If you are involved in a program that is in partnership with the government school, please DON’T call yourself a home educator!

Because quite frankly, you are not!

You are the parent of a government school student enrolled in an at home program.

If you are dually- enrolled for special needs services, you are telling your school district that you are unable to provide what your child needs… and therefore telling them that YOU can’t do it without them!

If you yo-yo your children in and out of government school, you’re doing yourself, your child and the school a disservice and again, you’re putting my right to home educated my children in danger.

I refuse to sell my soul to the devil for a computer, or fancy “tool” for my art student, speech therapy, or anything else the government school has to offer any of my children.

And if you choose to do it, I have no qualms to tell you that you’re wrong.  Call me judgemental… I don’t care…

You’re putting my rights in danger by exercising your right and it’s my right to say so!

Well, Well… Look Here

The internet is a great place to find a lot of interesting information.  Today my friend, the same one that went with me to the school district meeting, has been doing some research.  I’d like to share what she found…

First I need to tell you, dear reader, that Missouri has one of, if not the best home education laws in the country.  The only time a family must make contact with an official is IF their child has ever been enrolled in the government school.  Then only a withdrawl letter must be submitted.  There are no tests to take, no notice of intent to file, no records turned in, no setting up a private school.  Nothing, nada… fantastic for home educating families!

So, my friend and I attended this meeting last night, and it got her gears turning.   One of the websites that Mr. Director metioned was the Missouri DESE website.  The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, for those of you that are as dumb as I am when it comes to the government education websites.    So my friend, sent me an interesting link a little while ago.

I thought I’d share. The link is to a document on the Missouri DESE  that outlines the necessity for each family of each home school special ed student receiving services to file a written notice of intent in order for Missouri schools to get their money.

Don’t believe me?

Read it for yourself:

“Parents are not required to submit this declaration.  However, in order to count a student as home schooled for the purposes of Core Data screen 15 entry, the district must have received the WRITTEN declaration for the CURRENT year from the parents indicating their intent to home school the child.  During on-site Special Education Fiscal Verification reviews which will begin in the current fiscal year (for a selected number of school districts), the number of CURRENT year written declarations of home school enrollment must equal the number of home schooled students submitted by the district on screen 15.”

“The home school count is used as part of the calculation for determining a district’s Federal Part B Allocation for special education. ”

Now, if that’s not enough for you, look at this line…

“The declaration should include: the name and age of each child attending the home school, the address and telephone number of the home school, the name of each person teaching in the home school, and the name, address, and signature of each person making the declaration of enrollment.  Each declaration should be kept on file as back-up documentation for the reported data.”

The content of the above paragraph should SCARE THE SOCKS OFF OF YOU!

Now, you might think sacrificing this information is no big deal.  And I pray that you are right…however, IF the laws ever change, anyone who files this information is in TROUBLE with a capital TROUBLE!

Missouri DOES NOT require a notice of intent, and HSLDA and FHE (Families for Home Education) do not recommed dual (or partial) enrollment.  IF a child is receiving services at a state run prison,  institution, at least in the district who’s meeting we attended last evening, they are considered by the district to be dually (or partially) enrolled.

You may ask why I am interested, all the sudden in the special needs home school community.  I have a son that was almost forced by NJ state to enter into government school because he has a cleft-palate and “needs to be publically educated until he is 18” according the the social worker that was assigned to his case before he came home to us.

I have also seen government school children, who are not home educated, get treated like garbage by those “wonderful” officials that are supposed to care so much.  Oh how I so wish those parents would yank their child out of those school and educated them at home.

If you have a special needs child, there are more than enough resources and ways around the need to use government schools to get the services that your child needs.

Please, I BEG you, PLEASE, do not subject yourself or your precious child to the government.   HSLDA has an entire department devoted to helping special needs parents, as does NATTHAN, and most likely your local or state organization can point you in the right direction.

Out of the Mouths…

Last evening I had the opportunity to tag along with a friend.  We went to a government school meeting with the Executive Director of Special Services of one of the larger school districts in our area.   The goal of the meeting was for the Director to share what services the district could offer to special needs homeschool students that live in the district.  Mr. Director was a very nice, personable man.  And in a different life, I could have liked him.

This meeting was very informative and gave me lots of things I could write about (and I may yet)…however, there is ONE thing that Mr. Director said that popped out at both my friend and I, that I am compelled to write about. 

Mr. Director was explaining that the district offers it’s services to the 2 private schools within the bounds of the district.  And that they offer those same services to the home school families.  Although he “doesn’t know why” home school families haven’t taken advantage of those services. 

I can tell him why… in order for a home school student to receive said services, they must be dually enrolled in the government school.  Furthermore, in general, home school families don’t want the government school intervention.  That’s a no brainer and Mr. Director appeared smart enough to be able to figure that out. 

But, back to the topic at hand.  Mr. Director’s therapists actually travel to the private schools in the district to provide the services to the children that need them.  Isn’t that thoughtful?  It warms my heart to know that the “officials” are so concerned about ALL the students in their district. 

However, he slipped…he used ONE word that said volumes about the true intent of the districts concern…

Here  is his word,

95% of their “business” in private schools is speech therapy.   

 Just in case you didn’t get that, the word is   BUSINESS!

 The government school is all about business… it’s not about services, it’s not about the “kids” but about drumming up more “business” for the district…

  It was at this point that my friend and I both realized that Mr. Director was a fabulous salesman pitching his wares…

Further proof of what I already knew… it’s all about the almighty dollar…

Children Won’t be Children

At elementary prisons schools in Cabell County, West Virginia, children will no longer be allowed to be children.  I should recant that statement because children will always be children, but they will not be able to swing at recess on the school playground.  Apparently,  “the cost of maintaining a safe surface is too expensive.”

How many of you have ever jumped as high as you can from a swingset and jumped?

Yep, just as I thought… every one of you…

How many of you got injured doing stupid child like things when you were a child????

Yep, just as I thought… many of you.

Final question. For those that are left.  Maybe not every one of you broke an arm or needed stitches, but how about a scrapped knee?

Yep!  That covered every one.

How many of your parents were dumb enough to sue the school when you broke your arm, or fell on the driveway of the school while carrying your Holly Hobby metal lunchbox, on the way to said playground (which, btw, was asphalt) and needed several stitches?

None you say?  That’s what I thought.

Our government prisons schools have done such a wonderful job filling our children with self-esteem, and social skills over the past 2 decades, that those graduates now take no responsibility for parenting their own children.

Isn’t that the goals of government prisons schools?  The administrators should be happy…they’ve accomplished their goal in a relatively short amount of time.

Thank God that there are those of us that refuse to follow the status quo and home educated our children to be responsible for their own actions.