I homeschool my kids and I was a public high school teacher before doing so. I think if the parents of public school children really had an idea of what went on at these schools on a regular basis they would be more inclined to homeschool their children too. It is organized chaos, and the children in the classroom can only raise to the level of the most annoying kid in their classroom. This is because that child is going to be the squeaky wheel and demand all of the attention while being disruptive.

It is wrong for people that send their children to public school to automatically assume that everyone who homeschools is some kind of nutcase. We all choose to do it for different reasons. So this particular group of homeschoolers subscribe to a particular religion- so what? Does that make public school children and their parents more intelligent? No. If you think your children aren't being indoctrinated in other ways at public schools, think again. You have no control over how they are taught about sex, world religions or politics- and yes, they are being taught about other religions under the guise of history- just check out their history books for yourself - if they bother to bring them home.

I would like to say that I hold a science BS from a state university and my husband is a doctor. We are both conservative, fundamental Christians. We are homeschooling our children for more than just 'religious' reasons.

My mother and grandmother taught in public schools for 35 years. My grandfather was a public high school principal and his father was a public school superintendent. And there are more educators in my family. Does this qualify me as a teacher for my children? No. My love and knowledge of how my children learn and what motivates them are a better qualifier than my background.

My base desire to research everything I can get my hands on to help them learn MORE than anything any school can ever teach them gives me more motivation than a minimally qualified, underpaid, slightly motivated, overworked teacher can ever have. Are there good teachers out there? YES. My mother taught me two years in math and had the best math program in county. But that does not replace a one on one, loving teaching environment where I can teach my children according to their bend.

My children do not have to ride a bus or attend school with bullies, stand in line, wait on others to catch up so the class can move on, be afraid to raise their hand to clarify something because their classmates will think they are 'stupid' even though the same question was in their mind, worry about inane things like 'do I have the right kind of clothes, toys, games, car, house, neighborhood, etc.'

One of our greatest presidents whom Obama is 'hoping' to live up to had only one year of 'formal' schooling, YET he became a lawyer and a revered leader of our country.

Not all homeschoolers are equal!!!!

I just wanted to say to all of those out there who are bashing
homeschooling, that I am a mother who homeschools two. I am not a
person who homeschools my children in a "box" as a lot of
homeschoolers do. My children know there are many different beliefs
about how this world was created. They are now left with the chance
to explore it in their own minds and decide what they want to
believe in as God gives all of us a free will. The first child I
did nothing but Christ - centered books and now she doesn't want
those kinds of books anymore in her education. I learned that
lesson and now with the second one I will not "shove" God down his
throat. I am a Christian. I love God. I do not "hide" my children
from the REAL world as they one day need to function in this world.
I do not beleive the people who are writing negative posts in
regards to homeschooling are being totally fair as they are putting
all homeschoolers in a "box" - One of my kids is a special needs
kid and he was in public school for awhile until I saw that his
"emotional" state was being affected and his work ethics too. My
son was starting to Hate learning and I would not have that. I
decided to bring him home for awhile. He might eventually go back
when he is older and can handle all of the crap that goes along
with public school and still learn, because the main thing is about
him learning in an environment that is healthy for him. I am a
homeschooler who feels that homeschooling is not for every kid, it
is not for every family and I am not against public school as both
of my kids have been in it and I have pulled them out when I felt
that public school was not a good enough education for them, not
because I am a religious person, even though I do have a belief in
God and some would call me religious I would call myself a
Christian, I am human and I do sin like everyone else in this world
and do not think myself better o

I like to say never sent my daughters to school. My younger
daughter is still high school age, and therefore, is technically
still homeschooled. My older daughter made the decision on her own
to go to an exclusive, internationally-known prep school when she
was in 11th grade - She had to audition, get accepted and receive
scholarship money in order to go. She did it and went away for one
year, returning home and attending the local community college for
her senior year. She's now at the college of her choice, with
excellent merit scholarships, having a wonderful time. I can list
countless stories of homeschooled kids who have gone on to attend
Ivy League schools and become doctors, lawyers, journalists and all
matter of culturally admired professions. Does this make them
successful humans, and provide evidence of the wonders of
homeschooling? Not at all. But I ask, if you were to think about
where you would be most likely to find an excellent lunch, would
your first impulse be to say schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and
other institutions? Yummy. And extra healthy too. NOT. If they
can't even provide a decent meal, why would we expect that
government-run institutions in which children are segregated
according to age, often in groups of thirty and more, and led by
one adult for hours each day, can provide for excellence in
education, socialization or anything else? Is it truly reasonable
to expect young children to sit at desks for the greater part of
the day, each day, often for the bulk of the daylight? When they
are unable to do so many are put on Ritalin. Egads.
http://rememberingmatters.blogspot.com

Yep, it was at Har Mar. For a series of hilarious posts on
"Creationist Homeschool" madness, check out this blog archive under
"homeschool".
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/02/utne_blogs_har_mar_home_school.phphttp://http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/02/utne_blogs_har_mar_home_school.php

Someone asked if this occurred at Rosedale, but looking at some of
the backgrounds, I think it was likely at HarMar Mall. HarMar has a
history of doing shows of various types, whereas Rosedale tries oh
so hard to be more upscale. Except when it came time to build their
fabulous outdoor wing last year.

Just proves that Americans can be such ignorants. Just hope they
aren't all.

"This is America! Let these people believe what they want to
believe." Sadly, some people believe that this life is a dress
rehearsal for something better, and that others who don't feel that
way deserve to be burned at the stake, blown to bits or otherwise
forcibly prevented from pointing out the Emperor's embarrassing
absence of clothing. There are very good reasons for the separation
of church and state in industrial societies, and for the absence of
faith in science textbooks. Societies who cannot separate religion
and government are condemned to perpetual civil war. Societies that
cannot keep faith and science in their respective corners are
doomed to be technological backwaters. I don't wish to live in a
war zone or a grass hut. Do you?

I was a creationist for years, but after I found Charles Darwin, my
life was changed, and I was able to give up my drinking problem.
Darwin bless you all!

This is America! Let these people believe what they want to
believe. Are we freaking out over what people living in the Amazon
or the plains of Tibet believe? How about the plains of Kansas? You
may take the stance of an amused anthropologist, but what's the
point of evangelizing people with science? Does it fundamentally
make the world a better place whether or not we understand the
facts about our origins?

It's odd (for me) that all the discussion about home schooling
versus public schooling is about religion or brainwashing. My
admittedly naive guess would be not that home schooled kids are
less intelligent or less capable, but just not as socially
developed. By that I mean more socially awkward then average, more
likely to be occupied with work or hobbies as opposed to social
relationships then average, etc. Essentially all friendships and
relationships I had up until the age of around 24 were the result
of school either directly or by no more then one extra degree of
seperation (such as my sister's friends from school). If a child
has parents that want to brainwash them with religious beliefs,
then they're going to do it whether the kid is home schooled or
not. At least they're going to try.

Religion is the most heinous, counterproductive force IN THE WORLD,
BAR NONE. It teaches the opposite of thought, the opposite of
tolerance, the opposite of evolution (in the every sense), and is
so laughably obsolete that I cannot understand how one single
person could possibly be so gullible as to believe one word of it,
let alone make it the centerpiece of his or her life. It is
virulently manipulative of all of its adherents, using the ultimate
threat-reward paradigms to achieve the followers' subservience to
the very human religious leaders who claim to have an inside
position with their god. The imaginary threat of the only recently
imagined and included "hell" is paired with the equally fatuous
claim that this deity offers ultimate LOVE, and is somehow twisted
into the end result of everyone being expected to do what the
person standing in the pulpit says they should do. Oh, that and we
should all give that guy some money or pity or hate "infidels" in
the name of this ultimately loving deity. It's disgusting, and it
makes me ashamed to be part of the human species at times. Grow up,
people, and take responsibility for your own actions. Then maybe
you will not need an imaginary parental figure so much that you
forego all common sense in addition to all higher thought
processes.

As a homeschooled graduate (2000) and a college graduate on the
Dean's List (2004), I can firmly say that homeschooling, as a
general rule, does a great job. Bennett, I'm not quite sure what
your agenda is, but I hope it isn't about to suggest that
homeschooling is (or homeschoolers are) inferior because of their
religious beliefs. Homeschoolers really are the varied bunch that
makes up the human race - I personally have met Christian, black,
Wicca, Jewish, and many homeschoolers of other races, background,
and lifestyles. We are no longer the stereotype of white Christians
as what might have been true 10-15 years ago. @Steaming Pile -
regarding your comment about how the standards of homeschooling and
their parents are low - what standards are truly required? By the
time a child is ready for public school, they have been potty
trained, learned their alphabet, numbers, colors, and a myriad of
other vital things. All of these are taught by parents - quite
likely your parents had hand in ensuring you were ready for first
grade or kindergarten. Healyhatman - what exactly are you calling a
"real and useful" education? One very recent article by USA Today
suggested high school students aren't getting it (from
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-02-26-teens-history_N.htm?csp=1):
• 43% knew the Civil War was fought between 1850 and 1900. •52%
could identify the theme of 1984. •51% knew that the controversy
surrounding Sen. Joseph McCarthy focused on communism. In the grand
scheme of things, the public education system as we know it today
has only existed since the 1800's. Before that, people learned from
their parents or others in their community - there simply was no
public school to attend. Instead of bemoaning a homeschool
CREATIONISM fair for having a religious tilt, why not ask why our
public schools are spending SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS PER STUDENT
for the results listed above? http://www.lifeafterhom

heres my take on darwin and the theory as an illustration printed
on tee's http://iteetoo.com/scirel.htmlhttp://iteetoo.com/scirel.html

"Every diorama in the Home School Science Fair, which took place
inside a shopping mall in Roseville, Minnesota..." Was this held at
Rosedale?

Quote from the article: 'The projects all used classic high school
science language: Start with a hypothesis, move on to testing, and
then draw a conclusion.' If that's what they taught, then they
missed out one MAJOR step. It should be: 'Study the available
evidence, form a hypothesis based on that evidence, move on to
testing, and then draw a conclusion.' This is, in fact, how you get
the various 'scientific' claims of YEC in the first place - they
are all based on interpreting the evidence or even twisting the
evidence to try to make it fit in with the preconception that the
Earth is 6000 years old or so, and created by God, despite the fact
this preconception is based on a book that may or may not be an
accurate account of a story that may or may not have been told to a
man (or several men), somewhere between 4000 and 15000 years ago by
a being who may or may not exist.

I was essentially one of these children, resistant to Darwin until
16, when I moved to the other parent's house... It took a few
years, but I eventually came around to real science, and there's
certainly hope that some of these kids will as well. Unfortunately,
many of them are damned to become proselytizing adults.

Ummm, we're not in fear of a group of school children and we're not
lashing out. But to call it a "science fair" when it's anything but
is WRONG!

I'm praying for each of you who defiantly lashes out toward our
Creator and at the truth that God gives us in the Bible, His Holy
Word. There's no need to fear a group of schoolchildren who are
professing freely their faith. There's every reason to fear a
decision that impacts your eternal destination. Please don't be
like that proverbial guy driving about lost and refusing to stop
and ask for directions. There are those of us who sincerely care
for you, but nowhere near as much as does God Himself.

Disgusting. This shouldn't count as "Home Schooling" more like
"Home forced to believe the shit your parents tell you to believe
to the detriment of a real and useful education"
http://healyhatman.blogspot.com

I like the word "inculcation".

Mr. Gordon, I'm a homeschool parent. My wife and I homeschool for
reasons that are not religious. We don't teach our kids that
fossils are fake, and we don't teach that dinosaurs and humans
walked the earth at the same time. Identifying this event "The 2008
Home School Science Fair" implies that there is only one home
school science fair. Even if that's the way the organizers billed
it, it's misleading to present the winner of this particular
science fair in a context that suggests all home school science
fairs are judged on similar criteria. I understand and appreciate
your desire to protect the name of science from those who
misappropriate its terminology. I hope you'll also respect my
desire to address misunderstandings about home schooling. My wife
and I chose to live simply, off of one salary, because we feel that
educating children is such an important task we don't want to
entrust it to strangers. I have a tremendous sense of satisfaction
knowing that I taught my daughter to read, and that I taught my son
about wind resistance by conducting an experiment in the living
room with a flat piece of paper and a balled-up piece of paper.
When they get advanced enough in a subject area that requires more
expertise than we can muster, will seek out specialists to enrich
their education. In the meantime, we take the kids to classes and
events at the zoo, the local library, the Carnegie Science Center,
local nature centers, historic sites, and university lectures.
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/weblog

As a Christian who was homeschooled by parents who did it for
religious reasons, I shake my head when I see stories like this. It
will take these kids years to overcome the intellectual hurdles
their parents have placed in front of them; in many cases, they
will never recover, but will instead carry on as close-minded
intellectual midgets incapable of critical thinking. I have had to
work very hard to drag myself out of that same situation. When my
wife and I decided to homeschool our own children, we very
deliberately decided it was NOT for religious reasons, but rather
because we wanted the best academic situation for them. Our
daughter is brilliant (finished Grade 9 at the age of 11), and our
son is...not. Both of them would be underserved in the public
system, and between the lack of secular independant schools in my
area, and the proliferation of "faith-based" ones whose Doctrines
bothered me, homeschooling was clearly the best choice for our
kids. We built our own curriculum from an eclectic selection of
materials that best suited our kids' learning styles, and rolled
with it. This all worked great until they hit the higher grades
where neither of us could support the math requirements, whereupon
we enrolled them in the public school. Homeschooling has given both
of our children an incredible advantage over their peers, both
academically and socially (that whole "how do they socialise
properly?" argument is utter bullshite); because we focussed on
teaching our kids how to learn, rather than simply pouring facts
into them and making them regurgitate onto a test sheet. Neither my
wife nor I have a liberal arts education, aside from that which
we've given ourselves via the thousands of books in our home
library, the wide variety of websites we read, and the varied and
colourful people we call friends. Yes, we still believe in God- but
we don't blindly accept what we're fed, and hopefully we have giv

@Kalias little brother - thanks for that link. I think the best way
to confront these throwbacks is to turn the tables. They can talk
all day about gaps in the theory of evolution - of course there are
gaps, there probably always will be gaps, our knowledge is never
going to be absolutely complete. I think the average semi-educated
citizen has a misunderstanding and uneasiness about evolution (and
would be similarly queasy about quantum physics if they knew enough
about it). If you can turn the tables to what they actually
believe, to how much science they need to throw out to do it (young
earth, literal truth of the ark, etc), I think you may be able to
put them on the defensive. Not the hard core AIG types, but the
garden variety uncertain ones, if you can get them to understand
that the anti-science folks really want to throw EVERYTHING out,
maybe you can get them to help us continue to marginalize the true
wackos.

Jonathan Tenkely The bible is not the directive but piggybacks upon
established rules Those "teachings" are nothing more that co-opted
rules of behavior from many societies. basically religious writings
have always taken good things from others co-opted them and claimed
to have been the originator. It's the same tactic that microsoft
uses for the same motivations of personal profit and padding ones
ego. both are lying cheating and fraudulent corporations whose
programs and applications are buggy, illogical and overpriced rip
offs.

This is the reason that public schools should be necessary for all,
or at least "home shcool" should have the same standards as public
schools http://threethirty.us

Lewis Black has the funny and relevant opinion that these
'Christians' need to take the time and ask a Jew about their book -
you don't see Jews going around interpreting 'our' book ! They'll
be happy to take a few minutes from 'Jewiness' to set them
straight.

you could have mentioned the event was sponsored by the Twin Cities
Creation Science Association. http://www.tccsa.tc/

I am a homeschooling YEC Christian. I have earned multiple degrees
from accredited schools. I can think (and freethink) circles around
most, including the author of this piece of skeptic's rubbish.
Thank you.

I'm a catholic myself and I just can't understand how people
believes in creationism! If we came from Adam and Eve we should be
extincted in the 5th generation or so!. Evolution it's not a thing
that you believe, IT'S A FACT! Anyway, in a country where the
"political correctness" is so important doesn't creationism justify
things that are so wrong in many levels? like Racism? from God
himself?

Having had to create a presentation for a very similar science fair
in my private high-school days, I can say that there are Christians
who have matured and gone on to do some very critical thinking of
their own, outside of teachers and parents. I was fed the same
rhetoric as a teen and have since parted with many of the teachings
and requirements of Christianity that were insisted upon me by my
teachers. I haven't however, given up on my faith. What many
religious critics seem to overlook is that many Christians, though
they can't explain or prove the Bible is Truth, still feel that
it's teachings are valuable and applicable to their daily lives.
Whether people believe the Bible says that human life was "poofed"
into existence, or that it grew from a single cell, is just fodder
for argument. There are so many more valuable lessons to learn from
the Bible that it's a shame more Christians can't just let the
division between faith and science exist.

@Jennifer - I must assume your parents are well-educated and
enlightened people. Unfortunately, there is no such requirement for
homeschooling parents in most if any of the states. In fact, the
standards for homeschooling in most states are appallingly thin. My
guess is that most religious homeschoolers possess nothing more
than a bible and a high school education, and that just isn't
enough, no matter how much you pray. The result is something like
"school in a can," which is a prepackaged kit usually put together
by the likes of Bob Jones University - hardly the most enlightened
institution on God's Earth. It all comes down to the reason a
parent decides to homeschool. Those who happen to have college
degrees and liberal attitudes are a very tiny minority. That ought
to scare the crap out of you. I know it does me.
http://steamingpileofcrap.com

I homeschooled to offer a climate more favorable to helping a mind
grow.

Hmmm, Based on above comments I decided to find out more about this
fair. Found the following site
http://www.tccsa.tc/adventure/fair.html The first page has this
declaration... Unlike Some Science Fair Sites We Are For Real!
Unlike Many Secular Educators We Teach The Scientific Method!
Interesting, but, in reading through the site, it is obviously a
Christian fair so it is no surprise that the Bennett Gordon wrote
what he did. And, while the declaration says they teach the
scientific method it appears that this is just hype...

Judge not harshly, lest you be judged harshly. We are all, in some
way or another, a hopeless prisoner. What appears to be true today
will turn out to be folly tomorrow. What appears to be freedom is
but the space before another wall.

ARRGGGHHH!! This was the homeschool CREATIONIST science fair, a
fact you conveniently left out. The homeschoolers I know - and I'm
in Charlotte, NC, smack-dab in the bible belt - are a very diverse
bunch. Sure, there are creationists. But there are also
freethinking radical unschoolers, atheists, pagans, open-minded
Christians. WHY would you want to continue to paint "homeschoolers"
as close-minded indoctrinaires? Damn, do a little research. Print
the facts - a CREATIONIST homeschool science fair will have the
creationist p.o.v. An open homeschool science fair will have many,
many points of view, from a wide array of people with very diverse
beliefs. We are an awesome bunch. Google "radical unschooling".
Who's close-minded? I believe the author of the piece started with
their end in mind: all homeschoolers are close-minded creationists,
and wrote to prove that.

RE critical thinking about everything except your own dogma: see a
recent piece by Paul F. Campos: Evidence of Faith
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/30833

I'd be careful of saying how "regular school" doesn't indoctrinate
in any way and these home-school kids definitely are being
indoctrinated . . . I bet there are lots of people who say we get
indoctrinated no matter where we are (I, for instance, would say
we're all indoctrinated toward capitalism). It's just what side of
the debates you're on that determines whether you're getting
"indoctrinated" or just getting an education . . .

That's why I like to think of myself as a dropout.

I think it is sad that this is what homeschooling has become. I was
homeschooled K-12 grade and was taught to be an independent
thinker. My parents didn't homeschool me for religious reasons but
to avoid the cultural indoctrination that does take place in public
schools and to provide me with a better education than what was
available at the time. Our schools teach to the test and impart the
most important life lesson that Americans need--to sit down and
shut up and let someone else to your thinking for you. It
embarrasses me to have to tell people that I'm homeschooled and to
try to explain and defend what has become indefensible in its
modern, most common expression.

Speaking of Answers in Genesis, check out what they have to say
about the Paluxy footprints mentioned in that blue ribbon-winning
project: http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dont_use.asp
"Arguments we think creationists should NOT use"

I would like to challenge all so called "creationists" to explain
how their source(the bible) even came about. I doubt any of them
even know! For any further questions from "them", "they" should
refer to material by the late famous Bill Hicks.