A must read for anyone interested in Virtual Schools

Knowledge Universe and Virtual Schools: Educational Breakthrough or Digital Raid on the Public Treasury?
http://64.233.179.104/u/ArizState?q=cache:y7Y-vTOZvQsJ:www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPRU/documents/EPSL-0404-118-

Mississippi Looks At Virtual Public Schools

House Bill 1130 authorizes establishment of the Mississippi Virtual Public School Program to offer additional educational resources to students for academic achievement. http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/Extrel/leg/06HouseSenate.html

While some states have wonderful Virtual Public School Programs, other Virtual Public School Programs have generated controversy and angst. Critics claim that the Electronic Classroom Of Tomorrow in Ohio has ignored academic guidelines while operating with questionable accounting practices. And of course there is the question of where the funding will come from, obviously money will be diverted from traditional public schools to fund the virtual public schools.

But perhaps the most troubling aspect to me is the virtual school group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mississippi_Virtual_School_Support/

moderated by Carrie Jean Ross of Connections Academy--a for-profit organization that would make some $$$ if this bill goes through. This is NOT a grass roots effort by residents of Mississippi to start virtual public schools in our state, Ms. Ross doesn't even LIVE in Mississippi. The company she works for is currently lobbying our legislature to start a Virtual Public School Program in Mississippi. If their is a genuine need for Virtual Public Schools in our State, shouldn't the push come from residents of Mississippi and not outsiders who have their own agenda?

Government Wants to Take Away Teens Rights

Sid Salter's Mixed messages to teens is worth a look
http://www.meridianstar.com/columns/local_story_046071910.html

It's amazing to me that the government can decide what color and style clothing your kids can wear and what you as the parent can buy for them, with money you earned and pay taxes on, to wear to a public school (that your tax money supports). Apparently school boards in Mississippi have decided that teens are not smart enough to dress themselves and that their parents shouldn't have any input in the matter either. But the same 18 year old that can't pick out his/her own clothes if they are still attending a public school CAN join the army (and die for their country) and apparently while they can't pick out their own clothes they CAN VOTE. Makes a lot of sense doesn't it; you are to immature to know what style of clothing is appropriate for school and you shouldn't even be given a choice in what color to wear, but you can choose the next president, governor or any other elected official!

Now they want to take away teens right to drive...........................
Oh, but it's still ok for you to get a job and pay taxes.

I get really aggravated every time a teen is in an accident and some idiot wants to raise the driving age. How come when some old geezer is in an accident the same idiots don't suggest taking away everyone over 65's license? It makes as much sense.

Developing good driving skills take time. You aren't going to magically know how to drive when you reach a certain age. And as with everything there are some teens that are wonderful drivers; some that are so-so and some that shouldn't ever be on the road. Chances are that they would be the same drivers rather they were 16, 26, 36, or 65.

The message that Mississippi's elected officials sends teens seems to be this We want you to act like mature individuals; but we reserve the right to treat you like immature idiots no matter how mature you act. With that kind of attitude displayed toward teens no wonder so many of them wonder why they should behave like mature individuals. The government in Mississippi certainly isn't going to reward them for mature behavior.

Of course their parents aren't treated much better. The school board doesn't think you are capable of teaching your children how to dress for school so they enact mandatory school uniform rules that force you to spend your hard earned cash on clothes you can't stand. And apparently now they have decided that PARENTS aren't to be trusted to know when their kids are mature enough to operate a motor vehicle. I wonder how long it will be before the GOVERNMENT decides you don't know how to feed your kids and forces you to only buy and cook certain foods.......................................... Maybe George Orwell just got the date wrong when he titled his book 1984!

Big Brother is watching you!!!

Federal court overrules school dress code policy

The Associated Press - ATLANTA

Finally a victory for people with common sense. Maybe mandatory school uniforms in public schools are on the way out. I certainly hope so......................

What's in a name?

I try not to cross post, but this is an important educational issue. While many of you who are unhappy with your child's public school think charter/virtual schools could be the answer and resent homeschoolers attitudes toward them, please try to understand that what we object to is the loss of our homeschooling freedoms; not your having an alternative to your child's public schools. After all I started homeschooling because I wasn't happy with my children's public schools, and I firmly believe that parents should have the choice to educate their children in the manner they see fit; rather that be homeschooling, charter/virtual schools, private schools or public schools. But allowing public schools to co-opt the homeschooling name and refer to charter/virtual school students as homeschoolers when they are under government control, allows them to interfere with independent homeschoolers, and ultimately benefits none of us. Please read my post Why I Stand For Homeschooling on my homeschooling blog

Warning Writing May Get You in Trouble (The teacher told you to is no excuse)

Private Writings, Public Punishment by David M. Agrela

Recall the quote from Mark Twain, who said more than 100 years ago, "First God made idiots for practice. Then he created school boards." The often-nonsensical policies created by school administrators would be laughable, if they weren't so draconian.

First a teacher tells students to keep a PRIVATE journal, to feel free to write what ever comes into their heads.

Then administrators punished the students for following instructions. How much sense does that make?

More troubling is the fact that some great writing talent may be stifled because the school officials can't or won't distinguish between FICTION (a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact, a deliberately false or improbable account ) and reality. Never mind that they refuse to respect the concept of private. I sure am glad I am not in school today. Not only do you have to manage to write papers without grammatical errors; but now you better be darn sure that every thing you write (even in PRIVATE journals) is politically correct, doesn't offend anyone in anyway, and can't in any twisted fashion be construed as a threat against anyone or anything.

Imagine if Charles Dickens, Voltaire, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and a host of other great authors had to write under the same constraints. The world would be short a couple of literary master pieces.

ATTENTION: Check out this website http://gulfcoastparents.com/ for what is going on in MS Gulf Coast Schools.

And here is a great website on The Dangers of the School Uniform Movement by Gary Peter Klahr
http://www.oblivion.net/oblivion/8/school_uniforms.shtml