Democrats Homeschool, Too
Many successful homeschool families
are Democrats including myself!
Dateline: 8/9/04
By Ann Zeise
I've been getting questions via email asking if liberals and
Democrats homeschooled. It is time for the Democratic Party to
realize that, yes, many of their faithful have decided to homeschool
their children.
Homeschooling is also a liberal reaction when one's child
just isn't thriving in public school. In our district it seemed
like the conservatives were holding sway: banning books, outlawing
a successful spelling program because it had a "wizard"
theme, insisting on school uniforms, and the last straw, considering
contraband-sniffing dogs!
Many Democrat moms are very much into the nurturing movement,
finding it rather absurd to spend all that time in Le Leche League
only to turn one's babes over to daycare as soon as they are
potty trained. While a goal for "early childhood education
for all children under 5" is a worthy one, perhaps it can
best be achieved by helping mothers to have the confidence and
skills to work with their little ones rather than making them
think that handing their children over to someone else is somehow
better. This is part of what I try to do as a "liberated
woman," and find no contradiction. Empowering the individual:
that is what the Democrat Party has always stood for.
Another tenet of the Democrat Party is "public school
choice." How about broadening that to include homeschooling?
It is a choice, after all, and many school districts do offer
homeschooling programs, and some states offer charter schools
for homeschoolers.
Union members homeschool their kids! I often hear from truckers
who take their families along with them on the road. Families
of public school teachers homeschool.
Kerry, in his stated education
plan, promises to help us middle class families by cutting
our taxes, making sure our children can afford college, and providing
for life-long learning opportunities.
Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz-Kerry, and her family foundation
support many of the things homeschoolers hold dear: "Heinz foundations are widely known
for developing innovative strategies to protect the environment,
improve education and the lives of young children, reduce the
cost of prescription drugs, promote the arts and help women achieve
financial economic security. She established the Women's Institute
for a Secure Retirement in 1996 to educate women about pensions,
savings, and retirement security." We homeschool moms worry
about what staying home with our kids will mean for our retirement.
Many, many inclusive homeschooling support groups are popping
up all over the country. These groups are attended by all sorts
of families: from yuppy moms, stay-at-home dads, people of all
races, creeds and sexual orientations, even a few grandparents
homeschooling their grandchildren! You could hardly tell the
difference between such a group and a Democrat Party rally!
Now I am well aware of the Republican faction of the homeschool
movement. They can be extremely annoying to the Democrat homeschoolers.
We wish they would have never co-opted our movement. Makes it
seem like we're all a bunch of right wingers. Believe me, many
of us are liberals! Normal mothers and fathers, and sometimes
other relatives, who just love being with their kids. Such a
radical idea!
On the liberal side, we are striving to make it easier for
parents with disabled or "slow" children to homeschool.
Often the public schools fail these children, and parents just
feel they can do a better job. But state laws sometimes require
that a homeschooled child must pass a annual test at or above
grade level. These children couldn't do that if they were in
school!
Kerry says in his "Families"
statement that "strong, healthy families build a stronger
America. They know that government doesn't raise children - parents
do. But they believe that together, we can put government back
on the side of America's families and build an America where
every family can look to the future with hope."
Please, I beg of you: listen to the Democrats in the homeschool
movement. Realize that helping women to be confident mothers
is just as liberating as teaching them to be confident workers.
We just need some help juggling our roles at times. A stronger
economy and good health care would help tremendously. Flexible
education opportunities both for the kids and the parents would
also be great.
With a little imagination, this CAN be done!
Other Liberal Voices
Correcting
Misconceptions About Home Schooling
Four years ago, Alicia Knight would have been the last person
you could ever imagine home-schooling her kids. She was a legislative
aide to then Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for education issues. She
was a card-carrying liberal. By Jay Mathews, Washington Post.
Homeschoolers
and Bush
It was hugely disappointing to read that the Republican Party
has successfully co-opted much of the homeschool movement ("Homeschoolers
hit campaign trail," WorldNetDaily, September 14). Particularly
galling was the smug comment offered by Republican campaign official
Jim Terry: "By far, the best grass-roots workers in the
nation are homeschoolers. They will give you 100 percent, 10
to 12 hours a day."
HomeSchoolers
Free Media
A progressive Internet radio station. Together, our growing team
of homeschooling families is developing internet radio programming
and a website dedicated to providing a place for liberal and
progressive homeschooled kids to sound off and speak out.
Homeschooling
as the Practice of a Liberal Democratic Faith
First a little corrective history: The home education movement
was NOT started by religious conservatives, who often claim the
practice as their own, but by liberal education reformers with
a very different philosophy at the heart of their efforts.
Moral
Moms are Democrats too!
It's time for "morality moms" who are Democrats, who
voted Democrat, to get out and tell our values! Republican moms
do not have a monopoly on values!
Q:
True or False: Homeschooling legislation always falls along party
lines
Do Republican lawmakers always support and vote for legislation
that is favorable to homeschoolers, while Democratic lawmakers
always support and vote for legislation which is unfriendly to
homeschoolers?
|