reconsider homeschooling forum?

[Anonymous]

Hello Jeff,

I've asked before, so here's my annual request. The DC homeschooling community is blowing up. More parents are shut out of the few charters they might like, out of boundaries lottery changes have driven more, and some are just opting out of traditional school models for more progressive options. And of course, the traditional religious homeschoolers, though in DC these represent a minority of homeschoolers from what I've seen...

I think there would be a slow start for a homeschooling forum but it would reach critical mass quickly once word got out. There are several active homeschool listservs by neighborhood that I'm aware of, but not much for the entire city. Lots of new coops are developing to provide a social frame for the kids involved. This website could be a network for the parents forming those communities. Homeschool posts, including coop info etc, doesn't really fit well in any of the school categories so it's hard for homeschool families to use the boards to connect since we're not, by nature, on school boards.

Will you reconsider? I bet it will become an active forum and it really is so different from any other school category...

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Did you ever consider that the kooky homeschool demographic may not be something that Jeff wants an influx of here? We already have enough insane out-of-town conservatives in the Political forum.

[Anonymous]

Well said! And much needed. Thanks OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello Jeff,

I've asked before, so here's my annual request. The DC homeschooling community is blowing up. More parents are shut out of the few charters they might like, out of boundaries lottery changes have driven more, and some are just opting out of traditional school models for more progressive options. And of course, the traditional religious homeschoolers, though in DC these represent a minority of homeschoolers from what I've seen...

I think there would be a slow start for a homeschooling forum but it would reach critical mass quickly once word got out. There are several active homeschool listservs by neighborhood that I'm aware of, but not much for the entire city. Lots of new coops are developing to provide a social frame for the kids involved. This website could be a network for the parents forming those communities. Homeschool posts, including coop info etc, doesn't really fit well in any of the school categories so it's hard for homeschool families to use the boards to connect since we're not, by nature, on school boards.

Will you reconsider? I bet it will become an active forum and it really is so different from any other school category...

Thanks!

There are plenty of homeschooling forums already out there, for the very reason that homeschooling families need a wider network and greater online resources. Try them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well said! And much needed. Thanks OP!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello Jeff,

I've asked before, so here's my annual request. The DC homeschooling community is blowing up. More parents are shut out of the few charters they might like, out of boundaries lottery changes have driven more, and some are just opting out of traditional school models for more progressive options. And of course, the traditional religious homeschoolers, though in DC these represent a minority of homeschoolers from what I've seen...

I think there would be a slow start for a homeschooling forum but it would reach critical mass quickly once word got out. There are several active homeschool listservs by neighborhood that I'm aware of, but not much for the entire city. Lots of new coops are developing to provide a social frame for the kids involved. This website could be a network for the parents forming those communities. Homeschool posts, including coop info etc, doesn't really fit well in any of the school categories so it's hard for homeschool families to use the boards to connect since we're not, by nature, on school boards.

Will you reconsider? I bet it will become an active forum and it really is so different from any other school category...

Thanks!

There are plenty of homeschooling forums already out there, for the very reason that homeschooling families need a wider network and greater online resources. Try them.

Np here. I like the format and Anonimity of this site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you ever consider that the kooky homeschool demographic may not be something that Jeff wants an influx of here? We already have enough insane out-of-town conservatives in the Political forum.

This. These people shouldnt be on the internet anyway, lest it prove to be a portal for the Devil.

[Anonymous]

YES! JEFF, PLEASE! I came into this forum just to ask this exact question. There are so many homeschool questions I want to ask on DCUM, but I don't want the pool of responses to mostly be from people who send their kids to school. Nothing against their choices, but they don't look at questions the way homeschoolers do. I only want to ask homeschoolers questions about homeschooling. The few homeschool questions that do get asked don't get very many answers, not because we're not on DCUM, but because we just stay out of the education forums for these reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you ever consider that the kooky homeschool demographic may not be something that Jeff wants an influx of here? We already have enough insane out-of-town conservatives in the Political forum.

This. These people shouldnt be on the internet anyway, lest it prove to be a portal for the Devil.

And this attitude that homeschoolers are crazy is exactly why we need our own forum. We're not any crazier that the rest of the "normal" people on here, but there's a lot of prejudice against us. Especially snooty DC types who pay $35,000/yr to send their kid to elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you ever consider that the kooky homeschool demographic may not be something that Jeff wants an influx of here? We already have enough insane out-of-town conservatives in the Political forum.

This. These people shouldnt be on the internet anyway, lest it prove to be a portal for the Devil.

And this attitude that homeschoolers are crazy is exactly why we need our own forum. We're not any crazier that the rest of the "normal" people on here, but there's a lot of prejudice against us. Especially snooty DC types who pay $35,000/yr to send their kid to elementary school.

You need to understand that there is a great deal of skepticism about home-schooling and be able to carry on regardless of that. If you want a forum on here about it, be prepared for those demented banshees to visit and continue to criticize and berate you. Perhaps this is incentive to find a homeschooling forum elsewhere anyway...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you ever consider that the kooky homeschool demographic may not be something that Jeff wants an influx of here? We already have enough insane out-of-town conservatives in the Political forum.

This. These people shouldnt be on the internet anyway, lest it prove to be a portal for the Devil.

And this attitude that homeschoolers are crazy is exactly why we need our own forum. We're not any crazier that the rest of the "normal" people on here, but there's a lot of prejudice against us. Especially snooty DC types who pay $35,000/yr to send their kid to elementary school.

You need to understand that there is a great deal of skepticism about home-schooling and be able to carry on regardless of that. If you want a forum on here about it, be prepared for those demented banshees to visit and continue to criticize and berate you. Perhaps this is incentive to find a homeschooling forum elsewhere anyway...

Yes, we all can carry on regardless of that, and we do on a daily basis. Thank you for the warning, but I assure you that the current homeschoolers on DCUM are award the snipe and snark. And, that's fine. It's fine if non-homeschoolers wander in or troll. I get that, I expect other long-time DCUM folks are already aware. And, that's fine. Just like not everyone who posts/comments is actually a parent. And, there are homeschool forums elsewhere, as there are parenting forums for all those topics elsewhere, but DCUM is special in that it is relative to DC and anon to the various visitor (though I know Jeff and/or authorities could figure out our identities).

[Anonymous]

Agree with all of the sentiments expressed here, except the person talking about the devil. this is OP, and I'm agnostic. In fact, a good reason why I'm seeking homeschool forum here is because it's likely to represent secular homeschoolers. We didn't luck out on the lottery and initially began homeschooling because our public school was pretty narrowly focused on reading and math, the kids seemed miserable, and just as we were about to enroll, a teacher was prosecuted for molesting a student. However, in the intervening years, we've had a really good experience with two different coops and have found there are many people like us, who wish to homeschool not to "keep the devil out" but to try and ensure a school environment that fosters love of learning, yada yada.

It doesn't really work for homeschooling (or alternate community schooling, which is probably a closer name for what we're doing anyway) families to convene in the schooling boards. Our issues and perspectives and topics are completely different. We need to discuss curriculum, finding tutors, finding community, finding classes and maybe finding similarly aged kids to join classes, talking about ensuring our kids get a social life beyond the home, etc.

Yes, I'm aware of DCUM's large and active repertoire of trolls, and if they really find that enough time to dedicate to trolling our forum, more power to them I guess? But I'm hoping that people can just mind their own business - if not, we'll step over and around them as always.

Thanks for considering, Jeff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with all of the sentiments expressed here, except the person talking about the devil. this is OP, and I'm agnostic. In fact, a good reason why I'm seeking homeschool forum here is because it's likely to represent secular homeschoolers. We didn't luck out on the lottery and initially began homeschooling because our public school was pretty narrowly focused on reading and math, the kids seemed miserable, and just as we were about to enroll, a teacher was prosecuted for molesting a student. However, in the intervening years, we've had a really good experience with two different coops and have found there are many people like us, who wish to homeschool not to "keep the devil out" but to try and ensure a school environment that fosters love of learning, yada yada.

It doesn't really work for homeschooling (or alternate community schooling, which is probably a closer name for what we're doing anyway) families to convene in the schooling boards. Our issues and perspectives and topics are completely different. We need to discuss curriculum, finding tutors, finding community, finding classes and maybe finding similarly aged kids to join classes, talking about ensuring our kids get a social life beyond the home, etc.

Yes, I'm aware of DCUM's large and active repertoire of trolls, and if they really find that enough time to dedicate to trolling our forum, more power to them I guess? But I'm hoping that people can just mind their own business - if not, we'll step over and around them as always.

Thanks for considering, Jeff.

The problem here is that no one, ever, minds their own business.

Also by posting that a teacher was arrested from your children's prospective school (as in actually arrested, not permitted to stay and continue the illegal behavior) you do sound like someone who is indeed trying to "keep the devil out" - which is alarmist to say the very least.

[Anonymous]

I think you should prove the need for a homeschool forum by starting successful threads in General Education, which is where your discussions belong. If you can show interest in your threads, maybe there would be enough interest to sustain a forum. At this point, I don't see it. Most of the homeschool threads are silly or simple requests for resources. That's fine and suits the General Education forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you should prove the need for a homeschool forum by starting successful threads in General Education, which is where your discussions belong. If you can show interest in your threads, maybe there would be enough interest to sustain a forum. At this point, I don't see it. Most of the homeschool threads are silly or simple requests for resources. That's fine and suits the General Education forum.

I agree.