photo #1166438

Living rural isn't bad at all, it actually gives you a lot more freedom than most can imagine. Twenty some odd years ago, it gave my wife and I the ability to make one of the hardest choices. We lived in a town of 79 people at the time, and in a state where school consolidation was the fad. The elementary and middle schools were a one hour bus ride to the same town, and the high school was about an hour and a half away. Everybody was expected to get up early, get the kids dressed and ready, and make sure they got on the bus or you'd have to drive them there yourself. They were served breakfast and lunch at school, and supper if they were involved in sports or extracurricular activities. A lot of the time, due to inclement weather, the kids were gone from home almost twelve hours. Buses frequently broke down or slid off the icy roads. High winds and sandstorms occluded the two lane roads. Truancy wasn't an option. If your kid missed a certain number of days in a semester, the Sheriff dropped by to remind you that DSS would insure they made it on time from their designated facility. No kidding. Almost zero tolerance. We decided to home school our son from day one. Being a live wire, we knew they'd insist we drug him into compliance, and we refused to do that. We contacted the state and officially registered to home school him. There were few curriculums at that time, but we managed. The games began due to the loss of state and federal money expected from our son's attendance, and it got really unpleasant. Just like students today, a LOT of money flows per student to school districts on a per capita basis. It SHOULD follow the STUDENT, even if they're home schooled. Could you imagine how many stay at home parents would be delighted to home school their children if they were paid around $12,000.00/yr. tax free? That's a LOT more net than most people make after having to pay for two cars, insurance, gas, clothing, cleaning, and additional outlay and taxes. Neighborhoods could get together with around six families and do a one room thing. Teachers could rotate, with one reserve in case of illness. THEY could control the curriculum, and what's being taught. Not the ever important money flow to the INSTITUTIONS. Yes, we heard everything from soup to nuts about how we were damaging him, and the berating didn't cool off. These institutions will stop at NOTHING to get more money, then they spend that on the next way to get money. Yeah, we sold our grocery store and moved. We continued to home school in several different states. We refused to be beaten into submission. Was he the perfect student? You already know the answer to that. WE became the teachers who learned our student. On the good days, we worked frantically. On the off days, we allowed him to explore his own dreams and pursue them. Sometimes, he worked with his mother and learned how to cook and sew. Sometimes, he worked with me and learned mechanics, electrical, plumbing, and wood working. He met people from every walk of life from many foreign lands, and had conversations that most people even today wouldn't comprehend. Yes, he owns his own business, and he's debt free. He's got his own page, The Cairo Quandary. He OBVIOUSLY didn't turn out to be the purported "turnip" THEY prognosticated. In these times, consider home schooling as a definite viable choice. It truly IS the last bastion of freedom. Time to go romp with George ! I'm late !