Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Reason 3,242,951 Why Homeschooling Is Better

It seems like there is at least a story a day that makes me, a product of public education, reject that time-honored American institution and this story is no different.
Yes, it is the crime of the century what this nine-year old girl did.
She, she . . .shaved her head to support her friend who is battling cancer.
But the educrats, well the educrats have rules against any form of individuality. Even if it is in this case, to show love and support for a friend. It's not some new punker-chick look. It's showing solidarity.
Understand that Caprock Academy is a public charter school. This is not some private school that can implement rules willy-nilly. So this is the school dress code for the gals and the point of the transgression:

Ladies’ Hair: Should be neatly combed or styled. No shaved heads. Hair accessories must be red, white, navy, black or brown. Neat barrettes, headbands and “scrunchies” are permissible. Hair should not be arranged or colored so as to draw undue attention to the student. Hair must be natural looking and conservative in its color. Radical changes in hair color during the school year are unacceptable

I understand that the rules are in place for a reason. And yes, we can't make exceptions all the time. But I should think that in this case, the school should have not been so hard and in fact so punitive as to make her stand on the playground. Why that will teach her to do the most horrible, most horrible thing as to shave her head, with her parent's permission, to show love and support for a friend who is going through the most awful thing any nine-year old can go through.
When you read the whole mind-numbing rules for the gals, there is actually a simple approach that the school can take that would sort of make such an issue moot.
Just have a standard uniform.
Many private schools, especially Roman Catholic schools, and quite a few public schools do have school uniforms.
But that is another issue for another post.
This case owes the probable positive outcome to social media.
This story went viral and no doubt puts a great school in  the most unpositive light.
Without a doubt, this would not have been an issue if the school did not dissmiss the fact that the mother of Kamryn (no last name provided) sent an e-mail that she did give permission and why it was done. A great deal of latitude was needed. But nooooo! The rules are the rules. No exceptions.
More than likely after a meeting of the school board today, they will make the exception and allow Kamryn to be in school and show solidarity with her friend, Delaney, who will be undergoing chemotherapy.
This is the madness of public education.
A set of rules are put in place for the students so that the overall educational experience will be good for the students, teachers, administrators and the parents.
But sometimes, situational awareness and good judgement needs to be used. This was one where that should have come in the picture.
The problem is that the rules are used to exonerate those in charge from having to actually think out of the box. Thus all that is given is "rules are rules and there are no exceptions" when a little investigating should have made this a non issue. In fact, in lefty, educratspeak, this should have been a teachable moment.
What is the teachable moment?
It is what Delaney said to the Fox 31 Denver reporter:

“I was really excited I would have somebody to support me and I wouldn’t be alone with people always laughing at me. I would at least have somebody to go through it all.”

Can you imagine that Delaney, all of nine-years old not only has to face the ravages of chemotherapy, but will be mocked at because of the hair loss that is connected with chemotherapy.
In reality, the school board should encourage other students, boys and girls, to show support if their parents allowed and they wanted to do so by shaving their heads.
Now, let me suggest that if the girls were home schooled, this would never be an issue.
When we aggregate so many issues that occur in public schools all over the United States, it seems to solidify the case for homeschooling. Or at the very least private education alternatives.
Again, as a product of public education, it is painful to write such a thing. But so much has changed in the 32 years since I graduated Schurr High School in Montebello, California. And the changes strike me as not a positive thing.
School should not be like a prison. It should be where young people are taught not what to think but how to think. Not to fall back on rules when problem solving is sometimes more correct.
But in the modern Educrat Industrial Complex, rules are important at the expense of students. And that is why I keep leaning to homeschooling as a serious alternative.

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