Unschoolers on Good Morning America!

[thowell]

Did anyone see this today? What did you think? I was a little ticked at how the media staff portrayed HS. If you saw this is this how unschoolers typically school?

[Tree Frog]

I haven't watched it yet, but here's the link.

 

Marcia

[Allearia]

I would really like to see a non-unschooling family portrayed next, as part of a series... but I doubt that will happen because it would not be so controversial. Ugh.

[happyhomemaker25]

THIS is going to come back and bite all homeschoolers in the booty. I know some unschoolers who take their type of schooling very seriously. They use unschooling to expose their kids to all sorts of different ideas and things. They have some of the most well spoken, well read kids I have ever met. I am kinda hoping this family was a misportrayed, but I don't know.

[Starr]

My dc said it would not work for them. They would never brush their teeth! :lol:

[Crystal in VA]

I saw it. I didn't care for the family. They didn't seem to be getting any education at all. They showed them playing video games and play sword fighting. They looked a little silly. They didn't seem to have a way that they were preparing for life...whether that be college or learning job skills. The parents said the kids had no rules. We're a society that runs on rules. I think children need to be able to live with rules. Not all rules are bad.

 

I saw nothing of value coming from this segment other than people might demand more regulations on homeschoolers. They did state that unschoolers were only a very small part of the homeschooling population.

 

I agree that I would like to see GMA do more segments on other types of homeschoolers.

[MomtoCandJ]

They are not looking at the majority of "unschoolers" just the radical ones. That is not fair to the others as it might toughen the rules for all homeschoolers. What about those who are not radical unschoolers? Or those who school at home or something inbetween?

Edited April 19, 2010 by melissamathews
spelling problems

[Embassy]

10-20% are unschoolers? I have a hard time believing that. The report makes it seem as though 10-20% are radical unschoolers which is quite misleading. I utilize unschooling. I unschool my toddler and I allow unschooling moments into our school day, but I am FAR from a radical unschooler.

[Rosy]

Shoddy jounalism. Unschooling doesn't mean kids have no rules, no direction, etc. I am not an unschooler, but I know that for many parents it is a very intentional way of educating--they partner with their kids to provide the means for them to learn whatever they're interested in learning.

 

Some unschooling is just truancy. But I think when unschooling is done right, it can produce intelligent, engaged kids who know everything they need to know to follow their passion.

 

I'm sure John Holt is rolling over in his grave right now.

[Emma]

I've got nothing... just nothing... on that.

 

Oh my.

[TXMomof4]

Wow. Could we be a little more biased? Could we choose a more extreme example? I particularly liked the mom asking the little child, "Are we going to brush our teeth tonight?" What? That was absolutely painful to watch.

[jillian]

this biased reporting bugs me to no end. i know i am going to email GMA and hopefully if enough others do they will see that they should open up the segments to other types of homeschoolers.

 

i know unschooling older children (not preschool/k) is very popular right now, it's the "in" thing for homeschoolers.

[angela in ohio]

Shoddy jounalism. Unschooling doesn't mean kids have no rules, no direction, etc. I am not an unschooler, but I know that for many parents it is a very intentional way of educating--they partner with their kids to provide the means for them to learn whatever they're interested in learning.

 

 

This isn't shoddy jounalism. These families described radical unschooling for themselves. The journalist also did note that this is an unorthodox method of homeschooling. They were not portraying all homeschoolers as radical unschoolers. I have seen many media portrayals of other kinds of homeschoolers: spelling bee winner, school at homers, middle of the roaders, etc. Unfortunately, radical unschoolers often seek the spotlight for their 'cause,' so you will see them in the media.

 

I know several families like this. All of their dc went to school by high school, though. It was not sustainable. Eventually the parents just couldn't keep up with a family with no rules and no education.

[angela in ohio]

10-20% are unschoolers? I have a hard time believing that.

 

I agree. I think that statistic is probably coming from within the radical unschooling movement and is inflated.

[FO4UR]

That's not unschooling, that's "un-parenting.":glare:

[Crystal in VA]

This isn't shoddy jounalism. These families described radical unschooling for themselves. The journalist also did note that this is an unorthodox method of homeschooling. They were not portraying all homeschoolers as radical unschoolers. I have seen many media portrayals of other kinds of homeschoolers: spelling bee winner, school at homers, middle of the roaders, etc. Unfortunately, radical unschoolers often seek the spotlight for their 'cause,' so you will see them in the media.

 

.

 

:iagree:

[orangearrow]

That's not unschooling, that's "un-parenting.":glare:

 

That's what I was thinking. :001_huh:

 

Those kids looked a mess! I guess mom & dad need to clear out their basement for their adult children living downstairs, because I do not see a way for them to function in the real world. Poor kids could barely string a coherent sentence together.

 

And, we know a couple of unschooling families. Their kids are awesome. I don't unschool, but seeing them do it, I do see redeeming qualities to the practice. But... this tv family was... sad.

[Rosy]

This isn't shoddy jounalism. These families described radical unschooling for themselves. The journalist also did note that this is an unorthodox method of homeschooling. They were not portraying all homeschoolers as radical unschoolers. I have seen many media portrayals of other kinds of homeschoolers: spelling bee winner, school at homers, middle of the roaders, etc. Unfortunately, radical unschoolers often seek the spotlight for their 'cause,' so you will see them in the media.

 

I know several families like this. All of their dc went to school by high school, though. It was not sustainable. Eventually the parents just couldn't keep up with a family with no rules and no education.

 

It is shoddy journalism because it takes an extreme example and then says that 10-15% of homeschoolers operate like this. It is shoddy journalism because it overemphasized the negatives of those families' lifestyles (watching TV, not brushing teeth, etc) without giving any indication as to whether the kids enjoy reading, what they do to pursue their interests, etc. The teenagers were fairly articulate--how did they get that way?

 

The fact that they called this unschooling is what I object to. It is one family's experience with unschooling and not characteristic of unschooling as a whole. They don't reference John Holt, the originator of the unschooling philosophy, or any experts. They take one example and extrapolate it to literally hundreds of thousands of kids, many of whom are nothing like that family. Yes, it is shoddy journalism.

 

Now, if they'd called it "Portraits of Unschooling", and included unschooling families staggering under the weight of their library books or interning at a hospital or volunteering at a CSA, I wouldn't be so bothered. And I'm not an unschooler. Well, at the moment I am. :D

[orangearrow]

The teenagers were fairly articulate--how did they get that way?

 

Now, if they'd called it "Portraits of Unschooling", and included unschooling families staggering under the weight of their library books or interning at a hospital or volunteering at a CSA, I wouldn't be so bothered. And I'm not an unschooler. Well, at the moment I am. :D

 

LOL, I just posted that the kids could barely string a sentence together, lol. I didn't see them as articulate at all. :tongue_smilie:

 

I would love to have watched something like what you said here, though. Because, yeah, the unschoolers that I know are OUT there. Everywhere. Experiencing life - not with textbooks, necessarily, but by being right in the thick of things. They don't miss school - they "taste test" all aspects of life.

[Subterranean Society]

LOL, I just posted that the kids could barely string a sentence together, lol. I didn't see them as articulate at all. :tongue_smilie:

 

I would love to have watched something like what you said here, though. Because, yeah, the unschoolers that I know are OUT there. Everywhere. Experiencing life - not with textbooks, necessarily, but by being right in the thick of things. They don't miss school - they "taste test" all aspects of life.

 

 

My six year old is more articulate than that doughnut of a boy.

[BridgeTea]

I wondered if the family with the teens thought they were accurately portrayed.

 

The most telling part of the interview, to me, was when the mom and dad seemed undecided on whether they had family rules or not.

They just didn't strike me as having strong convictions on the issue, which made me wonder if they've picked this form of schooling just because they can't decide what else to do. (Are there radical unschooler wanna-bes?)They didn't seem like good spokespersons for their cause, although a radical unschooler could speak to this before I could.

 

If the science kits I saw in one brief shot are being utilized, it would have been more responsible reporting to mention that the kids do pick up something besides a video controller sometimes. But I know it makes for more controversy (and feedback from viewers) to keep announcing "no books!" and showing the kids happy to whack each other with fun noodles in their front yard.

 

Unschooling can be done well, and unschooling can be done poorly. This report was so incomplete that I'm not sure how a viewer could tell what was really going on with this family. I would have loved to have seen examples of how the kids really spend their days, or if they have followed their own interests, then how they have gone about it.

[Pamela H in Texas]

So where WILL these kids be in 5 years, 10 years? Playing video games and watching tv?

 

Seriously, I LIKE seeing kids being kids. My kids do silly, childish things also. I'm glad they do, but it's not their entire lives!

 

Most unschoolers I hear of have SOMETHING, a passion or goals or something. These parents TALKED about them being ABLE to follow something of that nature, but they didn't say their kids HAVE those things and the kids didn't sound like it either. THAT is the problem. I think the reporter was correct in saying that school, ideally, is exposing children to things they don't know if they'd like or not, things they may or may not even know exist. I think homeschoolers USUALLY get a BETTER situation in that case. Their view seems broader oftentimes. But these kids do not seem to be getting any real exposure to anything outside video games, tv, and playing together.

 

We are REALLY relaxed and unschooled a good portion of our homeschool experience. As our circumstances have changed, we did get a little bit less relaxed to meet certain goals in our situation. But regardless, I can't imagine a kid not having a passion or a goal or something. Some people (my mom!) worry about the choice of direction (my daughter would prefer to do full time volunteer work, for example), but there IS a PRODUCTIVE direction. And I can't imagine not guiding kids, exposing them to things, etc.

 

The problem is, as I see it, is that these children seem very likely to be paralyzed by their lack of guidance (and possibly by the anxiety of it also!). It's one thing to decide you'll let your kid decide what to study, what to play, what to wear....it's going to be completely another thing when they have a 23 and 27yo living at home doing similarly as they are now because that is what they want to do. Nevermind that mom and dad would like to not support them into their 30's, may want to have their own lives separate from their kids, etc.

 

I REALLY hope:

 

1) they were unfairly portrayed and actually aren't being neglected to such an extreme,

and

2) the kids will wake up SOMEHOW (tv?) and live full lives.

Edited April 19, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[Dandelion]

The fact that they called this unschooling is what I object to. It is one family's experience with unschooling and not characteristic of unschooling as a whole. They don't reference John Holt, the originator of the unschooling philosophy, or any experts. They take one example and extrapolate it to literally hundreds of thousands of kids, many of whom are nothing like that family.

 

:iagree:

 

I know some radical unschoolers - in fact, we are very good friends with one family that is following that philosophy. Their kids are learning and they don't just watch TV and play video games all day. They also have not abdicated basic hygiene (as the second family in the video admitted to doing).

 

Seems they found some families on the extreme end of the spectrum. It is concerning to think about what a story such as this does to the overall perception of homeschoolers...

[FO4UR]

But I know it makes for more controversy (and feedback from viewers) to keep announcing "no books!" and showing the kids happy to whack each other with fun noodles in their front yard.

 

 

 

I'm sure we could get some shots of ps kids whacking each other with fun noodles too. :tongue_smilie:

 

And, did you notice the VERY SAD looking little blonde girl pictured when displaying the percentages of unschoolers...as if they are all forlorn and wishing their little life away for a moment in "real" school!:crying::svengo:

 

What an emotionally charged plea for more gov't regulations for HSers!:glare:

[Terabith]

Why not ask about it on here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=439

[chiguirre]

Did anyone notice that the family with teens lives in MA? They must do something more than play video games or they wouldn't be able to keep up with the paperwork.

[RanchGirl]

they talked about letting the kids decide what they need to do, but I can't imagine that these kids are really just watching TV and playing fake sword fights all day... maybe the plant growing thing is part of an in depth Botany study? What are their interests, their passions?

 

They really made those kids look like idiots. I hope for their sake that it was an unfair representation of that family.

 

I am quite certain that wasn't a fair representation of 10-20% of homeschoolers as they implied it was!!

 

I did have to laugh at the reporter's end summary talking about the "competitiveness of public schools" and exposing the kids to more choices and options in public schools. Was she serious?? Maybe more competitive and more choices than this particular family as they were portrayed, but homeschooling in general definitely offers more opportunities for both. It's just up to the parents to decide what to expose their kids to and to allow their kids to pursue their interests.

[s0nicfreak]

If my daughter was given a choice, she'd brush her teeth 10 times a day - in between books.

 

Of course, if you make learning a chore as public schools do, and you teach children that learning and reading means sitting at a desk silently all day, of course they'll choose not to do it.

[Night Elf]

It is concerning to think about what a story such as this does to the overall perception of homeschoolers...

 

And among homeschoolers. :(

 

FWIW, we are no longer unschoolers but our parenting style could be considered radically different. We do and don't do many of the things people on this thread are wigging out about. I find it quite amusing actually. Our parenting style has been the same since our children were born. It's a natural environment that they have been and are thriving in. I've had people try to tell me what they think would be good for my kids. I wish I had the guts to tell them what I think would be good for their children. :)

[titianmom]

You have to understand that the general media is only interested in pleasing the majority of viewers, not giving you factual information in an unbiased way. The majority of viewers do not homeschool; they send their kids to a brick and mortar.

 

So, you're not going to give evidence that homeschooling works. You might, on occasion, find *someone* who actually wrote a balanced article saying that the majority of homeschooling situations work (and point out that there are families that fail in homeschooling--fact is, it happens), but they're extremely rare. Again, they're articles, not airtime. Big diff.

 

Media tries to get a sense of how people view things and run with it, with some slanted stuff from their own personal views. It isn't real journalism, it's salesmanship more than anything else. They want you to watch their programs. They tell you what you (the general public majority) want to hear.

 

I don't watch the various news programs on the major stations because of this, I watch some PBS and maybe Frontline or something like that because it isn't quite as slanted and I believe they strive more for good journalism vs drivel.

 

My 2 cents.

Kim

[i.love.lucy]

My six year old is more articulate than that doughnut of a boy.

That made me LOL.

I did have to laugh at the reporter's end summary talking about the "competitiveness of public schools" and exposing the kids to more choices and options in public schools. Was she serious?? Maybe more competitive and more choices than this particular family as they were portrayed, but homeschooling in general definitely offers more opportunities for both. It's just up to the parents to decide what to expose their kids to and to allow their kids to pursue their interests.

I remember having NO CLUE about what homescoolers did all day. How would they have any exposure to anything? Duh. I don't know why it had never dawned on me that they read and explore and go out to museums while my kid was stuck in a school building. People are just clueless.

 

It always goes back to a sort of defensive stance. The reporters think - along with a lot of the public - that my choice to hs is an indictment on their choice not to (or lack of thought about it either way), and it's not about them at all.

 

I agree with whoever said that this was not as much about unschooling as it was un-parenting. What does allowing WHATEVER THEY WANT TO EAT or NOT BRUSHING THEIR TEETH have to do with school? Maybe to the unschooling community they will look like champs, but I seriously doubt it. I thought they looked like idiots.

[mysticamethyst]

I watched in shock this morning, I was speechless. I agree this will make us look like a bunch of wackadoos that sit around the house all day playing games and watching tv.

[thowell]

Ok, when DH watched this his first response to me was, "this is what the law makers will use to tell you how you must HS our kids". What he meant was not that this specific family was a norm for all HS or that they were even that bad but how the media determined to present them. Is there more education to this family? I have a fellow church member who has HS both her boys all the way through school. Her oldest had his AA when he graduated HS from dual enrollment and received a full scholarship to a university. Her younger son is on the same track and she UNSCHOOLS!!!! I am very sad that this one interview will cause soooooo many people to revert back to the thinking that all HS are just to lazy to parent!

[titianmom]

Media sells to the public, this isn't journalism, it's agreeing with the majority and broadcasting programs that make the majority of the country feel good (or bad depending on what their goals are to sell airtime.)

 

Please don't confuse this stuff with real journalism, folks.

 

Kim

[thowell]

They are getting a pretty heated response on their(GMA) website. Hope this will prompt a follow up piece. If you have time we should leave our comments about this for them (GMA) to reflect on.

[2cents]

That portrayal of homeschoolers makes us look like wasteoids with no idea on how to parent and set limits. Now people will think that is what homeschooling is about. The parents and the children came off doltish IMO. UGH!

[momof2jb]

Yikes! Really isn't the "norm". Wonder what HSLDA thinks of that segment?

 

My SIL unschools and life does have structure. The kids are learning and have dreams and aspirations. My brother and his wife are guiding the kids and allowing the kids to seek out and discover likes and dislikes.

 

Would be nice to see more hs-ing segments though.

[Rosy]

LOL, I just posted that the kids could barely string a sentence together, lol. I didn't see them as articulate at all. :tongue_smilie:

 

I would love to have watched something like what you said here, though. Because, yeah, the unschoolers that I know are OUT there. Everywhere. Experiencing life - not with textbooks, necessarily, but by being right in the thick of things. They don't miss school - they "taste test" all aspects of life.

 

I'll grant you that it's not how I expect my kids to be performing at that age...but I've seen teens (PS'ed and HS'ed) who do worse than that. And that's without the pressure of a hostile "reporter" grilling them about a different lifestyle on national TV.

[Night Elf]

I agree with whoever said that this was not as much about unschooling as it was un-parenting.

 

I really dislike that term, unparenting. Unschoolers with radically different parenting styles almost always have a method to their madness (a word as loaded as unparenting). An unschooler won't generally tell their children 'because I told you so' or 'because I'm a grownup and you're not and I know better than you.' These are things I consider to be arbitrary. Unschoolers listen to their children and provide for their needs, and generally wants as well. Bad parenting is not exclusive to radically different parenting methods.

 

One of the best things I learned from hanging out with unschoolers is that if something made me automatically defensive, it meant I needed to examine it more closely. I don't feel so defensive about choices and beliefs that bring me peace and are beneficial in my life. Learning to say Yes more has been a very enlightening experience.

 

I do not unparent, but our family:

- has no family rules, we have family courtesies

- eats what and when we want

- sleeps when we want

- plays video games when we want

- has no restrictions on games played, i.e. I have no problem with rated 'M' games

- have never had regular bath times

- didn't always brush their teeth and they don't have cavities unlike me who was forced to brush my teeth and my mouth is full of cavaties

- have no assigned chores

 

Basically, all the things that some people here think will ruin a child forever and make them an outcast of society is being disproven in my home. And yes, the next remark I always get is that my children are exceptional and that not every child will react that way. My answer to that is no one ever knows how a child will react or what behavior they will learn. Yes, I'm lucky that I have great kids. I won't dispute that. But I don't think that they are so special that any type of parenting would have made them what they are. My parenting focus is on respect. I respect their right to learn and make their own choices. Just like anyone else, they experience natural consequences of their actions. I have never had to give specific punishments. I spanked one child one time out of anger for a reaction that really belonged to me and not my child. Other than that one time, my children have never been disciplined with spankings, loss of privileges, or groundings. Oh, I could go on and on. :)

[Blueridge]

Of course, all the homeschool critics must have tuned in and seen this. :tongue_smilie: I have a hard enough time with my extended family without this stuff. If I was an unschooler, I would have been even more offended with the comparison. I guess next, if they are *interested*, there will be a new homeschool board...Instead of The Well-Trained Mind Forums, the moms will flock to The Completely Non-Trained Mind Forums. :confused:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Media sells to the public, this isn't journalism, it's agreeing with the majority and broadcasting programs that make the majority of the country feel good (or bad depending on what their goals are to sell airtime.)

 

Please don't confuse this stuff with real journalism, folks.

 

Kim

 

We aren't confusing this stuff with real journalism. But many people in houses around the country will. And they vote. And they will be the ones pushing for new standards that encroach on our freedom to homeschool.

[Rosy]

You have to understand that the general media is only interested in pleasing the majority of viewers, not giving you factual information in an unbiased way. The majority of viewers do not homeschool; they send their kids to a brick and mortar.

 

So, you're not going to give evidence that homeschooling works. You might, on occasion, find *someone* who actually wrote a balanced article saying that the majority of homeschooling situations work (and point out that there are families that fail in homeschooling--fact is, it happens), but they're extremely rare. Again, they're articles, not airtime. Big diff.

 

Media tries to get a sense of how people view things and run with it, with some slanted stuff from their own personal views. It isn't real journalism, it's salesmanship more than anything else. They want you to watch their programs. They tell you what you (the general public majority) want to hear.

 

I don't watch the various news programs on the major stations because of this, I watch some PBS and maybe Frontline or something like that because it isn't quite as slanted and I believe they strive more for good journalism vs drivel.

 

My 2 cents.

Kim

 

You know, though, I really think that most of the general public is more fair-minded than that. Of course there are people who refuse to look at the facts, but most people I've met who are non-homeschoolers or even anti-homeschoolers will concede some bias when they meet someone who is homeschooling successfully. They might not fully come around, but I think many people who are vehemently against homeschooling don't know any homeschooling families.

 

So when those people watched GMA this morning, and were told that 1 out of 10 (or more) homeschool families live like this, of course they were horrified and wanted those kids protected.

 

I think most of the general public has at least some level of trust in the media (or they wouldn't watch these shows) and assumes that facts presented are based in reality. I agree with you that it isn't real journalism. But I think that most people who have limited experience with homeschooling will be misled by some of the information presented on GMA.

 

I guess I think that when people are expecting intellectual honesty of the media, they have an obligation to give it to them.

[Rosy]

We aren't confusing this stuff with real journalism. But many people in houses around the country will. And they vote. And they will be the ones pushing for new standards that encroach on our freedom to homeschool.

 

Exactly.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I bet you any unschooler knows its not CURRICULUMS is CURRICULA. :lol:

[titianmom]

I don't disagree with you. :) Believe me. That's what's so disturbing about this drivel, as we all agree.

 

FWIW, the reporting on politicians is slanted, too and I imagine they get pretty irate when they do segments on them and twist all the info to sell this time. Both Reps and Dems. I'm not sure why anyone watches the general news bcsts except for the weather.

 

The weather is just about the only thing on there besides local human interest stories that might actually be totally factual, ha! (And they don't get the weather right much of the time, anyway. Sad.)

 

Kim

 

We aren't confusing this stuff with real journalism. But many people in houses around the country will. And they vote. And they will be the ones pushing for new standards that encroach on our freedom to homeschool.

[LizzyBee]

The ONLY good thing about the piece was that the GMA "reporters" admitted their bias. If you're going to talk about unschooling, why not include at least one success case, such as the Colfax family whose children were accepted to Harvard?

[Tidbits of Learning]

I watched it and am horrified by it. This is what gives home schoolers a bad reputation as just playing hooky.

I contacted GMA and complained that it was biased and not a true representation of home schoolers. Please some others contact them. The only way for them to really give a true representation is if we complain. I filed it as a complaint. You only get 500 characters though. I worded about 5-6 sentences with my main issues.

http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=Good%20Morning%20America

 

I really think we need to speak up and question their horrid reporting and biased journalism.

[happyhomemaker25]

They even said a couple of times that people are asking, "Isn't this illegal??" Thats what makes me wonder if it's not going to spark some more debates about stricter regulations for homeschoolers everywhere.

[titianmom]

But I personally think the media is often out of touch with some segs of the general pub.

 

I think that there's a growing number of people out there in the real world who don't believe the media much at all, but will still listen to these types of early morning "of interest to them" programs because it speaks to them personally and sides with their choices in life (most send their children to a PS.)

 

BTW, I'm not totally against PS nec, there are good ones out there and not everyone can homeschool. I'm a realist, I suppose.

 

And FWIW, the media may not care one way or the other about homeschooling; they just want to please/attract a following. That's why there are the Glen Becks and RLimbaughs out there. It sells.

 

 

Again, I do believe they often aim for what the audience wants to hear. Sorry. It's human nature to watch/listen to someone who agrees with them. Who's watching these programs at that hour? Makes a big diff.

 

Kim

 

You know, though, I really think that most of the general public is more fair-minded than that. Of course there are people who refuse to look at the facts, but most people I've met who are non-homeschoolers or even anti-homeschoolers will concede some bias when they meet someone who is homeschooling successfully. They might not fully come around, but I think many people who are vehemently against homeschooling don't know any homeschooling families.

 

So when those people watched GMA this morning, and were told that 1 out of 10 (or more) homeschool families live like this, of course they were horrified and wanted those kids protected.

 

I think most of the general public has at least some level of trust in the media (or they wouldn't watch these shows) and assumes that facts presented are based in reality. I agree with you that it isn't real journalism. But I think that most people who have limited experience with homeschooling will be misled by some of the information presented on GMA.

 

I guess I think that when people are expecting intellectual honesty of the media, they have an obligation to give it to them.

[titianmom]

That *would* be good journalism. Sigh. Not their aim IMHO.

 

The ONLY good thing about the piece was that the GMA "reporters" admitted their bias. If you're going to talk about unschooling, why not include at least one success case, such as the Colfax family whose children were accepted to Harvard?