Speaking of Good Morning America, do you remember Dr. Phil?

[Night Elf]

I just remembered the Dr. Phil show fiasco about homeschooling several years back.

 

I think it was October 2006 when the homeschool community was in an uproar over the Dr. Phil show that focused on homeschooling. He chose a radical unschooler and then stacked the audience with people that shared his opinion and didn't give the regular homeschoolers a chance.

 

So, GMA isn't the first time homeschoolers will be misrepresented and blasted, nor will it be the last. Even the most conservative of homeschoolers look weird and antisocial to people who don't understand homeschooling.

 

I remember lots of people saying they had emailed the Dr. Phil show to voice displeasure and anger at such a travesty. I was part of the other crowd who chose not to feed into it. That is the reaction they want. It's good ratings!

[SproutMamaK]

For the record, I do remember watching Dr Phil once when I was home with my firstborn as a baby (before I started to really dislike Dr Phil, and when I was saying, "I will NEVER homeschool" :001_huh:). There was a family on where the mother and father were arguing over homeschooling, and Dr Phil told the father that homeschooling produces very good academic results, and that studies have shown that there's no social impact until high school at the earliest.

 

I don't know what his stance is now, but I was surprised at the time that he seemed to support it.

[Hockey Mom]

I do remember that episode. That was my first look at homeschooling. And it was with that show in mind, that I initially told Dh "no way" was I going to consider homeschooling our kids. Thankfully, Dh persisted, and I educated myself about homeschooling.

 

Thing is, if WE don't control the message about homeschooling, then we ALLOW the media to control the message. And sometimes the message is completely inaccurate. That's why it's so important to take a stand.

[Jenny in GA]

Yup, I remember.

 

I was actually an unschooler then, and "knew" the family that was on. She spoke a little bit about the experience with the show on the unschooling lists I was on at the time. It also made her a little "famous" among unschoolers, and after that she started doing homemade YouTube mini-seminars about unschooling.

 

The people on the unschooling boards were very proud of her and thought she did a good job of representing unschooling.

 

So whether homeschoolers felt misrepresented or not -- or should have --, the unschooling community at large did not.

[Red]

This is true and it goes to show a clear bias of homeschooling in the media. There are instances such as the Dr. Phil one. Then there are the extreme cases of homeschooling on Wife Swap and Supernanny. Now the news coverage. It is discouraging but they are nothing like the families I know.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Red

[chiguirre]

Thing is, if WE don't control the message about homeschooling, then we ALLOW the media to control the message. And sometimes the message is completely inaccurate. That's why it's so important to take a stand.

 

We DO control a lot of how people see hsers. If your family is active in extracurriculars with schooled kids, lots of people will see hsers as part of the normal mix. Sure, they might see GMA, but they'll also know that the IRL hsers they know aren't that extreme.

[teamturner]

Anyone on the boards do documentaries or know someone who does? Homeschooling 101 would be a great documentary, wouldn't it??

[Tangerine]

I remember. It was Dayna Martin.

[dangermom]

Anyone on the boards do documentaries or know someone who does? Homeschooling 101 would be a great documentary, wouldn't it??

 

Somebody should totally make that movie.