Sara R Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Please be careful to not let this topic stray into the political realm. The topic is home education, not whether the president's educational or other plans are correct. That said, I thought this snippet from Obama's speech on education from March 10 was interesting and deserved a wider homeschool audience: When I was a child, living in Indonesia with my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school so she supplemented my schooling with lessons from a correspondence course. I can still picture her, waking me up at 4:30 in the morning five days a week to go over some lessons before I left for school. And whenever I’d complain or find some excuse for getting more sleep, she’d patiently repeat her most powerful defense – “This is no picnic for me either, buster.” And it is because she did this day after day, week after week, and because of all the other opportunities and breaks I had along the way, that I can stand here today as President of the United States. This reminded me of Jessie Wise's parents making her memorize things and teaching her phonics. I'll have to quote that the next time my kids give me grief: "This is no picnic for me either, buster." :001_smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I've read/heard variations of this before, but I just took a moment to read this snippet to my son. He smiled, rolled his eyes and nodded. I did warn him that the phrase, "This is no picnic for me, either, Buster" might well recur in the coming days . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Please be careful to not let this topic stray into the political realm. The topic is home education, not whether the president's educational or other plans are correct. That said, I thought this snippet from Obama's speech on education from March 10 was interesting and deserved a wider homeschool audience: This reminded me of Jessie Wise's parents making her memorize things and teaching her phonics. I'll have to quote that the next time my kids give me grief: "This is no picnic for me either, buster." :001_smile: I think it's a good foundation for the case for Homeschooling being a good and valid choice for those wanting who choose to go that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I did warn him that the phrase, "This is no picnic for me, either, Buster" might well recur in the coming days . . . LOL....maybe even have it scripted on the wall in my homeschool room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 This reminded me of Jessie Wise's parents making her memorize things and teaching her phonics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 He grew up an a village in Nigeria, but after spending time in the NYC area in American schools, his mother used Calvert to homeschool him for several years! I am so struck by the numbers of prominent, high-achieving people who were homeschooled, in some way or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3littlekeets Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 What great evidence not only for supplementing curricula or homeschooling, but also for the power of parents to set priorities for children. We teach by example and his mother's commitment to education clearly had a wonderful effect on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I think it's a good example for non-homeschool parents actually... ...the idea that "settling" for a less than desirable education needn't be your only option; ...that parents can take it upon themselves to take charge of the quality of education their children receive; ...that just because you can't afford great private schools or you can't stay at home to homeschool full-time, doesn't mean your child has to have an inferior education; ...that just because the public system says this is the standard doesn't mean you can't go above and beyond and reach your own standards for excellence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Thank you for this post! I'm going to have to put this quote up in our homeschool room! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I did warn him that the phrase, "This is no picnic for me, either, Buster" might well recur in the coming days . . . LOL....maybe even have it scripted on the wall in my homeschool room. I told my husband I need a t-shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I think it's a good foundation for the case for Homeschooling being a good and valid choice for those wanting who choose to go that route. No. Not at all. This is seen as a good foundation to supplement regular schooling by professionals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato3 all-boy boys Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 LOL! I just read the snippet from Obama's speech to my son. Then, looking him in the eyes, he says to me, "I feel a speech coming on here." He was indeed correct, seeing as I was ready to ship him off to the nearest public school on Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 That's really interesting. Thanks for posting that.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I liked the quote from his mother. I can find lots of uses for it around here! I don't think this indicates any support for homeschooling. Maybe extraschooling. It doesn't seem that his mother's distress at not being able to get him into the school of her choice had any effect on his attitude toward every parent's choices in their child's education. Has he spoken about parental choice in education beyond what he said in the OP's quote? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 No. Not at all. This is seen as a good foundation to supplement regular schooling by professionals. Exactly what I thought, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I liked the quote from his mother. I can find lots of uses for it around here! I don't think this indicates any support for homeschooling. Maybe extraschooling. It doesn't seem that his mother's distress at not being able to get him into the school of her choice had any effect on his attitude toward every parent's choices in their child's education. Has he spoken about parental choice in education beyond what he said in the OP's quote? I don't remember which speech this was, but I'm glad I wrote it down! :D "But in the end, responsibility for our children’s success doesn’t start in Washington. It starts in our homes. It starts in our families. Because no education policy can replace a parent who’s involved in their child’s education from day one... " -Barack Obama Still open to interpretation, but I like it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Please be careful to not let this topic stray into the political realm. The topic is home education, not whether the president's educational or other plans are correct. That said, I thought this snippet from Obama's speech on education from March 10 was interesting and deserved a wider homeschool audience: This reminded me of Jessie Wise's parents making her memorize things and teaching her phonics. I'll have to quote that the next time my kids give me grief: "This is no picnic for me either, buster." :001_smile: Politics aside: She dragged her son to a foreign country b/c she married someone who was not Barack's father. She sent Barack to a school that didn't teach in English. If she hadn't done those 2 things, there'd have been no need to wake him up at 4 am to teach. IMO, what she did was selfish and ill-advised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Politics aside: She dragged her son to a foreign country b/c she married someone who was not Barack's father. She sent Barack to a school that didn't teach in English. If she hadn't done those 2 things, there'd have been no need to wake him up at 4 am to teach. IMO, what she did was selfish and ill-advised. It's selfish to get remarried after a divorce? It's selfish to send your kids to a school that teaches in a language other than your own? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 It's selfish to get remarried after a divorce? It's selfish to send your kids to a school that teaches in a language other than your own? :confused: Yes. And drag them to another country where you don't have a choice other than instruction in a foreign language. And how well did it work out? He was sent back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Yes. And drag them to another country where you don't have a choice other than instruction in a foreign language. And how well did it work out? He was sent back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. He lived in Indonesia for four years, then returned to Hawaii. One year after he returned to Hawaii, his mother also returned to Hawaii and stayed there for five years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFP Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 "Why, you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!" Flannery O'Connor Moments of grace. Would that we could extend them to others more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 He lived in Indonesia for four years, then returned to Hawaii. One year after he returned to Hawaii, his mother also returned to Hawaii and stayed there for five years. He was sent back to Hawaii b/c it wasn't working out in Indonesia. If everything was hunky-dory, he would have stayed with his mom. Big deal if she went back to Hawaii. Obama's mom, Stanley, then divorced the step-dad. After a few years in Hawaii, she left Obama again to go back to Indonesia, this time for school for herself. More self-centered, selfish behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Moments of grace. Would that we could extend them to others more often. Please. Obama's mother who was a serial-abandoner. She CHOSE to leave her kids. She didn't ask for my grace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFP Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Neither did the Misfit ask for the Grandmother's grace right before he killed her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Please be careful to not let this topic stray into the political realm. The topic is home education, not whether the president's educational or other plans are correct. :smilielol5: Just saying our Presidents name will bring this discussion down. :lurk5: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Neither did the Misfit ask for the Grandmother's grace right before he killed her. OK --- so you are saying that b/c I have that quote, I have to approve of a mother abandoning her child. I disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFP Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Obviously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 I know. <heavy sigh> I mean, I disagree with quite a few of the guy's policies too, but that doesn't keep me from appreciating a good anecdote when I hear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
admin Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 You've strayed too far off topic so this thread is being closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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