Web Log for The National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance

Current News and Views

2005-03-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

An article was released yesterday in the Cincinnati Enquirer in which I was quoted about the rise of African-American homeschooling. You can read it here if at all interested.

Also, on my other homeschooling site I make the case for blacks rejecting publicly-funded virtual charter schools. I think these virtual charters are the ever-increasing bane of black homeschoolers' achievement. I explain more here.

Why NAAHA exists

2005-02-22T05:50:00.000-08:00

Each day I am charged with the task of trying to make homeschooling as accessible as possible to black families across the country. It can be a tiring task, but it is also one that I gladly accept and one that I do not regret creating.

The more time I spend talking to families across the country and the more in-depth I become with homeschooling, the more I realize how important it is for black homeschoolers to have a place like NAAHA to call home. Case in point: I just read an article on one of the mega homeschool websites where for the month of February, they interviewed a white sociologist for Black History Month. How backwards is that? That one article embodies the exact reason why I started NAAHA to begin with: black families were being ignored and are still ignored today by the homeschooling establishment. To many, this statement may sound a bit steeped in accusations of racism, but little else can attest to what I observe on a daily basis. Perhaps racism is too harsh. Maybe indifference is better. Sadly, most those in the homeschooling community won't give a second thought to us until they realize our numbers are large enough where they can make a staggering profit from us. I am usually never this ill-tempered, but that interview really sent me over the edge. It exemplifies again all that I've ever known about the homeschooling community. Blacks aren't even worthy of being interviewed during Black History Month.

On to other things, however. One of my principle objectives as the director of NAAHA is to get the word out as much as possible about black homeschoolers and homeschooling. I have an article currently on AOL/Black Voices about Homeschooling Basics. Also, I have written another article for the Children of the New Earth Magazine. And, I was recently interviewed about NAAHA and Mommy Too! Magazine (my other endeavor) for Womens eNews.

Great Story About Mainstream Homeschoolers

2004-12-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Despite what homeschooling critics think, more mainstream families are homeschooling than ever before. Most used to believe that it was only the extreme families on the left or right who were home educators. Now, however, the homeschooling movement is reaching more people than once believed including mainstream families. Read more in this article.

Well, No Wonder the NEA and Rod Paige Bump Heads

2004-10-25T03:40:00.000-07:00

The No Child Left Behind bill is one that I am not terribly familiar with, but do understand it has come under much scrutiny since its inception. Some cry that the initiative has been underfunded by the very administration that inacted it. While others declare that the expectations of teachers and schools in unrealistic. Still others see great and improved strides in the area of making teachers and schools accountable. Whatever the case, I haven't kept up with it much because I focus on news and issues in the homeschooling arena.

Sometimes education arenas, no matter how varied, do collide, however. I was very pleased to read an acceptance speech by Rod Paige dated for November 1 issued by the Heartland Institute's School Reform News. Paige received a very prestigious award for his work in education in Indiana and said, .."there are some who fight to block choice in education, whether it involves charter schools, homeschooling, or some other educational alternative. Much of that opposition, Paige noted, had to do with the special interests of adults, not the best interests of students. "There are those who have fostered division, ill will, fear, hatred, anger, and mistrust," he said. "Some have gone farther, stating that they will do everything possible to defeat, even sabotage, educational alternatives."

Because Paige is the US Secretary of Education I automatically assumed that he is against educational alternatives a la the NEA. I'm glad he isn't.

Recent News

2004-10-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

We were profiled in an article for the Carolina Journal, a newspaper for the entire state of North Carolina that features government, education, higher education and opinion issues . You can read the article in pdf format at this link.
http://www.carolinajournal.com/cjprint/display_cjprint.html?id=45

Also, Child Magazine ran an article in their Septemeber issue about homeschooling. After the publication of that article, child.com launched a message board all about homeschooling and I'm its new moderator. It's a brand new board so come on over and share some of your homeschooling insights and meet homeschoolers from all across the nation.
On the Web: www.child.com. Be sure to click on Community.

If you live in North Carolina, I will be doing a presentation about homeschooling at the annual Teaching Fellows conference at NC A&T University on Saturday, November 6. Visit their website at www.ncat.edu and click through to the School of Education for more information.

Brown v. Board of Education: Blacks' Sugarcoated Nemesis

2004-09-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

While the nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, old loyalties and historic nostalgia were rekindled for sure, but what was everyone truly celebrating? Good thing others believe that this celebration was more of a symbolic victory than all else.

In this article , Derrick Bell -- the first tenured track black professor at Harvard Law School and author of the new book, Silent Covenants: Brown v. Board of Education and the Unfulfilled Hopes for Racial Reform -- dismisses that any real academic progress resulted from the landmark decision.

As educational achievement continues to wane for blacks in public education more blacks are flocking to family-led learning, hence the meteoric increase of blacks who are homeschooling today.

Homeschoolers portrayed as terrorists

2004-09-22T04:34:00.000-07:00

There have and will always be those who are staunchly against homeschooling. For their own specific reasons and inclinations they feel, I suppose, threatened by parents who are putting the impetus back on themselves to ensure their children receive a great education. For blacks, especially, we can no longer rely on the public school system to teach our children. They have failed. And continue to fail. But that's not the point.

Incidents like this cannot continue to persist amongst the ranks of anti-homeschoolers. A school district in Michigan staged a mock federally funded terrorist attack to help prepare their students for the real thing. In their mock attack the school is being attacked by: Wackos Against Schools and Education.

In another account, Dan Stout, director of Muskegon County Emergency Services, told WorldNetDaily the choice of the fictitious group certainly was not meant to offend homeschoolers. "I don't think there was any particular objective other than to just have a name," he said.

Please! ...was not meant to offend homeschoolers? Then why didn't they name the fictitious group Wackos Against Homeschoolers and Anyone Else Who Believes In Educational Choice?

These Homeschoolers Get It Right

2004-09-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I mentioned a story about a homeschooling mother who believes it is her son's right to play on a public school baseball team because she pays taxes.

I contend that if the public school isn't good enough for her then neither should their sports teams. After all, there is always AAU (which has a mich higher level of competition that school sports) and then there are the new homeschool teams like this one.

Although a lot of these homeschool teams and leagues are just starting, they still help children learn the importance of being a team player and most of all -the importance of exercise.

A More Diverse Curriculum

2004-09-14T05:07:00.000-07:00

One of the principle reasons why families flee public schools and decide that they are going to homeschool is because of the prevailing absence of substantive multicultural and black heritage-based curricula.

Seems this sentiment translates in this story about a small liberal arts college in MD that has their students only read the Classics. Problem is: they don't consider many black works classic.

In other news.
That which has been long suspect is making news in the LA Daily News. Although the story has a local angle it makes clear that the trend in national in scope. Public school teachers are now sending their own children to private schools in record numbers. What does that mean to black homeschoolers or to those who are contemplating the move to homeschooling.

It means that when you send your children to public school, if your son's or daughter's teacher's children are in private school, he/she, by default, does not believe in the merits of public education. Why then will they be a outstanding teacher to your chidren?

In this time of school choice, it is important for black parents to ask questions, get answers, become involved and above all else exercise your right to educational choice.

Either You Are or You Aren't

2004-09-07T07:54:00.001-07:00

When families decide that they are going to homeschool, they should at that point relinquish their claim to the tax monies they pay for their child attending public school. Because after all -- their child(ren) aren't attending public school. They're being schooled at home and that's the decision they've made.

A local controversy in my area as well as in other states pits homeschooling parents against their local school districts . A mom in Chapel Hill, NC (where I live) wants her son to play on the local baseball team and the school board won't allow it according to this article in the Winston-Salem Journal today. I stand with the school board.

Homeschoolers should make the separation distinct between them and public schools. If their schools aren't good enough for you then neither are their afterschool programs.

The Voucher Vision

2004-09-05T03:18:00.000-07:00

The first voucher program has officially rolled out in Washington DC and frankly I am happy about it. An article published in today's Washington Post details the program, but more importantly reports the feeling and sentiment and pure happiness that DC families are experiencing because their children are going to finally get a decent education.

I'm all for a better education for all black children. The voucher program is going to make public schools more accountable and also make them compete for top students and more funding. As more families abandon public schools for whatever reasons: homeschooling, charter schools, or the voucher program, public schools, the NEA, and teachers' unions need to brace themselves for figuring out innovative ways to retain pupils in their schools. Gone are the days when all families had was public school. It's a new day.

Why Homeschoolers Should Remain Independent

2004-09-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

Homeschooling families are aggressively under attack by companies who wish to provide their children with free materials (textbooks, computers, help from teachers) in exchange for them signing up on their annual enrollment rosters. These companies bill themselves as cyberschools, distance schools, online schools, and anything to that effect. These companies will in the long run tie the hands of these families and can have a dastardly effect on the entire homeschooling community at large.

Two of the prominent benefits of homeschooling are the flexibility that it affords coupled with the absence of governmental regulations that are imposed on the education of one's children. This will change if families blindly sign up for the government-funded cyberschools for free and receive free resources from them. Unknowingly, while these families believe that they are providing a better education for their children they are in reality inviting the potential for government initiated homeschooling reforms. We cannot let this happen. We've seen what happens to black children when their education is left in the hands of the government in the form of public and even charter schools, who are faring woefully bad when even compared to public schools. Now, that's bad.

This article from the teachers union in NY reminds us how much we want to stay as far away from the potential of government regulations as possible. From the New York Teacher Magazine: Regents to debate charter, middle-level education: The agenda also includes vote on home-schooling measure http://www.nysut.org/newyorkteacher/2004-2005/040909regents.html

The SAT Scores Are In

2004-09-01T04:23:00.000-07:00

... and Blacks still lag far behind EVERYBODY! Our children are on the lowest rung of the ladder among all races in America. That includes Mexican Americans, American Indians, Peurto Ricans, Whites, Asians and other Hispanics. Our average scores are 470 (Math) and 430 (Verbal). Blacks accounted for 12% of the high school students in the class of 2003 who sat for the SAT as compared to 63% white students, 10% Asian, 10% Latino and 1% Native American. The other 4% were other. Black children recorded a 200 point disparity in SAT scores behind white and asian students. Asian students are heads and shoulders above everyone else in math with an average score of 570. Whites are the verbal leaders with an average score of 528.

So, what does this tell us? It tells us that our children are still subject to poor schools in failing public school systems. From everything that I've read, the vast majority of charter schools fare even worse that public schools. It tells us that the achievement gap still exists no matter how many programs are created and no matter how many vouchers families use -- although it looks as if vouchers are the best choice if one chooses conventional education for their children. In sum, it tells us that our children's education is not getting any better.

Recent statistics state that homeschooled children did 80 points higher on the SAT than their public school counterparts. This, however, does not say how black homeschooled children fared. Where is this information?

As a homeschool leader I have to impart a few ideas on how we as black parents can give our children a better chance at academic achievement. As homeschoolers, the impetus is now on us to give our children a stellar education. In so doing, we realize immediately that we can place no blame on failing schools, inadequate teachers, unequal resources, etc. If our children fail, it's because we have failed them. If they achieve, it's because we have helped them learn and prosper academically.

Here are a few ideas about how homeschooling parents can help foster academic achievement in their children.

1. Turn off the television! Blacks watch more television that any other demographic in America and our children fare the worse academically. The math is blatantly obvious.

2. Buy books and read to your children. "Books are expensive!" you say. Be creative and build a library for your home.

Go to library sales where you can buy excellent books often times for $1 each.
Go to Barnes and Noble and Borders and clean out their bargain section. The bargain section of these bookstore chains are stellar. Quality books at a cheap price. You can't go wrong there.
Buy books on Ebay. People are always trying to part with their books on Ebay. See what they're selling and buy it. Big book bundles go for cheap.
Go to your local thrift stores and buy what they're selling. You may have to go through an entire trove of mildewed refuse, but go through them nevertheless. Undoubtedly a gem or two awaits and for pennies no less.
Used book stores! Now, used book stores can be a bit tricky. Sometimes their prices far outwiegh what you can buy in the bargain section of B&N and Borders, but if you look around you're sure to find nice, quality, informative books for your library shelves at affordable prices.

3. Put a bookshelf in your children's room! Not a televison with a game system. Not even a computer. The television and computer should be in a central place for family enjoyment. Allow your children to explore educationally in their own space and domain. Fill their room with age appropriate books and even with books that are a grade or two higher. Let their mind explore not deteriorate in television shows and computer games.

4. Read to your children. This is such a trite statement today. PSAs, celebrities and educators across the country tell us everyday to read to our children. How many of us are doing it though? Start when your children are young and get them into the habit of hearing how words are pronounced. Let them learn the joy of reading books from the joy you share with them as you read to them.

5. Use the library. Get your children a library card before you get them a cell phone. Teach your children how to use reference materials and if you don't know yourself then it's an excellent time to learn. Librarians love teaching what they've been taught. They're educators themselves, so use the free resources at your disposal.

This is so long that I am going to put this into an article. I'll post a link when it's up.

In all, foster education in your children. Help them to do well. Homeschool well!

We are homeschoolers because we unwaveringly believe that we can make a marked difference in the lives of our children. That being so, I believe that SAT scores among blacks can and will improve steadily with the dedication and perserverance of black parents doing their part at home. After all, that's why we home school our children!

Leave me a comment. I'd like to hear some thoughts.

Why I Homeschool

2004-08-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have decided today to talk a little about my motivation for homeschooling. What prompted my husband and me to opt for schooling at home?

It was a very easy decision for us to make. We want our girls to have a fighting chance in this world and as ardent homeschoolers we believe that they would fare better being homeschooled as opposed to going to our local public school. Here, where we live, we categorically have some of the best public schools in the country. In fact, the public schools here rival private schools in other parts of North Carolina and in the country. Even so, the black students still do much worse than their white counterparts. Of course, as dedicated parents, that is not to say that our children would be any less academically adept as other children. I wasn't when I was in school and neither was my husband. Nevertheless, we feel that homeschooling our daughters will provide the best edcuation possible when compared to the other options. You can read more about why I decided to homeschool in my piece on Africana.com last year.

Our girls are still fairly young. In fact, they are not even of age in NC to be classified as homeschooled children. We wanted to start the process of home schooling early and we also wanted to start the process of starting an active organization early as well. I hope to see NAAHA build to a thriving organization in the years to come. I will work dilligently toward that end.

**By the way, the NAAHA site has been down for a while, with incomplete links and with a non-functioning Member Connect. In Septemeber the NAAHA site will be fully functional.

Education Tip of The Day: Use this election year as an opportunity to teach politics! Explain the entire process of electing civil servants from local leaders to the Commander-in-Chief. Explain the difference between the political parites and even delve into their histories. From now until November there is ample opportunity to teach politics. Kids.gov is an excellent reference site.

Another Nice Article About Black Homeschoolers

2004-08-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

From the StarNewsOnline Published August 29, 2004

Home-school advantage More and more parents opt out of conventional schooling to teach their children themselves
http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040829/NEWS/40828023/1004/Local

Also, for those of you looking for a quality multicultural or heritage-based curriculum this school year, we highly recommend Peoples Publishing Group. Give them a call. Request a brochure. They have excellent texts that homeschoolers can incorporate into their curriculum.

Radio Interview. Plus New Stuff on the NAAHA Site

2004-08-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I did a radio interview with WEAA public radio in Baltimore. It was a great opportunity to reach a city full of black homeschoolers. In fact, the last numbers that I read stated that there are 500 black homeschoolers in Baltimore City alone. Those are some phenomenal numbers especially since we do know the numbers are rising all across the country. There's no doubt. Blacks are homeschooling in record numbers.

We've added some new things on the NAAHA site. You can access what's new by clicking on "What's New" on the homepage.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Homeschoolers of Color Plus New Home Schooling Web Site

2004-08-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

Raleigh, North Carolina from the News and Observer
Home schools pursue diversity- Published August 25, 2004
When Louise Omoto Kessel walked into a home-schooling support group recently with her son, Jabu, she noticed right away that the 3-year-old was different from the rest. None of the other children shared his skin tone, which shines like freshly polished mahogany. More

HomeSchoolerNetwork.com
Family Education Network, part of Pearson Education, the global leader in educational publishing, announced today the launch of HomeSchoolerNetwork.com, a Web site offering a wide variety of educational materials for the 1.1 million U.S. children now being homeschooled each year.

Homeschoolers represent 2.2 % of the school-age population in the U.S., up 29% since 1999.
HomeSchoolerNetwork offers the Internet's largest homeschooler content resource -- more than 5,000 articles, activities and lesson plans. HomeSchoolerNetwork provides both proven and newly developed educational content that focuses on the unique needs of homeschoolers.

The site provides content organizers, allowing the sorting of material by age and subject area; free email newsletters; a national database of support groups; parenting resources; and a generous "getting started" guide. In addition, HomeSchoolerNetwork provides immediate access to products from Pearson Education businesses including Pearson Prentice Hall, Pearson Scott Foresman, and Pearson Addison-Wesley. Visit the HomeSchoolerNetwork at www.homeschoolernetwork.com

Welcome to the NAAHA Blog

2004-08-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

Isn't technology great! I love the Internet and most things that are associated with it. My name is Jennifer James, the Director of the National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance. I will be maintaining this site. I look to update this blog on a daily basis, although there may be days when I won't post due to the lack of news. But, not to worry...there always seems to be something brewing in the home schooling community and in the education world in general so there will surely be plenty of postings.

I would like to ultimately see a national community of black homeschooling blogs. If you start a blog about your home schooling family be sure to let me know so that I can add you to my friends list.

Be sure to email any news that you may have or leave a comment.