–I can pratice cultural relativism to an extent until I come across information that needs to be put into context

PS; What is your level of education????

They may not have edited to show unschooling in the best light possible , but no matter how they did edit what came across was your sons spirit , happiness and love which is really the heart of unschooling …so great job !

Changing a deeply entrenched school system and long-held beliefs and traditions is never easy. Most people just shut up and sit down and do what they’re told. Not me. Criticize away. I knew when I chose this path that I would take criticisms. What I didn’t realize is how little I would be criticized. Honestly, I have people coming out of the woodwork telling me that I’m doing something that is needed. In my school, I have students that like school for the first time in their lives. Their parents are telling me they can’t remember when their children have learned so much and asked to learn more. It is a wonderful experience to be at ground zero of a swelling change for good.

I know it’s hard for you to conceive how this is good, but maybe someday…

You said, “I would also like to address the spelling mistake I made in the third to last paragraph. “preverse” should be “perverse” I don’t see it. Anyway, I never claimed to be perfect. Typos and spelling errors happen. For example, you have several in your post, including ones that would not be caught by spellcheck. No worries. It happens.

Another insider note: On ABC’s Wife Swap page, they had what was supposed to be my words, describing my family, but I didn’t write it. It was based on many hours of interviews, which they compiled in a certain way to get their desired effect (the emotional response). On this page, the spelled “learned” as “learnt” several times. Aaargh!!!! I would never spell it like that unless I was joking around! I asked them to correct it, but they never did. I guess it didn’t fit the profile they wanted. Whatever.

You said, “I would also like to ask in addition what life skills you are teaching your children, exactly, that you feel they would not get from a public or private school.” Maybe I’ve been out of it so long I can’t understand this question at all. What are “life skills”? It sounds like the name of the classes that special needs (used to be called “retarded”) kids take because in order to learn how to function in society. My kids are not retarded. Not fully understanding the question, I’ll go ahead and take a stab at an answer. Because my kids aren’t stuck in a classroom all day, they have the opportunity to experience many aspects of real life.

You said, “Also, what jobs do you see your children working in and what types of settings.” Nicholas will be doing some type of design. He will be going to an art school. One of his mentors is an architect. He is one of the wealthiest persons I know. I sure Nicholas will succeed at whatever he sets his mind to.

Riley and Harrison are a bit young to peg-hole yet, but I figure Riley will be some type of office job. I see him as a successful pencil pusher. I also think he would do well with numbers and not be bored by them.

Since cheetah is an “impossible dream” I guess Harrison will have to settle for something more human-like. Of all my kids, he has a lot of interest in very technical things (like programming), so he would do well with some type of computer or other science. But I would have to honestly say that Harrison’s dominant feature is actually his interpersonal skills. At his young age, he has the ability to get people to believe and trust him. People of all ages revere him and seek him out. He is not afraid to be in front of people or to speak his mind. He is confident, dynamic, and loveable. I believe that these are the skills that will make him successful in anything that he pursues. Seriously. Check back in twenty years (he will only be 18 in 10 years).

I appreciate your concern for my boys and I know you only have the best intentions. I hope you understand that I do what I do because of my own deep concern for my boys. I have done many years of research into what I feel would be best for them. I just don’t trust you, the “professionals” or any other pushy stranger with my children. Rather, I study hard and work hard. The same thing I expect my boys will do.

OK, so this has taken way too much time. I gotta get back to real life (as opposed to “reality” TV).

All the best,

Heather Martinson

First off — chill! You don’t need to “save” my family!

Wife Swap is a piece of entertainment, meant to evoke an emotional response. It sure worked on you!

Contrary to what seems to come off on the show, I don’t spend that much time on the “cotton-pickin’” computer & I don’t know that I have time to properly respond to your concerns. But yesterday I gave blood and so I’ll need a more sedentary day today.

You said, “Kerry seemed to be a concerned parent, this is what I saw on the show.” Most concerned parents don’t tirade (I hope). I first heard about Kerrry being a non-stop machine from Mark. That was how he described her and that was backed up by the girls and then by Lee. Mark told me she literally never sits down. He was the one who expressed that she is almost super human. Indeed, most humans do need down time, which she apparently doesn’t. Most people would be in awe of her energy.

You said, “Here’s a question: How will your sons ever know what they love, if you never INTRODUCE new learning material to them?” That’s exactly my point. How could the boys get much exposure if the sat in a box (classroom) all day with nothing but one teacher and a stack of textbooks? Rather, I’m all about exposure. We read from real books and visit the real places. If you watch between the lines of the show, you catch a glimpse of many wonderful learning experiences that were downplayed for the sake of the storyline. I spend more time than the majority of parents do in planning, preparing, and implementing tons of incredible learning experiences for my boys and for other homeschoolers. Take a look at the things we’ve done so far this school year: http://celebrationeducation.ning.com/

You said, “The kids who figured out they loved designing since they seven now have spent time polishing their skills and practicing more and working on more projects and have the guidance by professionals!” That’s simply not true. True graphic designers do not teach in our public schools. Children in school don’t have the time to develop their talents in this way. Their computer time is extremely limited. Take a look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8 . Not confined to the classroom, Nicholas has had the opportunity to learn directly from experts in the industry. His school friends who took those classes get help from him. Additionally, they have not created anything original. Only the homework assignments. They don’t have the time to do more than that. Additionally, Lee’s publisher did have some “professionals” design his cover, but it was a complete mess. That’s when we turned to Nicholas. He came up with a couple very nice designs. Lee held a poll of viewers and the cover was chosen by popularity. Sitting in a box would have stunted his abilities.

Additionally, if you want some kind of “proof” that Nicholas can function, well, he is an Eagle Scout. It is a rare individual who has the discipline and leadership to earn that award. Of course, he did need to read and write for many of those merit badges. So if you can trust the BSA to say that he’s competent, maybe his mom can say so, too?

BTW, Kerry herself was very impressed with Nicholas. She somewhat mentioned that she thinks that she and Brooke would get along well. I agree. They have many similar characteristics. Both great people.

You said, “Yes, and it is so high of you to bad mouth her in your personal blog when she has no room to respond.” Hey, we took our lickin’ on national TV, I’m sure she can handle my obscure blog. Kerry has seen the blog did not mention any offense taken. Like you, she is welcome to respond if she likes. She really is (I believe) a very nice person. She would not say such unkind things off camera.

You said, “By the way, I catergorized it more as a mother and human being passionate about the way your kids were being raised” No. Humans should not treat humans like that.

It’s been over a year since we signed the contract, so I believe I can talk a little more freely now. When they showed interest in having us on the show, we watched a few episodes to get an idea of what we were getting ourselves into (we rarely watch TV - nothing worth the time investment - including our own episode!). We were concerned that about how we saw all the families arguing all the time. Frankly, that’s just not how we roll. We specifically asked them if they expect us to argue, because we have no interest in being part of that. They said that they hired us to be who we are, we just need to be able to express our beliefs. No problem. We can do that. We do it all the time. But, again, a good discussion does not make good TV.

Mark and I had some great debates. I really enjoyed the discussions I had with him and the girls. Like Kerry, they never really understood what it is we do, but none of us got nasty. I thought we were going to have a boring episode! Little did I know, Kerry was at my house giving them plenty of fodder! The loudmouth got the airtime! But again, I honestly believe that Kerry is not like that in real life, and especially I believe (hope) that she does she treat her family like that. They would not be such a great family if they were emotionally abused on a regular basis. I can only assume that Kerry never knew that we don’t have to be loud and mean to be on the show. I’m pretty sure she played it up for the cameras.

You said, “Kerry was right–your son could hardly write!” Well it’s a good thing the public school system is not discredited every time there’s a child who falls behind in something.

The great thing is that when children fall behind in a subject, it does not mean they are stunted for life. I know tons of kids of various educational backgrounds who very capably catch up and even surpass their peers in a matter of months. No harm done. Some people panic. I don’t.

Honestly, Riley is smart and he can write. Judging Riley’s abilities on one writing sample is rash. Anybody can learn to write. It’s not as hard as people think. It’s only in school that they make it so complicated and confusing.

My daughter – yes daughter – taught herself how to write. When she took her college placement tests, the proctor said he had never seen such high scores in writing. Ya, I’m sure she’s stunted.

You said, “You are trying to get us to accept that your son is advanced for his age without the substantial proof.” OK, so you can determine from a few glances at my son that he is behind, but for some reason, I can’t spend a lifetime with him and determine that he is advanced?

Simply put, Riley reads all day. We all know that reading is the most important academic subject, but most kids are not allowed to spend much time doing it. Perhaps more kids would be better readers if they had the opportunities that Riley does. He reads books intended for high school students. No tests necessary.

You said, “the fact that you just made a broad generalization of America and insulted most of the country” I did not intend to insult the country, but I do have an issue with the way public schools are today. Most American from within and outside of the system wish things were better. I don’t think I said anything new there.

You asked, “What is “stuff”?” in regards to the stuff that Harrison likes to study. He spent an entire year on the human body. During this past summer (while most kids were doing anything but studying), Harrison’s interest was astrobiology – no joke – he asked me to pick up a few astrobiology books from the library & he ate them up! Right now, his big thing is Web sites and making money. He’s always coming up with new schemes for both. Unfortunately, these subjects are more difficult for an 8-year-old to gain access to. Texts are designed for high school and college students. But here’s his Website: Harrisonsgames.com See if you can find his “Click Heaven” page. You will see his great sense of humor coming through!

You said, “Tests are what happen in the real world.” Again, I reference my daughter’s experience. It was the first test she took since she was in third grade. Anyone can take a test. That’s not a skill that takes 12 years to learn.

You said, “Well I hope your children never want to become doctors, lawyers, scientists, insurance agents, real estate agents, paralegals, psychologists, florists, physical trainers, librarians, pilots, or even work at the local convenient store - because guess what–they all require you to take a test.” This statement is made with very little understanding. Unschooling has been around since the ‘70’s (actually, since the world began – most “greats” in the history of civilization were unschooled, but we don’t need to go there), so of course, by now we can see how “harmful” it has been. Interestingly, unschoolers are normal. They are found everywhere, just like public schooled kids are. Here’s an unschooler I know that became a lawyer: http://www.janelleorsi.com/

You said, “And quickly - are your children ever planning on driving? Because i’m pretty sure you have to take a test for that as well.” Yes, Nicholas passed his driver’s test the first time.

You said, “And another question - if you don’t test your children, how do you know they actually retain the information being taught to them?” Because I’m with my children so much, I know what they know. I am there. I’m with them. I see it. And just so know, most kids hardly remember anything the “covered” in school. They may even pass the tests, but they soon forget the information. Passed tests are not true indicators that learning has happened. Most people remember an extremely small percentage of what they learned in school. I haven’t seen the show, but perhaps that is why “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” can have such success. Adults simply don’t remember the majority of the things that they learned in school. So why spend so much time not learning?

You asked, “Just curious, what happened to you and your husband that made you conclude that public school is ‘perverse’.” What I think is perverse is the complete disregard for the individual in the schools. They have established a system, where every child is held to a very specific “standard.” I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a standard child. Every child is an individual, and deserves to be educated as such. It is only through honoring their individual learning patterns and brain styles, that each child has the opportunity to become their best selves. The hard part is that a teacher with 30 children physically cannot even start to provide for the individual. To be able to keep order in the classroom, the children must all do the same thing. They are all expected to cover the same topics at the same time. The teacher does not have the luxury of helping the children learn through their passions. The children must all be treated the same. Neither their strengths, nor their weaknesses are properly addressed. This is the major reason why homeschooling is so big in this country. If a child needs more and the school is unable to accommodate, the parents make the incredible sacrifice to learn what their child needs, to study how to best serve their children, and then to do whatever it takes to provide that for them. If the school system were better, you would not see this exodus. You could talk to thousands of homeschoolers who believe that the worst environment for their children is in the public schools.

Additionally, brain science has taught us a lot about how the brain learns. We know that:

EXERCISE | Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.

Sitting too long stunts learning.

SURVIVAL | Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.

We need emotionally safe learning environments and we need to collaborate – many schools don’t even acknowledge these needs.

WIRING | Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.

One system is ineffective to reach a multitude of brains.

ATTENTION | Rule #4: We don’t pay attention to boring things.

Most schools are boring – the “covered” material is soon forgotten.

SENSORY INTEGRATION | Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.

Sitting in a box limits brain capacity.
EXPLORATION | Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

A student’s own curiosity is his most powerful learning tool.

These brain rules are from the book of the same name – “Brain Rules”. While this is a new book, the information therein is not new. Most of this stuff has been around for over two decades. The sick thing is that as a country, we have sold our children’s education for the price of testing. I repeat: Testing is not an indicator that -anything- has been learned.

I am indeed quite frustrated with the school system. They have this information – have had it for a while, but they ignore it. Instead, they continue to dish out education through the same vehicle that was established over 200 years ago. Their response? They think we need more of the same thing! Isn’t that the definition of insanity? OK, so I could easily tirade about this. I am very passionate about education.

I am 100% for a complete makeover of the school system. I haven’t watched the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition before, but my understanding is that there are times that they don’t just redecorate, but they demolish an entire home that’s inadequate in order to build something that’s more suited to the inhabitants. This is what I think needs to be done to our nation’s schools – not just a feel-good, skin-deep makeover.

OK, so I could totally go on all day about this, but I won’t. There’s so much more that can be said.

I do recognize that the majority of children do fine in schools. But I also believe that if the school’s goals were to encourage each child’s individuality rather than their standardization, each child would be better off. Indeed, our entire nation would be stronger because each person would be living up to their fullest potential. I honestly get excited thinking about the possibilities!

OK, I’ll calm down now.

On a lighter note, on one of the breaks from the table meeting shoot, Kerry pulled me aside and asked me why Riley was so resistant to go to school. I was surprised that he was resistant. I mean, I would think that a kid who has never been to school would love to go for a day or two. My answer to her is that perhaps it’s because he has a couple friends that attend my school who recently came to my school because of some things that had happened in their previous school experiences. So then when I had a chance to ask Riley why, he told me he did that for the show! He thought it would be more interesting for the cameras! I just laughed!

You said, “What does that say about Riley?” He’s learning. Nothing wrong with that.

You said, “As if to say that public school is a negative experience? Yes, public school kids never build things, collaborate, or debate. They are inactive, have negative interactions, hardly ever have fun, and hardly ever learn.”

It actually is a rare school that will do all those things on a regular basis. Most of the time it’s all about the textbooks, worksheets, discipline (including threats), and tests. Everything else is the exception. I don’t think I’m being delusional in my assessment here. I did go to school myself & from what I’ve seen there have been some wonderful, sparkling things that happen in the schools – things so unique that they make the news – but for the most part it’s the same. The biggest change I’ve seen is that there’s a lot more teaching to the test now. I see that as regression.

You said, “I don’t think “brave” is the right word.” I do. It isn’t easy to break from tradition. Many teachers who have tried to make a difference have been ridiculed and blackballed.

You said, “Way to go, California.” I can’t make fun of people, but you can?

You said, “So what you’re saying is that no other person has ever discovered their own talents. You’re saying that I have no aspirations because I went to public school. Thanks for informing me, I was completely unaware that I’m so “dreamless” and that I am so “talentless” and “stupid”.” Um, chill, K? You obviously do have abilities. You don’t have to take my interest in my children as a personal attack on you.

You said, “Yes, and also in the episode, your son said to Kerry “the thing right there bends” when explaining what he learned in your lesson with him about gravity. Quality education right there.” Right. Adults never say things like that. Heaven forbid someone might be vague!

I think you are talking about their experience at the amusement park. At least Riley was interested in discussing the matter. Krista and Brooke couldn’t be engaged.

You said, “I mean, look at the name: ‘UN-schooling’. Was that an intentional joke or plain stupidity.” I understand that you don’t have a clear understanding of the term. And actually, I never used that term. They were looking for unschoolers and thought we fit the title and used it on us. There are many ways to unschool, and most the unschoolers I know “school” much more than their public schooled counterparts. This is because they never stop learning. It is part of what they do, like eating, sleeping, and breathing.

Before the show first aired, I had the chance to see the press release just before it went out. It called us unschoolers. I told them it’s not really a term I identify with, but “Fun-schooling” is more descriptive. They changed it in the press release, but it was already in the episode. The only time you hear me say “unschooler” in the episode, is at the table meeting. Kerry was quite upset about unschooling and I defended it. Indeed, I will always defend unschooling.

In the 20+ years I have been involved in homeschooling, I have seen every style and approach. Everything from overschooling (parents want their children to have more schooling that the schools give) to radical unschooling (the children are allowed to play video games all day). The amazing thing is that both approaches succeed and fail at the same rate. Both have produced highly successful students as well as kids that are messed up. What I have learned is that the absolutely most important element in a child’s education is the involvement of the parents. Anyone in the school system can tell you that. If the parents are involved, the child will do well. There is no program that can beat the influence of a loving parent.

You said, “I read somewhere that your family is described as believing in socialism.” I have no idea where that came from. We have are anti-socialism, taking an active role in politics to fight against such ideas.

You said, “I doubt my message will probably even stay posted due to the fact that I actually called your family out on their poor ‘UN-schooling’ beliefs.”

Well, I don’t mind being called out, but I do mind the tone in which you did it. You really did cross the line, but I’ll let it go. I do that, too. I am so passionate about what I do that I also word things in strong terms – as you have pointed out.

I am not upset with you, but I understand that you do represent a large portion of our society. I don’t expect that I am going to sway you in any way. Rather, I may have upset you more. I understand. I never want to be labeled as “normal.” My passion drives me to the point where I’m making waves. My statements are not always popular or accepted. I’m good with that.

-Heather Martinson

I would also like to address the spelling mistake I made in the third to last paragraph. “preverse” should be “perverse”

I would also like to ask in addition what life skills you are teaching your children, exactly, that you feel they would not get from a public or private school.

Also, what jobs do you see your children working in and what types of settings.

And at what age do you see your children on an even playing field as those that are graduating high school?

I would also like to clarify and say that I do not see the school system as replacement for parents.

Kerry seemed to be a concerned parent, this is what I saw on the show. I think most Americans would agree. But I like that you give her a backhanded compliment (she is “nice”) before calling her negative phrases such as “a non-stop machine” and “super-human”. What Kerry does is what all families do for their children - provide and educate their children to the best of their ability. Giving their children as many opportunities as possible.

“That said, it is true that my boys may be behind their peers in some of the academic subjects. That comes across loud and clear on the show. That is what is seen.

What is not seen is how incredibly intelligent my sons are.”

So you agree then, your children are behind their peers in academic subjects? Just wanted to make that clear. Here’s a question: How will your sons ever know what they love, if you never INTRODUCE new learning material to them? Maybe your son is destined to be a microbiologist. But how would he ever find his passion if you were never to introduce the idea to him? Passions come from somewhere, they are introduced SOMEWHERE - school, teachers, after-school activites. You are limiting the development of your children’s possible talents by not allowing them to be introduced to new ideas. They don’t know these ideas “on their own”. If the only food you ever prepare for your child is a ham sandwich, will he ever know that he loves peanut butter and jelly more? That is one of the positives to children being enrolled in school. They meet different teachers and learn *all* subjects. They can take the multiple things they learn and decide what they like. By only letting your children learn what is “needed” or “called for” when they “have to” or “want to” you’re setting the bar at zero. You don’t even give your children a CHANCE to see if they like something. Why do you think your children have a poor view of school? Because you drill this into them. Tons of children LOVE school! They have a variety of positive, influential teachers and come home to involved, positive, influential parents.

“First off, Nicholas was hardly even shown. If you want to see the results of this approach to education, you have Nicholas as a prime example. Not only is he very competent in academics, he is also very capable of expressing himself and his opinions in a rational and intelligent way. He did very well at standing up to Kerry with some wonderful insights about why he feels his education is superior.”

Well, honestly, you can say this but you’re right, we haven’t seen the results, so we wouldn’t *really* know. We’d have to take your word on this, and honestly, from what I saw, how can I? You truly stand by the idea that your children have this great education when in reality, this is not true. I don’t see how you are qualified to really teach these children. What about setting them up with certified homeschool teachers? Even interview teachers who have the same values and ideas, who are certified, to teach your kids. And as far as Nicholas designing your husband’s book, wouldn’t it be great if you could see what more he could have accomplished if he had a computer course starting at the elementary age like other children. Maybe by now he would be a more knowledgable, accomplished designer. What really sets him apart from other kids who have already surpassed him in photoshop, microsoft publisher, etc. The kids who figured out they loved designing since they seven now have spent time polishing their skills and practicing more and working on more projects and have the guidance by professionals!

“Speaking of Lee, I am very pleased with the way he handled Kerry. She yelled in his face a lot and didn’t give him much of a chance to have a rational conversation with her. Her loss, really. I’m just glad that he did not lower himself to yelling back at her. That’s not the way to have an intelligent conversation.”

Yes, and it is so high of you to bad mouth her in your personal blog when she has no room to respond. I’m sorry, but that’s what this is. By the way, I catergorized it more as a mother and human being passionate about the way your kids were being raised (or is the term “UN-Raised). And also, I watched the episode, just now actually, and Kerry was right–your son could hardly write! Do you know what the word illiterate means? You are stunting your children!

“I’m not worried about it, because I know that he is a highly intelligent person and that when he is ready to, he will seek out how to do it on his own and he will do quite well.”

Well, it is no surprise that you are not worried. So what you are telling your son is that if he doesn’t want to do something, he shouldn’t have to? So what if he came to you tomorrow and said, “hey mom, I don’t think I want to brush my teeth anymore” would that be ok? Can you teach your kids in a fun way that would make him WANT to write more? Maybe your just not teaching your son that writing can be fun. And that is YOUR fault as a teacher. You are the first person I ever heard be so passive about the value of writing.

“What was not seen is that Riley is very advanced for his age.”

Yes, in your own opinion. When you are making an argument, understand that your audience to begin with isn’t on your side. You are trying to get us to accept that your son is advanced for his age without the substantial proof. My gosh, aren’t there state tests over there in California that those kids need to take in order to pass a grade level? Maybe we should blame this on California.

“In the past two years (he’s now 11) Riley has probably read more books than most adults have read in a lifetime. And he wouldn’t have the time to read this much if he were forced to go to school every day. Kind of ironic, don’t you think?”

I don’t even know where to begin about this statement - the fact that you just made a broad generalization of America and insulted most of the country, or the fact that you think no other children love to read except for Riley. Yes, you’re right, public school kids HATE reading! You got it!

“and likes to research stuff - anything that comes to mind.”

What is “stuff”?

“Then along comes Kerry, with her public school-minded approach to education. She took the fun and joyful act of learning and turned it into something painful for Riley. What you saw happening there is not Kerry teaching Riley, but testing him. How many children do you know would be happy to be put on the spot like that? Riley showed how uncomfortable he was by not even trying. In the end, he very deliberately stood on his own town and said, “Is this France?” It was not fun for him, nor was it even educational. It is obvious from that experience that Riley did not learn where France is. This was not Riley’s failure, it was Kerry’s.”

Oh no, look out for that devil Kerry!

And yes, test. Tests are what happen in the real world. Riley will eventually have to know and acquire information. How dare you blame the poor education you are giving Riley on Kerry. You may be teaching your son geography, but it seems that he did not retain any information. You say you are teaching your kids what they need to know for real life, correct? So you not testing your children means that there are no “tests” in real life, correct? Because tests are “not fun” and your children are completely turned off to things like “tests” because they are not “fun.” Well I hope your children never want to become doctors, lawyers, scientists, insurance agents, real estate agents, paralegals, psychologists, florists, physical trainers, librarians, pilots, or even work at the local convenient store - because guess what–they all require you to take a test. I mean, I’m not even going to bother mentioning college since you are so against this idea of public schooling. And quickly - are your children ever planning on driving? Because i’m pretty sure you have to take a test for that as well.

And another question - if you don’t test your children, how do you know they actually retain the information being taught to them?

Maybe it’s your constant reinforcement that public school is “bad” and a “perversion” (your husband’s adjective) that makes your children so turned off to public school in the episode. And why didn’t you address that. Public school is a “perversion”?! America is perverse? Just curious, what happened to you and your husband that made you conclude that public school is “perverse”.

“This is probably because he is the most academically intelligent of all my children.”

Let’s hope so. Easy for you to say though, as we have not seen much of this child and have no proof of this.

“Harrison is also an incredible speller. When Riley is writing and calls out asking how to spell a word, Harrison spells it for him. Harrison has also been caught correcting Nicholas’ spelling. Harrison enjoys sitting on my lap while I type so he can catch my errors.”

What does that say about Riley?

“Imagine a school where each day is an adventure. The children want to sit up front because they don’t want to miss one exciting moment. But they don’t sit for long! Soon they are happily moving about the room, involving their whole bodies in the learning experience. Matching up pictures, building things, collaborating, debating. Lots of energy in the room, lots of positive interaction, lots of fun, lots of learning. But maybe it’s a good thing Kerry didn’t try teaching my students. What if they wouldn’t want to come back!”

As if to say that public school is a negative experience? Yes, public school kids never build things, collaborate, or debate. They are inactive, have negative interactions, hardly ever have fun, and hardly ever learn. You are warped in terms of your ideas about public schooling if this is what you really believe. WOW.

“Not many people are brave enough to make any real kind of change.”

I don’t think “brave” is the right word.

“Fortunately, in California, private schools are allowed to set their own standards. Rather than putting together a complicated set of standards where I evaluate each child in order to determine if they are above, at, or below standard, I expect great things from each of my students.”

There’s the explanation. Way to go, California.

“This would only hamper their genius and take away from them what makes them special.”

So what you’re saying is that no other person has ever discovered their own talents. You’re saying that I have no aspirations because I went to public school. Thanks for informing me, I was completely unaware that I’m so “dreamless” and that I am so “talentless” and “stupid”.

“In the episode, I took Krista and Brooke to a theme park to show them that learning can happen anywhere. What is not seen is how difficult it was for them to do this. Both girls are taking physics classes.”

Yes, and also in the episode, your son said to Kerry “the thing right there bends” when explaining what he learned in your lesson with him about gravity. Quality education right there.

After watching the episode and reading your blog of excuses, I feel so sorry for your children. I would love to know just what your children will be doing with themselves in ten years. I can’t believe how superior you believe your way of “unschooling” is. I mean, look at the name: “UN-schooling”. Was that an intentional joke or plain stupidity.

I am not bashing “homeschool”. There are many children who are homeschooled and homeschooled in the right way. Your children are not and you have stunted their intelligence.

I watched the episode on television and was so floored by the representation of your family on tv. I thought: “this has to be staged, it has to be a misrepresentation, it has to be just for television.” I actually googled your family to see if any legal matters resulted from the way you were “un-schooling” your children. This blog showed up in the search and unfortunately, I realized it IS just as bad as what I watched on television.

I read somewhere that your family is described as believing in socialism. So you agree that the money earned from well-educated Americans who compete and work hard for their money and pass those law tests should be handed right over to your family in an equal distribution of wealth. I can’t believe you would take money from people who are so “preverse”.

Typical.

I doubt my message will probably even stay posted due to the fact that I actually called your family out on their poor “UN-schooling” beliefs. I am satisfied with just the thought of you at least reading it before deleting it.