Homeschoolers brace for the backlash PA kid with the guns a 'homeschooler'?

Question

I am not aware of when this boy started his homeschooling since the article was 'nice' enough to leave that out. The way they made it sound on the local news this moring, he has not been HSing very long. I am concerned the media is going to have a hay day with the 'homeschool' issue. Thoughts?

Answer 1

I do not think they were trying to single him out as a homeschool student, or attack him because he is a homeschooler.  They were pointing out the fact that he was NOT a student at the school that was his target.  My guess is he has been homeschooled for the year and a half he has been out of that public school.

I did not see it as a cut on the homeschool, community at all ...

Answer 2

Honestly, why worry what they say on the news about homeschooling?  All of the other school shootings have involved b&m schools....no one ever talks about doing away with public schools.  Sometimes it is more important to look at the people involved than it is the institution of learning.  I'm sure we as homeschoolers, can deal with the fact that just like every other group of people in our society, there is the occasional bad seed.

Answer 3

Thanks for the warning.  I can't understand why there is so much hostility toward homeschoolers.  I guess there is a mentality that school is necessary and we challenge that by simply living our lives the way we feel is best for us.  

I think the media will have some negative things to say about homeschooling  because kids do have more time and control over their own lives when they are homeschooled and if they do something "bad" with that privilege then well, people who are anti-homeschooling anyway will jump on that as the cause.  

Well, enough of my rambling run on sentences ;D

Answer 4

Initially the items stated he was homeschooled, but recently that has been dropped from the reports. I suspect he was under home instruction from the school (i.e. teacher comes to your house with work because of illness or suspension).  I find it interesting that this case is in PA, which is the most heavily regulated homeschooling state in the country. I  have to say this just shows regulation really is meaningless. Just another bureaucracy to feed with our tax dollars.  

With the Cleveland case what amazes me is that a 14-15 year old kid managed to evade all the security guards, cameras and metal detectors - I suspect they either weren't working or someone was snoozing on the job!

Edited to add: Professor, it isn't the kind of person who undertakes homeschooling that is the issue - it is kind of person who undertakes PARENTING.   This was not a homeschooling issue, the kid had been 8 years in public school

Answer 5

Are you referring to the boy from CLEVELAND, Ohio who shot up his high school before shooting himself? Or is this a separate case?

Answer 6

Wow what an abusive group, it sounds like everyone who doesn't get it (home schooling) is against it and beating down those parents who made a great decision that only helps your kids grow. I don't argue with ignorance, come in home schooler parent don't do it either.

I am lucky that my oldest is now a junior straight A's in college, my son is a sophomore and has all the social skills needed to succeed. WOW! very mean people in the regular schooling, are they jealous... Oh and the PA kid his MOM bought some of the guns so there, the freakin' parent influences the kid once again... Read the whole story please!

Answer 7

Yes, I am bracing.  I notice that when a student is enrolled in Public School and commits a crime, the method of schooling is not mentioned, only when a "homeschooler" does.

Not to mention that if the kid hadn't been bullied in Public School he wouldn't have wanted to go on a shooting rampage, (not to excuse that of course, but just to point out that the system of Public School contributed to this problem.)

As far as the weapons... I don't know what the parents were thinking, crazy I suppose...

Answer 8

Here is part of the transcript from today's Nancy Grace show.

GRACE: Any other children in the home? Good question. Jon Leiberman, what do we know?

LEIBERMAN: We believe this 14-year-old was the only child in this family. You know, they pulled him out of public school because he told his parents that he was being bullied and that he couldn`t learn in school because he was being bullied by all of his other schoolmates. That`s why they pulled him out of school and started home schooling him.

GRACE: And to Betsy in Indiana. Hi, Betsy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. How are you?

GRACE: I`m good, dear. I`m hanging in there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) love you.

GRACE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was wondering, what was she home schooling him and telling him? Was she getting him ready for Armageddon?

GRACE: You know, I was wondering exactly, since she`s in charge of what the curriculum is, if it included target practice. What do we know about the home schooling requirements, Jon Leiberman?

LEIBERMAN: Well, we know that there are certain guidelines set up, and that`s certainly something police are going to look at right now to see what was the curriculum. What was this kid learning? And does he indeed need to go back to public school at some point? But they`re going to look long and hard about that because this kid`s probably going to serve some time in a juvi, at least a juvi detention center.

GRACE: Well, we`ll find out tomorrow, that hearing bright and early tomorrow morning. Disaster avoided.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0...

What on earth would the curriculum have to do with him collecting an arsonal of weapons?? Not to mention in PA the PUBLIC SCHOOL has to approve the curriculum so it would have been their fault anyway.  

This kid has only been hs'ed for ONE year.  That's it.   The public school had him for 8 years before that and didn't have a clue he was so messed up.   They didn't stop the bullying.

Edit:  Uncle Red - A lot of people are blaming home schooling for this.  It doesn't make any sense.   Yes, blame his parents - I can't believe any mother would buy their kid an assault rifle!!   How stupid.  

However, bringing his so-called hs'ing into the picture isn't right.    When the kids that are in the public system do this do they sit there and say "So what curriculum were they learning in high school this year".   I think we need to look at whether target practice was part of their learning process".

Answer 9

Ridiculous.  So now they will outlaw buying weapons for any teen! I'm sure our Founding Fathers are rolling over in their graves!

And as you pointed out it doesn't make sense - here the kid is plotting to take out the school but he's home schooled? Must be recent cause most homeschoolers I know could care less about what's going on at the local high school...........

Answer 10

What they are concerned about is the type of parent that undertakes home schooling- this one was obviously not qualified.