Need help don't understand the reading!?

Question

kay so i was reading this book cuz me and my friend are trying to homeschool. well im alreading homeschooling, but my friend wants to start but we were reading this book and i don't understand the text. PLEASE help!

k well the text is talking about the procedure to follow for going about homeschooling in diffrent states of the U.S. but this talks about not being a U.S. citizen.

heres how it reads:

[ If your not a U.S. citizen, lucky you. unschooling may be more difficult, but yours is the chance to make histor. Depending on where you live, you may have to fortify yourself with a big bottle of courage vitamins, but your actions are truly important. your example will open the door so a big blast of fresh air can blow into the brains of your friends and classmates]

The text above ^ is from the book:

The Teenage Liberation Handbook.

so what exactly does that mean? does it mean she won't be able to homeschool?

What would happen if an ilegal decides to homeschool?

Answer 1

First of all, this book was written ten years ago; at that time, unschooling was still looked on with distrust.  It was thought, by a lot of people, that kids couldn't learn without someone to teach them absolutely everything - without every bit of their curriculum planned out to the "nth" degree.

Now, unschooling is a lot more popular; it's seen as a totally valid method of homeschooling.  It doesn't work for everyone - some kids need a more structured plan - but it does work very, very well for many kids.

This paragraph doesn't mean that she won't be able to homeschool; it means that homeschooling, and especially unschooling, in some places in America is difficult because people just don't understand it.  However, it is perfectly legal in all 50 states.

If she's illegal, she may not even be subject to compulsory education laws (I'm not completely sure on that, someone else may be).  I know that illegals are allowed to attend public school in many areas, but I don't think they're required to.  Because she's not a legal citizen, that may not apply.  You'll need to check further into that.

The laws for homeschooling are different in every state.  In some states, you need to advise the department of education that you are homeschooling and submit to testing or evaluation.  (If she's illegal, that may not apply.)  In other states, you don't have to tell the state anything except that you won't be attending public school (so that the truancy officers don't show up on your doorstep).  Ask your mom about the laws in your state.

All that this paragraph means, though, is that unschooling (as a method of homeschooling) can be difficult to explain to others.  It doesn't really fit what many people think an education should look like, so there will be people who criticize you for it.  However, there are people who will criticize you for just plain homeschooling, so it shouldn't really matter.  :)

Hope that helps!

Edit - in TX, all she has to do is have her parents withdraw her from school.  They don't have to register with the state, she doesn't need to test or be evaluated, and her parents decide when she has completed the requirements for each grade.  Here's a link to the laws and regs: http://hslda.org/laws/analysis/Texas.pdf

In TX, all homeschoolers are considered private schools and are not subject to government oversight.  The only reason the government would get involved is if neglect or abuse was reported - the same as if she was in school.  Homeschooling is not restricted to citizens; anyone can homeschool.  Education is compulsory, school attendance is not.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

You are a good friend to help her try to make her situation better. But also, someone at school needs to know what she is going through so they can put a stop to it. Can she talk to the guidance counselor or a sympathetic teacher? It is outrageous what is being done to her.

I think she can homeschool, not necessarily unschooling but maybe an online program. But how do her parents feel about it? Is there a language barrier? They may be nervous about it, worrying that it might be illegal and not wanting to look for problems.

At the very least your friend needs to change schools, because even if the principal and teachers put a stop to what is going on, she has already been bullied and stigmatized and traumatized by it.

Ask your parents to get involved in helping her overcome these problems. They could be great advocates for her and may be able to help her navigate through the "system."

Good luck to you both. And congratulations on being both compassionate and responsible.

Answer 3

I think that the passage is referring to homeschoolers OUTSIDE of the U.S. when it says "Not a U.S. citizen".  Any child in the United States is subject to compulsary education laws, citizen or not.  She needs to follow the rules of the state in which she resides.