Banned Words in Textbooks 2009

To kick off the back to school season, I came across a list of words that have been banned from books being published for this new school year.  The words that have replaced them aren’t that different, so why the ban?

Apparently this is one more stab at being politically correct, which is getting more convoluted each year.  Read the following list and you’ll see why:

Banned Word – Replaced Word(s)

Poor – living in poverty

Homeless – living without homes

Minority – historically underrepresented group

Teenager – adolescent

Able-bodied – person who is non-disabled

American – people from the United States

…Seems to me like a lot of effort for very little return on an investment.  I plan on still saying I’m an American.  Saying I’m a “person from the United States” sounds moronic, as would saying I’m a “United Statian.”

Are Home School Diplomas Valid?

If you home school your children, odds are you’ve heard this question before.  Since parents issue the home school diplomas, does that make them any less credible?  The answer is no.  They are just as credible as those issued by your local public high school and here’s why:

1.  High school diplomas are not issued by the state, they are issued by the individual school.  The head of the school approves the applications for a diploma or makes sure that each student has met the criteria set forth by the school.

2.  Non-accredited schools, which includes private and home schools, have the authority to issue diplomas.

Why then are there so many controversies involving home schools?  It all goes back to the belief that parents are not trained to teach their children, even though they have raised their children.  Presenting information to a room full of 25-30 children does take some skill, as well as being able to try and teach children with different abilities.  Parents who home school teach to a select few children, of which they already have intimate knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses.  Parents also have the luxury of teaching at a pace that works best for their child- things don’t have to be compressed into a 7-hour day and in 1-hour increments.

When you attend college you look for the best teacher-student ratio because you know you will get more one-on-one time with the professor.  The same benefit is true when it comes to home schooling.  It could be said that for many children, the quality of their home school education is superior to that of a child lost between the cracks in a public school.

So, home schooling parents, carry on!  Continuing issuing diplomas, sending your kids to college and ignoring the nay-sayers.  Issue those diplomas (even if they have been needle-pointed, like Dharma on the Dharma and Greg television show), knowing that your children received the best education possible.

Charlotte

Editor, Homeschools4you.com