A Call to the Community

Read through to the bottom to find out how you can help!

Review:

In January of 2008, as a result of a new, narrow interpretation of IDEA (federal special education law), the New York State Education Department sent a memo to all state school districts informing them that special education services to homeschooled special education students would have to be terminated no later than mid-March, 2008. Essentially: because IDEA 2004 does not specifically identify homeschooled students as possible recipients of IDEA funds and only identifies "public" and "private" students as eligible for these federal funds, transmission of services to homeschooled students (who are considered "other schooled" in the state of New York) could possibly put New York "out of compliance" with IDEA and could possibly jeopardize New York's continued ability to receive federal monies under IDEA.

This act was done despite:

1. The fact that these services had previously been budgeted for the year and had already been guaranteed to these students.
2. The fact that the families involved were provided with little notice or recourse to due process.

In response, a group of parents from around the state who were affected by this decision joined together to create a task force to reinstate services. They were joined in this effort by, among others, John Munson of NYHEN, Attorney Bridgit Burke from Albany Law School and Attorney TJ Schmidt from the Home School Legal Defense Association. The task force has convened weekly via conference call these past two months to strategize.

The task force was set up with two aims:

1. To re-instate transmission of services to homeschooled special education children.
2. To achieve goal number one in such a way that the homeschooling community at-large is impacted as little as possible.
   

Big News:

The Task Force to Re-Instate Services to Special Ed. Homeschooled Students has obtained a meeting with Dr. Rebecca Cort, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), scheduled for this Friday. Dr. Cort is a high-ranking member of the State Education Department (SED) and it is the hope of the task force that this meeting will result in a "meeting of the minds" regarding the language to be used in an upcoming "program" bill. The task force has been advised that a "program bill" (a bill that is generated from within the state government infrastructure) would be our best hope for a successful outcome, as these bills are nearly automatic in their passage.

1. If this meeting goes successfully, we could be well on the road to reinstating services.
2. Dr. Cort has already made it clear to the task force that she is unwilling to accept either of the two bill-proposals previously generated by the task force. This means that the task force's best hope for success lies in respectfully tweaking the SED-generated proposal.
   

This is a point the task force feels the homeschooling community should be fully cognizant of: based on the realities of this situation, of the personally-held philosophies on homeschooling held by Dr. Cort and other members of the State Education Department, if we do not hew as closely as possible to the language previously proposed by the State Education Department, the task force has very little chance of achieving its primary mission. We have been invited as guests to the decision-making table. We are not, as it were, the hosts throwing the party.


The task force has three objections to the language of the SED bill to reinstate services to homeschooled special education students. They are:

1. Location of Services

• Dr. Cort's office wants to make sure that the language of the bill does not guarantee that services for homeschooled students take place in the home, but only that they may take place in the home, at the discretion of the district.

• The task force believes that the language in this part of the bill should be made more explicit. Additionally, the task force would prefer that the decision for location of services take place at the "Committee for Special Education" level and not at the district level, as the CSE would have specific knowledge regarding the needs and situation of the individual child. This issue is particularly worrisome for parents of medically fragile children and parents within the New York City school system (who often must receive services at home because the city schools do not have the space or time to accommodate homeschooled students).
  

2. The IHIP

• Dr. Cort's office wants to make sure that homeschooled students do not receive special education services unless they are in compliance with state law, so no child can receive services until an IHIP has been filed with the district.

• The task force is concerned that the language of this section of the bill will lead districts to believe that they have a "perceived duty" to more-closely scrutinize the IHIPs of special education students, and would like to add clarifying language to the bill to avoid that possible interpretation. Additionally, the task force is concerned that provision of services will be delayed until an IHIP is approved, as many districts do not review IHIPs over the summer when the majority of the staff may be on vacation.

3. Use of the term 'Homeschooled'

• Since the term 'homeschooled' is not defined elsewhere in the legislation, the task force is concerned that confusion might ensue between students that are homeschooled (most often by their families) and students that are home-educated (due to health issues, rule infractions, etc. and who are educated by the district). The task force would like to explore the use of other terms already established within the legislation.

What You Can Do:

Members of the task force have also been in touch with the media on this subject. For instance, a piece recently aired on ABC News (or copy and paste this hard link: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/education&id=6071194). By April 20, we should have posted a link on NY-Alert to a story in the New York Times on this issue as well. We encourage members of the homeschool community to visit these links and offer commentary in the discussion section of the story and also then ask that they encourage their friends and family to do the same. This will be one way that the State Education Department will see that ours is a relevant cause that is being followed by the public and that special education homeschooled students are not a vulnerable subset standing alone within the homeschooling community.

So, please, visit the ABC link and make a comment. Additionally, check NY-Alert next week for the Times link, as well!

On behalf of the the task force: Thank you!
Andrea Stolz

4th Iteration of Email to Gov. Spitzer: Getting Close to Done

I am a native Long Islander with two sons--an 11 year old dually-diagnosed with PDD-NOS (autistic spectrum disorder) and anxiety, and an 8 year old dually- diagnosed with ADHD and an autoimmune disorder called Hyper IgE Syndrome. I also happen to be a straight-A graduate student at Long Island University's School of Education, four classes short of a degree in elementary and special education.

I began home schooling both children last year after my younger son (whose diagnoses, according to research appearing in peer-reviewed scientific journals, is prone to both bullying [ADHD] and long-bone breakage [Hyper IgE]) was physically attacked two days consecutively by another student. These attacks ultimately resulted in bruising around the neck and the small of the back.

While the school's nurse called me both days to report what had transpired, the elementary school's principal would not return my concerned phone calls until days after I had subsequently placed a phone call with the superintendant of the P-M School District. Even after I explained to the school secretary that I would not be sending my children back to school until I had a verbal guarantee on my child's physical safety, the principal initially continued to ignore my calls. When she ultimately deigned to call, the principal opened our conversation by stating that she "could not GUARANTEE that my child would always be safe."

I am not paraphrasing that last quote.

At this point, my crisis of confidence in the public system was enough to overcome any concerns I might have had about home schooling. I will add: since we've begun home schooling, my older son has made great strides toward overcoming his severe math anxiety and my younger son has graduated to reading chapter books independently. What is more, both children are learning how to overcome the executive-functioning deficits that accompany their respective disabilities--due in large part to the extra one-on-one attention they are receiving.

This year, as home schoolers, both of my children were receiving social skills classes in their respective public schools, in accordance with their IEPs. Now, however, this service is about to abruptly end, due to a new, extremely-narrow interpretation of the federal IDEA legislation from the Board of Regents and NYS Ed. Dept. This new interpretation states that IDEA funds can only be used on public and privately schooled students, not on home schooled students.

My feeling is that the public school system, as it now exists, is not capable of providing my children with the level of care, attention and pedagogical scrutiny they require.

I am not a zealot. I am a concerned parent, who at great personal and financial sacrifice, is trying to provide her two exceptional children with the tools needed to become life-long learners and independent, creative problem-solvers capable of living their lives to the fullest their capabilities allow. I am of the belief that the state simply cannot provide services to all of the children who, with the recent rise in accurate disability-diagnostics, deserve them--not without making sweeping changes to how it collects and spends its funds.

This act by the NYS Ed. Dept. (revoking services to home schooled IEP kids) feels like a slap in the face for families whose financial and emotional resources are already spread thin to breaking. I would like to see Mr. Spitzer introduce legislation to protect the rights of special- education home-schooled students here in New York.

With regards to special education services received by home schoolers, this could be done in two ways:

1. By revising the current interpretation of the 2004 IDEA legislation (IDEA does not STATE that New York CANNOT provide services to home schoolers, it simply does not address home schoolers in New York at all, because New York does not legally identify home schooled children as "privately schooled," as is the case in many other states, including California). This option would require no further legal action on the state's part.

2. Alternatively, Mr. Spitzer could introduce legislation (that, given the political clout of the teacher's union, may or may not pass, but would at least open a forum for discussion on the topic) legally identifying home schooled children in New York as "privately schooled."

Personally? I'm hoping for option number 2!

Thank you for your time.
Andrea Sz

Picture #1: Home schooled kids at a "Wagons West" presentation at Stony Brook's Long Island Museum that gave students a "first-hand," "hands-on" lesson on the rigors endured by 19th century American pioneers.

Picture #2: Drama class with other home schoolers--reinterpretation of the myth of "Perseus and Medusa."

Picture #3: "What Have I Read Lately?" class with other home schoolers.

James' Syllabus for the Year

JAMES’S SYLLABUS FOR THE YEAR

August
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies:
o Rivers of the World (Core Knowledge)
o Looking at a Map Legend (Core Knowledge)
• Reading:
o Poetry Selections
o Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (Picture Book)—Leo and Diane Dillon
o Anansi, The Spider (Picture Book)--Gerald McDermott
o Beautiful Blackbird (Picture Book)—Ashley Bryan
o Uncle Remus: Brer Rabbit—Julius Lester
o “Rivers” Kids Discover Magazine
o Minn of the Mississippi—Holling Clancy Holling
• Math:
o Unit I,—Math U SEE (Beta)
• Geography:
o Rivers, especially The Nile—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Ecology, World We’re In (Core 339-344)
• Field Trip: King Tut Exhibit, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark


September
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies:
o Bill & Pete Go Down the Nile
o I Wonder Why Pyramids Were Built
o Mummies Made in Egypt—Aliki
• Reading:
o Festival of Freedom: Story of Passover—Maida Silverman
o Moses in the Bulrushes—W. Hutton
o Hundredth Name(Picture Book)--Oppenheim
o Yussel’s Prayer(Picture Book)--Cohen
o Tales of the Old Testament (Audio)—read by Jim Weiss
• Math:
o Unit II, Lessons 7-14—Math U SEE (Beta)
• Geography:
o Middle East—www.worldatlas.com

• Science
o Scientific Method—habits of the scientific mind (shell lesson plan)
o Brain and Nervous System (Core Knowledge)
o The Brain: What it is, What it Does—Bruun & Bruun
o Hands-On Science Mysteries—James Robert Taris and Louis James Taris
• Movie: Fiddler on the Roof
• Field Trip: The Cloisters Museum


October
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies:
o Ancient Greece—Core Knowledge: 92-98
• Reading:
o Greek Myths for Young Children—Marcia Williams
o Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War—Marcia Williams
o Wings—Jane Yolen
o Athens vs. Sparta—Nov/Dec 96 Calliope Magazine
• Math:
o Unit III—Math U SEE (Beta)
• Geography:
o Ancient World Rome/Greece—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Understanding the Metric System-- http://edhelper.com/metric_system.htm
o Skeletal & Muscular System (Core Knowledge)
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris
• Movie: Jason and the Argonauts
• Field Trip: Greek and Roman Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Art

November
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic

• Social Studies:
o Ancient Rome—Core Knowledge: 88-114
• Reading:
o Myths from Ancient Greece & Rome—Core Knowledge: 47-56
o Classic Myths to Read Aloud—William Russell
o Pompeii: Kids Discover Magazine
o Pompeii: Buried Alive—Edith Kunhardt
o The First Thanksgiving—Jean Craighead George
o Squanto and the First Thanksgiving—Joyce Kessel
o Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors—Dennis Fradin
o Our Solar System—Seymour Simon
o Space---Ian Ridpath
• Math:
o Unit IV—Math U SEE (Beta)

• Science:
o Astronomy as it relates to the myths: Stars: A New Way to See Them—H. A. Rey
o Astronomy: Core Knowledge (320-333)
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris
• Field Trip: Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City


December
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies:
o Early Explorers in North America (130-139)
• Reading:
o The Apple and the Arrow: The Legend of William Tell—Buff
o People of the Breaking Day—Marcia Sewall
o Christopher Columbus: From Vision to Voyage—George Ancona\
o Exploration & Conquest: The Americas after Columbus: 1500-1620
• Math:
o Review & Final—Math U SEE (Beta)
• Geography:
o Europe—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris
o Sound and Hearing—Core 315-318
• Miracle at 34 th St.
• Field Trip: New York City at Christmastime

January
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies:
o English Colonies in N. America/American Indians (Core)
• Reading:
o The Story of William Penn—Aliki
o The Pilgrims of Plimouth—Marcia Sewall
o If You Lived in Colonial Times—Ann McGovern
o If You Sailed on the Mayflower—Ann McGovern
• Math:
o Unit I,—Math U SEE (Gamma)
• Geography:
o North America—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Light & Vision (Core)
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris


February
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies
o The Vikings: Raiders & Traders (Core)
• Reading:
o The People Could Fly—Virginia Hamilton
o Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Man Who Changed Things—Carol Greene
o A Picture Book of Rosa Parks—David Adler
o The Story of Ruby Bridges—Robert Coles
o Mythology: Gods, Heroes & Tricksters from Scandinavia (Core)
• Math:
o Unit II—Math U SEE (Gamma)
• Geography:
o United States—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Movie: Raisin in the Sun
• Field Trip: Studio Museum in Harlem

March
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies
o American History—Core (120-129)
• Reading:
o Mexican Folktales From the Border—Riley Aiken
o Iroquois Stories: Heroes & Heroines, Monsters & Magic—Joseph Bruchac
o Learning About Literature—Core (58)
o Sayings & Phrases—59-62
• Math:
o Unit III—Math U SEE (Gamma)
• Geography:
o South America—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris
• Field Trip: Met—Art of the Spanish Americas

April
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Reading:
o Klara’s New World—Jeanette Winter
o The Lotus Seed—Sherry Garland
o Molly’s Pilgrim—Barbara Cohen
o Peppe, The Lamplighter—Elisa Bartone
o Silver at Night—Susan Bartoletti
• Math:
o Unit IV—Math U SEE (Gamma)
• Geography:
o World—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris
• Field Trip: Lower East Side Tenement Museum
• Movie: Avalon
• Movie: I Remember Mama

May
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies:
o Civilizations in Asia—Core (2nd Grade) 97-112
• Reading:
o The Arabian Nights—Brian Alderson
o Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves—Walter McVitty
o Just So Stories (selections)—Rudyard Kipling
• Math:
o Review and Finale—Math U SEE (Gamma)
• Geography:
o Asia—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris
• Field Trip: International Center of Photography
• Movie: Stolen Childhoods

June
• Writing:
o Grade 3 Writing Curriculum Week by Week Lessons-Scholastic
• Social Studies:
o Review
• Reading:
o Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes…--Kathleen Krull
o Round Buildings, Square Buildings and Buildings that Wriggle Like Fish—Philip Isaacson
o Tar Beach—Faith Ringgold
o Faith Ringgold—Robin Montana Turner
o John Muir: Man of the Wild Places—Carol Greene
• Math:
o Review, if necessary
• Geography:
o review—www.worldatlas.com
• Science:
o Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris
o What were your favorite experiments from this year? Why?
• Movie: Miracle Worker
• Field Trip: Fun day in New York/Central Park.

Quiet, Right? Look here!

Ben contributes money saved from tooth fairy and lemonade stands to Riverhead Foundation affiliated with Atlantis Marine World. Total contribution (given in Boy Scout popcorn can in cold, hard cash) exceeds $60.

BEN’S SYLLABUS FOR THE YEAR
(Created by his mom with help from E. D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge series and Books to Build On.)

August
• Writing Theme:
Years from now: what will I remember from my experiences this summer?
• Social Studies:

• Deserts

• Plants and Animals of the Deserts (Core Knowledge: 75-81)

• Reading:

• Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (Picture Book)—John Steptoe

• Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (Picture Book)—Leo and Diane Dillon

• Anansi, The Spider (Picture Book)--Gerald McDermott

• Abiyoyo (Picture Book)—Pete Seeger

• Beautiful Blackbird (Picture Book)—Ashley Bryan

• The People Who Could Fly: American Black Folktales—Virginia Hamilton

• Math:

• Unit I, Lessons 1-6—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• Africa—www.worldatlas.com

• Field Trip: King Tut Exhibit, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark


September
• Writing Theme:

• Why do you think that God is important?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• “Judaism & Christianity”—Core Knowledge, 83-90

• How Do You Spell God? (Nonfiction)—Marc Gellman &Thomas Hartman (The God Squad)

• Reading:

• Buddha (Picture Book)—Susan Roth

• Parables(Picture Book)—Tomie DePaola

• Hundredth Name(Picture Book)--Oppenheim

• Yussel’s Prayer(Picture Book)--Cohen

• Tales of the Old Testament (Audio)—read by Jim Weiss

• Math:

• Unit II, Lessons 7-14—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• SW Asia—www.worldatlas.com

• Science

• Scientific Method—habits of the scientific mind (shell lesson plan)

• Galileo (biography)—Leonard Everett Fisher

• Hands-On Science Mysteries—James Robert Taris and Louis James Taris

• Movie: Jesus Christ, Superstar
• Field Trip: The Cloisters Museum


October
• Writing Theme:

• What is beauty? Why do I find things beautiful?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Ancient Greece—Core Knowledge: 92-98

• Reading:

• Myths & Stories—Core Knowledge: 25-45

• Children’s Homer—Padraic Colum

• Athens vs. Sparta—Nov/Dec 96 Calliope Magazine

• Math:

• Unit III, Lessons 15-20—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• Ancient World Rome/Greece—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Understanding the Metric System-- http://edhelper.com/metric_system.htm

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Classical Art”—Core Knowledge (172-174)

• Movie: Jason and the Argonauts
• Field Trip: Greek and Roman Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Art

November
• Writing Theme:

• What is heroism?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Ancient Rome—Core Knowledge: 100-105

• Reading:

• Myths & Stories—Core Knowledge: 25-45

• Classic Myths to Read Aloud—William Russell

• Great Lives: Medicine (biography)—Rob Curtis

• Math:

• Unit IV, Lessons 21-30—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Science:

• Astronomy as it relates to the myths: Stars: A New Way to See Them—H. A. Rey

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Medieval” Art—Core Knowledge (176-180)

• Movie: Spartacus
• Movie: Camelot
• Field Trip: Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City


December
• Writing Theme:

• Which is more helpful to mankind: science or religion?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• The Enlightenment—Core Knowledge: 106-109

• Reading:

• The Universe for the Beginner—Patrick Moore

• Quotes: Descartes, Hobbes, Jefferson, B. Franklin, Newton, Galileo

• Math:

• Review & Final—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• Europe—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Renaissance” and “Neoclassical” Art—Core Knowledge (180-190)

• Movie: 1776
• Field Trip: New York City at Christmastime

January
• Writing Theme:

• When is it right to go to war to create change?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• French Revolution & Romanticism—Core Knowledge: 111-120

• Reading:

• The French Revolution—Adrian Gilbert

• Math:

• Unit I,—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• North America—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Romantic” and “Rococo” Art—Core Knowledge

• Movie: Tale of Two Cities
• Field Trip: Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

February
• Writing Theme:

• In an ideal society, how should workers be treated?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Industrialism, Capitalism, Socialism—Core Knowledge: 122-130

• Reading:

• Marie Curie: Brave Scientist—Keith Brandt

• Read aloud: 1984

• W E B Du Bois and Racial Relations—Seamus Cavan

• Math:

• Unit II—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• United States—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Realism”—Core Knowledge

• Movie: Raisin in the Sun
• Movie: On the Waterfront
• Field Trip: Studio Museum in Harlem

March
• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Latin American Independence—Core Knowledge: 132-141

• Reading:

• Jose De San Martin, Latin America’s Quiet Hero—Jose Fernandez

• Spanish South America—May/June Calliope Magazine

• Living in South America—Chantal Henry Biabaud

• Simon Bolivar: Latin American Liberator—Frank de Varona

• Math:

• Unit III, Lessons 15-20—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• South America—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Latin Artists”

• Movie: Evita
• Field Trip: Met—Art of the Spanish Americas

April
• Writing Theme:

• What do you think the experience was for immigrants?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Immigration to the US—Core Knowledge: 142-148

• Reading:

• Immigrant Kids—Russell Freedman

• Math:

• Unit IV—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• World—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Field Trip: Lower East Side Tenement Museum
• Movie: Avalon
• Movie: I Remember Mama

May
• Writing Theme:

• How did photography affect politics and law?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Industrialization & Urbanization—Core Knowledge: 92-98

• Reading:

• Read aloud: Hard Times—Charles Dickens

• Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor—Russell Freedman

• Math:

• Review and Finale—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• US Features & Urban Centers—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Photography of Urbanization and Industrialization”—selections

• Field Trip: International Center of Photography
• Movie: Stolen Childhoods

June
• Writing Theme:

• Hope: Why should we feel hopeful about the future?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Reform—Core Knowledge

• Reading:

• Story of Booker T. Washington—Patricia McKissack

• The Story of the Haymarket Riot—Charnon Simon

• Math:

• Review, if necessary

• Geography:

• World—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• What were your favorite experiments from this year? Why?

• Movie: Miracle Worker
• Field Trip: Fun day in New York/Central Park.

Shark Week is Coming!

Discovery Channel's Shark week happens at the end of this month! July 29 through August 4, people!!! The boys and I had an absolute blast tonight playing with a Shark Video Mixer on the station's website--it's very similar in design to iMovie: you just drag and drop images, clips, sound effects, transitions and music onto a time-line...and then click "play" to enjoy the fruits of your labors!

It's a great exercise in sequencing events as well as a science lesson AND a creative lark.

Oh, c'mon! When was the last time YOU went on a creative lark???

Inside the Belly of the Beast

We had the boys' annual IEP reviews this morning. Even though we are home schooling, the district keeps paperwork on the boys so that if we decide to send them back to public school, my guys won't have to wait months for needed services and programs to kick in. Additionally, any services that they are eligible for continue as long as I am willing to bring them to the school to receive them.

Services, as it turns out, are different from programs. So, even though the boys were found eligible for resource room (ie: small group instruction), they do not receive resource room if we home school, because resource room is a program. They are eligible, however, for the service of social skills classes. And I said that, yes, we would be interested in taking advantage of that program for both boys--I'm good, but there are certain programs even I cannot duplicate at my kitchen table...

Ben would also have been eligible for a full-time aide if he were in public school, but would not have been found eligible for the inclusion classroom. Least Restictive Environment, in our case, would apparently mean that having Joe-in-eighth-grade's mom standing next to Ben and his locker, reminding him to pack his math book for sixth period would be preferable to keeping him in the same classroom all day long without a locker while his teacher helped him develop requisite organizational and planning skills...

Not only is the stigma of having a neighborhood mom as a shadow undesirable when one is in middle school (particularly when one is socially handicapped already)...my experience is that a neighborhood mom's first instinct is to do for the child rather than to teach the child so that he can develop the requisite skills for himself. This, to my mind, is the key difference between using moms-- as opposed to teachers-in-training--as aides. Well, and the mom is less expensive. And easier to find...


So, our first half-hour was spent going over Ben's paperwork. A couple of eyebrows were raised when the idea of inclusion was so summarily shot down for him. Particularly those of the school psychologist--who had strongly encouraged this option for Ben when we met last fall for his triennial review...

His teacher actually started to shake her head, but then caught herself...

I would have been heartbroken if Ben were still in public school--and then readied myself for yet another battle, yet more lost time, more disappointments and failures for Ben before he was found eligible for treatment he legitimately needed. As it was, I just shrugged. It was so freeing: not having to take on that worry...

The second half-hour was spent talking about James. Many of the same people were present: school psychologist, resource room teacher, CSE (Committee of Special Education) chairperson...but this time James' old teacher sat to my right, replacing Ben's teacher.

Mrs. Resource Room spoke of James' willingness to work but difficulty with sequencing and organizing thoughts when writing, and also about his inability to generalize skills learned with her into the general ed. classroom. Mrs. Psychologist talked about James' positive attitude and willingness to search out help from an adult when he was confused, but also emphasized his difficulty in negotiating new social situations and his lack of eye-contact when dealing with peers.

"Is he coming back next year?" his teacher asked then.

"No, not next year," I told her. "I have the ability to help him with skills one-on-one right now and I believe that is what he needs at this point."

"But the socialization!" his teacher began...

"We belong to a home school group now," I tried to assure her.

She shook her head, "It's not the same, it's not the same! Look, we can make sure that he isn't put in the same classroom with...certain other students..."

"James may come back to public school at some point," I told his teacher, "but it will only happen when I believe the skills he needs to do well in a public school environment are in place."

"Well, you are his parent--you have the right to make these decisions for him," she replied, clearly dismayed.

Right!

...Said the woman who never contacted me to make sure that James was all right after the school bully physically and brutally attacked him two days in a row on school property--LEAVING BLACK AND BLUE BRUISES BOTH TIMES. (The same school bully who PS: according to a Dad I chatted with this weekend, has moved onto physically attacking yet another child within this woman's classroom...).

But sunshine and light. That was me. I am not here to seek retribution, to lay blame! NO! I am here to make sure that my children get whatever services they are eligible for...

...and, so, because it is in their best interests to create and maintain as positive a relationship as possible with the people involved this bureaucracy, I grit my teeth and say nothing.

They Get Their 'Cool Heads in a Crisis' From Me...

Understand: In many ways, the boys and I are brave, stoic, resourceful types. You want someone to stand up for what is right and good, beneficial to both mankind and mother earth? We will COME to your peace vigil. We will MARCH in your rally. We will make and carry concise, insightful signs that will bring the brotherhood of man to its collective knees in a glorious, communal EPIPHANIC understanding of JUST WHERE THINGS WENT HORRIBLY AWRY! We are also, to the last, very, very good at regaling peers and loved ones with well-constructed tales replete with credible story arc, fresh imagery and topically relevant soundtracks!

But bugs. We are not so good there. MmmmMMMmmm!

To illustrate my point, one of my all-time favorite fraternal exchanges:

James, aged 4: ISAWASPIDER! ABIGBLACKSPIDERWITHHAIRYLEGS! (scrambles up the couch)

Ben, a very sage 7: (dismissively) THAT is a daddy longlegs. You've been reading too many books about bugs. You are developing a phobia.

James: I DON'T have a phobia!!! I'm just scared!!! (author's note: pronounced 'sceh-wid')

Ben: You do have a phobia. A phobia is an irrational fear. Like my irrational fear of boat propellers.

James: Well, I don't have a phobia of BUGS. Just ARACHNIDS.

Although, for the record, both children AS WELL AS THEIR MOTHER have always gone certifiably berzerk in the face of anything with segmented leg-pairs or waving antennae. Personally? I like to think of this as PART OF OUR CHARM.

So, you can only imagine with what chagrin one nest-building hornet-ish looking thing in the southwest kitchen window was then greeted the other day. With the above-mentioned stoic resolve and speedy reflexes I closed (and locked!) the window, moved lessons out to the couch (just to be safe!), and announced that Dad would most certainly take care of the issue when he got home that evening.

Which he did. Dad dutifully waited until nightfall, carefully slipped off the screen and storm windows, and hosed our little friend and her papery starter-home into the winged hereafter.

"Wow, she was really BIG!" the husband noted, subsequently gazing at the soggy, lifeless VERY LARGE form on the ledge. "What should we do with her?"

And here is where I had...what in literary circles is oft referred to as a moment of 'tragic hubris'. I'd just that afternoon read a WONDERFUL article to the boys from the latest edition of Home Education Magazine about a home schooling mother who decided to end a unit on Egyptian history with an attempt to mummify an oven roaster--with, of course, disastrous and unexpected results. Logically, this made me say:

"Let's keep her. Maybe the boys would like to take a closer look at her tomorrow. Maybe they'd be more comfortable around bugs if they understood them a little better. We'll just put her in a resealable bag to keep everyone safe." (See, the mummifying chicken in the article ("king cluck") was stored in a resealable baggie...)

Well. Holy chitinous exoskeleton, Batman! Guess who was alive and doin' the Texas Two-Step next to my vase of Mother's Day flowers this morning?

I ALMOST DIDN'T SEAL THE BAGGIE!!!! Me! The woman who once spent six hours alone in a garden apartment bedroom in central Florida waiting for her spouse to return from his traditional sixteen-hour work day, because a palmetto bug had flown into my living room AND IF I'D LEFT THE BEDROOM...well, then, it could GET ME.

It goes without saying that the door was also locked with a towel from the laundry shoved into the crack beneath the door...

"What do you think, now?" the husband dubiously asked this morning.

And James and I, in unison, agreed: kill it, KILL IT, KILLLLLL ITTTT!!!

Buddha 101

I get a chatty, philosophical email everyday from Brian Johnson of Zaadz. Usually a quote to urge me further down the path of the examined life with a bit at the end elucidating further on the life or ideology of the quotee. It's like a little slice of crunchy California sunshine every morning...

I've started to read and discuss some of these quotes with the boys. Today's quote was from Buddha:

"One who conquers himself is greater than another who conquers a thousand times a thousand on the battlefield."

"What do you think is meant by 'one who conquers himself'?" I asked first.

Glum silence of disinterest.

"Well, what does conquer mean?" I continued.

"To FIGHT AND KILL AND DESTROY!" the second-born shouted in a most un-Buddha-like manner, suddenly enthralled by today's lesson.

"Okay, those are some examples of conquering," I agreed. "But would you do those things to yourself? Do you think that Buddha wanted people to...hit themselves with a big hammer over the head? Would that be better than conquering a thousand times a thousand people on the battlefield?"

Upon deeper consideration...about five minutes worth...with re-enactments...and sound effects...we decided that no, that's not what Buddha was after. We decided that Buddha wanted us to look at the things we most wanted to change in ourselves.

And that's when things got good.

"I wish I weren't so quick to yell," Ben said. "And I wish I didn't argue so much with Dad."

"Kinda feels like a battle, right? Fighting against those habits?" I asked.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Absolutely."

"I wish I weren't so wiggly," James offered then.

"Do you think there's stuff that mom fights against, too?" I asked. "Stuff I'd like to do better?" We agreed that mom most certainly had her own internal struggles...rarely such unanimous assent here at home school high...

Afterwards, the boys drew pictures of some of the habits and traits they battled. I'm gonna work on my drawing later, after the boys are in bed...

Look Kids! Parliament! Big Ben!

I had to drop off some paperwork at the home of a prof out in Nassau County this morning...sooooooo, it seemed like a perfect day for a beach field trip. Ever since our trip a week ago with LIGHT to the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center, the boys have been asking to go back and walk on the beach. Ben wanted to see if he could find shark's teeth (more challenging than expected, as it turns out...) and more shark egg cases, while James wanted to prove to me that the water was NOT too cold for swimming.

After forcing the boys to repeat the words, "I understand that I am not going swimming today and will not continue to torture my mother with additional requests," (no, really, I made them say it) we were on our way.

Woo-hoo! Mapquest safely gets me to the the home of the prof! Then: Jones Beach Bound! I grew up as a Wantagh Parkway girl, personally--but who am I fooling? I didn't learn to drive until I left the Island, after I was married. So there I am tooling down the Meadowbrook Parkway...the boys are quizzing each other on subtraction math facts from the back seat because I AM JUST THAT ORGANIZED and have provided them with work during the ride...

Really (I ask myself at that moment), how do I manage to do it all so well? Pshaw, I explain to myself (as if I'm giving a red-carpet interview), nothing replaces God-given talent and sma--

"Oh, no..." I mutter softly.

"What, what?!?" comes the immediate response from the back seat.

"How am I going north on the Meadowbrook?" I ask myself. "We were going south a minute ago...before that Loop Parkway bit..."

"Mom, mom!" the first-born points out (because we just went over this last week in a lesson), "the beaches are on the south shore; you're going the wrong way!"

"Oh, look! There's a turnaround up here! We're fine, fine! Anyone want to tell me what kind of plant life they're seeing outside the window?" I ask, putting us firmly back on home school terra firma.

"Pine trees and bushes?" the first born responds.

"Any maple trees or oaks like back in our neighborhood?" I query.

And then: "Oh, drat." The turnaround doesn't get me over there! Where I want to be! I can see it BUT I CAN'T GET TO IT! ARGGGGGGH!

"Don't answer her! She needs to CONCENTRATE!" the second-born shouts out. For the record, yes: this is something I tell my children while we're driving, on a fairly regular basis.

"No, no!" I respond. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but really! This could be a great teachable moment!"

"No, mom! You're cut off! No teaching time minutes until you're in the parking lot! Capiche?" my shy child remonstrates.

I realize he's probably right. Oh, hey! Another turnaround! Woo-hoo! This one is working!

"All right. Capiche," I agree.