EducateVoice came about as a result of my desire to share what I have learned as a veteran educator.  As a 31 year veteran in the field, change has been a continuous circle for education.  In fact, many of the same philosophical concepts used twenty years ago are now resurfacing as "great new" ideas.  Having worked in all levels of K-12 education in multiple roles and diverse school districts, I personally want to continue to learn and expand my knowledge so that I can continue to be an effective educator.

Turn the TV on and you will hear about our economy's impact on something especially education. This means that during the 2009-2010 year, parents and students can expect a decline in teachers in schools as well as resources.  The mandates for "No Child Left Behind" continue forward with questions about whether it is soon be "No Teachers Left Behind".

In North Carolina there is already discussions include reducing the number of classroom teachers by 12,000 for the 2009-2010 school year. In addition, there is talk of a 10 percent reduction in teachers' salaries. The pay check of all state employees were cut this month by .5 percent.The proposed cuts don't stop but continue with classroom supply funds, textbook allocations, reductions in administrators per schools and much more. 

Is home schooling children better than sending them to public school? From an educator's point of view the home school setting has many pitfalls, but from a parent's perspective, educating one's child at home has many perks. Even so, people are asking "is home schooling the right thing to do?"

Well, according to many of the education experts, home schooling for elementary school in the formative years (Kindergarten to Sixth Grade) is socially damaging. Children of this age group are in their social development and need the kind of socialization that public schools provide. Without this social school exposure, the children may grow up thinking that all people they interact with are like themselves, when in fact, personalities and preferences of citizens they encounter will more than likely differ from theirs. There are serious concerns that these home schooled children will be ill-equipped to handle themselves and might possibly be in a constant state of confusion. So, for the sake of their social future in society, children need to be educated in the public school setting and not at home.

Another point of view to consider is that home school students are not subject to the "police state" now taking place on many school campuses. They are not distracted when the "fire alarm" sounds and what used to be a "fire drill" ends up being an evacuation of the school so law enforcement can have specially trained dogs sniff lockers for bombs and drugs. The home school students are not exposed to other students who are socially challenged in some way and are sometimes the perpetrators of horror in classroom hallways.

Home schooling students in this day and age is something more parents are doing. There is a growing number of students graduating from their "home school" doing well in society.

Some say that in order to get an education you have to attend a public school setting, but for many that is not the case.  It has been studied that many home schooled children are able to out test, in all areas, their peers who have been educated in the traditional fashion.  One advantage to being home schooled is that race, religion, socio-economic status, and other pressures do not influence the child’s learning.  This is because they are receiving one-on-one instruction and do have to compete for the teachers help.  Home schooled children also have the luxury of learning at their own pace.  If they need down time or extra time on a particular subject they have the freedom to take it.   

There is a concern about the social development of home schooled children.  They do not have the daily interaction with peers and other adults.  However, some would answer that the "real world" is not comprised of groups of people all of the same age, and that public schools really do not prepare children socially as well as home schooling does. A public school setting often can offer more tools to learn with.  For example, the science department is equipped with all the lab instruments they will need to perform experiments.  There are also a few standardized tests like the Terra Nova from CAT and the North Carolina End of Grade Test that are not available to homeschoolers.  These tests help to track the child’s learning throughout their education.  Another aspect of home schooling is that it takes a lot of commitment, not only from the student but from the parent too.  The child will have to be committed to completing his studies everyday and the parent will have to take time out of each day to create the curriculum and make sure the child stays on task and answer any questions he may have.  The overall consensus is that only the student and parent knows what is best for their education.  There is a down side and an up side to both public schooling and home schooling; it all depends on the person.

Bullying can come in many forms such as verbal harassment, physical assault and emotional.  Emotional bullying can be less noticeable and come in the form of coercion or manipulation.  It does not only exist at school among children, many adults also experience bullying.  In addition to schools, bullying can happen in places like religious communities, the workplace, home and neighborhoods.  Victims usually have less physical strength and carry less social power than their abuser.  Many child bullies come from abusive homes and adult bullies usually experience some form of abuse at work from coworkers.  

Some examples of bullying are name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion.  Bullying has been put into two different categories: direct and indirect.  Direct bullying is physical including shoving, throwing things, slapping, choking, punching, beating, stabbing, pulling hair, scratching, biting, and pinching.  Indirect bullying is social including gossip, out casting, and making fun of a person's clothing or appearance.

Bullying can have many negative effects on individuals.  It can cause large amounts of stress, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, physical illness school shootings and sometimes suicide.  Some obvious signs that your child is being bullied are bruises or other injuries, but sometimes it is not as easy to spot.  Some signs to look for are a change in behavior or mood, appearing anxious, loss of appetite, excessive sleeping, and if they become uninterested in the things that used to make them happy.  Also pay attention to see if they are intentionally avoiding certain situations like bus rides or events.  In 2003, the children’s charity passed the Act Against Bullying in order to help children being victimized by bullies.