Home School Heroes

Homeschool leader Christopher Klicka documents the modern history of the homeschool resurgence in America, profiling the legal issues as well as the tireless champions of this education movement.

This is a lively account of one of the most important and overlooked themes in American education. Beginning in the colonial period and working to the present, Gaither describes in rich detail how the home has been used as the base for education of all kinds. The last five chapters focus especially on the modern homeschooling movement and offer the most comprehensive and authoritative account of it ever written. Readers will learn how and why homeschooling emerged when it did, where it has been, and where it may be going. Please visit Gaither's blog here: http://gaither.wordpress.com/homeschool-an-american-history/

This book provides a lively account of one of the most important and overlooked themes in American education. Beginning in the colonial period and working to the present, Gaither describes in rich detail how the home has been used as the base for education of all kinds. The last five chapters focus especially on the modern homeschooling movement and offer the most comprehensive and authoritative account of it ever written. Readers will learn how and why homeschooling emerged when it did, where it has been, and where it may be going. The second edition has been thoroughly revised to incorporate the most recent scholarship on the topic and to provide comprehensive coverage of recent trends.

When Milton Hershey's famous Hershey Bars debuted in 1905, few people knew of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice preceding the triumph. Debt, lack of support, and fatigue had been constant companions for the famous chocolatier and philanthropist - a man with a fourth-grade education.Despite comparisons to his wandering father, Milton never gave up. Learning from his mistakes, he spent a lifetime creating sweet things to eat - first caramel, then chocolate. As his company soared, Milton used his wealth to care for others, founding a town for Hershey workers, a school for children in need, and a foundation dedicated to education, culture, and health care (1857-1945).Heroes of History is a unique biography series that brings the shaping of history to life with the remarkable true stories of fascinating men and women who changed the course of history. The stories of Heroes of History are told in an engaging narrative format, where related history, geography, government, and science topics come to life and make a lasting impression. This is a premier biography line for the entire family.Pages: 192 (paperback)Ages: 10+

Long before Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) served his country as a distinguished statesman he learned the value of hard work and thrift. The son of a soap maker, Franklin left school at 10 years of age to help his father in the family business. Despite the fact that Franklin had stopped attending school, his determination and active mind continued to explore new ideas and opportunities. By the time he had reached adulthood his scientific discoveries, his brilliant mind, and his social gifts had earned him a high place of respect. However, it was Franklin's deep love for his native land and his devotion to individual freedom that sustained him during the long violent years of the American Revolution. Franklin was a true American patriot.

For four decades, the number of conservative parents who homeschool their children has risen. But unlike others who teach at home, conservative homeschool families and organizations have amassed an army of living-room educators ready to defend their right to instruct their children as they wish, free from government intrusion. Through intensive but often hidden organizing, homeschoolers have struck fear into state legislators, laying the foundations for Republican electoral success. In Homeschooling the Right, the political scientist Heath Brown provides a novel analysis of the homeschooling movement and its central role in conservative efforts to shrink the public sector. He traces the aftereffects of the passage of state homeschool policies in the 1980s and the results of ongoing conservative education activism on the broader political landscape, including the campaigns of George W. Bush and the rise of the Tea Party. Brown finds that by opting out of public education services in favor of at-home provision, homeschoolers have furthered conservative goals of reducing the size and influence of government. He applies the theory of policy feedback—how public-policy choices determine subsequent politics—to demonstrate the effects of educational activism for other conservative goals such as gun rights, which are similarly framed as matters of liberty and freedom. Drawing on decades of county data, dozens of original interviews, and original archives of formal and informal homeschool organizations, this book is a groundbreaking investigation of the politics of the conservative homeschooling movement.

In Homeschooling: The History and Philosophy of a Controversial Practice, James G. Dwyer and Shawn F. Peters examine homeschooling’s history, its methods, and the fundamental questions at the root of the heated debate over whether and how the state should oversee and regulate it. The authors trace the evolution of homeschooling and the law relating to it from before America’s founding to the present day. In the process they analyze the many arguments made for and against it, and set them in the context of larger questions about school and education. They then tackle the question of regulation, and they do so within a rigorous moral framework, one that is constructed from a clear-eyed assessment of what rights and duties children, parents, and the state each possess. Viewing the question through that lens allows Dwyer and Peters to even-handedly evaluate the competing arguments and ultimately generate policy prescriptions. Homeschooling is the definitive study of a vexed question, one that ultimately affects all citizens, regardless of their educational background.

From left to right on the political spectrum, there is at least one note of agreement: the nation's school system has not delivered universal quality education. Accordingly, debate has raged over how to rectify this situation. Should the government increase funding, encourage privatisation, some of both? Another option, though, has emerged and is seemingly gaining popularity -- home schooling. Citing both substandard education and displeasure with school environments and curricula, many parents have decided to teach their own children. Supporters say it is well within their rights to raise their children as they see fit and that at-home learning is superior to the public system. Detractors claim that home-schooled children are deprived of social interaction and the broad-based education provided by the system. Neither side wants to cede ground, making the issue of home schooling an integral part of a wider national debate on education. In this book, the specific topic of home schooling is presented from all relevant sides to give a complete picture of the present status of the issue and its potential for future resolution. Following this overview is a thorough and carefully selected bibliography of literature about home schooling from all viewpoints. Easy access to his important resource is then provided via author, title, and subject indexes.