Christian Kids in the Public School

The Barbarian

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It was my distaste for dishonesty that tipped you off, wasn't it?

Yes, I've been a Christian for a long time. Do you claim to be a Christian?
 

The Barbarian

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Well, as you saw earlier, not everyone who claims to be, is.

Our young friend uncritically accepted "evidence" from people who claimed to be Christians, but sure didn't act like it. It was a betrayal of trust, to tell him all those people were homeschooled, when they knew most of them weren't.

They were a pretty poor imitation of Christ, um?
 

Mr. 5020

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Well, as you saw earlier, not everyone who claims to be, is.

Our young friend uncritically accepted "evidence" from people who claimed to be Christians, but sure didn't act like it. It was a betrayal of trust, to tell him all those people were homeschooled, when they knew most of them weren't.

They were a pretty poor imitation of Christ, um?
Do you know that they lied to him, or was it possible that they were misled?
 

The Barbarian

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At some point, someone lied. And even if one is duped when one tells others "facts", honesty requires that one know them to be true. At least I was taught that Christians were held to that standard.

This would have been disasterous for our young friend in a real debate.
 

Mr. 5020

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At some point, someone lied. And even if one is duped when one tells others "facts", honesty requires that one know them to be true. At least I was taught that Christians were held to that standard.

This would have been disasterous for our young friend in a real debate.
It's disastrous, my public-schooled friend. :)

I don't care. This whole thread, it seems like somebody will post four paragraphs, and you'll find one sentence with the slightest inaccuracy in it, and focus only on that. You have made this thread boring. :)
 

The Barbarian

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(Mr. 5020 tries to recover with a typo flame)
It's disastrous, my public-schooled friend.

I'm a bit dyslexic. Feel free to castigate me about it. It helps me improve.

I don't care. This whole thread, it seems like somebody will post four paragraphs, and you'll find one sentence with the slightest inaccuracy in it, and focus only on that.

Let's see... a claim that public education was a "disaster" went down in flames, as TIMSS data made it clear that US public schools are better than in most nations.

A claim that homeschool families were less "dysfunctional" fell apart, after it became clear that the largest group of homeschoolers had higher divorce rates than other people.

And the inflated claims about "successful homeschoolers" turned out to be simple lies.

Not bad for one thread.

You have made this thread boring.

(Barbarian tries a spelling flame of his own)
You misspelled "enlightening."
 

Mr. 5020

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(Mr. 5020 tries to recover with a typo flame)

I'm a bit dyslexic. Feel free to castigate me about it. It helps me improve.
Recover? From what? I wasn't even debating you. :nono:

Let's see... a claim that public education was a "disaster" went down in flames, as TIMSS data made it clear that US public schools are better than in most nations.

A claim that homeschool families were less "dysfunctional" fell apart, after it became clear that the largest group of homeschoolers had higher divorce rates than other people.

And the inflated claims about "successful homeschoolers" turned out to be simple lies.

Not bad for one thread.

(Barbarian tries a spelling flame of his own)
You misspelled "enlightening."
Your pride has made this thread boring...not the debate itself. :)
 

ebenz47037

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(Mr. 5020 tries to recover with a typo flame)


I'm a bit dyslexic. Feel free to castigate me about it. It helps me improve.

Easy out. I'm full-blown dyslexic. You don't see me using it as an excuse. :chuckle:

Let's see... a claim that public education was a "disaster" went down in flames, as TIMSS data made it clear that US public schools are better than in most nations.

At the expense of teaching our children for more than just one test.

A claim that homeschool families were less "dysfunctional" fell apart, after it became clear that the largest group of homeschoolers had higher divorce rates than other people.

No. Not all homeschoolers are evangelical Christians, number one. And, number two, even those who are evangelical don't necessarily follow the norm for their own religious group.

And the inflated claims about "successful homeschoolers" turned out to be simple lies.

Where?

Not bad for one thread.

(Barbarian tries a spelling flame of his own)
You misspelled "enlightening."

You seem to have an over-inflated view of yourself and your "debating" skills.
 

The Barbarian

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Originally Posted by The Barbarian
(Mr. 5020 tries to recover with a typo flame)

I'm a bit dyslexic. Feel free to castigate me about it. It helps me improve.

Easy out. I'm full-blown dyslexic. You don't see me using it as an excuse.

Me either. I suggested he freely criticize me for it. Oh... you are a full-blown dyslexic, aren't you? Sorry.

Barbarian observes:
Let's see... a claim that public education was a "disaster" went down in flames, as TIMSS data made it clear that US public schools are better than in most nations.

At the expense of teaching our children for more than just one test.

Teaching for the test on TIMSS would be impossible; they don't release the test until the students take it. If a school wants them to do well, they have to teach the curriculum, not the test.

Barbarian observes:
A claim that homeschool families were less "dysfunctional" fell apart, after it became clear that the largest group of homeschoolers had higher divorce rates than other people.


Yep. In fact, the data was compiled by an evangelical Christian, George Barna.

Not all homeschoolers are evangelical Christians, number one.

That's what I said. Just most of them.

And, number two, even those who are evangelical don't necessarily follow the norm for their own religious group.

But most do. That's why it's called a "norm."

And the inflated claims about "successful homeschoolers" turned out to be simple lies.


This for example, presented as successful people homeschooled in the last 50 years:

How about John Stuart Mill (Economist), Albert Schweitzer (Physician), Oliver Heaviside (physicist and electromagnetism researcher), Michael Faraday (electrochemist), T.H. Huxley, Sir Frank Whittle (invented turbo jet engine), William Lear (airplane creator), Robert Frost (Pulitzer Prize-winning poet), Mattie J. T. Stepanek (11-year-old author of Heartsongs), Joseph Pulitzer (publisher; established Pulitzer Prize).

Most of them are a lot older than that, and mostly they were actually educated in public or private schools.

Barbarian observes:
Not bad for one thread.

(Barbarian tries a spelling flame of his own)
You misspelled "enlightening."

You seem to have an over-inflated view of yourself and your "debating" skills.

Note that my assertions have evidence. Note that many assertions by others were either incorrect or outright falsehoods. Keep it simple, keep it honest, and it's hard to beat.
 

ebenz47037

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Originally Posted by The Barbarian
(Mr. 5020 tries to recover with a typo flame)

I'm a bit dyslexic. Feel free to castigate me about it. It helps me improve.

Me either. I suggested he freely criticize me for it. Oh... you are a full-blown dyslexic, aren't you? Sorry.

It's not a big deal. My schools made me learn speed reading. That helps almost all the time except for when I'm tired or have a migraine. I just had to say something about it because that's the first time I've seen someone use it for an excuse for misspelling words.

Barbarian observes:
Let's see... a claim that public education was a "disaster" went down in flames, as TIMSS data made it clear that US public schools are better than in most nations.

Teaching for the test on TIMSS would be impossible; they don't release the test until the students take it. If a school wants them to do well, they have to teach the curriculum, not the test.

Didn't you and I have this discussion already? (My paraphrase) And, didn't you tell me that math and science were
the most important subjects to teach and/or test? It sounds like you're flip-flopping here.

Barbarian observes:
A claim that homeschool families were less "dysfunctional" fell apart, after it became clear that the largest group of homeschoolers had higher divorce rates than other people.

Yep. In fact, the data was compiled by an evangelical Christian, George Barna.

That's what I said. Just most of them.

But most do. That's why it's called a "norm."

Just because it's the norm for their religious group doesn't mean that they fall into the norm.

And the inflated claims about "successful homeschoolers" turned out to be simple lies.

This for example, presented as successful people homeschooled in the last 50 years:

How about John Stuart Mill (Economist), Albert Schweitzer (Physician), Oliver Heaviside (physicist and electromagnetism researcher), Michael Faraday (electrochemist), T.H. Huxley, Sir Frank Whittle (invented turbo jet engine), William Lear (airplane creator), Robert Frost (Pulitzer Prize-winning poet), Mattie J. T. Stepanek (11-year-old author of Heartsongs), Joseph Pulitzer (publisher; established Pulitzer Prize).

Most of them are a lot older than that, and mostly they were actually educated in public or private schools.

My mistake on this one. I thought you were talking about us, as homeschooling parents, inflating the claims of our children.

Barbarian observes:
Not bad for one thread.

(Barbarian tries a spelling flame of his own)
You misspelled "enlightening."

Note that my assertions have evidence. Note that many assertions by others were either incorrect or outright falsehoods. Keep it simple, keep it honest, and it's hard to beat.

:chuckle: Since you won't allow anecdotal evidence at all, you've "fixed" this argument so that no one can beat you at all. But, I'm sure you know that already. :think:
 

The Barbarian

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Barbarian observes:
Teaching for the test on TIMSS would be impossible; they don't release the test until the students take it. If a school wants them to do well, they have to teach the curriculum, not the test.

In Texas, the curriculum is designed around the test.

Nope. The TEKS were published long before the TAAKS. TAAKS is required by law to fit the curriculum. Learn about it here:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
 

The Barbarian

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Since you won't allow anecdotal evidence at all,

Anecdotes aren't evidence. They are just stories. If someone told you he knew a dog that could play the harmonica, would it convince you that all dogs can play the harmonica?

you've "fixed" this argument so that no one can beat you at all.

Ah, the well-known homeschooler objection to evidence. Sorry. That's how it works. Evidence wins.

But, I'm sure you know that already.

Yep. It's not hopeless for you, of course. You could put in the effort to find your own evidence. If it exists.
 

The Barbarian

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I've read it. I work for the public school system.

Believe me, the curriculum is based on the test.

Other way around. You only get to see the previous year's test, and you don't know what's on the next one. Schools that teach to the previous test don't do so well. Schools that analyze the TEKS, and carefully teach to them, are much more successful.

It's not dumb to look for style, of course; a smart teacher notices that graphing might be a big deal, or specific kinds of writing. But that doesn't change your curriculum. At best, it makes you change the format of your tests so that students are comfortable with the style of TAAKS.
 

Mr. 5020

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Other way around. You only get to see the previous year's test, and you don't know what's on the next one. Schools that teach to the previous test don't do so well. Schools that analyze the TEKS, and carefully teach to them, are much more successful.

It's not dumb to look for style, of course; a smart teacher notices that graphing might be a big deal, or specific kinds of writing. But that doesn't change your curriculum. At best, it makes you change the format of your tests so that students are comfortable with the style of TAAKS.
I'm sorry. You're wrong.

The schools teach to the previous test. That's why they do so well.
 

The Barbarian

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No, that's the old way, and it didn't work. The district my kids attended does it the other way. And you'll find that they have better results for each demographic and subpopulation than almost all districts in the state.

What they do, is assure that each teacher is using the TEKS and focusing almost exclusively on them. Teachers review the released TAAKS test once, only to see if there are any procedural or test-related problems.

After that, the focus is on the TEKS. And it works better. Can't argue with success.

Remember, it the TAAKS really measures what the state wants to be taught, then teaching from the TEKS is the most sensible approach.
 

Mr. 5020

New member
No, that's the old way, and it didn't work. The district my kids attended does it the other way. And you'll find that they have better results for each demographic and subpopulation than almost all districts in the state.

What they do, is assure that each teacher is using the TEKS and focusing almost exclusively on them. Teachers review the released TAAKS test once, only to see if there are any procedural or test-related problems.

After that, the focus is on the TEKS. And it works better. Can't argue with success.

Remember, it the TAAKS really measures what the state wants to be taught, then teaching from the TEKS is the most sensible approach.
If by "the old way," you mean last year, then fine.

Like I said, this is what I do for a living!
 
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