There have been several cases in the news recently of men who have killed their wives and children. There is St. Charles, MO, county born, Joliet, IL, resident Christopher Vaughan, 32, who was arrested at the funeral of his wife and three children for their murder in Channahon, IL, forty miles southwest of Chicago. And there is pro wrestler Chris Benoit of Fayette County, GA, who was apparently on steroids or suffering from their effects when he suffocated his wife and seven-year-old son before hanging himself. Another that I have been following, because I am an Ohio native, is Bobby Cutts Jr., 30, a Canton, Ohio, police officer, who is accused of killing 26-year-old Jessie Davis and her unborn daughter at her northeast Ohio home on June 14. Davis was missing for about a week before her body was found in a Summit County park Saturday, still carrying the baby she was due to deliver July 3. According to radio news reports, Cutts eventually confessed and led police to the body. Hours before Cutts’ arraignment, Stark County Family Court Judge David Stucki dismissed an Ohio custody case between Cutts and his former girlfriend, Nikki Giavasis, who now resides in Los Angeles County, CA, over the 9-year-old girl. Stucki cited the charges against Cutts as one factor in his decision, said Jeffrey Jakmides, an Ohio lawyer representing Giavasis. The 9-year-old had stayed with Cutts in his home outside North Canton in April 2006 and from June to December 2006, court records show. The decision followed a report by Dr. J.H. Carter-Lourensz, which was filed in court on Jan. 11. Carter-Lourensz, a UCLA child psychiatry professor and independent child abuse evaluator, interviewed the girl after Giavasis requested a review. Carter-Lourensz wrote in a follow-up report that the 9-year-old felt ‘sexually unsafe and threatened verbally, emotionally and physically by Mr. Cutts.’ Carter-Lourensz found in her interview with the 9-year-old that Cutts would often hit or threaten his daughter, but would always laugh afterward and say he was kidding, the report said. The 9-year-old is Cutts’ first child. He has another daughter, Breonna, born in 2001 to a woman he married shortly thereafter. In fact, he was married to this woman when he and Davis together had a 2-year-old son, Blake. Also, Davis’ family members said Cutts was the father of Davis’ nearly full-term fetus. Cutts’ stepmother, Barbara Cutts, on Monday called her stepson a generous man good with kids who coached youth soccer, basketball and football. "It’s very hard to accept," said Barbara Cutts, 46, a nurse’s aide. "A lot of people are looking at him like a bad person, but he’s not, he really isn’t." I appreciate family members who stand by their relatives through thick and thin, but here is a fellow who gets girlfriends pregnant, beats children, and has murdered a mistress and her unborn child. What else would he have to do to be a "bad person"? When will our society learn that people must be held accountable for their misdeeds and punished to the full extent of the law so that justice and sanity can once again return to our land? Certainly, this is something that we homeschooling parents must impress upon our children!
Monthly Archives: June 2007
Biblical Homeschooling
The July, 2007, issue of Biblical Homeschooling, a monthly e-mail newsletter of general interest, encouragement, and information for homeschooling Christians, is ready to start being e-mailed next week.
Following a guest editorial by Marla Nowak, there are articles dealing with grammar, Francis Marion (early American hero), Louis Moreau Gottschalk (American composer), early English hymns, and a Bible story, along with a monthly meditation, news and notes, book reviews, an interview with a mom who is homeschooling a daughter with Down Syndrome, and other items related to homeschooling.
The newsletter is free. All a person has to do to receive it is to send a blank e-mail to biblicalhomeschooling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and follow the instructions that will be sent to you, or subscribe from the web at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biblicalhomeschooling .
Governor recommends homeschooling:
According to a June 20, 2007, report in Idaho’s Boise Weekly, "Late last month, Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter found time in his schedule to make some glowing remarks at the ‘graduation’ ceremony of a group of home educated students. The prepared text of the speech, which was provided to the Boise Weekly, shows that Otter was prepared to do more than just wish the assembled children well. Otter was on hand to tell the students that their unregulated, undocumented form of education was just the sort of thing this country needs more of. Although Idaho law decrees that the state must provide some form of public education, he said, he was more than happy to see parents take their kids’ learning into their own hands. The remarks were written as a prepared speech for Otter; he may have diverged from them in actual delivery. ‘Yes, Idaho’s Constitution mandates a thorough system of public education,’ Otter said. ‘But ultimately, only the family and the individual citizen can be responsible for their own education.’ Otter described homeschooling as a fair extension of what President George Washington meant when he discussed, in his first inaugural address, the ‘sacred fire of liberty’ that was ‘staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. Think about that,’ Otter said. ‘It doesn’t say, "entrusted to the hands of the public schools." It says, "entrusted to the hands of the American people."’ Further, he said, ‘There can be no firmer foundation for your future than the education you have received at home.’" Of course, the article had to point out "that Idaho doesn’t really have a clue as to what sort of education students are getting in their homes. Luna said the state of Idaho doesn’t have any methods for tracking students individually, much less those students who aren’t enrolled in public education programs," and quote Sherri Wood of the Idaho Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union, who said her organization does not oppose homeschooling per se, but she questions the ability of all parents to take over a child’s education. "We have found that homeschool parents are not necessarily taking on the responsibility that they should take on as educators," Wood said. Also, Wood said, kids who aren’t in school are missing out on the socializing effects a public school offers kids. "They’re pretty isolated," Wood said. "They don’t have any of those socialization skills. Employers want students who aren’t just skilled in academics. They want them to get along well with other people." But it also quoted Linda Patchin, the director of Christian Homeschoolers of Idaho State, who said the school environment is precisely why some parents take their kids out of school. All four of her kids were taught at home, she said in an interview; one just graduated from Albertson College, and another is at Boise State. Like many homeschoolers, she took her kids’ education into her own hands because she didn’t like the values they were exposed to in public schools. (Thanks to Gary and Kathy Davis of www.HomeSchoolBuzz.com for this information.)
Homeschool Facts
I just received this e-mail today and thought that others might be interested in it.
Homeschool Facts
Free Homeschool Information
Homeschool Facts has just completed a major renovation to the website: www.Homeschoolfacts.com. Please check out the website, your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Homeschool Facts is the brainchild of a consortium of homeschool parents, licensed educators, counselors and researchers. We are passionate about education choice, and especially the parent’s right to choose their child’s education.
Years ago, there was little information available, and even less homeschool support. Over the past couple of years, we have collected information about and for homeschoolers. Now, we would like to share it with you.
We will never claim to know everything there is to know about homeschooling, in fact, we continue to learn every day from all the homeschoolers we have met around the world. If you see something that doesn’t ring true, please let us know. You’re opinion counts.
Included in our new website:
• Homeschool Support Group Listings throughout the United States – Add your own group for FREE.
• Homeschool Friendly Colleges – Over 1400 colleges that have accepted homeschoolers
• Best-in-Class: Opinions from subscribers about the best in homeschool curriculum, resources, websites, and support groups.
• State Laws: The legal issues of homeschooling, explained state-by-state.
• … and much, much more.
Please feel free to browse our shelves, complete a survey, and contribute to this collection. If you belong to a homeschool support group, please check out our state-by-state listings and make sure your group’s information is up-to-date. All homeschool support group listings are FREE.
You can easily add or edit your own homeschool support group information. Clicking on the "list your Support group" banner will ask you for your email address. If your group already exists, it will ask you to choose a password, if it is a new listing, you can then add and edit your group information.
A major new feature: You can keep updated articles about your homeschool support group on our site. To add an article, go to: http://homeschoolfacts.com/admin. Use the e-mail address and password that you have set up. Add and update articles any time you want. Let the members of your group know they can find updated information about homeschool activities at: www.homeschoolfacts.com
Thanks, in advance, for your contributions.
The HomeschoolFacts Staff
info@homeschoolfacts.com
www.HomeschoolFacts.com
Q: What did the early church fathers believe about the days of creation in Genesis?
A: A number of biblical creation scholars have thoroughly researched what these church fathers believed. They found that based on the biblical text, the majority of church fathers either specifically stated that the days of creation were ordinary days or that the universe could only be a few thousand years old. In fact, when you look at 18 centuries of biblical scholarship—beginning from the time of Christ—a significant majority of biblical scholars believed that Genesis taught that the creation days were literal days. They believed the universe could only be thousands of years old. The reason most biblical scholars of the past 200 years believe the creation days are not ordinary days has nothing to do with what the Bible clearly states in Genesis 1. What’s the reason? It’s because they’ve been influenced by secular scientists to believe in millions of years. When Christians reinterpret the days of creation to fit in millions of years, they’ve undermined the authority of the Word of God … and made fallible man the authority. (From Answers in Genesis Weekly News e-mail newsletter, June 16, 2007; if you are not a current subscriber of this newsletter but would like to become one, sign up at www.answersingenesis.org/email/ . )
Homeschooled student wins award
TATE NETS ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
from Maryville University, St. Louis, MO
[Editor’s note: What the article does NOT say, and why I have included it in this blog, is that Tyler was homeschooled his whole life until college. WSW.]
ST. LOUIS – Maryville University’s Tyler Tate has been named a Second Team College Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Tate, a junior from St. Louis, majoring in biology/pre-medicine, posted a 9-1 record at #3 Singles and an 8-2 record at #2 Doubles as a member of the Saints men’s tennis team. He earned First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) honors after winning the individual championship at #3 Singles. He was also a Honorable Mention All-SLIAC selection at #2 Doubles.
Tate has a career singles record of 25-12, a career doubles record of 25-15 and is the first Maryville men’s tennis player to earn Academic All-America® honors. He is a University Scholar, a member of the Dean’s List and was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Tate is also a three-time Academic All-SLIAC recipient, a member of SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), a member of the Keith Lovin Institute for Leadership and Values and serves as a peer tutor.
The Academic All-America® program annually honors more than 1,600 student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America® honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reach sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
ESPN The Magazine – winner of the 2006 and 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence – is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.9 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.
For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com or e-mail rlipe@bentley.edu .
Maryville University, founded in 1872, is a private, coeducational institution offering approximately 50 undergraduate, seven master’s and two doctoral degree programs to 3,300 students. Ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges in the Midwest, Maryville University prepares its students for successful and meaningful careers by offering programs that integrate liberal arts with professional studies.
Among Maryville’s most recent graduates, 94 percent are employed or attending graduate school. Approximately 15,000 alumni work and live in the St. Louis region.
Four recent news items
Brave New Schools–What’s going on at your local public school?: According to the Manchester, NH, Union Leader of Tue., Jun. 12, 2007, the city school board voted for an investigation into a field trip that brought middle school students to a Planned Parenthood office in Manchester. The previous Wednesday, students in the STAY program, a program for at-risk middle school students that is operated by the YMCA, visited the Planned Parenthood offices as part of a field trip to social service agencies throughout the city. The school board instructed school administrators to investigate the matter, recommend any changes needed to school policies and decide if any disciplinary action needs to be taken. Mayor Frank Guinta said about the investigation, "It needs to happen immediately." He said it shouldn’t take more than a few days. School board member Doug Kruse yesterday said the field trip violated the trust of parents. "The STAY program must go because they have not demonstrated they are responsible for our children," Kruse said. He also pointed out that Dawn Michaud, the principal at Parkside Middle School, told the New Hampshire Union Leader that she was aware if the visit, but told her supervisors she had no knowledge of the stop. "Somebody doesn’t have their story straight," Kruse said. Assistant Superintendent Frank Bass defended Michaud saying that she was flustered by a call from a reporter and was not sure what was happening. If that is the case, do we really want people who are this incompetent in charge of our children in our schools? Keep your kids at home where they will be safe from such obvious indoctrination. And be thankful for people like Kruse and Guinta.
What Our Kids Are Missing Out On Dept.: In The Imperfect Homeschooler e-mail newsletter, June, 2007, homeschool mom and author Barb Frank wrote, "When I was in high school, some of the ‘bad kids’ would go into Chicago to buy marijuana. We thought that was awful, but who could have imagined this? Read the third and fourth paragraphs for the shocking list of what’s being sold in schools these days and who’s doing the selling." She was referring to a Seattle Times article headlines "Cops posing as Federal Way students buy drugs in schools by David Bowermaster, a Seattle Times staff reporter, on Friday, June 1, 2007. The last two sentences of this excerpt constitute the third and fourth paragraphs. "For four months, Federal Way police sent two undercover detectives — a 29-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man — to infiltrate an area of increasing drug use: High schools. Officials provided few details Thursday on how the detectives, well out of their teens, were able to pass themselves off as students, but their undercover operation succeeded to an alarming extent. With little difficulty, they purchased a cornucopia of illicit drugs — including marijuana, Ecstasy, cocaine and the prescription drug oxycodone — as well as rifles and semiautomatic handguns. The investigation culminated Thursday with criminal charges filed against 12 students, ranging in age from 13 to 18, and against two adults not associated with Federal Way schools." Another reminder to keep you children home where you can keep them safe!
And another reason to keep your kids home where they will be safe from unnecessary embarrasment: Indianapolis, IN, sixth-grader Matt Porter received the "Most Likely Not To Have Children" and "Sir Clowns-a-Lot" awards from two teachers at his school in front of classmates during a ceremony at the Decatur Intermediate Learning Center at the end of the recently finished school year. His parents aren’t pleased, either; they have asked the Decatur Township school system to reprimand the teachers, and they want an apology. Matt recalled what the ceremony was like. "I was standing in the middle of (the two teachers), and they (were) reading them off," he said. "Everyone was laughing." Matt felt humiliated. "They (were) putting us down and everything," he said. "That is not what their job is for, to put kids down. They are supposed to teach us." His stepfather, Joseph Sims, said, "Words cut deeper than any knife could. They hurt. When you hurt a child like that, you not only hurt him mentally, but it does hurt physically because you withdraw within yourself. That is what Matthew has done." The certificates were signed by the teachers who distributed them. Amy Sims, Matt’s mother, said she met with a school official over the matter but was not satisfied with the response. "She just told me that the teachers would call and apologize to him, and we’ve not heard anything at all," Amy Sims said. Gary Pellico, spokesman for the school system, said system officials regret the incident but declined to say whether the teachers have been disciplined.
Something you may want to be aware of: This is not a "homeschooling" issue per se, but many of us have chosen to homeschool because we oppose the homosexual rights agenda being pushed in public schools. On June 14, 2007, Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association reported that a bill in Congress would make it a crime for ministers and churches to speak against homosexuality. According to the Alliance Defense Fund’s summary of this proposed law, House bill H.R. 1592 and Senate bill S. 1105 would make negative statements concerning homosexuality, such as calling the practice of homosexuality a sin from the pulpit, a "hate crime" punishable by law. This dangerous legislation would take away our freedom of speech and our freedom of religion. The proposed law would make it a crime to preach on Romans Chapter 1 or I Corinthians Chapter 6. Or even to discuss them in a Sunday School class (and maybe even for parents to teach them to their children at home). If churches and individuals want to keep the government from telling them what they can and cannot preach and teach about homosexuality, they better get involved now! Consider what has already happened. A California lawsuit which is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court would make the use of the words "natural family," "marriage" and "union of a man and a woman" a "hate speech" crime in government workplaces. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has already ruled in favor of the plaintiffs! CNN and The Washington Post both reported that General Peter Pace, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was fired because he publicly expressed moral opposition to homosexual behavior. If pastors and other Christians don’t aggressively oppose a bill now in Congress, in the near future they will be subject to huge fines and prison terms if they say anything negative about homosexuality. Otherwise, the message to ministers and other Christians is, just keep your mouth shut.
HOMESCHOOL CLASSES TAUGHT BY WAYNE S. WALKER
HOMESCHOOL CLASSES TAUGHT BY WAYNE S. WALKER
at HomeLink, Grace United Church of Christ, 5700 Leona St., St. Louis, MO
Beginning Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007, and running through Thursday, May 29, 2008
(No classes Oct. 20; Nov. 1 and 22; Dec. 20 and 27; Jan. 24; Mar. 27; Apr. 3)
1. Music Appreciation (grades 6-12, 1:30-2:25 pm) using The Gift of Music: Great Composers and Their Influence (Revised and Expanded) by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson. This course will provide a great deal of biographical information about some of the greatest composers from the 1600s to the present, all from a Biblical perspective without inappropriated material, and opportunities to listen to their music. One unique aspect of the course will be to acquaint the student with the spiritual beliefs and faith of these men and how it affected their lives and work.
2. World History–Ancient and Medieval (grades 9-12, 2:30-3:25 pm) using Streams of Civilization, Volume 1, published by Christian Liberty Press. This course covers the events of world history with a totally comprehensive overview of ancient history from creation through the 1620’s. Each chapter traces a particular theme within the specific time period under study from a Biblical perspective. The common thread is the history of Christianity and philosophy and its impact on culture, politics, economics, society, science, and technology. Extensive vocabulary questions and exercises are found throughout the text, which is well illustrated and contains numerous high quality two-color maps.
3. World Geography (grades 7-9, 3:30-4:30 pm) using Bob Jones Heritage Studies World Geography, published by Bob Jones University Press. This course provides a comjplete survey of geographic principles and every country of the world through a regional approach. Students will explore the landforms, climates, resources, national economy, and government of each country of the world. The course includes all eight culture regions and their influence on lifestyles, sports, arts, culture, and religion.
The HomeLink program’s purpose is to assist families with homeschooling and to provide support, encouragement, accountability, and training that will enhance the parent’s role as parent-teacher. HomeLink’s mission is to offer the place, resources, and advisors, with classes, projects, and direction that parents can depend on for advancing the work of home education. Parents are the primary teachers of their children, from birth through young adulthood and beyond, and HomeLink does not take the place of the parents in educating students. Parents are still in charge.
HomeLink is not a school, nor is it an extension of any public school or school district. It is a private-pay enterprise and homeschool-friendly advisory group with extensive exprience in providing services to homeschool families by offering co-op type classes for families who homeschool. Registering in HomeLink is not registering in a school. Parents are still the source of record for the education of their children. However, students are eligible for high school credit upon request through the fully accredited North Atlantic Regional High School in Lewiston, ME ( http://www.narhs.org ) for a separate fee.
The goal of HomeLink is to help Jr. High and Sr. High homeschool students especially in the core curriculum areas and their parents in teaching their children. HomeLink does not keep any permanent records. They do give progress reports to parents, but all grades are kept only by parents. No information is given to anyone else. All the studying and many tests are done at home to save class time for instruction and projects. The cost for one course is $38 a month for ten months. Families can also pay by quarter, semester, or entire year at a discount.
If you would like more information about HomeLink in general, you can go to http://www.HomelinkEducation.com or call the national director’s office at (509) 248-6388; if you would like more information about other HomeLink classes, you can go to http://www.HomeLinkEducation.org and click on HomeLink St. Louis; or contact the local director at HomeLinkstl@aol.com or call (314) 353-8727
Home School Digest
The Vol. 17, No. 3 (2007) issue of this homeschooling magazine that I love has some articles by editor Skeet Savage and marketing director Israel Wayne, her son, that relate to parenting, and one entitled "Eight Things My Children Have Taught Me About God" by Brook Wayne, Israel’s wife, that looks at the subject from a different standpoint. Other great articles include "What About Me?" by homeschool graduate Elysse Barrett, "Imitators of God" by homeschool graduate John Notgrass, "Why Judges Must Promote a Christian America" by David C. Gibbs, "Don’t Worry About Your Children" by Celia Sorensen, "But Noah" by Steve and Carol Ryerson, "The Cradle of Liberty" by Michael McHugh, "Can a Child Be Salt and Light in a Government School?" by Buddy Hanson, "This Is Our Ground" (about public school alternative learning programs) by DiAnna Brannan, "Why Mother?" by Dorothy Robbins, "The Snare of College Accreditation" by James Bartlett (the same principles can be applied to high school accreditation), "The Emancipation of Education" by James A. Boyes, "Kissing the Frog" by Norm Kissinger, "Needed: An Exit Strategy" by Alfred Mohler, "The Childlike Wisdom of Asking Questions" by homeschool graduate Rachel Starr Thomson, "No Child Left Behind?" by Laura Bankston, "I’ll Make My Own Curriculum" by Tom and Sherry Bushnell of NATTHAN, "Insulate Your Children Within" by Michael Pearl, and "In Praise of Homeschooling Mothers" by Andrea Schwartz, among others (including one of my own). If you are interested in subscribing, check out their website at http://www.wisdomsgate.org or call 1-800-343-1943.
California’s Spanking Ban Goes Down:
Since mention was made of this issue recently in previous blogs, I thought that I would share this followup from Christian Newswire on June 1, 2007. " California’s spanking bill, which lumped good parents who use traditional methods of child discipline together with bad parents who are hateful, harmful child abusers, has died in committee. AB 755, by Democrat Assemblywoman Sally Lieber of San Jose, was ‘shelved’ Thursday, May 31 in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. ‘This is a relief for the tens of thousands of parents and grandparents who called and emailed Sacramento to protest this home-invasion bill,’ said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, a leading pro-family organization in California that fought against AB 755. ‘Thank God for small favors in the liberal California Legislature. Apparently, the Democrat leaders decided it was becoming politically harmful for them to be viewed as the party that sent good parents to jail.’ How AB 755 targeted parents who spank with a switch, a paddle, a stick, or a slipper: 1. Specific inclusion of examples of legitimate spanking methods mixed with clear examples of child abuse would have biased authorities against loving parents. Because AB 755 made specific changes to the Penal Code, all mandatory reporters, including teachers, police officers, social workers, counselors and clergy would have been trained to regard parents who spank with an implement as potential child abusers. 2. The inclusion of a ‘nonviolent parental education class’ further demonstrated that AB 755 targeted loving parents who occasionally spank with a switch, a paddle, a stick, or other traditional child-rearing methods. Existing law already allows judges to order convicted child abusers into ‘a child abuser’s treatment counseling program.’ There was no reason for a ‘nonviolent parental education class’ if AB 755 didn’t expand the definition of child abuse to include certain types of spanking. The ‘nonviolent parental education class’ provision was obviously created for nonviolent parents who use an implement to spank, but cannot legally be ordered into existing counseling for child abusers, which is indeed violent. 3. By focusing juries on a switch, a stick, a belt, or a slipper, AB 755 attempted to create bias against good parents who occasionally use these traditional spanking implements. This instruction was completely unnecessary to convict bad parents who physically injure their children. Juries already have broad authority to convict parents who cause a child great bodily harm, suffering, or unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering by any means."
walkerhomeschoolblog 