Interesting Article on Homeschooling

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Business Week: March 5, 2001 BusinessWeek Lifestyle: Education

The ABCs of Home-Schooling An industry is growing to service learn-at-homes

Like most kids, Dawn Barry's three children--ages 11, 8, and 6--are learning math, geography, and poetry. But they're doing it in a ``home-school room'' in the basement of the family home in New Hartford, Conn., where Barry helps them plow through a homemade curriculum. Academically, they're doing well, she contends, judging by the levels of the reading and math texts she's using. ``It has been ingrained in us that education can take place only in schools and that teachers are the experts,'' says Barry. ``It's not that complicated and mysterious.'' Once dominated by the Christian Right, the home-schooling movement is gaining mainstream adherents like Barry every year. The U.S. Education Dept. estimates that more than 1 million children are being taught at home. As home-schooling's popularity has grown, so has an industry of Web sites, curriculum materials, online courses, and enrichment classes that cater to the home-education family. These families, according to a 1998 survey of parents of more than 20,000 home-schooled students grades K-12, tend to have higher-than-average income. Most of the instruction is done by the mothers, nearly half of whom have at least a college degree and the majority of whom don't work outside the home, says the study by Lawrence Rudner, who directs a federally funded education information clearinghouse at the University of Maryland. He conducted the survey for the Home School Legal Defense Assn. Parents decide to home-school for many reasons. Some view it as a way to tailor education to a child's needs, whether it's accelerating reading for a gifted child or honing math skills for a struggling one. Some worry about the negative social influences in schools. Peg and Jerry Moore of Cazenovia, N.Y., wanted to develop stronger ties with their three children. The two older ones eventually went to public school as teens so they could get a taste of competition before they entered college. Whatever the motivation, home-schooling is a huge undertaking. Parents must devote considerable time to planning as well as teaching. Freed from the demands of an outside institution, the temptation to slack off is ever present. And spending nearly every waking hour together can fray the nerves of the closest family. Some educators worry that many children may not be prepared for the world outside. In regular school, kids are confronted with and learn to handle difficult social situations. But many home-schoolers could spend long stretches without other kids. Those who eventually go to school are often awkward socially, says Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators. ``They're not used to the social context, and it takes a while to adjust.'' But Gregory Cizek, now an associate professor at the University of North Carolina's School of Education, says parents often are sensitive to the charge that their children may not be well socialized. As a result, ``they make sure their kids get a wealth of social experiences,'' says Cizek, who as an associate professor at the University of Toledo in the 1990s visited hundreds of home-schooling families as part of an Ohio law that home-schoolers be evaluated by a certified teacher. DOING FINE. Take Sarah Moore, Peg and Jerry's 13-year-old daughter, who's in school for the first time. The eighth-grader says she ``fit in right away.'' Although she enjoyed home-schooling, she's glad to be in school ``because I want to be around kids my age.'' Sarah says it took her a short time to catch up in science, but she was ahead in math and English. Rudner's study found home-schoolers did well on achievement tests, placing in the 62nd to 92nd percentile, depending on grade level and subject. If you're considering home-schooling, visit some of the related Web sites (table - not provided with article) or buy one of the how-to books on the subject. Next, call a home-school support group in your state. Parents have created local organizations that act as sounding boards on the law, curriculum options, and other issues. Home-schooling is legal in every state, but regulations and paperwork vary. Dozens of companies (including The McGraw-Hill Companies, publisher of BusinessWeek) sell textbooks, workbooks, and educational software directly to parents, and some are developed specifically for home-schoolers. Others, such as the private Calvert School in Baltimore, have a home-schooling branch that provides a curriculum by grade level. ChildU of Weston, Fla., offers a self-paced online program for students in the first to eighth grades. Kids log on daily for interactive lessons, and can call teachers if they have any problems. At the Barry household, the girls work every morning on spelling, math, and handwriting. The two older ones, Ashley, 11, and Jaclyn, 8, work on their own, while Dawn helps Kelsey, 6. They also must spend at least one hour a day reading, usually from a list of classics their mom found on the Internet. After lunch, they work on a project. Ashley has been immersing herself in Japanese culture. They may spend an afternoon with other home-school families on a science project, or in a writers' cooperative, where parents take turns conducting lessons, from letter-writing to poetry. Volunteer work is part of their curriculum, so the girls visit a local senior center once a month to help the residents with art projects. They also fit in piano lessons, team sports, and Girl Scouts. Those who home-school their teens often seek help outside the home. In many cases, families chip in for a tutor for difficult subjects, such as physics. Some private schools accept students for some courses such as calculus. And a growing number of students are turning to the Web as more high-school-level online courses become available. Since most home-schooled teens don't get transcripts, colleges seek other proof of learning. Harvard University admissions officer Julia Hunter, who has found home-schooled applicants to be competitive with other students, considers test scores, extracurricular activities, and interviews. Says Cafi Cohen, author of Home-schooling: The Teen Years: ``You have to find out what [the schools] want early, and then adapt your program.'' Cohen's son, Jeffrey, says he began home-schooling in the seventh grade because he believed school wasn't teaching him enough. He knew by eighth grade he wanted to go to the U.S. Air Force Academy. He learned electronics with an amateur radio club, took an aerospace course with the civil air patrol, studied physics and calculus at the University of Denver, and got his flying license at 17. An academy graduate, he is now a lieutenant flying F-16s. Home-schooling, says the pilot, ``takes a lot of self-discipline on the part of the student and the parent.'' But for parents who have the time, enthusiasm, and patience, educating a child at home is a growing alternative to the one-size-fits-all public-school system.

By Susan B. Garland

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 24, 2001

Answers

The article doesn't seem very complimentary. For example, they make a point of underscoring the common misconception that homeschoolers are poorly adjusted socially. Good grief, do they think that the public schoolkids, with all their cliques, fads, and nastiness are fine examples of social skills? That being in a whole room of other kids the same age will teach one to interact with others in real life? It's the same old tune.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 25, 2001.

I agree with you Rebekah - where else in life do you associate only with people your own age. It is unrealistic and doesn't go a long way in teaching kids what the real world is about. Public school is an insulated world of its own. Sending my son to public school was one of the worst mistakes I ever made in raising him. I sent them a grounded, polite, mature teen and I got back a rebellious disappointed boy. He thought it was going to be a great learning experience. What he got was bored - the class moves along at the pace of the slowest least motivated student. I regret it and so does he. We are back in home school but still feeling the aftershocks.

-- Linda Al-Sangar (alsangal@brentwood-tn.org), February 25, 2001.

I'm with you Rebekah! Ugh, I get so sick of that stupid argument!! Get real, the youth of today, educated in our government schools, are the standard by which we measure? Meaning, this would be favorable socialization???!?! Eeegads, what is wrong with this picture?!

And then, homeschoolers react to the socialization issue (that is foisted by the National Education Association) by cramming various activities, to the point of exhaustion, on their children. Personally, I believe the notion that "organized" activities, age segregated, are critical to a childs ability to function well in society, is bunk!

Socialization is for the NEA, about the last "deception" they are able to continue to foist upon the unsuspecting. The original rallying cry was the inability of parents to properly educate their children. That deception has been put to rest. Much to the chagrin of the money-grubbing, power-hungry, socialist leaning, who cares about the kids? NEA. Yes, I know I am calling names. And I mean every one of them. This union, in my humble opinion, is a menace to society and have harmed untold number of compulsory educated children. My most earnest desire would be to see them "disappear", poof---gone! Oh well, just a thought.

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), February 25, 2001.


oops! Did not turn this off. Sorry!

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), February 25, 2001.

I have often worried my kids would not like homeschooling because of the lack of other children,then we met a few of the "other" children and the first words out of my 5 yr.olds mouth were"they sure are rude"

I am not saying ALL kids are like that,but alot of school age kids around here are sent to before school care then school and last but not least afterschool care,and seem to be lacking alot of skills. We live in an area where the Jones must out do the Smiths no matter the cost to the kids,its sad but true.

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), February 25, 2001.



Okay, I'm going to try this again, sorry folks.

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), February 25, 2001.

help!!!!

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), February 25, 2001.

I always get a kick out of the 'socialization' issue too. My oldest daughter went to school for the first three years, to a comparably superior alternative school. The vibrant, self-assured and happy child we sent almost completely changed personalities in those three short years, and after we pulled her out it took about three years to really get her back to her previous self.

After eight years of homeschooling and all the myriad friends of my girls I have met (they have built a community of nurturing people literally throughout the world), I have gotten to the point where I can virtually always spot a homeschooler right away. They look me straight in the eye when they talk, they arent afraid of adults because they are used to being treated with equal respect. I can join in their conversations and feel welcomed, whereas in my experience trying to get most schooled teengers to emit more than a grunt is a struggle. They treat the younger kids as well as adults with kindness and courtesy, rather than the disdain most schooled teenagers have been brainwashed to believe is normal.

I also think its amusing the way the educational establishment wants everyone to believe how difficult and time-consuming it is to school your kids. Baloney....Course I only have two, and we UNSCHOOL,so we do not believe in making a little classroom at home to replicate the confining model of schools, but after the basics are there, the kids do almost all the work themselves. And if your primary concern, like most American parents, is to get your kids in college, so they can get 'a good job', then unschooling wont work as well. As for me, I would consider myself a failure as a nuturer if mine turned out to be another sheep in that flock. They are indescribably creative, because they have been given the freedom to become who they were meant to be, and I am certain that they will help make the world a better place by the free expression of their unique selves.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), February 25, 2001.


This seems like a good place to pat my 16 year old homeschooler on the back, here. With 6 well to do high schools in our county, his (socially impoverished) 'Homeschool-Mock-Trial-Team' has only ONE remaining school team to defeat in the courtroom setting, before moving on to state finals in New Brunswick, NJ. We'll know Tuesday, if it ends up: HOMESCHOOL-6, PUBLIC SCHOOL-0. Amazingly, he and a score of other students, found time to ski Blue Moutain,PA, three times this winter, and still keep up with schoolwork, farmchores, part time at McDonalds, etc.

-- Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), February 25, 2001.

YEA!!!! WOOO HOOOO!!!! Other homeschoolers!!!! I didn't know if there were any out there. I posted the question a long time ago and didn't get a single reply. I get soooo sick with the "socialization" issue. aarrgghh!! I just ask them how public school is socialization when they interact with the same age. My kids interact with all ages all the time. :-) That usually shuts them up. My children have a problem with public school children for the most part...the fads, attitudes, and ideas of what people living in the country are like. My girls have been made fun of because they live in the country. So..I lived in the country and went to public school...oh well...they are learning to handle the issue with these girls as they have the opportunity to show their cooking skills (none of their public school friends know how to cook)and other skills. They are often complimented on their ability to handle situations (or at least the knowledge of what to do) etc... My girls are behind in math...just a bit...one has slight brain damage (damaged her math part of her brain ) ;-) the other one loves math , but I am not good in that area. I got them Alpha Omega math books for their age and they were already past that part, so that made them feel better to go up a grade or two in math with that curriculum. Anyway, I hadn't planned on rattling on and on, I was just thrilled to see homeschoolers. When I saw the heading, I thought it was going to be someone going on about how bad homeschooling was. I have 6 children and I pulled them out of public schools 5 yrs ago. My youngest has never gone to public school and I don't plan on him to. We are wondering about college etc though...mine have health problems, so need to homeschool college too.

Well, everyone have a great day!!

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), February 25, 2001.



This should turn the italics off off

At least I hope it did.
Dave

-- david (daveh@ecosse.net), February 25, 2001.


Hmm, that should work

Dave

-- Dave (Ak) (daveh@ecosse.net), February 25, 2001.


I have home schooled my daughter and had her in public school(where she is currently) and as far as the socialization is concerned, I find it hard to say who is rudest, the average child in public school or the teachers themselves.

-- Eve Lyn (evelynv@ipa.net), February 25, 2001.

Cindy in OK, Yes we're out here! We've been educating our four children for 11 years now and I'm really tired of the "socialization" junk. But I just wanted to encourage you not to worry about math. They always seem to "catch up" and surpass our expectations!!!!!!!PTL I use alpha and omega math for the younger years and switch to Saxon math @ 6th grade.Now I need a tutor for my 16 yr old because he is quickly getting beyond my abilities.I am NOT worried about our childrens ability to function in society.They have had lots of hands on training in lots of areas to equip them to handle any situation that is really of importance. The shallowness of most of the highschoolers that I have met leds me to think that they are the ones "lacking" in ability to be social. Well thats all. God Bless the Children :)

-- Patti in NJ (pioneerpatti@msn.com), February 25, 2001.

I HATED school.Not because of the classes and work.(I contend the only thing I was ever taught in school was how to read.The rest I learned on my own)I hated the confinment,The lets all keep pace with the lowest common denominator mentality,and of course the destructive cliques mentioned in other posts.I figured out early on that I was in a factory and the product was me.The only thing I can thank structured education for is instilling in me a healthy distrust and disrespect for authority.I am now an adult and am still working through a number of psychic scars that I developed at the hands of people in the "school system".Racket is more like it.I am writing this to tell you something you already know.YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING.Some of the greatest minds that this country ever produced never set foot in a class room.Public schools were set up to produce good productive little factory workers.The industrial age that needed them to produce fodder for the mill is long gone,but the leviathan steams on blindly.Thank you to all you home schoolers you have pioneered the way for me to teach my children should I someday be blessed with them. I wish I was home schooled. greg

-- greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), February 27, 2001.


Thanks for posting this, Ken. I had already been sent a copy by my brother, and thought it was pretty interesting. This is our first year of homeschooling, with our 9 year old granddaughter. Now our 30 year old son says he wished he had been homeschooled, too! He was really bright, and was always challenging his teachers, on things he KNEW were right, but they were teaching otherwise. Got him in a lot of trouble when he would bring in proof of something they were teaching wrong. Our nephew did the same in a small rural school in Michigan. His teacher insisted there was no such planet as PLUTO!!! He took proof in the form of an encyclopedia, which got him in trouble with that teacher(lost face, doncha know!) I'm glad we're finally on this track! Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), February 27, 2001.

I'm sick to death of the socialization issue too. Every time I mention I homeschool to someone that doesn't, the first thing they ask is aren't you worried about socialization. Good grief....my kids really don't need to learn to be rude and snub others. Wendy explained my thoughts beautifully(sure we weren't separated at birth? lol). Well time to start school....I think we'll walk down to the pond to do school today. Can't do that in public school!

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), February 27, 2001.

I feel parents "homeschool" their kids from the moment of birth. The decision to keep going, when the child gets to be public school aged, is a natural continuation of that process. I have 4 kids,22,16, 6 & 5. The two younger are being homeschooled and boy do I wish I had done it for the older two! I can see big differences in my two sets of kids! Socialization is an important thing....but I don't want my kids to "socialize" the way I see it being done in public schools these days!!!! Rude children, rude and uncaring teachers, no moral guidance, the list goes on and on and on. Sure it takes a lot of effort on the part of the parents, but what else could be more important than your kids?

-- sdark in KS (sdark387@aol.com), March 02, 2001.

I'm glad to see other homeschoolers too. Especially UNschoolers. That seems to be the category we fall under. I try very hard to keep my kids from being "socialized" lol Would love to hear from other unschoolers if ya have the time. :)

-- Kathleen (krob777@msn.com), March 02, 2001.

MOCK TRIAL UPDATE: More info on the mock trials taking place in South Jersey can be found in the Atlantic City Press at the following URLs:... Feb. 28th article http://www.pressplus.com/atlantic/983337982.html..... Mar 2 article http://www.pressplus.com/cape/983512584.html xxxxxxxxxx I especially enjoy the english skills displayed in our local paper... eg: “Their OPPONENTS in the county mock trial finals WAS... “ ....... (opponents was)......Kinda’ makes me wish I’d sent my kids to the school where this journalist learned grammar. Another problem to be overcome in teaching children is the CONSTANT newsprint use of the verb form: "SAID" !!! Anyway, after defeating the teams in Atlantic, Salem, and Gloucester Counties, the homeschool team now has only one additional public school in SJ to defeat, before moving on to the state semi-finals. Critical thinking-on your feet, stuff. Unfortunately, there is a LOT of socialization involved, and it involves driving people all over the place to rehearsals, etc. to spend hours with their friends. But, there’s a price for everything! ...P.S. My wife says when confronted with the “socialization” argument: “Hmmm, by pointing out socialization first of all in this conversation, I take it that that’s what’s important to YOU in choosing a school. Silly me! I always thought there was some OTHER purpose for school...” A.D.

-- Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), March 02, 2001.

I totally disagree with the woman who put her chldren in public school for high school to "prepare them for college". I have never seen a public high school setting that is anything like a real college atmosphere. The students who attend most colleges are a mix of all age groups and (the big difference) they actually WANT to be there learning! Most kids I have seen in our public high schools could care less about going to school; it is just another chore to them. Yes, I know there are exceptions to this but it's generally the rule. I agree with the rest here that I have seen multitudes of rude, disrespectful students at the PS. With two high schoolers myself who have been both in public school and homeschooled, I would rather have my children taking college classes at the local junior or community college than attending ANY public school! I feel they would get a better, more rounded "socialization" experience at the local college for a year to "prepare" for possibly a four year school.

-- Lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), March 02, 2001.

Fascinating topic. I was an educator for um... 10 years, and worked in a wide variety of settings. I just recently moved on to other things, but it's still close to my heart and I want to throw in my two cents. Firstly, our public school systems were originally implemented with the goal of creating a populace educated enough to participate in a democracy. Over the years its mission has evolved to encompass far more than is really feasible. For high end kids (to me that means the ones whose parents give a darn), that means college prep. For the other extreme that means at least one meal a day and hopefully some vocational training. For a shameful number of kids, it is the one place they can receive any kind of attention.

I get the impression that some of you have had bad experiences with some teachers. I'm sorry to hear that. Of course, there are all kinds, but in general, teachers are a good sort. They are there because they are moved to be of service. It sure ain't for the respect or wealth! Teaching is the toughest job I know of. You are called upon to be all things to all people, with little support, and doctrines that are mandated by people who have no idea what a classroom really feels like. It is incredibly frustrating to be faced with serving such a range of needs without the necessary resources of time, energy, and materials. Our schools have problems, that is a mute point.

I had a wonderful opportunity last year to visit India through the Rotary Club. I got to see lots (and lots and lots) of schools. The kids were amazing. When we'd walk into a classroom, they all stood until cued by the teacher to sit again. They were incredibly respectful of their teachers, and working far above their grade equivalents in the US. I was all choked up, let me tell you. But then the realization hit... Of course these schools were amazing. Less than 50% of Indian kids get to go to school. If we could only serve the cream of the crop, our schools would look a lot better, too.

We do not have millions of kids working in subhuman conditions in this country. True, there may be plenty that end up at McDonalds forever, but it could be worse. Even if you're not a part of it, that lowest common denominator affects the entire community.

You folks are making the biggest contribution to your children's lives by caring and being involved. I believe homeschool is a positive trend, but not everyone can. Not everyone cares enough to even feed and clothe their kids. We do not want to eradicate the public school system.

Anyway... a pat on the back to all of you. You are taking responsibility for your children to a degree that everyone should emulate.

:) Carla

-- witness (carlaevans@hotmail.com), March 03, 2001.


I myself have no intention of deriding teachers as individuals; I'm sure there are many fine, nurturing people involved in the field, in fact one of my closest friends is a teacher. I have also met LOTS of teachers who become curiously defensive, even hostile, as soon as the subject is even introduced!!

The reference to 'high end kids' as those with parents who give a damn, and those who give a damn as demonstrated by a program of 'college prep' sounds pretty typical of conventional/institutional education thinking to me. We are all brainwashed to believe in the necessity of college for bright kids, as if it were some kind of golden pass to happiness and success. Statistics are thrown out about employment, income, etc as it relates to years of 'education', and parents buy it lock stock barrel (yikes, is that a gun term? :)). I personally think college is overated for the most part; pretty much all major programs include countless hours taking classes/regurgitating useless information that one has no need or interest in; unless one is interested in pursuing a professional credential which requires it, its mostly a waste of time, and lotsa money. I have known too many fools in my day with lots of letters behind their name.

I believe in autodidactism. Teaching oneself what one wants to learn because of one's own passion for the subject. Seeking out teachers and mentors, who have learned from the experiences of life. Reading voraciously, trying new things, traveling, meeting new people, but most of all, pursuing what makes your heart sing, not what might get you a 'good job'.

This country is sadly in dire need of people who can FIX things, who can CREATE THINGS, and I dont mean useless junk. They dont teach that in college. Trade schools are looked down on as for those at the bottom of the socio-economic barrel; they get their hands dirty after all. Well for my money it takes a whole lot more brains to install a wiring system, build a house, REPAIR computers, fix my furnace or my car etc, than it does to sit in a cubicle shuffling papers (and one's feet, kowtowing to some arrogant clueless boss to keep him happy).

I realize the crap teachers have to put up with here; I could certainly not do it. However, the scenario in India which choked uup Carla sounds to me from the description like a nice little roomful of robots. It's the system itself that is flawed; little soldiers all in a row, everyone doing the same thing at the same time in the same way; the primary focus of their whole lives (about to get worse if Bush's educational vision takes hold) is about PASSING TESTS!! This does not foster creativity or critical thinking or individuality. Quite the contrary, it KILLS those things.

We need an educational model that encourages the diversity that we as humans truly display, rather than ones that encourage young people to fit into someone else's mold. Right now I know of nothing that even comes close to unschooling to gain that goal. This is not to say that they cannot be developed, but it is difficult to rise above the narrow bureaucracy that governs these things. "Disadvantaged' kids dont need conventional schools any more than rich ones do; I am certain there are many different systems that could be utilized to bring both the real joy of learning and supervision to these kids, working with the parents and neighborhood mentors, churches etc. The current one is doing them no good whatsoever. Inner city stats remain dismal, as all the while we tout the value of 'education' ad naseum.

-- Earthmama48 (earthmama48@yahoo.com), March 03, 2001.


Earthmama, I can't believe you and I agree on something. You hit the nail on the head! Why must all children be made to feel college is a necessity? For some it's needed to fulfill certain goals, but all children are not alike. I believe they should be able to choose the direction that's right for them, without the school system making them feel like second class citizens because they choose a different path.

I had a friend whose daughter did mission work in India. Along with her, there was one adult running an orphanage of over 300 children. Those children were very well behaved and didn't talk back. The reason was the punishment for the smallest infraction was a severe beating. Those children knew what would happen if they were not respectful.

-- Lena(NC) (breezex4@go.com), March 03, 2001.


NJ - HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL TEAM UPDATE Home-schooled team wins again in mock trials - March 14, 2001 - 12:06 AM By AISLING SWIFT Staff Writer, (609) 272-7209 NEW BRUNSWICK — After battling its way to the regional championship, a fledgling home-schooled Atlantic County team beat Lower Cape May Regional High School Tuesday, edging a step closer to the Mock Trial state championships. ((Cape May beat out former national champions from Cherry Hill, NJ.)) Crossway Home Learners, a team of home-schooled students from Atlantic and Cape May counties, out-argued Cape May Regional High School during the Southern Regional Championships for the state’s Mock Trial title in New Brunswick. Crossway now advances to the state semifinals on Thursday, where the team will battle winners of the central and northern state titles. Thursday’s winner heads to the state championships on March 22, a competition that determines who goes to nationals in May. “The team played very well,” said attorney coach Gary Griffith. “They beat a very talented and well-coached Lower Township.” The underdog Crossway is only in its second year of competing after entering late last year. “I think it’s more of a learning process,” Griffith said of their no-loss record. “We didn’t know what to expect last year. The competition in the county is very keen.” On Feb. 28, Crossway’s defense team knocked out Clearview High School, Gloucester County. Then its plaintiff team beat Schalick High School, Salem County. Lower Cape May Regional’s team defeated two state powers, Cherry Hill East and Jackson Township that day. During mock trials, teams are given facts, medical reports, evidence, rules and objections of a case they must argue. What counts is presentation, poise and expertise. Superior Court judges tally points for witnesses and attorneys based on direct questioning and cross- examinations, legal knowledge and objections, opening statements and summations. Each school has both a defense and plaintiff team, but which side they’ll play is chosen the night before. On Thursday, Crossway’s defense team played. This year’s case involves the death of “Brenda Groom,” a fictional college student who attended a college rock concert on Sept. 23. She died after she was trampled when the crowd pushed toward the stage. Her mother’s lawyers contended the college dean was negligent for not maintaining order and safety and ignoring drinking before the concert. They say Groom’s heart stopped after her ribs were fractured. But the college's attorneys claim Groom died from ingesting the designer drug Ecstasy and alcohol, not from being crushed...... ((The homeschool team is in New Brunswick, TODAY, competing with the Central Jersey regional champs, and the North Jersey regional champs. Will they make to the National Final??? Stay tuned.)) Proud Papa.

-- The Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), March 15, 2001.

Won again yesterday! One step away from Mock Trial STATE CHAMPIONS. (Final state competition next thursday, on 3/22/01). Fingers crossed. Chew, chew, chew... (sound of nails being bit).

-- Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), March 16, 2001.

Yea!!! Keep us posted...

Great job!!

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), March 16, 2001.


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