By Anne Marie

April 3, 2006 11:16 AM | Link to this

I completely agree with Lauren. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

By Melissa Kaufman

March 29, 2006 6:54 PM | Link to this

Free High School Essay Scholarship Contest — Avar Press is now accepting submissions for cash awards, publication of the best high school essays analyzing D. J. Solomon’s “Xen: Ancient English Edition.” The contest is free and open to all rising US juniors & seniors, including homeschoolers. “Xenâ€?is the tale of misanthropic scientist, Pawkey Seneschal, his struggle to overcome his—and all of mankind’s—innate xenophobia. With eugenics in paradox, this is a story to be embraced by humanitarians, pacifists, libertarians, feminists, utopians, anti-racists, animal rights activists, and the counter culture science fiction community. Cash prizes total $1700.00. Deadline: June 30, 2006

By Sarah

March 1, 2006 7:29 PM | Link to this

I want to preface this with kudos to Oprah for putting a lot of money, time and effort into helping those who are less fortunate. And to applaud her outstanding business sense. Whether that means she hired the right person, or built the Oprah Empire herself. Now. I wish she’d just go away. I can’t go a day without hearing some (typically) female spout off about, “Oprah says…” and they typically follow up with “Dr. Phil states…” I don’t get it? Maybe I was out when the memo arrived, but I don’t understand the fascination with Oprah. Is Oprah, Patron Saint of the People, REALLY helping anybody out by hosting an hour (read: 30 min after Oprah’s plugging of herself and her affiliates)of some touchy-feely demonstration of public manipulation? please. Let the NOprah begin.

By Michelle

February 11, 2006 8:26 PM | Link to this

I suppose something could be said for the “her contest, her rules” arguement. I suppose it’s also an awesome lesson for all the homeschoolers out there to stand up for what they believe in! Once kids break out of institutional schools, they’ll learn that you really CAN stand up to “authority”…my homeschooled kids are learning that now, since we learn through living real life! My guess is that Oprah will suck it up and apologize, just like countless celebrities before her have done for offending the “non-mainstreamers.” (Barbara Walters’s stance on breastfeeding in public recently ring a bell?)

By Norma

February 9, 2006 2:02 PM | Link to this

Her contest. Her rules. She could make it open to only girls going into broadcasting (no pun).

By Alice Everage

February 7, 2006 2:28 PM | Link to this

To all: I am a homeschooling parent of eight years and have a daughter that did participate in Oprah essay contest. We knew that she may never read it so I felt that my daughter knew what it was like to participate by walking in the front door. To those individuals that feel that homeschooling is UnAmerican and against all norms,we must remember that being historically American means being against all norms. By the way, I am a pharmaceutical chemist with 18 years of experience and still working but what I feel makes me an excellent teacher for my children is not my background but the amount of care I have for our two children. The school system is overloaded and the teachers are doing the best they can but the best was not given my children the individual attention and time to teach them WHAT THEY need to learn to succeed. So…… we pay for books, use our family time to teach and learn. Results speak for themselves. Our daughter was accepted to all three of her college choices with top scholarships. I am grateful to Oprah for the suggestion of the book Night since it made my daughter and I better people.

By Rick

February 6, 2006 7:23 PM | Link to this

Steve, your post is utterly preposterous and completely wrong historically. There were no public schools in America until the 1840s when Massachusetts started its public school system. Until then parents were responsible for the education of their children. Many, of course, did so at home. The Constitution was ratifed in 1789, before there was public education. Obviously the Founding Fathers did not outlaw public education. One reason is that the Constitution governed the conduct of the Federal Government not the state governments. You obviously are very hostile to Christians and this has clouded you understanding of the facts. In addition, it is not unAmerican to homeschool kids as that was the most common method at one time in America.

By Cornbread

February 6, 2006 1:57 PM | Link to this

I’ve alway suspected Oprah was a robot! It’s great, finally te masses are turning on Oprah! NOprah! NOprah! NOprah!

By Ben

February 6, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this

If homeschoolers want to be offended by an Oprah snub, it is their right - though I think they are wasting their time and energy to do so. They should feel secure and confident in the decision they have made, and not look to popular figures to justify themselves. Rather than be offended, they should seek to persuade Oprah’s show to change its policy or pursue other opportunities elsewhere. Then there are supremely absurd remarks, like those made by Steve, who said that homeschooling is “anti-constitutional.” This comment shows such extreme ignorance of American history and law that he should feel embarrassed for having posted it publicly. No factual argument could be made to support such a statement. And “unAmerican”? Why does Steve conjure up the specter of Joe McCarthy and blacklisting to make this point? If he is worried that kids aren’t learning enough civic participation, he could check out the studies that show homeschoolers on average actually exceed public school students in measurable civic participation. In the end, this discussion is about parents’ freedom of choice. I’m not sure what could be more American than that.

By Rebecca

February 5, 2006 11:55 AM | Link to this

I agree with Lauren & Melissa. We don’t know the reason for the rule, so we can’t pass judgement on it. Bottom line: Oprah can have a contest for anyone she chooses & she gets to determine who that will be. Life is not always fair. The homeschooled will eventually get out into the real world & learn that, anyway.

By Doug

February 5, 2006 11:52 AM | Link to this

This is a setback for home schoolers. Many people in America don’t make up theri ind about things until Oprah tells them what the should think. I’m sure Oprah will have to relent and let the home schoolers in. As a public school teacher, I’m fine with the home school movement. Home schooling is a parent’s right.

By Mary

February 4, 2006 1:39 PM | Link to this

Steve, I hope you are not a teacher. If you are, your comments present another strong case for home schooling one’s child. I think your comments are unfortunately, ill-informed and lack empathy for people who might have strong religious views. (I am not one of them.) However, I’ll defend your right to make your views known. For example, I think a recent New York Times article pointed out religion was not the number one reason for home schooling for a majority of homeschooling families. Other number one reasons on the list for homeschooling is school environment and lack of academic challenge.

By Steve

February 3, 2006 11:28 PM | Link to this

I think it is a fair thing for her show to do. The homeschooling movement in this country is unAmerican and anti-constitutional. Homeschooling is the worst thing a family can do in a democracy. How sad that many Christians choose to isolate themselves by spreading ignorance via teaching their children at home. This reduces the likelihood of tapping potentially gifted students by putting them in the hands of their inept and close-minded parents. The imperfections of the public school system are not the cause of the problems in our society.

By sharon

February 3, 2006 8:43 PM | Link to this

i think oprah is way too full of herself

By Charles Armstrong

February 3, 2006 2:27 PM | Link to this

Maby it’s a mistake or maby it’s not. Either way talent can come from any walk of life and a opertunity for them to shine should be implicated. If a student of anykind should wish to enter in a contest of this sort Im sure with a little research they could find a simular contest elswhere.

By Melissa

February 3, 2006 12:44 PM | Link to this

Let’s remember a few things: 1) If I want to give a prize, I get to choose the group from whom the winner will be chosen. 2) In the column you say,”Essay writing talent could be found anywhere — in an accredited school, an unaccredited school, a home school or even within a kid who is not “in good standing.â€? (Suspended or expelled, I suppose this means. But couldn’t that be an even better winner’s story.” Why reward a student who has either misbehaved and been kicked out, or purposefully dropped out? Obviously, Oprah and the sponsors want to reward students who are trying to succeed and doing “the right thing” by staying in school and following rules. 3) Homeschoolers are homeschooled by parental choice. They don’t want their children to participate in “mainstream” schools and school events. You don’t get to have it both ways; either include yourselves in good and bad, or don’t whine when you’re excluded from the good stuff.

By Brenda Francis

February 3, 2006 12:30 PM | Link to this

I don’t think much of her “rule,” and I think even less of her….

By Mary

February 3, 2006 7:06 AM | Link to this

On the surface, without knowing all the details, this could be another recent “Oprah” mistake for which she might eventually apologize (like the recent flap over the author whose book she endorsed and continued to defend even though he admitted he embellished his memoirs). I think home schoolers and home schooling have got a bum rap from all angles including the government, school districts,the teachers’ organizations, the media, and other parents. They are not a “homogeneous” group. They home school for various reasons. Some want and some do not want financial aid from the government for their family’s considerable educational expenses. Many homeschoolers win national spelling contests and other contests against public school students, and entry into “highly selective” colleges with high SAT scores. They go on to form highly successful companies and work in many other careers. I think attacking or discriminating against home schooling is somewhat like attacking the victims. Many homeschoolers drop out of the education system because of its failure to deliver appropriate educational services. One recent blogger from my “excellent” school district is an example. His elementary aged daughter was reading at several grade levels above her peers and was expected by her teacher to dumb herself down so she would not hurt the other kids’ feelings. With these kinds of attitudes in the schools, many parents feel they have no other choice but to homeschool. Trying to correct these issues in the education system is sometimes like beating one’s head against the proverbial brick wall.

By Lauren

February 3, 2006 1:11 AM | Link to this

I believe that people become to easily offended and let their own insecurities quickly cloud their judgment without looking for other possible explanations to their queries. An example a person who is insecure about their weight will assume that everyone in the room is glancing at them because they are fat rather than that their blouse is beautiful. We all know Oprah and her view on education and children and its importance. Common sense should tell everyone that she is not discriminatory against homeschoolers she has no reason to be. I am not positive of the contest prize, but that or the sponsors of it might have had more to do with that rule than Oprah. For instance if the prize for the essay contest included some type of tuition grant from an outside company… in order for them to receive a tax break they might be required to prove each recipient’s student status which is much easier if the student attends an accredited 9-12th grade institution. Open your minds people. And before you accuse anyone of a perposterous standpoint, just ask them….