Collaborative Group:  Education/ schools

In what ways are families and schools linked together?  Can you describe the way families are currently perceived and received by professionals involved in the education of children?  Are schools regarded as too autonomous or too dependent on families?  These basic questions are the underlying issues this group addresses.  Some worthwhile links:
 

Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships
ETS Document: The Family, America's Smallest School
Kiplinger-Colleges and Families
Harvard Family Research Project
Partnership for Family Involvement in Education
No Child Left Behind proposal
Familes and Schools Together
The Freedom Forum Online
	UK Department for Children, Schools and Families
Family Education Network
	Families in Schools
Charter Schools
	Home Education Magazine
Homeschooling “After our other children came along, it was abundantly clear that people have varying learning styles and timetables. It was also obvious that when a child learns something out of a true desire to learn, the learning happens very quickly and is easily retained.”

"Across America, our schools have now gotten into the act. Just what messages are they sending to the youth of America? While many schools will give some time to teaching abstinence, they then in turn will contradict that message. Many schools, right after teaching abstinence then go on to teach the illusion of safer sex. Some will teach the children where they can seek help outside of the family, from community resources. Some schools will teach confidentiality laws so that all the children will understand that they do not have to deal with their parents.  The school's of America will call this double message morally neutral sex education. But the truth will come out when parents who object to this double message and ask for a choice in sex education. Parents asking for an alternative strict comprehensive abstinence track in sex education will find that the school's across America believe in empowering children with knowledge so that they can make their own decisions. What happened to empowering parents. Who's Children are these the government run schools or the parents? The big problem is that the schools are slanting their information toward the idea that these children can have premarital sex if they so chose."   Michael Jacques of West Allis Wi, a concerned parent