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I recently read a great book called The Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Von DeMille that blew my mind. I cut the cord and pulled my daughter from school and am now homeschooling. This book woke me up and has blessed my life so I have to share it with my thrive family. Check out tjed.org. This is how most all the great giants that we admire we're educated from our founding fathers, to Shakespeare , Einstein. Let's teach our children HOW to think. Let's teach them to be LEADERS.

For better education system sacrificing both our living pattern and the redefining school prototype. So opportunities for meaningful and well way of reliable education facilities with good constructive as well as positive approach toward the education system above mentioned article is helpful for everyone.

If the progress that has been made in the last 500 years is based on exploration of natural science (physics, biology, mathematics, etc) and invention of external technology (cars, radio, trains, airplanes, etc), I believe that progress in the next 500 years will be based on turning within and studying the science of mind, emotions, and consciousness. I hope schools throughout the world will soon begin to take seriously the idea of teaching students the practice of mindfulness meditation. As a meditator myself, I have witnessed the positive changes that have been brought to me and my life as a result of my meditation. The increase in self awareness and metacognitive ability has given me insights in how I think, and behave, and what triggers me emotionally. The knowledge of this pattern and its underlying psychological root empowers me to self correct. There is consensus nowaday that EQ, not IQ, is what makes one succeed in life. When a planet-ful of population are trained in those attributes associated with high EQ such as high resilience to confront adversity; when through mindfulness meditation, one develops positive human qualities such as compassion, and respect for life; when those today who are children are imbued by meditation with those qualities begin to saturate the labor force two decades from now; and when they begin to take charge of key posts of leadership such as in congress, in non profit org, in corporations, and in universities, just imagine what amazing progressive changes can happen! I believe that grand systemic change must occur to make the world a better place. And a key component to that change is to train students in meditation so that they can raise self awareness, evolve their meta-cognitive abilities, and thereby develop important positive human qualities. I think that humanity has taken an important leap when we decided as a planet through formation of consensus that literacy rates and basic arithmetic needs to be the foundation curriculum that all students must master. Let us take another leap by adding mindfulness meditation to this curriculum so that the inner, spiritual, mental, and emotional healthy of students can be enhanced.

When I was in 9th grade, someone in my school decided standard IQ tests were a good idea. When I scored 128, someone decided to talk to me to find out why I was barely passing or even failing almost everything. I guess they must have found the answer, but they never shared it with me. I failed history in my Sr. year, and I was already enlisted in the Air Force. But I got my GED and eventually went on to Jr college. Its funny, students are the reason teachers have jobs, but the union never complained once about student rights, or asked why a MENSA qualifying student was failing in their school. Is that because unions do not care about students, only money for teachers? Oh, thats right, it is the parents fault teachers can not teach.

Even in the current poor-education milieu, kids can learn how to be inventive, creative independent individuals--as long as parents can help make that happen.
Schools were never much about doing that--though far more, 50 years ago than 20 years ago.
There are still some exceptionally good teachers, constantly battling upstream flack for taking too much time to actually teach.
Public school systems can be obstructive, too, when it comes to some rules governing their home-school programs.
Parents can take kids to parks, museums, concerts, family trips including sight-seeing, make Learning-Ops out of mundane daily living that include seeing things from different perspectives.
Kids need helped to learn a broader spectrum of things, to learn how to perceive things from many facets, to observe, to listen.
Show kids how all studies help other studies, that subjects merge together to make a fuller picture of what one needs to know and do.
It's been known for a VERY long time, about 30% of kids "learn differently", so regularly fall through the cracks of regular mainstream teaching programs--that's huge.
That % has grown, along with the vast increases in numbers per population of kids with learning difficulties and ASD spectrum issues. That probably turns out to be around 50% or so of kids being "kicked upstairs"--promoted to next grades up without learning much, without being able to read properly, lacking ability to think discerningly, etc....which handicaps them for a lifetime, and adversely impacts every level of society, work-forces and economy.
==When ignorance grows, as it has for at least the last 30 years--this can be seen in the larger portions of populations who can so easily be scared and manipulated by Religious factions, Politicians, Media, corporate agendas, etc.--yet that's considered good---That's a strong sign education is severely compromised.
==When religious-backed politicians start castigating colleges for teaching people to think and discern, trying to block freedom of education, THAT's a strong sign Education has sunk to new lows.
We used a combo of public and home schooling using public school materials, for one of our kids who was having too much difficulty in classes. He turned out really well, considering what he had to deal with. He'd have been destroyed as a person, if left only to public schools.
Guess what I'm saying is, Public schools DO have some good things about them, but Parents MUST be involved, and expand the education experiences schools lack. For kids with special needs, public schools fail miserably--we handled that far better doing home schooling.
If we'd known then, what we learned along the way, we'd have home schooled our other child, too.
At least some.
But then, we worked 3 and 4 jobs between us, and home-schooled and after-school kids had to be taken care of by parents who were in dire need of sleep, and only one on hand at any time. Yet, we made it, and our kids are great.
Too bad so many public school teachers and Districts, can so easily be swayed to vote to get rid of actual, good, alternative schools--that's kinda like when KKK was successful at recruiting blacks to their membership roles years ago--it was a ploy to make that group appear more legitimate and kind...as-if that could ever work! Cutting out legitimate alternative schools that are working, that have long waiting lists for them, is kinda like that---And it doesn't work.

hello everyone: im looking to home school my 7th grade son, im having trouble picking the best way to do this.does anyone have any pointers?

For anyone who is not yet familiar with it, but committed to this topic, I've found the Tragedy & Hope Youtube channel to be a fabulous resource! https://www.youtube.com/cha...

The change we need is one of agenda and intent, teaching love and honesty not power and greed. A shift of consciousness in the worlds people will correct most or all of the evil that exists. It's all about the money education is big business. Education is the illuminati's brainwashing machine.

Dear Foster and Kimberly,

I am doing something about it too. Thank you for your wonderful hearts and love. (And this blog too!)

Please help me get the word out.

We have started the Education Options EXPO to empower parents who want to learn about private schooling, homeschooling, unschooling and democratic schooling.

Do you live in California? You are invited to address the parents too, if you are in town. :)

Join us: October 4, 2014 in San Jose, CA www.EducationOptionsEXPO.com

Love

Dave

Interesting article. As a veteran teacher, i understand the frustration of teachers & parents with traditional schools. However, the crux of the problem isn't so much the traditional system per se, but our society's focus on producing capital, e.g. money. The top 25% of college graduates opt for careers that make $$$ as opposed to careers that benefit society as a whole. Look a the traditional school model in Finland. The top 20% of college graduates are the only ones able to become teachers. Consequently, you have the best and brightest teaching the next generation with innovation which breaks the norm. The result: Finland & South Korea are rated the Best education systems in the world because of their belief that education is a priority in society, not making money.

Hi Hemiloa,
Isn't it nearly 100% of career seekers who opt for careers that make money?
So you're a veteran teacher with a thumbnail that hints you eat brains? :) LOL.
Sincerely,
Ian

We must stop creating automatons. It's all of out responsibility to question authority!

There's an intermediary/transitional response, too: that of working with 'what is' and educating teachers in the holistic ways of understanding and relating to children. This way, we empower teachers with new skills of insight and relating to help them manage children with "challenging" behaviors" in classrooms (an increasing problem, w/ some states having experienced reported epidemics of preschool expulsions) while at the same time ALL children's holistic needs are being addressed and ideally met so that they may flourish. This type of teacher education addresses children's lack of internal balance and resulting lack of emotional safety as the underlying causes to most challenging behaviors.

Holistically speaking, as we know, all aspects of a child's "whole beingness" are not being seen, addressed and met in the current education model. These are the reasons they act out, withdraw, etc. As a therapist and early childhood mental health consultant who worked in public schools for many years I've seen first hand how poorly prepared teachers are to handle children's needs. Also, I studied secondary ed in undergrad and personally experienced how "ed psych" is not nearly covering it.

Understanding why children behave they ways they do, then, is at the heart of addressing "challenging" behaviors, and this language within the topic of "self-regulation" is what teachers know and will respond to. We promote the holistic perception and approach of children by promoting the importance of and increasing psychological literacy - the understanding of human flourishing and failure. Psychological literacy is mental health literacy, which is holistic health literacy. I hope I'm illustrating how this type of teacher training can be an inroad to more children feeling and becoming more aligned with their truer natures, and therefore happier and more comfortable - especially those who have no option but to stay in public schools. It's not a perfect resolution, but an intermediary one as mentioned.

As we seek to reform education and save our race and planet, violence increases in our schools throughout the world. We can take measures such as this kind of training to help increase our collective psychQ, as I call it. Teachers and caregivers learn new insights and skills which help children learn to be in "right relationship" with themselves, so that they can be in "right relationship" with others and with the natural world - the beginnings of peace, justice and sustainability. We address their emotional safety as the overarching developmental goal of childhood, and the pillar to this emotional safety - their identity. From the earliest age we intend for children to know themselves as goodness itself and to begin their adventure in Life knowing this safety and the safety of a world which loves them.

Regarding the larger theme of education and what if anything we should require children to learn (i.e.: a curriculum), I have some thoughts. We are talking about the importance of teaching children how the world works. In addition to providing environments in which children acquire a variety of skills and knowledge as they pursue their passions, I bet most of us would agree on the importance of children becoming literate in certain subject areas which collectively describe "how the world works". We can categorize these areas of knowledge according to "operational literacies" or "systems literacies" - both ancient and current, the worst, and the most just. In other words, we teach what hasn't been working and what has and does work to fulfill our vision of the future. Examples are psychological literacy, economic/financial literacy, ecological literacy, energy mechanics literacy, agricultural/agribusiness literacy, etc. We provide the back story and help children understand everyone's interdependent relationships within Life: Relationship-based learning. What is the experience of Life but relationships?

As i see it, in teaching about relationships based in holism we create experiences that dovetail within three stages for our children in which they come to know themselves intimately, support themselves lovingly, and manage themselves responsibly. They learn how to navigate their internal and external experiences with specific skill sets within these three stages. All of the skills and stages have connections to Intuition and/or Nature. We know that when children are psychologically/holistically seen and related to by the primary adults in their lives they will step into their natural intuitive gifts and competencies, and enthusiastically and joyfully engage in learning and service. I believe this kind of teacher training is one way we can begin making a real impact on children's lives and on forming our reality of peace, cooperation, equality, justice, plenty, and joy.

If anyone is interested, please do visit www.ourholistickids.com to learn about The Holistic Child's Self-Regulation Program which is one such model I developed over the years. It has three components: the three stages to self-regulation stated in the paragraph above with inherent skills sets for self- knowledge, self-support and self-mastery, including critical thinking steps for developing insight into others', and for experiencing non judgment and forgiveness; a list of guiding principles to increase psychological literacy, and a Venn diagram I call The Wheel of Holistic Perception. The Wheel's nine lenses - through which we look to view a child holistically - include Attachment/Relationships; Creative Self-Expression; Cognition/Intellectual Stimulation; Biology/Physical Expression; Environment; Sensory; Nature; Nutrition; and Spirituality, which I may change to Consciousness. (What do you think?) The Wheel is a simple visual to help those who are not familiar with holism, to look at and be reminded that one, several, or all of the elements of holism - if unmet in a child - can contribute to their lack of internal balance and related level of emotional safety, leading to self-regulation concerns, and not living into the wholeness and joy of their birthrite. Interested folks can download it from the homepage.

While we pursue changes to how teachers are educated, if we could fund testing in this or some kind of holistic teacher training model, we'd no doubt see positive outcomes and could use the data to advance policy changes.

All these advancements in education are really interesting and important. Thanks for reading about this option. Thanks to everyone for all you do.

Sincerely,
Denise

Thank you very much for this wonderful blog! As an experienced teacher, I can say that there are many tremendous and amazing things happening in our field. I love the innovation, and as I progress in my career I am able to apply many of these ideas. I do find that there is a great deal of openness. Here is a wonderful resource that I have found regarding applying the 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE to the elementary school: http://www.theleaderinme.org/

Here's a timely post from Brasscheck TV on the blurring lines between schools and prisons.
Chilling...
http://www.brasschecktv.com...

It takes awareness and action...My partners and I have started a non-profit called Ute Springs Experiential Learning Center (see and like our facebook or www.UteSpringsELC.org for more info...) as a supplement to the public school system. We live in a small valley and have a number of existing charter schools and one private school...starting another was stone-walled so we created a summer camp that then can supply winter programming in the form of after school programs, during school leadership/challenge programs and home schooling programs. Being outside of the traditional school system we can create the experiential systems that energize and push kids beyond their known boundaries so they can tap into the richness of who they are and trust THAT! What Ute Springs ELC has to offer our community is quite limitless and the support we have received has been amazing...being a start-up we are in the throws of fundraising, which is tough, but the success from our summer enrollment keeps us going. Our Elementary School camps filled in two days showing us the need and desire from many families to give to their children something more!

What on Earth will it take? It will take a shift in consciousness, which is happening now, and has been happening for the last few decades. Why do you think that we are finally questioning not only an archaic educational system, but our lives in general, and all of the outdated systems of mindless submission. Why are the questions, "who am I", 'where am I going", "what's it all about", popping up in our heads? Consciousness is rising in the world, and websites such as THRIVE are bringing alternative methods of thinking into the mainstream. The sooner we not only BELIEVE that we are unbounded Cosmic Beings, the quicker we will evolve as a species. Look for the signs -- they are all around us. Don't be deceived by the vicissitudes on the surface level of life. Look beneath the surface. There is good everywhere. Look at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, if you really want to see how education in the Age of Enlightenment should operate. Get into the company of the wise. Jai Guru Dev!

an inspiring book about a family with several prodigy children and insights on how children learn:
The Children On The Hill by Michael Deakin.

Here is a school of the future - Tekos school in Russia. Inspiring. A great model.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

I looked at this video, and loved it! Interesting and inspiring example indeed,
I shared it on my own Research Blog, Lab of Evolution: labofevolution.wordpress.com

Thanks Ora, It's happening all over the world! Be sure to check out: Why Do These Kids Love School?

It's at: http://vimeo.com/24657217

Looks awesome!

I'm so glad somebody already mentioned Sugata Mitra, cause I personally find the dude completely inspiring. And as a parent of 8 children - the first of which I sent to private, state, and Waldorf schools, and the last 7 of which we unschool as a result of our experiences - as well as having a deep love for Quantum Physics………Self Organisation is just the bomb. I've got a blog myself where I talk a bit about unschooling and link to resources. And a huge amount of my excitement comes from witnessing in my own life the amazing power to organise harmony from chaos that comes with self organisation. The empowering of everyone to simply be completely who they are, and knowing that in folk being their true and authentic selves, they're already showing up for their link to our conscious connection. I believe that just about everything in our Universe is conscious - as in being completely perfect in doing and being exactly what it is - except us human mob, who have been coerced to believe that power and control is the key to spirituality and 'goodness', instead of knowing that we all have access through our microcosm of the macrocosm holograph inside, to access all the wonders we could imagine. Simply through being who we are. I love the whole concept so much I wrote a blog post about it full of links to some of what I've found that reflects it. Towards the end in particular are some links to Sugata Mitra and his form of learning…. http://spunoutpost.blogspot...

It was the Wall St branch of Rothschild bankers and the robber barons whom they financed who built American industrial society. It was built to serve the interests of rich men whose ego knows no limits and who have no qualms about imposing their psychopathic visions of plutocrat paradise on millions of innocent humans. Mass society is THEIR society. They own it and they operate it as their private property. They are the true government of the nation.

The public education system is simply the early indoctrination phase for the peasants. The elite education system is the early indoctrination phase for the ruling class. The peasants learn to be ignorant and insecure, which makes them docile workers and servants. The rulers learn to be competitive, heartless and vastly overconfident in their intelligence and ability, which makes them ruthless tyrants.

Mass society was built by power and will always be ruled by power. There is no place for enlightened reason in a society that is essentially feudal and aristocratic in structure. There will be no reforming of "the system". The system is performing exactly as it is meant to perform. The delusion of democracy has brainwashed the peasants into believing that the government is trying hard to do what's best for the people, when it is patently obvious to anyone with eyes in their head that the government does not give a rat's patootie about the people. Democracy is a brilliant ruse that blinds the people to the truth of their situation, and wastes their time and effort advocating for "reform" that never quite seems to happen.

If you want reform, you have to get out of the system and do it yourself, with other like-minded people whose eyes have been opened to the truth.

I thought that this was a great article and I am quite impressed with the comments that have been posted. It is clear that the public school system never intended to educate children and that the only hope for our society is to get as many children as possible out of it. My family started a national organization for homeschoolers inspired in part by the Thrive Movie and we want to support the Thrive Movement any way we can. One resource that we offer for free that I think will be very helpful to anyone that is trying to decide if they want to homeschool or if they already homeschool but they have friends or relatives that are uncomfortable with their decision is a very comprehensive 285 page e-book called "Terra Scholar - A Complete Handbook for Today's Homeschooler." I am especially pleased to be able to make it available to Thrive community members. Here is a link to the free e-book - http://homelearningassociat...

Thanks for an inspiring post, J. Allen, and for creating your awesome book. Looking through the table of contents, it seems you are addressing virtually all of the key issues.

Thank you. I would like to help any way I can. What your doing is critically important to everyone whether they know it or not.

At 7 yrs old I told my Mom that this was not a free country if she got in trouble for me not attending the school I felt so alien in. I never felt comfortable in the public school system. My own children attended Montessori and other private schools when they could. I have Lyme (another gift of the 1% and passed it into my five children). We are all ultra sensitive. I have home schooled them for a time, tried an "unschool" and tutoring. Two passed the GED with honors and got a diploma, one with an 8th grade education and the other up to grade 10. I have found that they were far less frustrated when not participating in gov't run schools. They learned much faster and were so enthusiastic to travel and learn if even a car ride to Boston. My three sons have entered management level positions without an Bachelor's degree simply because they were so well educated without it. They are confident, well spoken young men, albeit constantly battling Lyme. My daughters attended college for two years but had to leave due to their illness. One is a birthing teacher. I am now raising one of my grand daughters who is tired of "dumbing down" and having to wait to move on in school. She too has Lyme disease. We are considering withdrawing her and home schooling her last two years to save her the stress and frustration.

I believe formal schools have only existed for a short period of time in the history of human kind. I think it is a gem if families want it and/or need it. I think it should be optional. I think there should be all kinds of education available, different styles and formats to choose from. And I mean available to the average person, not just the rich as it is now. I like M. Tellinger's new community Ubuntu in So. Africa where everyone in the community makes a contribution....even with education.

My family has very high IQ's. This has made it difficult to thrive in a govt formatted educational system. I will be elated when it disappears!!

FG: Smear the current educational system in 4 separate paragraphs (make sure derogation puts governments, banks, and corporations on blast).
FG: Make education voluntary.
FG: Recreate the financial system to empower people and that will free up taxes.
IM: Can you be a bit more specific on how to do this?
FG: Current regulations and taxations need to be transformed.
IM: Wouldn’t negotiation with state authorities be needed to bring about that transformation?
FG: Look into alternatives.
**
The AERO list shows 48 alternative schools in the state of California. California looks to have a student aged population greater than 6,000,000.

As an example from the AERO list, Diablo Valley School, in Concord, CA, advertises tuition of $9,300 per year (with 50% discount on 2nd child, 75% discount on 3rd child, and 66% discount for special needs).
**
FG: Home schooling and creating your own school are also options
FG: The key is to get the government out of schooling.
IM: If you choose to home school, one earner has to support all expenses, in a 2 parent home.
IM: If you choose a private school, household earnings must be higher than average.
IM: It does NOT seem alternative education is now available to all willing and able students in the USA.
IM: It does seem state education is now available to all willing and able students in the USA.
IM: I agree with you that state education is quite uninspiring.
IM: It seems the parents of 8 million children in the USA also agree state education is uninspiring and have sought alternatives.
IM: However, there are still nearly 50 million children who do rely on state education in the USA.
IM: It seems to me those 8 million children in alternative schooling, most likely have parents, who work at high end jobs for corporations, banks, or governments, earning above average salaries, don’t you think?
IM: Do you think it is better to reform something available to all?
IM: Or do you think it is better to abandon what is available to all, in favor of that which is available to only some?
IM: Moving back to an earlier point you mentioned: Recreating the financial system.
IM: To propose such a thing, it is important to have the backing of the general public, don’t you think?
IM: Perhaps you will be interested in a survey, my better half has turned into a documentary for us.
It is about recreating the financial system, and the general public’s reaction it. HERE IS THE LINK: https://www.youtube.com/wat...
IM: I think it is important to document how real people react, honestly and sincerely, if you want to propose such a thing, don’t you think?

Two thumbs up for another great article!

Being myself an educator, I seize this chance to present something which is not in the USA, but in which people from everywhere are involved since years - also US citizens.
I am from France, but have been living since 1972 in AUROVILLE, the international project started in 1968 near Pondicherry, South India.
If you look up on our website and particularly at what concerns Education, you will find a really nice and interesting system functioning and growing since more than forty years, always evolving towards an ideal diversity of free choices as well for the teachers, the parents and the children themselves, and towards a soul-based, spiritual but non-religious view of each individual in his or her uniqueness.
Down below another Comment mentioned and praised the work of Arno Stern, somebody from Francophone Europe probably not known in the US, but quite remarkable indeed. as one of those true educators now more and more coming up everywhere, and so sorely needed in all our presently so sick societies. I left a a Reply to that Comment down below.
Not only for Education, but for all other aspects of life as well, the experiment of AUROVILLE could be of interest and value for the THRIVE Movement, if you are trying to identify existing projects that already answer the criteria of a truer future for our evolving Earth - including a freely individualized Spirituality..

www.auroville.org

not joining the discussion, but wanting you to know that I am communicating with the Project Based Learning program as IMHO it is a great learning process but needs some tweaking. I am proposing a process to them - that you may come to hear about. I am surprised that no reference is made to either the Montessori Schools or the Robert Muller Schools. Perhaps surprised is the wrong word - say disappointed. In fact your over all attitude towards education is still based upon the reductionist model notwithstanding your reference to some holistic processes. Consider your 12 sector approach when dealing with education and apply holistic processes to the approach.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Charlotte Iserbyt - author of Deliberate Dumbing Down...
everything she talks about is blatantly noticeable to anyone who has attended schools outside of the US, in terms of civics, science, math, world history, its repression of knowledge and a blatant attempt at creating compliant docile consumers apathetic to top-down corruption.

A breath of fresh air for sure. My youngest daughter is in a private school started by my cousin and she is THRIVING!! She is learning according to how she learns and the teachers have the time and talent to focus on her weaknesses and make them stronger. She loves to explore, ask questions, etc in a non-threatening environment. They are learning how to communicate and work out their conflicts with each other with an eye toward creating peace instead of "top down" punishment.
In addition to teaching our children how to critically think, collaborate and communicate, I believe we need to teach and model to our children how to truly connect with one another through active listening skills and empathy so to honestly build a society of Oneness. Our kids are so fertile with ideas and expansive creativity that helps us adults see outside the box into a THRIVING future. Let's unlock this potential and truly create a thriving world.
Let's go!

Bravo! This is one answer to awakening society! The same symptoms cause us to shrug our shoulders over corruption in Washington, and not even lifting our voting fingers to create change! I say it is time to march on Washington....again! And with respect to education transformation, also to march on our state capitols!

I am a "senior" now, and this does NOT mean to retire and lay back. It means that I have the free time to devote my energies to play a true elder role. So, I especially call upon "seniors" across the land!

One resource on this topic I find missing is John Holt. Please don't leave out "the father of the modern homeschooling movement" from your resources.

I agree, Steve. Will you please give a link or reference to Holt's work here...?

Glad to:

(1) Amazon link to his books: http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=...

(2) Link to GWS (Growing Without Schooling): http://www.johnholtgws.com/

(3) Link to an interview I did with him in 1981, that has seen far too little coverage (article was rejected by intended publication; first printed on this site, which I work with regularly): http://www.rationalreview.c...

Hope this helps - Steve

Very helpful. Thanks.

Many thanks for your work! Very close to the questions that you podnimaete.Po teacher profession and I am familiar with the problems in education. I live in Russia, but the problems remain the same throughout the world. Sorry for my english. I want to join your team, but do not know much yazyk.Est whether vashee Russian team who knows? Together we can do more!

Foster, this is fantastic! We have been home educating (Natural learning) since 2011. The "system" has basically forced us into registering with a government department called the HEU (Home Education Unit) in Brisbane but at least our kids are out of mainstream institutions.

We have to report once every year or are threatened (in the nicest possible way) with visits from police officers and the possibility of a court appearance. I voice my opinion once a year :) and then just go with The Flow of what we are choosing to focus on.

The kids are Thriving in their own ways since they have been out of the system. Free from pressure, testing and exams, the kids are encouraged to pursue things they are passionate about ..... and my husband and I are amazed at some of the things they have produced over such a short time out of school

Our local home schooling community has been a great support but without any funding, we find other ways to come together :) ... which reminds me, we have group roller skating and an activity day next week.

I have passed this article and all your links on to our community and support leaders and hopefully, we will all gain some more knowledge about how to free ourselves even further from the few strings that still remain holding on :) Snip snip ;)

Thanks heaps xxx Big hugs, from Queensland, Australia

I sujest that you change that ilustration that identify a Thrive Movement. Its seems a iluminati seals. I am confusion abaout that.

I agree. This gives the appearance of being linked to the Illuminati.

Thanks to everyone for turning this comment board today into such an insightful sharing of experiences and reflections on the challenges of finding or creating positive learning environments.

Thanks to you first of all, dear Foster, for giving us all this opportunity to contribute whatever resources and valuable examples of an already existing truer future we may know of, for the Education the whole Human Being needs.
That definitely includes the spiritual dimension, so Spirituality has been the first Sector where I tried to get involved, hopefully in a useful manner.
But to my utter disappointment I have found that the Forum in that Spirituality Sector is not active any more at all since long.

I tried at the time to resurrect it by replying to a number of posts left there by the numerous earlier visitors, hoping that my Reply to each of them would automatically send to their respective email addresses a notification that would bring them back to the Forum.
But nothing of the kind happened, twice I checked again, no answer, everybody seems to be discouraged and doesn't visit there any more..
Please, would you tell me what can be done to start again some meaningful exchange with like-minded individuals on this so important topic?
My idea would be to take your videos for that Sector as the basis for a collective reflection, see if we the participants all agree as I do with your points and your overall conclusion, and then to build on that.
But how to do all this when I am all alone there???

My contribution to this Education Sector's Forum I have posted up there among the latest posts, it will give you some details about who I am, or at least where I live, which speaks for itself.
But I need now your help regarding the Spirituality Sector: how can I contact the other persons interested in this aspect, if the Forum there doesn't work?
Thanking you in advance for your help...

I have an interesting note that doesn't reflect well on the public school system. I'm in a rural area that grows a lot of Canola and Pulses, hay for cattle and some wheat. A friend who does repair work went to a nearby high school where he learned that Monsanto has given that one school 100, that's one hundred scholarships to students in the agricultural field. What are your guesses that these students are going to learn that GMO's are mankind's gift to God and that unnecessary antibiotics in cattle are just so important to maintain a farming business?

The public school system, and universities, have always allowed corporate sponsorships. But now that we know that what some of these corporations do, especially Monsanto, is absolutely hazardous to the health of all beings on the planet, this doesn't speak well of the ethics of the heads of the public school system that would allow this immoral corporation to poison the minds of students.

Having gone through the public school system in Canada in the 60's and 70's, I've noticed how the English component selected stories that had depressing endings, mostly resulting in a sense of despair. An example is "Lord of the Flies' which concludes that human nature -- especially that of children -- is evil without the help of adults, but the discussion gets around to the idea that a lot of adults are opportunistic and cruel, they just know how to add a civilized veneer to hide it. I've heard of people try to put a positive spin on this novel, but I don't think a lot of teenagers could get above the violence in this novel.

I'm thinking that the more negativity and despair the authorities feed people, the more the grown up children will try to compensate by consumerism. Just a few thoughts/ Thanks.

Lynn

My life stories always make us sound weird :) Oh my what a story on this one:) Should I leave out how good spirits/ energy seemed to be helping us at every turn? Against state police coming to try and take our first child away. I had this strong feeling to padlock our metal gates coming into our Ranch that morning! Right after I got back to the ranch house and upstairs I heard a clanking of the metal gates ! Standing back away from an upper window I watched the whole drama play out of police officers fooling with the chains and locks as a woman truant officer stared across the ranch land.! Yes, our property was posted with No Trespassing signs!

Then on to the School boards notices, our school teacher neighbors fighting against us? We got a lawyer at ACLU who happened to be a smart Jew, a religious one besides. There had been a won case in the State already so our lawyer was using that case in our favor. How every time we were to appear in Court it was canceled because everyone on the oppositions teams became deathly ill? Even the States Lawyers and their picked Judge were ill ! Like Wow!

Yes, we were against The Poison Needles of vaccines was the first reason behind our decision to home school our children at our ranch:) We got the backing of Educated friends and family members in the School systems in other States. From College Professors, High School and Grade School teachers and some local College Students as consultants for our classes. We ordered professional school courses by mail designed for professional people who traveled around the World with their school age children. It was a course approved by our State even:) My husband with 12 years of college under his belt himself, was still a working Scientist at a research center at that time and traveled back and forth to another State to work. I ran the Ranch and taught school, besides doing all our paper work for the case but with others help in approving what I had typed before sending it to the State. We did send our first child out of state for safety reasons, before the locked Ranch gates, to stay with our friends who were also home schooling:) During the on going Court Case that was pending. Yes the College Professor schooled his children at home also!

We did Win out side of Court! Ah yes, we never did get into that Court room! We were made a State School, where I had to agree to help teach their flunking students during the Summer months? The parents had to sign up for the courses and pay me per hour for my time. Was it easy? No, it was hard work mentally on all of us, as they watched us like hawks, paying us visits during classes and it took some of the fun we had from before, out of the classes a bit at first until we shook it all off. Our children were tested by them and scored higher then the local schools:) Oh Boy, talk about beaming smiles from our children! They are all grown today:) What is their favorite passion in life now? Gardening, raising flowers, Green House Businesses, Woodworking Shop:) They love it!