Rick Santorum Slams Education System, Will Home-School Children At White House

hehehe God I hope he wins the nomination. It will be so much fun to watch. =)

Pretty cocksure of himself, isn't he? LOL

What would you want him to say?

"Gee guys, I dont think I havea chance in hell, but I'm sure going to try".

Cocksure describes Obama - not Santorum.

hehehe God I hope he wins the nomination. It will be so much fun to watch. =)

I have said that about all the republican candidates.

What would you want him to say?

"Gee guys, I dont think I havea chance in hell, but I'm sure going to try".

Honesty has never been one of Santorum's stong points so of course he wouldn't say that

Cocksure describes Obama - not Santorum.

As an old coach I can tell you that it's OK to be a little cocky when you have something to back it up.

The president can back it up. . . Santorum on the other hand, would be cut from my B squad on the first morning of practice. I doubt we would even issue him shoes. . .

| I have said that about all the republican candidates.

It is entertaining, isn't it?

it sure is entertaining, I am amazed at how many shoes they can fit in their mouths....open mouth insert foot :)

, would be cut from my B squad on the first morning of practice. I doubt we would even issue him shoes. . .

LOL!!! I almost spit my water on the screen!!!! As a current coach, I know exactly what you mean!

I suppose my husband and I could home school... give up our jobs and live on public assistance... he could handle the AP Chem and Calc class for my junior and I could teach the AP History and AP English classes she's taking, and between us we'd almost be as good as her public school teachers, but the AP Psych and AP Spanish and Orchestra classes would be a little out of our reach... Just wonder what the parents with barely a high school diploma can offer their children? Or do we keep those children of uneducated parents perpetually ingorant for minimum wage staffing purposes?

Or do we keep those children of uneducated parents perpetually ingorant for minimum wage staffing purposes?

I don't think WE have anything to do with them being ignorant. That's solely on their parents for home schooling them in the first place. Home schooled kids do sometimes turn out smart but their akwardness around crowds and peers make them stand out like a sore thumb.

Home schooled kids do sometimes turn out smart but their akwardness around crowds and peers make them stand out like a sore thumb.

And don't forget they often have problems with being naive and they don't just lack social grace; they also often lack the exposure and general knowledge of 'random things' like pop culture, urban legends, all those little 'trivia' type things that kids pick up on from their peers.

A friend of mine who was home schooled consistently amazes me for not having heard of this or that, a movie, a book, or a bit of 'general knowledge' that you would expect just about anyeone to know.

Don't forget science as well, with so much anti-science rhetoric going on, home schooler parents can and do indoctrinate their children into the lies and misinformation of young earth creationism.

It is that naivety that amazes me daily. Trying to teach a child whose only access to education has been at the hands of an undereducated and untrained parent is the most difficult thing those of us in higher education tackle. Overcoming the obstacle of "my mommy told me ___— so it must be true" takes away valuable teaching time for those students whose parents did have the intelligence to give their children a proper public school education.

Ron, Excellent post. IMO Santorum is one of those who was always picked last when dodge ball came up in PE class. He has anger and hate issues and if he wins, it tells me my country is not what many said it was and we will be on a fast train to nowhere. He cracks me up with all this home schooling stuff. In most homes today, both parents work, to be able to feed their kids. Who's supposed to home school them, work, clean house, cook and do all the things most parents do? But since he doesn't live in the real world, how would he even know about that? Then after they are home schooled, who is going to teach them about competing in a global economy and world? He lives in lala land and needs to go back there, with all his naive kids.

Face it, if the GOP want a descent candidate with a measurable IQ, they are going to have to clone Lincoln.

Face it, if the GOP want a descent decent candidate with a measurable IQ, they are going to have to clone Lincoln.

No offense, Jensen, but if you're going to try to paint the GOP as unintelligent, you should at least use spell-check before posting.

descent [dih-sent]   de·scent   [dih-sent] Show

1.the act, process, or fact of moving from a higher to a lower position. Synonyms: falling, sinking; fall, drop.

2.a downward inclination or slope. Synonyms: decline, grade, declivity; slant

3.a passage or stairway leading down.

4.derivation from an ancestor; lineage; extraction. Synonyms: ancestry, parentage, origin.

Sorry, got the ascent on the wrong sah lab bel

Santorum assumes we could all teach our kids better than schools. My husband and I both have graduate degrees but we cannot top the public education our children are getting. And parents with less education and fewer resources? What are they to do? We have public schools with lots of good attributes...and some not so good ones. We need to improve what we have, not go to offering nothing.

@bubbling,

Excellent point!

I'm sure that Santorum's idea of "home schooling" is to go out and hire the best tutors (tax) money can buy. It's not like he or his wife are actually gonna sit down and personally teach them the Three Rs---IMO neither one of them could train a dog, let alone educate a child, most especially not the "man of the house."

I wonder when's the last time a president put his children in the public school system---especially the train wreck that, sadly, the DC public school system has largely become. There's a reason---beyond political status---that Obama's daughters are in Sidwell Friends and not least is because he's got the paper to pay for a school like that.

Ain't it interesting how, as each GOP candidate achieves "front runner" status, they have each publicly demonstrated how many times they can put a foot in their mouths---or their heads up into the ol' nether region?

I continue to be AMAZED that anyone in the GOP (or anywhere else) can take Santorum seriously as a presidential candidate...but then, I said the same about Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Donald Trump AND Newt Gingrich.

And my wife wonders why I drinnk so much coffee lately, but frankly, watching this three-ring circus would be exhausting otherwise. I'm amazed that I'm not doin' speed...

Will our taxes pay for their education?

In some states, you already are.

Example? I know of a child in Pa. who has "bully" tendencies. He always picked on and began fights with children younger than himself. That is until the older siblings of the children he was bullying began to "return" the behavior. The school admins instructed his parents of the escalating situation, in the hopes they would punish the kid for his actions. The parents, a "disabled" cop and his submissive wife, demanded their kid be home schooled as the school could not provide a safe environment for him. The school district had to provide this kid with a brand new PC and tutors. This has been going on now for the last 3 years.

Talk about milking the system!! Guess this is what InSanatorum wants for our country!!!

BTW Bonos _Rama, love the new avatar!

I kinda like Beethovens wavy, wind blown locks. But the new one is more colorful.. 8)

Santorum assumes we could all teach our kids better than schools. My husband and I both have graduate degrees but we cannot top the public education our children are getting. And parents with less education and fewer resources? What are they to do? We have public schools with lots of good attributes...and some not so good ones. We need to improve what we have, not go to offering nothing.

This is exactly it. Parents have more responsibilities these days other than just educating their children. Schools are places where people who are trained, professional educators impart knowledge to students. They tend to specialize in a certain area and are very knowledgeable about their subject. Most parents, however, are not trained to be educators and certainly do not specialize in a certain subject.

Students long ago did not learn nearly as many subjects as students do today. They learned basic reading, math, and writing and then stopped. How many parents do you know that are proficient enough in calculus, physical education, foreign languages, world history, biology, statistics, and every other subject that a student learns in school to teach their kids everything that they need to know to compete in today's global workforce?

Santorum is an idiot.

he is saying public schools suck

Oh, I quite agree that public schools suck. They suck so bad that my nephew, who went to one of the lowest ranked HS in our area, has a scholarship to a state university. And after graduating from that public university this year, he has a full ride to Yale Law School. Yup, those public schools suck... or just maybe you get out what you put in.

There's nothing wrong with our public education system that couldn't be fixed by changing the attitude with which we approach that system.

Reminds me of the deal that was made for the property of a veterans shelter that he arranged for the Catholic university next door that resulted a sale of pennies on the dollar for what the property was worth. He was using his position in congress to broker an inside deal for his church. The big losers in the deal were the vets, as the money from the sale was used once again for serving veterans.

Isn't it amazing how the Republican Party falls for this guy, even after all of us who know him well threw him out of Pennsylvania.

BTW Ted, I could add about a dozen other descriptive words to your list. If he has any, and I mean any, redeeming values, no one has seem them since 1993.

hey I live in Pennsylvania. That freakin idiot Santorum tried to cheat the state out of money to home school his brood IN VIRGINIA.

Just curious, but as a Senator from PA, didn't he still have residency in PA? Wouldn't that mean he paid taxes to the state of PA? If so, he would be entitled to the same opportunities as every other PA resident?

It's an open secret that a lot of US Senators don't live in the state that sent them to D.C.

RE #9.3 - Santorum owned a rental property in the school district that was footing the bill for his kids schooling. He could provide no proof that he ever lived in it when the district challenged him about paying for his cyber school bills.

Santorum needs to keep his kids away from society. First, his kids would not be able to function in a world with other children. Santorum is also terrified that any contact with mere mortals will sully his purity.

I pray God teaches this heretic that worship of another God is wrong. In this particular case, he places himself above God.

To say nothing of his idea that wherever he places his penis suddenly becomes Holy and property of the government. One ejaculation and a woman is immediately demoted to having the rights of an animal. THAT, my friend, is conceit of the highest order.

It's actually very easy to home school jesustard kids.

You just answer every question with, "god did it".

It's actually very easy to home school jesustard kids.

I get the intent of it, but this statement strikes me as derogatory; not only toward the children of ultra-religious homeschoolers who are trapped through no fault of their own, but also to those who actually are mentally handicapped.

The support that Santorum is able to garner bothers me more than anything. I absolutely do not understand how so many people can support a man who is very clearly anti-woman and pro-theocracy.

As you can tell from his other comments, Pablo's got a big problem with Christians.

All Christians, Andy, or just the more fringe pseudo-Christian sects among them?

Because I'll admit to having a problem with the ultra-political, ultra-orthodox, socially-regressive types among that particular demographic myself.

In all sorts of political threads (especially these days, with armchair theologians like Santorum and Gingrich in the public eye), we get a pile of quotes saying "don't mix me, a good Christian, in with the rest of those other guys". Don't do the same in reverse-- don't assume that everyone who critiques/ argues against a particular dogma or sect is necessarily against the whole of the religious community.

OK, good point.

But I'll stand by my comments about those who're always looking for a point of attack against "Christians" of any description.

LOL, I would consider all state dinners BYOB.

Pablo!

You completely forgot that one needs a higher degree in order to get anywhere in the world today! Please include the following college and/or graduate level courses:

Hate 101

Bigotry 101

Saving Energy Through Book Burning (Seminar)

Men As Objects of Worship (Seminar)

Closed Mindedness 202

Hunting/Killing Homosexuals (Seminar)

Pablo, you simply CANNOT allow these home schooled children to fall behind!

Hey, thanks for your help Jeff. Sometimes my homeschool blinders keep me from seeing the bigger picture.

Obama sends his kids to the same private school my wife went to :)

Wasn't Obama going to fix all that...

Please source your assertion that President Obama promised to fix the DC public school system.

Invented information is of no value, and will be marked as such.

Ummm folks? Joined this month, probably will be found out this month.

Please source your assertion that President Obama promised to fix the DC public school system.

No promises of education reform? Remember his speech when he said dropping out was no longer acceptable? Has the drop out rate improved since he said that?

No promises of education reform? Remember his speech when he said dropping out was no longer acceptable? Has the drop out rate improved since he said that?

I was unaware that Obama had replaced Kaya Henderson as the Chancellor of DCPS. It is her job to ensure that DC schools retain students and educate them properly. Obama can encourage students and influence national policy to keep them in school and send them to college, but the work on the ground needs to be done by the heads of each particular school system.

Your sarcasm is right on-target. More broadly, it never ceases to amaze me how right-wingers corrupt things in their own mind. A Republican says that they're going to reduce taxes and increase taxes instead, and right-wingers see that as a moderately negative reduction instead of what it is, an increase. By contrast, when a Democrat says that they're going to promote improvements in education, and do, right-wingers see that as a pledge to rid the entirety of the nation of every artifact of anything negative that ever was or is. What self-serving nonsense the right-wing uses to deceive itself into supporting the indefensible.

By contrast, when a Democrat says that they're going to promote improvements in education, and do, right-wingers see that as a pledge to rid the entirety of the nation of every artifact of anything negative that ever was or is.

Mr Obama was not expected to rid the entirety of every artifact of anything negative. He made some big promises that no man could keep. His intent may have been good, but his experience was lacking. He thought legislating change would be quick and easy, but he didnt understand the politics of legislating and didn't have the circle of political acquaintances to get things passed. He had a huge majority in the early days with blue dogs running the other way. A good leader will gather the troops and surround the wagon. He's just no LBJ, Tip O'Neil or Ronnie Reagan.

He made some big promises that no man could keep.

Just like every one politician for the last fifty years.

What's your point?

His intent may have been good, but his experience was lacking.

That's ridiculous. Given that he's done what every politician has done for the last fifty years, that would indicate his experience is substantial, not lacking. You completely misread the situation.

He thought legislating change would be quick and easy, but he didnt understand the politics of legislating and didn't have the circle of political acquaintances to get things passed.

That's also ridiculous. You clearly do not know what you're talking about. When did the President give you a private session wherein he shared things about what he thought that he hasn't shared with anyone else?

Amazing... simply amazing.

You're just making crap up just to have something negative to say about the President. How incredibly offensively opportunistic.

Just like every one politician for the last fifty years. What's your point?

Point is, if he's like every politician in the last 50yrs, that ain't change you can count on!! That's what Mr Obama ran on.

Point is, if he's like every politician in the last 50yrs, that ain't change you can count on!! That's what Mr Obama ran on.

As Ronald Reagan said: "There you go again"

Sir, Obama cannot be both a "Muslim, Socialist, Radical" and "be like every politician over the last 50 years".

Like I said, your talking to a vapor....Garrisonbye got caught as a rereg today.

As I have been watching all this transpire over the past months I've taxed my brain trying to think if there's anyone on the planet, now or in history, for whom I have less respect.

I suppose it's sort of nerdy-cool the way he's thrust sweater vests into the social psyche...but other than that...

Nothin' so far...

This guy is, to me, a very anti-Christ-like, very two-faced opportunist.

Well Independent, I have 5 of those puplic school educated children, and they all have a clue, they are all scholars.

Your rhetoric is partisan and basically false.

Parents make good students, where they sit doesn't. The Public Education systems works very well indeed for children who's parents demand excellence.

Watch the video. The video does not have a political agenda, just stupid students.

Maybe..don't know.

Do you suppose there are any videos out there of smart students Independent?

Are you saying you rely on videos to determine the success or failure of the Public School system?

Did you go to Public School? Are you dumb, or smart?

I do not believe they were Santorums children.

Some public school students are stupid. Correct?

In general I do believe the public school system is falling behind. I see it when job applications are attempted to be filled out...each year it seems to get worse...

Oh please....how about this one...a guy goes to an "all female" college/university and has a petition to "end womans suffrage". Watch how many sign it....eagerly. It's not just public schools, it's Americans in general. Hell, I had a girlfriend (veterinarian (doctor)) who didn't know that 2 atomic bombs got dropped....she was amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUP9Jm9SqvY

In other words, what you are saying is that YOU made the right choice, YOU are qualified to homeschool, YOUR situation was bad, but NO ONE ELSE should be able to make the same choices for their children, based on their knowledge, education, life circumstances or desires?

The only benefit I can see for the former senator is that within three generations, all high school graduates will be as dumb as Santorum is today

...And yet you homeschooled your children.

Santorum advocating widespread homeschooing is massively irresponsible and unrealistic.

I don't see him advocating that; I see him making a choice for his children, voicing his opinion about the current state of public education (as you did about your school district), and offering homeschooling as a valid choice for families that are able to do so.

According to Wikipedia, his children have been homeschooled since 2006.

Maybe; but he was calling his kids' cyber charter school "homeschooling", which is disingenuous.

So is claiming that he "continues to school them via the public school system" when he's actually been homeschooling them for the last six years.

BTW, cyber schooling is done at home, with parental supervision. It could technically be considered homeschooling, or at least a hybrid.

No; the difference is I didn't realize he'd changed. He ought to know which form of schooling his kids are undergoing. He's their parent. I'm not.

You made the claim; perhaps you should have checked your facts before posting.

And no, cyber schooling is NOT the same as homeschooling, when it is relying solely upon a public school-designed curriculum.

I didn't say it was the same. I said that because it's done at home, it could technically be considered homeschooling, or a hybrid (i.e. combination of the two). Homeschoolers often use a wide variety of materials, and the friends I know who do online schooling supplement with other materials that are more specifically suited to the individual needs of their children.

Within my circle of friends, our children cover the spectrum, including homeschool, public, private, online and charter. As we often compare notes, I am fairly familiar with the differences (as well as the similarities)

So if I take an online college course, am I "homeschooling"? I thought the word "homeschooling" as people usually use it means that parents are the teachers, while cyberschooling is overseen by professional teachers, just like a regular school.

Do you blame Public Schools for failing you in Car Mechanics?

No

Then where is your proof that the school system is failing?

Are YOU a failure?

I'm not, and I went to public school, as did most of the people writing on Newsvine.

What, other than your opinion, are you basing this stance on. I will grant that no "system" can be perfect, but why do you seem to think this failure is system based as opposed to parental based?

What PARTICULARS spring to mind when you say the public school system is failing? What area or areas are suspect in your opinion?

I went to public school and never had to step through a metal detector. Both of my high schools were Blue Ribbon schools, one offered an IB program, and the other offered a governor's school program (which I took part in).

Not all public schools are the same, and they are certainly not all failures. There are PLENTY of good public schools all over the country. Painting them all with the same broad brush does nothing to address the real problem: some schools are falling behind and need help. Throwing them all away as trash helps nobody.

First of all I personally know kids that was home schooled and they could not get into college because they could not pass the entrance test.

And I personally know kids that "was" homeschooled and they're excelling in college. Homeschooled kids on average test as high (if not higher) as their public school counterparts.

There failed high school math and english and history.

They're apparently not the only ones. Did you, by chance, attend public school?

I guess Santorum doesn't want anybody to attend college this way they will stay as dumb as he is and he won't have to show his ignorance.

Homeschooled kids actually have an excellent chance of getting into college; some are even able to take college courses as part of their homeschool curriculum.