Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Commentary: Homeschoolers In The American Mind

What does holding a BA or knowing what Sputnik was have to do with opinions about homeschooling? We're not sure either. In December, 2009, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) released The Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs. The objective is to identify relationships that holding a college degree and having "civic knowledge" have with respondents' opinions on 39 "propositions," including one on homeschooling. We'd like to ask ISI's resident econometrician why he didn't explore the interaction effect (how civic knowledge and a college degree might actually work together). Maybe pitting the two against each other makes for more sensational news.

Concluding Food For Thought: The ISI survey only measures how well the respondent remembers key facts about government, history, and economics. It doesn't measure how well someone might understand American principles and values. Or does it?

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Press Release: Chocolate Versus Vanilla

This day marks our two-week anniversary. Our relationship has had some ups (Homeschool Graduate Survey response) and some downs (Coca-Cola Versus Pepsi response), but we've managed to stick together though it all. This month, you romantics among our loyal readers can tell us how passionate you are about ice cream HERE in a 4-question survey. You non-romantics and cynics may participate too, but don't spoil this wonderful day for the rest of us.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Commentary: Educational Facility To Provide Shelter For Homeless Co-Ops

RISE Resource Center, Inc. is surveying the Las Vegas area for input. Plans for a new educational facility, including an art room and a library, would be open for use by homeschooling groups of all persuasions. Guess that means no more biology lab experiments in the bathtub.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Commentary: Engineering Students Seek Homeschool Guinea Pigs

After being spoiled by our short surveys, you might be out of practice for something like this University of Washington class project, but we suggest you give it a try. Maybe some new homeschool-friendly technology is in the making.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Press Release: Homeschool Fact Finder

You'd better not shout. You'd better not cry. You'd better not pout. I'm telling you why: Census taker is coming to town. What do you think about it? You can tell us HERE in our 1-month-long 3-question survey that's nowhere near as nosy as what the US Census Bureau sends out. It's also not very useful either.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Commentary: Who Am I? What Am I Doing Here?

Adventures of a Somewhat Crunchy Mama wants to know if you're a homeschooler. No, you don't need to drum up a defense for your existance. The author's just surveying potential interest in a social media conference. If you do find yourself in a bind, there's always the Homeschool Legal Advantage.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Commentary: Ivy Leaguer Seeks Pagan Homeschooling Parent

This is less relevant to our organization's mission, but too good to pass up. Some Harvard PHD in American Religions wants your parents to fill out a short survey on why they decided to homeschool. Hope he gets enough Christian and Pagan respondents to actually make the comparisons meaningful. They're not know to hang out around the same websites.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Commentary: Homeschooling Families Say "No" To Charities

On February 8, 2010, The Barna Group reported findings on recent changes in American donors' charitable giving. The "homeschool families" subgroup is identified among those not making out checks like they used to do. This comes as no surprise considering that they fall into the financially-vulnerable "parents of minors" group. Guess the Homeschool Leaders Hall of Fame won't be having that winter gala this year.

Press Release: Coca-Cola Versus Pepsi

Homeschoolers' discriminatory soft drink-drinking behavior. Yes, that's what our grand kick-off survey is going to reveal. Hey, we read Dr. Brian D. Ray's Home Educated and Now Adults: Their Community and Civic Involvement, Views About Homeschooling, and Other Traits from cover to cover - it's a small book - and we're pretty confident that his survey didn't ask about this. Consumption research analysts are probably at a loss as to how the homeschooling community leans, so HERE is our first step towards remedying the problem. You have until Thursday, March 4, 2010 to participate in this 5-question survey. Thank you, and good luck.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Press Release: Homeschool Graduate Survey

Our trial run commenced on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, titled "Homeschool Graduate Survey." Your mission, if you choose to humor us by accepting it, is to complete it before we lock the doors on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. You can access the survey HERE, but not anywhere else. Estimated time for completion is 2 minutes. Thank you, and good luck.