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Lexie_girl
Member
07-30-2004
| Sunday, February 08, 2009 - 6:30 am
After watching this week's episode, I have a question. I thought kids that were home-schooled had to take tests administered by their respective states/counties, etc. (whoever administers these tests) to receive a G.E.D. Would they receive a high school diploma even if they didn't graduate from high school? After seeing the son who should be at a 4th grade level only at a first grade level, could the authorities step in?
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Sunday, February 08, 2009 - 7:50 am
I don't know but those kids looked like they were half awake throughout the whole show. There wasn't a lot of excitement going on with them.
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Freetimefinally
Member
01-26-2006
| Sunday, February 08, 2009 - 7:52 am
I did not see this episode but I can answer some about the homeschooling law. Homeschooling laws are set up by the each state. Some are very strict and some very relaxed. In Georgia all we have to do is send in a letter of intent to homeschool, monthly attendance records(so the county still gets government money as if our kids go to school that the homeschoolers see none of) and test our children every 3 years(this never has to be shown to anyone even if asked by the school). Some states have it to where you have to have visits to your house. And Texas has it where all you have to do is say you are homeschooling. As for can the authorities step in who know. They can always step in but who is to say who is in the right. I can walk into any government school around the country and find children in 4th grade who cannot read past 1st grade level. Some schools have a high percentage and others have a low percentage. If the government can go into a house and punish a parent for not having their child read at the right level does a parent have the right to sue the government for not having their child read at the right level when the have entrusted their child’s education to the government. As for getting a GED anyone can do this and many children(homeschoolers, private schools and government school children) are choosing to do this instead of a diploma so they can go to college early. Many colleges around us are homeschool friendly and actually seek out homeschoolers to attend their college/university. Colleges and Universitys look more at SAT/ACT scores than anything else. Also when the time comes if we want to have a graduation ceremony we can join other homeschoolers and hold our own. The parents prints up the diploma just as the schools print up their childrens diploma.
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Lexie_girl
Member
07-30-2004
| Sunday, February 08, 2009 - 8:08 am
Thanks Free. The mom made a comment about children that are home-schooled going to college early, but at the levels her children were, that obviously is not going to happen.
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Mamabatsy
Member
08-05-2005
| Sunday, February 08, 2009 - 8:40 am
Before I retired, I helped evaluate students entering a private university. Some home schooled had far better educations than those who had attended top notch prep schools. But some were accepted based only on test scores and never made it beyond their first semester. High school transcripts from home schooling varied. Some were virtually useless for placement and in general most of those students ended up in remedial classes. Some areas have fantastic home schooling networks where one parent teaches several families in a particular subject and other parents handle other subjects. Those students also gain the social skills that many home schooled students lack. The kids in question last night will not succeed in college. They never mentioned what the older boy does. At 18 is he in college? Is he working? Or is he just hanging around the house all day like the father? I think the father's book is just an excuse to not work. How do they support themselves?
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - 6:34 pm
Worst Husband Ever Hahahahaha, I knew it! The British guy in San Francisco who was just unmercifully cruel to his substitute wife. http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/husbands-behaving-badly--120
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Jodie75
Member
08-26-2004
| Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - 7:46 pm
Wow, the wife of Stephen Fowler's website is down altogether now. First there were the public apologies, then the removal of apologies, and now this message: "This website is temporary unavailable. This site is currently unavailable. If you are the owner of this site, please contact us at 1-480-624-2500 at your earliest convenience." I feel pretty bad for Renee and her kids. They are suffering because of the behaviour of her husband and their father. I thought the above announcement was weird though, why would Renee's site be down without her knowledge, and the server publicly asking for the owner to contact them?
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Ohiomobprincess
Member
11-07-2003
| Thursday, February 12, 2009 - 4:13 am
Here's a new blog dedicated to the infamous Stephen Fowler! http://blog.stephenfowlersucks.com
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 2:29 pm
After seeing all the comments about the Fowler episode here and in reality news, I had to go to youtube and watch the whole thing. That was pretty wild. It's hard to believe the Mom never knew her husband could act that way. How I actually found out about this was because this season there is an American Idol contestant named Stephen Fowler, and when I did a search on him, all this scary crazy stuff about wife swap showed up...LOL
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, March 07, 2009 - 8:04 am
Anybody watch this last night? It was a bit unusual in that both couples made MAJOR changes as a result of the experience. I would sure love it if the theatrical couple really did go on to much financial success and were able to buy a home. And it was good to see the rigid martial arts couple laughing and playing with their kids. Looked like the little boy literally got saved from a solitary life.
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Puzzled
Member
08-27-2001
| Saturday, March 07, 2009 - 8:15 am
I saw it, Juju. I enjoy the shows like this where everyone benefits.
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Kittyab
Member
07-16-2005
| Saturday, March 07, 2009 - 1:44 pm
I loved the karate mom!
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Kittyab
Member
07-16-2005
| Saturday, March 07, 2009 - 1:50 pm
I wonder if that Steve guy will have to change his name?
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Lexie_girl
Member
07-30-2004
| Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 3:59 am
Good show the other night. Another episode where both families benefit from the swap.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 8:38 am
Yep, agreed. I sort of hope they keep up that format, even if most of it is probably faked. I really hate the contentious ones where nobody gives an inch, and it just becomes an hour long cursing contest.
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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 3:05 pm
I actually felt sorry for the 2 children of the real estate couple. They were like little employees with no lives. It seemed like everyone was living the Mom's life & she was the only one that was happy. I mean, they obviously have money but their son plays with a stick & has no friends. The daughter is the maid & also has no friends. They even have to go in & clean their parents office. The more laid back family was more up my ally. Putting their children's interest 1st & allowing them a childhood really stood out to me. I do believe that they may have been a little too involved in making the kids happy NOW & not too worried about the future. I liked how the "stuffy" family eased up & the "free spirit" family tightened up. These 2 families weren't as extreme different as alot of the families they show on the show so they were both able to gain some pretty good changes out of the swap. Way to go show!
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Lakecat
Member
10-01-2006
| Monday, March 23, 2009 - 4:36 am
This was the first time I watched this show.I thought the free spirit family was out of control.I cant imagine that the wife would want to live in that environmnt.Her sons were disgusting and she was a work horse for the family.I sort of felt sorry for her,but then she encouraged the behavior.
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Lexie_girl
Member
07-30-2004
| Monday, March 23, 2009 - 6:50 am
ITA with you Lake.
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Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 8:13 am
I watched this for the first time in a long time last night and I have to say that I was actively annoyed with the show. The "fitness family," whatever their faults may have been, did not have a problem with food: the other family, which fried everything and had nothing but processed food as far as I could tell, did. So who did they have a nutritionist come in and talk to? The fitness family. Because the parents don't give their kids cookies? Really? We know that America's dietary problems are not related to eating too many vegetables, but to eating too few of them while they fill their mouths with fried everyting--and yet the show managed to treat the fitness family as if they were wrong. Now, I don't believe that parents shouldn't let kids have cookies at all or that having fried something or another now and then is a problem, but I do believe that the kind of diet the non-fitness family had is almost an advertisement for Type 2 diabetes--and I didn't see a single member of that family who wasn't at risk. And I think crappy eating habits for kids (and letting kids get fat like that) set crappy lifetime eating patterns.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 8:20 am
It seemed as if Curtis ran the show at that house. I couldn't believe the way he talked to the fitness mom.
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Lotsofkids
Member
08-11-2007
| Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 8:29 am
mamie, I think you mean "KING" curtis! Hahaha, I loved when he packed his bags and Moved out!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 10:00 am
That was too much! He seemed like an intelligent little boy. It's sad that his parents think that letting him boss everyone around, makes for a happy child and family.
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 10:26 am
That child was out of control. All I could think is that one day a boss or a teacher is going to give him rules, and he'll get in big trouble. The fitness mom was too controlling. I'm glad she lightened up in the end.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 10:37 am
The fitness dad was rather boring. I'm glad he lightened up too.
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Auntiemike
Member
09-17-2001
| Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 12:04 pm
I think a real clue as to the parenting style of the "king" was when the Dad said they were friends to their children. There is a time to be friends with your children (when they are grown), but until they have matured they need boundaries and guidance by a parent...not friendship.
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