Homeschoolers are getting some more attention.  One would think that’s swell, aye?  The current edition by the "prestigious" Theory and Research in Education Journal is devoted to homeschoolers.  As Forrest Gump could say - with a crucial word replacement: Prestigious is, as prestigious does.  This particular prestige is based on the edu-industrial complex, which has little or nothing to do with non-public school based home education. 

One of the Journal contributors promotes universal testing for homeschoolers.  Then we will be successfully under the government thumb.  Maybe that’s the theory that calls on, or announces dubious research results of those elusive homeschoolers.  Not only that, there’s that speculation issue.  Here’s an example below in the Theory and Research in Education.There’s always one or two or more of these speculators (researchers).  In this case; the question is justification of family intimacy regarding homeschooling:

Can intimacy justify home education?

Michael S. Merry University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Charles Howell Northern Illinois University, USA

Many parents cite intimacy as one of their reasons for deciding to educate at home. It seems intuitively obvious that home education is conducive to intimacy because of the increased time families spend together. Yet what is not clear is whether intimacy can provide justification for one’s decision to home educate. To see whether this is so, we introduce the concept of ‘attentive parenting’, which encompasses a set of family characteristics, and we examine whether and under what conditions attentive parents risk loss of intimacy by sending their children to school; or, alternatively, whether they can avoid this risk by educating children at home. What we will determine is whether families who exhibit the specified characteristics are prima facie justified in educating their children at home under the conditions of interest. We argue that, for attentive parents, home education not only promotes greater intimacy, but also provides insurance against the loss of intimacy that may occur under certain conditions when children attend schools.

Justifying who are "attentive parents" via what entity?  I haven’t read this particular edition, but browsed through some of the abstracts.  I’ll likely find them interesting enough reads.  But I’d rather see a blank page from people who aren’t down in the trenches defending homeschoolers and homeschooling.  That homeschooling defense also comes via phone calls and emails from desperate public school parents trying to find a way to help their children be educated and empowered.  Shouldn’t there be more important focus for education professors in the public school world?  We’ve heard the horror stories from pushouts and dropouts resulting from the federal testing mandates of No Child Left Behind.  What is an "attentive parent"? 

One other crucial question is:  Do any of these feature writers homeschool?  Independent homeschooling.  Home education that has nothing or little to do with government accountability (be that as it may).  Rather, home education that has everything to do with family accountability/freedoms and kids’ learning and most importantly; maintaining that love of learning.  Any of these journalists in this notable ditty live homeschooling? 

I would hope so, but in doing a quick search; I think not.  So why are these college education professors writing about us homeschoolers? 

The enthusiastic hurrah about this increasing attention is not what homeschoolers need.  We just ask to be left alone.  I can tell you that is the rallying cry heard again and again in Capitols. 

ht to Milton Gaither (one of the Theory and Research in Education Journal contributors)

Update- there are several comments on his post, including Mr. Gaither’s response to homeschoolers’ concerns.