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#Post#: 16691--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: Zyngaru Date: December 30, 2019, 11:10 am
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I agree with your arguments Jack. I'm just showing how things
are trending here in Indiana.
More and more parents are taking their kids out of public
schools. Some with the finances put their children in private
schools, those without the finances, homeschool. So the state
devised this online public school system so they can at least
see the kids and know they are being educated and not just being
kept home by the parents.
What I see happening in the near future is that a new cottage
industry will emerge, where retired teachers or out of work
teachers will open their homes for online schooling. So kids
will sit together with other online students, to do their
schoolwork. So not only will the student have a teacher in
front of them on their computer screen, but also have one in the
room where they are doing their online work. Of course the
cottage school would have to be paid for by the parent. Whereas
the online school is paid for by the state.
I feel some of this is a product of the computer generation. I
personally think educators made a huge mistake in promoting
online study in the classroom. People have seen this as making
the classroom teacher irrelevant. I'm not saying they are, but
the perception is they are irrelevant if their children are
being taught on the computer instead of by a classroom teacher.
Either way. It is becoming a reality in Indiana. There are a
number of academies in the state that are accredited and are
doing the online school. It is free to the parents, because the
state pays for it out of the state school funds. Thus you can
see the spiral? The more money coming out of state funds to go
to online schools, the fewer dollars there are to run brick and
mortar schools. The more students that go to online schools,
the fewer brick and mortar school the state needs. It becomes a
win/win for the state. No upkeep of schools. No teachers
union, to have to deal with. The state writes the checks and
oversees the academies.
#Post#: 16695--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: afinch Date: December 30, 2019, 4:57 pm
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And creates a generation of people who can game a multiple
choice test, not interact with other humans, and generally
contribute to the idiocracy we are increasingly becoming. If
you've not seen that film, it bears watching. It was meant to
be satirical, but it is clearly a cautionary tale.
#Post#: 16882--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: Jack Date: January 12, 2020, 8:33 am
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Thought I'd do an update here.
With my kids back in school, Nick has returned home. As you
might guess, he didn't get into any trouble in the time he was
here (since nothing was mentioned in the Spanking Report).
I think a lot of what's going on is Nick is just lonely at home.
They have a nice place, but it's a bit isolated. He and his
little sister don't seem to have much in common, and I think he
was much closer to the two older siblings who aren't around as
much anymore. Being around my boys and having a chance to do a
little of the old rough and tumble seemed to really help him
relax. Of course, the truth is he was an early and fast grower,
and he's an awful klutz right now, which is something to which
both the Tidwell boys and Noah and Barry can relate, so I wonder
if he got some support and understanding he needed here from
people who'd gone through the same problems.
I've talked to his dad a bit. There are things I can't
rearrange because of work right now, but I have a pretty firm
commitment from him that I'll have Nick two afternoons a week
this next semester. One of those will be Monday, mostly for
Scouts, but I'll also have him Thursday, which he and I can use
for a bit of directed tutoring, so he can get help with anything
that's puzzling him and a bit of direction in things that might
interest him or he might need to know.
#Post#: 29570--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: Jack Date: September 20, 2024, 11:28 am
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I'm never sure how many people still read these, and I update
them so rarely I'm not sure it's even worth it anymore.
However, this is a fairly significant change, so I decided to go
ahead.
I spent most of the morning talking with Nick, and it looks like
he's going to be moving in with us.
Nick is 18 now. He 'graduated' last year, but (as I've pointed
out before), his mom used 'unschooling' to home school him. That
worked for Nick's older siblings, because Joe is happy to be a
contractor, and has been getting licenses and is basically a
supervisor for his dad's company, allowing them to expand. The
sister is working at a boarding stable, where she handles a lot
of the animal's day to day care, and is training young horses
and riders. Nick wants to go to college.
He did enroll for the fall semester, and while his English and
writing skills are up to par, his math skills are lacking and he
doesn't have a firm basis in science. What's worse are that his
study skills are a bit... unstable? I think he could deal with
that, but it's taking a lot of his time, and he's not happy with
his mom and her whole approach to education, and it's making
things a bit rough, since he has to bottle it in, so he's almost
never in a good mood anymore.
He's going to think about this for the weekend, but I've offered
him the same deal I've offered other over 18s who needed him
getting things stable. He can live here like he was still a
kid, we can enroll him at BCA where they can help him figure out
exactly what he needs and help him get it, and then he should be
able to enroll next fall as a Freshman. Of course, the
downsides are, he'll be relying on me, and he'll have to follow
the rules and consequences here and at BCA. Not that he's a
problem kid. I think getting him off the pressure cooker will
take care of 90% of the problems he's been having lately, and he
said this morning that it won't be the first time he's had to
deal with a sore butt, and it might even do him some good (I
offered to check, but he turned me down).
Anyway, that's about it for now.
#Post#: 29572--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: David M. Katz Date: September 20, 2024, 11:44 am
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The updates are always appreciated.
Just when you almost had everyone kicked out of the nest . . . .
#Post#: 29575--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: Zyngaru Date: September 20, 2024, 1:52 pm
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I have a nephew that had to deal with that "unschooling"
approach to home schooling. During covid the boy's mom, decided
to take him out of school and let her live-in boyfriend home
school him. Lyron just turned 10. Not a whole lot of education
happened. After covid Lyron's grandma, his mom's mom, along
with my nephew, Lyron's dad, finally got him back in school with
the threat that now covid is over the school systems are going
to come looking for missing kids. The ploy worked and Lyron is
back in school and doing well. It did take a lot of catching
up, but Lyron is a smart kid and can learn on his own.
I think a lot of people used the "Unschooling" approach to
education. Real homeschooling is work and not many parents want
to put that much of their own time into their child's education,
so they in essence unschool.
With Nick, he seems to totally understand that his backside
would be on the line if he chooses to move in with you. He
obviously knows that education is a big deal with you. So, I
can see him coming into the nest.
#Post#: 29577--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: Jack Date: September 20, 2024, 5:17 pm
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[quote author=David M. Katz link=topic=1666.msg29572#msg29572
date=1726850685]
Just when you almost had everyone kicked out of the nest . . . .
[/quote]
Yeah, but this house is WAY too big for just four of us. I'm
actually happy to have more people here (that don't require a
lot of intensive care). When Mikell retires in a couple of
years, Duncan will just be starting his senior year, so they'll
probably live here for a while. In about five years, when
Curtis graduates, I'm thinking of passing this on to one (or
more) of the kids and getting an apartment or condo again.
[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=1666.msg29575#msg29575
date=1726858342]
With Nick, he seems to totally understand that his backside
would be on the line if he chooses to move in with you. He
obviously knows that education is a big deal with you. So, I
can see him coming into the nest.
[/quote]
He doesn't really need my help with the schooling, but with
having a stable base that's not putting pressure on him (in the
wrong ways) and help with the financing.
As for his backside - Joe is a good, smart kid (though he can be
slightly goofy), and I know his dad took him to the barn a
number of times over during his teens. I also spanked him a
reasonable amount between the time he was 11 or 12.... Maybe 15
or 16? The thing is, he was very good friends with Kenny and
the older Tidwell boys (especially Chas), so he was over here a
lot, and as in trouble as you'd expect from energetic young teen
boys.
#Post#: 29578--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: afinch Date: September 21, 2024, 6:18 am
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Always happy to see posts here, and always read them. Lucky
Nick to have such an offer, and luckier one if he takes
advantage of your life changing offer, and not because of the
sore butt part.
#Post#: 29585--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: Jack Date: September 23, 2024, 6:05 pm
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One thing I should have mentioned before is that Nick and his
older sister both had the chance to go to BCA, but didn't take
it. Joe (Nick's older brother, who is the eldest of the three)
did attend BCA, but largely that was because he wanted to play
football as much as anything. Nick isn't as athletic or
outgoing as Joe (and he also didn't have the built in friend
group of football players). I think his mom used his
nervousness about not knowing anyone to convince him not to go.
Nick came over this morning to tell me that he's decided to
accept my offer. I went with him to the college so he could
withdraw, then we went over to BCA and enrolled him, then went
to my lawyer's office to sign a simple form, then went home to
pack him up. The form he signed simply states that, despite him
being a legal adult, in return for my covering his expenses and
providing additional care and support, he agrees to follow my
home rules and to be treated like he was my minor child,
including corporal punishment if/when I think it's called for,
and it includes an explanation of how either of us needs to end
the agreement. I'm not sure it's legally notarized, but I've
used the same basic thing with other young adults in similar
situations, and it just feels better to be sure expectations are
clear on all sides.
Right now, he's upstairs settling into his new room with some
guests. Marcus' kids still go to BCA, and Glenn is a junior and
Kline is a senior, so they'll be around Nick and know a lot of
the kids he'll be around, even if they're not in any of the same
classes. PJ's youngest adopted son is also a junior, and is
bringing my kids home after school each day, and he's visiting
Nick as well, so I think he' settling in.
We decided he's going to start school on Wednesday, because I
want to go over all the paperwork and stuff with him, and
because he needs uniforms.
#Post#: 29602--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nick Mintz
By: Jack Date: September 26, 2024, 12:26 pm
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I should update this while it's on my mind, and this will
probably be the final report, unless something major happens.
Monday night, Nick's dad got Nick's mom out of the house, and we
packed up all his stuff. Tuesday morning, we finished unpacking
and went through all this clothes. Then we went shopping to get
him his uniforms and a few other things he needed. When we got
home, we tried everything on, laundered it, and finished getting
him settled.
I did talk to him about corporal punishment a bit. He's really
not too worried about it. As far as he can remember, his last
whipping was 15 or 16 months ago, for messing around on the
tractor and causing a minor accident (and he admits he'd been
warned already). He's not sure when the one before that was,
but he's pretty sure it was for not putting tools away properly
and safely. He knows I'm stricter on some things than his
parents, but easier on others, and he also knows I tend to talk
first.
Tuesday afteroon, after lunch, we got him in at the doctor's
office for a full check up. At least his mom's not an
anti-vaxxer, so he was mostly caught up on those - just needed
the new flu, Covid, we went ahead and got him a Meningitis B,
and his (I can't remember what they call tetanus shots now)
needed updating. It was enough that he complained of feeling
like a pin cushion, but at least he's not phobic about needles.
Yesterday we got him enrolled at BCA. I left him there to do
some testing. We're planning on him not being able to start
college until 2026, but he's smart, so he might make it by next
year. A lot of it just depends on how wide the holes in his
knowledge turn out to be. Glen and Kline brought him home
yesterday. He doesn't have a car, but Van doesn't take his to
college with him, and he said it's okay to let Nick use it for
now, so we'll go with that. Connor and Duncan both have
learning permits, so I may go ahead and get a car for Connor and
let Nick use it for now, so Van will have his when he comes
home, but that's not something I have to decide now.
I think that's about it. I'm letting Nick invite some friends
over Saturday, and we're going to grill. It's still pool
weather in Texas, and the forecast calls for hot and sunny.
Most of his friends are already part of the kids who hang around
here, either related to me, or families to whom we're close
(like Brandon Malone and Chas Tidwell), so it'll just be a nice
gathering, but it'll help people realize he's here.
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