Will Smith and his "own school"

[ankh]

I love the fact he is so confidant in his decision to home-school


http://www.people.com/people/article...165775,00.html

[onlyboys]

I love the quote from his wife--"We want our kids not to memorize but to learn!"

[RedWine]

Gotta love Will Smith and Jada Pinkett!!

[cebmom97]

Thats so awesome. I didin`t even know that they homeschooled.

[delicious]

oh that is so cool. thanks for posting this!

[UUMom]

Ok, but if you put a group of hsers together and teach them together, is it still homeschool? Or is it private school? : And does it matter?


"Having immersed himself in educational theories while home-schooling his kids, Will Smith says he and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, plan to put that knowledge to greater use by teaming with like-minded parents and creating a full school.

The institution could launch next year, Smith, 39, said Wednesday on Live with Regis & Kelly. He didn't offer details, but said the idea came out of his family's experience in grouping home-schooled children together.

"We started home-schooling our children probably six years ago," he said. "We found about eight or nine other parents that home-school, so we put them together. ... There's just very powerful educational concepts that we believe in, and we feel like 'I want to design the system that revolutionizes public education.' "

[ColwynsMommy]

Originally Posted by UUMom

Ok, but if you put a group of hsers together and teach them together, is it still homeschool? Or is it private school? : And does it matter?

I was thinking the same thing.

[tayndrewsmama]

Originally Posted by UUMom

Ok, but if you put a group of hsers together and teach them together, is it still homeschool? Or is it private school? : And does it matter?


"Having immersed himself in educational theories while home-schooling his kids, Will Smith says he and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, plan to put that knowledge to greater use by teaming with like-minded parents and creating a full school.

The institution could launch next year, Smith, 39, said Wednesday on Live with Regis & Kelly. He didn't offer details, but said the idea came out of his family's experience in grouping home-schooled children together.

"We started home-schooling our children probably six years ago," he said. "We found about eight or nine other parents that home-school, so we put them together. ... There's just very powerful educational concepts that we believe in, and we feel like 'I want to design the system that revolutionizes public education.' "

It sounds like they were being nice about the fact that they may be of the opinion that public school sucks. Just a guess.

[RiverSky]

Hmmm....well, they homeschool with a private tutor or three, from what I remember him saying a while back. And now he and a few other families are starting a school together....what happened with the homeschool idea? A small private school is not a homeschool.

Thing is...I'm not at all surprised that they homeschool and I'm like...kinda wondering if all the other homeschool families might not be Scientologists.... Hmmm.... :lala Tom Cruise homeschools his eldest children, too, in Scientology.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama

It sounds like they were being nice about the fact that they may be of the opinion that public school sucks. Just a guess.

But why not say private school rather than homeschool? I htought they had a tutor help them-- but now it sounds like they are running a small school. Which is nice, but not hs. Does it matter? : I'd just call a tree a tree. But that's just me. The poet me.

[StarJune]

I Will and Jada.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by UUMom

But why not say private school rather than homeschool? I htought they had a tutor help them-- but now it sounds like they are running a small school. Which is nice, but not hs. Does it matter? : I'd just call a tree a tree. But that's just me. The poet me.

: Couldn't agree more really.. I know it's a bit of a bone of contention in hs circles.. but to me if you are hiring a 'qualified' teacher to do all the 'teaching' for you, then it's technically homeschooling but misses out on the spirit/intent of homeschooling which is the parents being responsible for helping their children learn?? Although it does at least sound like they homeschool with a philosophy behind it instead of just so that their kids can have privacy since their famous and stuff

[RedWine]

By school he could have meant co-op. There are many homeschoolers around here who meet weekly and teach each other's kids.

[chaos_pie]

Regardless of whether it is "school" or "homeschool", I appreciate people speaking about educating children to their own, personally and intentionally defined ideals and philosophies. Maybe I am just feeling over-reactive to the "My child is so social"/ "But he LOVES school" comments, but I think it is awesome that parents are thinking of the larger picture for an education and aligning their ideals for their children.

It sounds to me that they are looking for an educational setting that will mirror their own ideals in learning. It sounds like already formed institutional, public or private, schools will not meet their desired goals for their children.

Honestly, the way they are homeschooling kinda sounds like some of the co-ops in our area: families coming together to educate their children by way of shared educational philosophies.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by RedWine

By school he could have meant co-op. There are many homeschoolers around here who meet weekly and teach each other's kids.

That must be it.

[heartmama]

I have never liked him since he put pro spanking lyrics in a song about parenting his oldest son....I take his opinions on freedom in education with a very skeptical eye as a result.

[Flor]

Does he have other children? There was just a big thing in my town because Will and Jada Smith were in town because their son's school's football team was playing our school's football team. That was high school though. http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles...ast/news05.txt

[sha_lyn]

By school he could have meant co-op. There are many homeschoolers around here who meet weekly and teach each other's kids.

That's what I was thinking

[JeniferS]

Originally Posted by Flor

Does he have other children? There was just a big thing in my town because Will and Jada Smith were in town because their son's school's football team was playing our school's football team. That was high school though. http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles...ast/news05.txt

He has a son from a previous relationship.

[Marsupialmom]

It could be something with CA laws that play part in it being a "school" it also could be a way to help like minded people that can't fully commit to homeschooling their children.

********

As for the song "Just the Two of Us" yes it does mention spanking but it also mentions a lot more about teaching him about being a "man" and a father. He loves his children. Nobody is perfect. I don't agree with the spanking part but there is so much more postive about him.