Homeschooling Debate

[JennyMominRI]

This will be my first question that comes from the "say what you want" thread.
As many know I've been homeschooling for 5 years. I didn't homeschool because I think PS are bad. I didn't HS because I think teachers are bad. In fact,my kids had wonderful teachers.
I have 4 kids who have been homeschooled. 2 went back to Public school this year.The schools are much better here and I felt good about placing them in school. They were also getting older and I was not confortable that I could properly educate them through High School.
Of the 2 who went back,one is an exceptional student..She was very far ahead of her peers in reading. She was put into the advanced math class and consistantly brought home A's.. In her teacher's word,she sets high standards for herself and those around her.. She is also Miss Popularity.
My son is an average student,just like many in public school.. He got a mixture of grades and always got very good marks for behavior etc.
I'm not sure that people aren't stereotyping homeschoolers..Yes, there most certainly are those who homeschool in order to teach their own world view to their kids ,without any outside influences.. Certainly, that is a bad thing. Yes,some kids are failed when they are schooled at home. Some kids are also failed when they are schooled in Public Schools
Anyhow,I'm hoping we can have a friendly discussion about the pro's and con's of homeschooling.
I also forgot to add that my other 2 kids will be starting Public School this Autumn.

 

[sk!mom]

I'm a public school teacher and I think that Home-schooling is fine as long as the parents are qualified. Home Schooling takes a high level of commitment, organization, and dedication. I have seen very successful students educated in those types of situations. I have also seen students who were being poorly educated by unqualified, disorganized parents. It relates very well to traditional school. When your child has a poor teacher they don't do as well as students with excellent teachers.

Mostly I'm a "to each his own" type person.

 

[caitycaity]

i'm very much opposed to homeschooling, eventhough i am sure there are some parents out there who do a wonderful job.

nothing anyone here can say will change my mind on it (trust me, i've read homeschooling debates here before). it's just the way i feel. JMHO.

 

[chrissyk]

I think that homeschooling for certain reasons is fine. If the schools are poor or if the kids just need extra enrichment/attention that they can't get at school, then I think that it's a good idea. I may homeschool for Jr. High if we don't move into an area with an excellent Jr. High before I have kids in that age range. I think that people who homeschool to keep their kids sheltered/only exposed to one set of views are homeschooling for a poor reason, though. That is just my opinion, though! If homeschooling is being done for educational reasons rather than sheltering reasons, it's fine IMHO.

 

[Aidensmom]

I have nothing against homeschooling, I would just be afraid I wouldn't do a good job at it, so I would not do it.

 

[kasar]

It's not for us. I've seen it work, and work very well. There's no hiding the fact that the winners of all those spelling bees and geography bees in the past several years were homeschooled. It can be a wonderful thing and if I had the expertise and knowledge (and of course, the discipline) I would try to do a combination of hs and traditional school.

I WANT my children to fail at some things, I want them to feel the joys and heartbreaks of schoolyard politics, I want them to see that even the best teachers may not be the best for them, I want them to be influenced by other adults who care about their successes, I want them to see that some adults just don't care about them or their successes and that's okay. I think those are the things they miss when homeschooled.

I guess I would say, do what's right for your family. I admire the people who homeschool well, I hope they respect my choices as well.

 

[Southern4sure]

Personally I do not see anything wrong with homeschooling. I have several friends who do. I do know it is not for me. Home schooling is more than just staying home and working in work books. The families I know go on field trips, have play dates with other home schoolers and do socialize with other kids their ages. I agree that home schooling isnt for everyone, it takes dedication and hardwork from mom/dad to make home schooling successful.

Kudos to those who are home schooling.....

 

[snoopy]

You said you didn't homeschool because public schools and teachers are bad. Why then did you choose to homeschool?

I personally have no problem with people who homeschool, provided they are qualified to do so. I do think there are lots of good reasons why people are opposed to it and why they would have a negative reaction to it (to name a few - religious separatism, pulling resources from fixing the schools and encouraging people to leave them instead, the fact that most of us can't afford it, the fact that many parents/kids aren't well-suited to it.)

I personally have no desire to homeschool. While I have always thought teaching was a noble calling, it isn't for me, not to mention the fact I need to work to help pay the bills. I have no problems with public schools, at least the one my kids go to, and none of my friends or family members have any real issues with public schools either. The concept of homeschooling is only something I read about on the DIS, I don't know anyone in "real life" who homeschools their children.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

First, homeschooling is not for me and my family...but that's us. I have no problem with others homeschooling IF done properly.

For example, my first experience with homeschooling was when we lived in our old house, and our next door neighbor homeschooled her two teenage daughters (and they had always been homeschooled). The mother was not the brightest bulb in the pack. I heard her "teaching" her daughters things that were completely wrong. IMO, she was not qualified to teach at that level...maybe younger levels, but not high school. These poor girls were extremely sheltered. They were extremeley sweet and well-mannered, but sheltered. I fear for when they have to go out in the world and deal with the general public.

This family was also a foster family. At one point, they had two little girls come to them, who they eventually adopted. The mother no longer had the time to teach her older girls, and they wound up being "little mothers" to these two younger girls. Their education just fell apart.

Based on that family, no, I do not agree with homeschooling. But, if done properly, I don't see anything wrong with it.

 

[CEDmom]

My biggest issue with homeschooling is that in many instances there's no accountability. In NJ for instance anyone can homeschool and parents aren't required to prove that their children are learning. Also, as Kasar said, while I don't want harm to come to my child she does need to learn the "hard knocks of life" at some point.

 

[jgmklmhem]

The major problem I have had with homeschooling is those who are not qualified to do it trying it and thus not getting their kids the education on par with their peers. The socialization aspect has also always bothered me. Yes I know of the group activities...play groups etc. I just don't think those replace the constant day to day interactions kids get in a regular school setting. In that same regard for the most part someone with the control is only going to pick others to be around that are nice, friendly etc to their child whereas in a public school setting you don't get to choose your child's classmates thus your child might have to deal with those who conflict with them more often....which I believe is a learning experience.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I've seen it work well, and I've seen train wrecks.
I wish some parents had enough common sense to know that they are seriously harming their children. But I guess that could be said about alot of areas of parenting, some people are just really bad at it.

Homeschooling would not be good for our family and we have two highly educated adults living here. Quite honestly if DH and I couldn't afford the school we send our children to, then I would move to an area with a better public school. I wouldn't send them to the back to the District we are in right now however, I would homeschool before doing that.

 

[grlpwrd]

....
I WANT my children to fail at some things, I want them to feel the joys and heartbreaks of schoolyard politics, I want them to see that even the best teachers may not be the best for them, I want them to be influenced by other adults who care about their successes, I want them to see that some adults just don't care about them or their successes and that's okay. I think those are the things they miss when homeschooled...

Ditto. I homeschooled my now-14yo dd when she was younger, but not any longer.

I also want my kids to learn about diversity and tolerance of other's religion, ethnicity, values, etc.

Homeschooling insulates.

Yet, of course, do what works for your family...

 

[JennyMominRI]

You said you didn't homeschool because public schools and teachers are bad. Why then did you choose to homeschool?

I .

I have a laundry list of reasons why I decided to homeschool..Here are some.
And I stated, I think most teachers are great. My kids had some wonderful teachers. I don't think PS's on the whole are bad, howver some are.
My kids had great teachers in a horrible district
,My DD's kindergarden class had 43 students in it until November .They finally added another portable classroom for the kids for the kids. Classrooms were portable trailors with only one window per classroom.. OSHA came in to investigate the school because there were so many sick kids..The reason....No air circulating in the classroom
Mandatory testing had become so extensive that teachers were spanding half of their time teaching these kids the test..When I say teaching the test,this was sometimes a literal description..In fact it was written up in the San Diego Union Tribune quite a few times.. MY DD'S teacher quit the year I pulled my kids out. She no longer felt she was able to properly teach the kids in her classroom as she had to spend so much test prep time... She's now teaching in a Private School
Oceanside School District was in the bottom 10% of the states schools at the time...This was not some Urban school either..This was a suburban school district.
My 2 youngest kids needed advanced classes. I was told this. I was also told those classes would not be available to them..There was no money for those classes.
Even with all of the problem sin the ditrict they were still cutting funding every single year. More and more programs were being pulled from the school
One other reason was a more personal one..I'm sick. Idon't know how much time I will have with my kids. I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.
One of the reasons I moved back to RI was for better ,more affordable school districts..There are certainly problems here,but nothing like the ones faced by some California Schools Districts
One recent article about my old school district
January 6, 2005

OCEANSIDE – Anticipating about $5 million in budget cuts over the next two years, Oceanside Unified School District has drafted an extensive list of programs and positions that could be eliminated.


Advertisement

Among the options are reducing campus security, cutting teacher's aides, increasing class sizes and closing small schools.

"We really don't have an option," said school board member Emily Wichmann. "We have to start looking at this now. It's a heads-up so nobody is blindsided. And it's all on the table, so everybody can work on it."

The district is expecting more cuts in state education revenue as California copes with its multibillion-dollar budget deficit, despite the economy's recovery.

Compounding the problem, Oceanside Unified's enrollment has declined by 884 students over the past two years. State funding is linked to enrollment, so the district faces additional financial losses.

Simultaneously, the cost of employee medical benefits has soared, rising 250 percent in five years, according to a district report.

In recent years, the district cut $16 million by curtailing the busing of more than 5,000 middle and high school students, dismantling the elementary school music program and eliminating positions, including nurses, assistant principals, counselors, clerical staff, librarians, custodians and deans.

Oceanside Unified expects to have $160.2 million in expenses this school year but only $156.4 million in funding. The district is dipping into its savings to avoid having to make major cuts. But that option is nearing an end.

Oceanside Unified will have $13.5 million left in its reserves at the end of the school year, but much of that can't be touched because the state requires districts to maintain some savings to deal with emergencies.

The budget and revenue vary from year to year. State revenue decreased by $9 million over two years in Oceanside Unified to $148.8 million last school year, while the district spent $151.1 million after major cuts. Revenue increased slightly this school year, but not enough to keep pace with soaring costs. The district projects similar state funding and expenditures next school year.

To address the discrepancy between revenue and costs, district administrators will advise the board to make up to $2.5 million in cuts next school year and dip further into savings to cover the remaining costs. A similar projected budget for the following year could mean about $2.5 million more in cuts.

Because more money is needed to meet rising costs, the district must make drastic cuts.

The district will have a better financial picture when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger releases his budget proposal Monday, said Superintendent Ken Noonan, but schools must start planning now. It will be months after Schwarzenegger's proposal that the Legislature approves a final budget.

Noonan said the measures being discussed are not a list of recommendations, but possible options.

"We're presenting a whole menu of options for cuts now so the board can see the whole picture," he said. "We can narrow those cuts down."

Protecting small classes has been a priority during previous district budget cuts, but classes could be jeopardized now because trustees must consider more programs. The district has outlined some other possibilities:

Temporarily close elementary schools that have fewer than 500 students.

Ask employees to pay higher health insurance co-payments or modify their medical benefits in another manner.

Offer early retirement incentives and reduce positions through attrition.

Postpone construction of some schools, if they are not needed because of the enrollment decline.

Freeze salaries.

Eliminate the busing of elementary school children and older students who live on Camp Pendleton.

Save money by improving student attendance, and reduce spending on substitute teachers by finding ways to reduce employee absenteeism.

The district soon will hold public meetings to solicit input on possible budget cuts from parents, staff and the community.

 

[dzneelvr]

grlpwrd: I totally agree with your action, even though I am not an advocate of homeschooling. My real life exposure has been my 2 nieces (my brother's kids) who were "yanked" out of public school because my SIL has issues with adult relationships (in other words, she argues with EVERYONE who doesn't see her way). What we have now is a situation were 14y/o niece is totally devoid of any social skills and has no clue as to how to interact with others in the world; 10y/o niece is tied at the hip to her mother...won't even select menu items off a buffet without mom deciding for her. A trainwreck indeed I am so sad for these 2 kids because they don't stand a chance. Mom maybe teaches them 2 hours a day if she feels like it; the rest of the time they spend on "field trips"...usually to Walmart The cummulative consequences will show up if they ever try to get into a college. They'll have to produce ACT and/or PSAT scores at an acceptable level, which ain't going to happen. IMO we may be allowing a "lost generation" in education if every state doesn't mandate testing each year to make sure there is true learning going on. Illinois is getting smart, some public schools are requiring a placement test before homeschoolers can be enrolled, and the score determines grade level. But that type of process means my SIL won't even try to get them back into school before it's too late. Sad, Sad, Sad.

 

[Twinkles6892]

I couldn't imagine being homeschooled! I've been very social all my life and I look forward to school. But it's good for some children who need to be kept away from the social aspect until they're a little bit older.

But on the flip side, I have a friend who I met this year and this was his first year coming into a public school. He didn't really know how to function with the rest of us, he's plenty smart but he's not as mature as the rest of us and such. That would be my only reservation towards homeschooling. Also, by highschool, the cliques are pretty well formed, so coming from homeschooling into a school with 1000+ kids is pretty hard.

 

[swilphil]

I have a laundry list of reasons why I decided to homeschool..Here are some.
And I stated, I think most teachers are great. My kids had some wonderful teachers. I don't think PS's on the whole are bad, howver some are.
My kids had great teachers in a horrible district
,My DD's kindergarden class had 43 students in it until November .They finally added another portable classroom for the kids for the kids. Classrooms were portable trailors with only one window per classroom.. OSHA came in to investigate the school because there were so many sick kids..The reason....No air circulating in the classroom
Mandatory testing had become so extensive that teachers were spanding half of their time teaching these kids the test..When I say teaching the test,this was sometimes a literal description..In fact it was written up in the San Diego Union Tribune quite a few times.. MY DD'S teacher quit the year I pulled my kids out. She no longer felt she was able to properly teach the kids in her classroom as she had to spend so much test prep time... She's now teaching in a Private School
Oceanside School District was in the bottom 10% of the states schools at the time...This was not some Urban school either..This was a suburban school district.
My 2 youngest kids needed advanced classes. I was told this. I was also told those classes would not be available to them..There was no money for those classes.
Even with all of the problem sin the ditrict they were still cutting funding every single year. More and more programs were being pulled from the school
One other reason was a more personal one..I'm sick. Idon't know how much time I will have with my kids. I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

You had great reasons to homeschool, and I do think that many people choose homeschooling for similar reasons. When I taught in the inner-city, I had a student whose sister was being homeschooled. My student had a full-ride scholarship but his sister would not. His mom was homeschooling because of the poor quality of the schools, plus girls there had high pregnancy and dropout rates, along with problems of sexual harrassment or even assault. The family was very poor and couldn't afford to move.

My personal experience with homeschooled students hasn't been very positive. These were students who had been homeschooled until high school age and then went to public school. Both of them had behavior and social problems. One was involved heavily with drugs and had the social skills of a 3rd grader. He started a fire in study hall one day. The other one was very bright but couldn't work with the other students on the school newspaper staff and thought he was so much better than everyone else. Perhaps these students would have had the same problems had they gone to public schools their entire lives, but homeschooling certainly didn't prepare them for the real world.

 

[Puffy2]

We homeschool. It was for many reasons:

1. Public school here likes to "peg" children, which stifles learning and creativity.

2. Disagreed with public schools approach to teaching and learning.

3. Health issues (one child had more health problems while in public school).

4. Security issues.

5. Individual needs not being met in the public school setting.

6. One kid wasn't being challenged.

7. Other kid was being left behind.

It is working well for us.

Both of us are college graduates with additional education in a variety of fields. This has been an asset because we plan to homeschool through high school and it does become more challenging.

The children aren't "sheltered" - if anything they have more experiences with the outside world than public school children because we have the time to venture out, join clubs and groups and be involved in other activities. They have more interactions with adults than public school children. They are getting more "real world" experiences than they would if they were in a traditional school. And, they do have experiences with other kids - karate, gymnastics, academic classes with other homeschoolers, scouting, debate club, ect....

Now I will say, we are different from most of the home school families in this area - many of them are rather narrow minded (most home school for religious reasons - we do not). But, to each their own. Same could be said for those in private school. We could claim that private school kids are "sheltered within their own religion" or are "elitist snobs". Is that true of all? I don't think so. Is it the parent's right to decide how their own child will be educated? Absolutely.

 

[Brier Rose]

I really do not understand people who base their opinions of homeschooling on one wacked out example. Would your really think it OK for homeschoolers to say that all public or private school children will grow up to be under educated and morally bankrupt?

I know a boy who graduated from our local public school who could barely even read! A little thing they like to call social promotion. However I don't base my opinion of all or most public schools on that isolated example.

As far as homeschooled kids with the "fish out of water" complex, I'm sorry, but I don't buy it.

Unless I just live in an area with a lot of exceptional homeschoolers, I don't know any that can't relate to the "outside" world or are so immature that can't "handle" a conversation with their peer group. In fact it's quite the opposite!

Anyway, I hope you'll indulge me this long post, but when I came across this thread, I thought of this acticle. Just like there are bad teachers there are bad homeschoolers, but I assure most naysayers that most of us homeschoolers are not back woods idiots without the means to effectivly educate our children.
If we don't know it, there's a way to get it! It's not as black and white as some of you may think.


Q. What do a marooned Tom Hanks and your typical home-schooler have in common?
A. Both have too much free time, are helplessly isolated and bound to go utterly insane.
Right? Not quite.

"Many people don't understand (home-schooling). They think you're at home doing dishes or something," said Lani Elston, 18, a Spokane senior who is home-schooled. "We have a schedule. We work the same hours that public school kids do.
"We're just doing it at home."

Most home-schoolers lead structured lives, Elston said. In the absence of a school-determined schedule, their parents usually create one and keep their kids accountable. Elston takes most of her courses at home, but she doesn't do what she wants when she wants.

We usually try to get the core subjects done at a decent time in the early afternoon," she said. "If we have anything left over, we do that in the evening as homework."
Elston's dad monitors her progress by grading her work.
"He'll review it and make red marks on it, saying, `This is not good,' just like any teacher would," she said.

Another way home-schoolers experience classroom order and accountability is by taking classes offered by different organizations.

Meredith Turney, 21, of Mission Viejo, Calif., is a second-year law student with the Oakbrook College of Law, a correspondence school. She was home-schooled in fifth through 12th grade. At that time, she took classes at a home-schooling association. In high school, she took courses in science, math, foreign language, music, drama and dance.
"Anything you can think of, my home-school group offered it," she said. "We actually had yearbook as a home-school class."

But home-schoolers don't just take classes offered by formal associations. Many families create small, independent classes and meet at the house of one participant. Elston takes a weekly philosophy class.

"We have videos that we bring in, done by a university professor," she said. "He speaks, and we take notes. It's like a classroom setting."

Because it can be structured around the family's schedule, home-schooling allows flexibility to explore different interests and attend special events. Turney said home-schooling gave her the freedom to delve into her passion for politics.

"I could get out of school early and go to political meetings most kids my age couldn't go to," she said.

In fact, Turney worked as a staff assistant for the campaign of a California assemblyman.
"I had friends who home-schooled, and we went and did fun stuff, but most of my high school life was spent at political meetings," Turney said. The firsthand experience was invaluable, she said. "I really got a good education working on campaigns and meeting with elected officials."

The flexibility of home-schooling allowed Michael Van Engelen, 20, a junior at Whitworth College, to work part time.

"The last few years I was working, I basically did school around my work schedule," said Van Engelen, who was home-schooled in Spokane from fifth through 12th grade. "My employer appreciated that."

Van Engelen also enjoyed studying at his own pace. He worked ahead in high school, finishing required math and science courses a year early. He spent the extra time reading things that interested him.

"I read a lot of books my junior and senior year," Van Engelen said.
His efforts paid off. In the past three years, Van Engelen has received several scholarships from Whitworth, including the Presidential Scholarship, Chemistry Talent Award and Physics Talent Award.

Elston devotes her free time to golf. The record-holding state champion plays every afternoon she can.

"Once golf season starts in the spring, I usually adjust my schoolwork so that I'm either starting it earlier or having more homework (in the evening.) That way I can have more of my daylight hours out on the golf course," she said. She often practices from 1:30 p.m. until dark.

Elston said she thinks home-schooling has helped her emerging golf career in other ways, too. She can avoid the pressure her teammates face when finals and big golf tournaments coincide. Contrary to what many people told her over the years, home-schooling hasn't hurt her recruitment opportunities, she said.

During the past season, "lots of coaches came up to me and were excited that I was a home-schooler," Elston said, adding she plans to take her golf career to the next level when she attends the University of Idaho this fall. Her ultimate goal is playing the Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament.

Turney, Van Engelen and Elston all said they get asked how they make friends. Turney said she made friends in many places, including her church, her home-school group and her neighborhood.

"There are plenty of ways to make friends," she said. "You don't have to be in school." Elson said golf has helped her make friends all over the country.


Van Engelen noted that home-schooling isn't the insurmountable obstacle to socialization many make it out to be. It just requires a little more effort, he said.


"In public school, you really have no choice but to be surrounded by a ton of people most of the time," he said. "When you're home- schooled, you have to choose to be around other people. You have to make an effort." Turney said she thinks home-schoolers get a broader type of socialization. "In school, you're segregated. If you're in sixth grade, you don't associate with the fourth-graders," Turney said. "When you're home- schooled, you have less to pick from. If you're in seventh grade, you play with a fourth-grader. Now that I'm older, I can relate to younger children because I've spent time with them.

Elston described her homeschooling experience as a great learning atmosphere. "I feel I've learned as much as I could have anywhere," she said.

Turney agreed, adding she doesn't regret a thing about her eight years of home-schooling. "I absolutely loved home-schooling," she said. "And when I have kids, I will home-school them."

 

[SPAM]

i dont, by any means, think homeschooling is a bad idea but i personally know several homeschool kids that have been homeschooled most of their lives and are now teenagers and they have def. been affected socially by it. they have trouble relating to people, or knowing social boundaries. i also think that it is hard with homeschooling and learning certain subjects in high school. its much harder to learn science and such when homeschooled. and yes i know you can take classes and some of my friends id that, but its not like they are getting a yearly science class like regular kids. its just something that me, as a science nerd, thinks about.