Home Schooling

[Xerces]

I have not read through the thread, so my sentiments were probably already stated by someone else.

 

I did my sociology paper on religious fundamentalism and education, and as part of that subject I briefly covered homeschooling. Yes, in compitent hands a child can do very well in homeschool but it is the fact that it is so underregulated that presents the most worrisome problem. New York has the most strict laws regarding homeschooling (treating it like any other public or private school) but there are other states that have nearly no laws concerning the education of a child; meaning, a child can be homeschooled and not learn shit.

 

Here is the segment of the paper that I dedicated to homeschooling:

 

Homeschooling is most prominent among the highly religious communities that reject the secular ideas that are taught in public schools; this is not a small group of people since there are roughly 1.1 million children being homeschooled as of 2003 (Nation Center for Education and Statistics 1). The problem lies in there is no standard by which a parent has to follow when teaching their children; parents only have to prove they have a curriculum if an authority were to check on the child. A parent is not required to join an official homeschooling group such as Gateway Christian Academy (depending on the state law, which varies wildly state by state) (US Legal); for example, in Utah one does not need to prove attendance, cover any subjects, have any qualifications, give any notices to any school board, or test the child, but in Tennessee one has to prove they attend for 180 days out of the year (four hours per day), cover general studies course, the parent must have at least a high school diploma or GED, submit a notice to a local superintendent notifying him or her at the beginning of each school year, maintain attendance records, and must administer a standardized test on grades five, seven, and nine (US Legal). Homeschoolers are not required to take any standardized tests nor do the parents have to be certified or qualified to teach any subject (Klicka), so, as a result, no actual good statistics are available since only a smaller than needed sample size takes a college entrance exam.

 

If a parent were to opt to join a homeschooling organization, they can opt to obtain their materials from either an accredited or non accredited Christian publishing house such as Bob Jones University, which is only accredited through the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. Due to the lack of standards on the materials that can be taught, a parent can teach whatever they choose while leaving out any fundamental subjects that they may find objectionable. Blatant lies like, “America was founded on Christian principles,” or deceptions that can easily be perpetuated like placing a verse from the Christian bible in a box containing the American’s creed (Keesee, ix); this textbook even leaves out the Treaty of Tripoli.

 

[my solution]Setting up a nation standard for the basic subjects that are taught in public and private schools, along with requiring that all homeschoolers and the parents take a standardized test given every semester, can be an ensure that children are getting a rudimentary education in all fields; a parent needs to be certified in the most rudimentary subjects in order to be qualified to teach their children if they wish to home school, including that the parent must have at least a high school education. If a child is determined by a district’s board of education to be reasonably deficient in any of the academic fields (barring mental deficiencies) they should be put in either a public or private school (depending on the parent’s economy or choice). Attendance records and progress reports must be submitted to the superintendent of the schools so that it can ensure that a child is not spending his or her days not studying. Willfully excluding any academic information, even upon the basis of religious objections, should be classified as child abuse.

 

I like this post, good stuff. I would like to note, that my dad got away with fooling the state of Tennessee, I ended up having a shitty education and had to bust my ass to catch up. Might have something to do with him being an ex united states marshal, knows the law really well. Despite being a crazy piece of shit.

[DesertBob]

I would like to note, that my dad got away with fooling the state of Tennessee, I ended up having a shitty education and had to bust my ass to catch up. Might have something to do with him being an ex united states marshal, knows the law really well. Despite being a crazy piece of shit.

Personally I think that up to about middle school level, any reasonably intelligent, well-educated, conscientious parents with sufficient time and focus and a good curriculum tailored for home schooling, can do a good job -- although, as several here have pointed out, it's very easy to rationalize what constitutes "sufficient time and focus", "reasonably intelligent", "well-educated", and "conscientious". Especially if you're home schooling for religions / ideological reasons that you're heavily invested in, or if you're fearful / distrustful of the "system".

 

At least here in the US, beyond about middle school, certainly at the high school level, though, all bets are off. My fiancee's kids are just finishing high school, I've been observing for a couple of years now, and I can tell you, the academic experience at this level and above has changed almost beyond recognition since my day, and considerably even since my own kids were in high school (last one graduated almost a decade ago). A lot more is being crammed into their heads thanks to advancements in science and technology; everything is geared towards the current testing mania; much more is demanded of kids in terms of extra-curricular activities and other additional burdens to position themselves for a "good" college. Not all of this is good -- anyone with kids at this level or above should make a point to see the movie, "The Road To Nowhere" about this road we've gone down with testing -- but it is reality and I have serious doubts that you can raise kids who are competitive with all this at home.

 

Even back when my oldest entered high school age, back in the early 90's, I realized I couldn't do it justice anymore, and put her into the public system. She hit the ground running and got a full ride scholarship to the state university, so I don't think I ill-served her. But in retrospect, knowing what I know now, and especially if I were doing it today, I would not bother. It's too much work for too uncertain a result. Raising kids can be a sh_t-for-thanks proposition as it is. I'd rather not mix the parenting dynamic with the teaching dynamic.

[Galadriel]

Hi all, this is my first time posting...I saw this topic and just wanted to share some thoughts. My mom homeschooled me under religious exemption. It was not that great an experience. I was not allowed to date; I was supposed to "court" boys and had very limited contact with guys my own age. The only socializing outlet I had with others my own age was the local youth group. The only exposure I got to other viewpoints besides my own was from my cousin who became a Goddess worshipper (she was also homeschooled).My mother had no curriculum to homeschool me, and what little you could call formal education came from other homeschool mothers who would tutor the children of others in the local homeschool group for some money. At least that way I had some exposure to Latin, Biology, and Algebra. Everything else came from reading books at the local library (needless to say, I am very thankful for public libraries). I had a high GPA at Community College, but had to take remedial studies in math. In short, I led a very insular life, and it has caused me many problems. I have a great deal of anxiety interacting with others, and I struggle with clinical depression. I think it would have been better if I had gone to public school. Hey, it couldn't have been any worse than what I went through at home.

[dirtyhippie]

I'm new here (first post). This topic really hits home for me. I haven't taken the time to read the entire thread, but I thought I'd share my thoughts and experiences.

 

I am the product of an almost exclusive homeschool education. I was taken out of the public school system after 1st grade and homeschooled straight through graduation. My family was religious and incorporated that into their teachings. There were times when I was in the situation where I wondered if I would have been better off in a public or private school setting. I have since come to realize that I am simply an introvert and no amount of school socialization would have changed that. One of my younger sisters on the other hand is very social and outgoing and has never had any problems being comfortable in social settings.

 

I feel that I received an excellent education. My father never attended college, my mother had a small amount of business college education. By most standards they weren't qualified to be educators. They were able to teach me how to learn and give me a desire to learn. I got to the point in high school where my dad was no longer able to help me understand the math concepts. I was able to continue teaching myself for about a year after that. When I was 16 I started taking math classes at the community college. Even though religion was a strong part of my homeschool experience the general quality of my education was not disrupted by this. I earned a 4 year scholarship (given to the top 10% of the years graduating seniors) to the local university based on my exit exam scores. My transition to college was easy and smooth even considering my socially awkward tendencies.

 

The idea that there was never any peer interaction was not something experienced by my family. We were heavily involved in church activities. The local homeschool community in my area is quite large and we were part of several co-ops that offered extracurricular classes and activities. We were able to interact with other students our age. Another benefit to this is we weren't limited to having friends in the same grade level as we were, there was greater variety in our social circle.

 

I love the idea of homeschooling (and for me this is very non-religious) so much that I've undertaken homeschooling my own kids. This fall I will have a 2nd grader, Kindergartner, and Preschooler. Am I intimidated and scared to death by this, hell yes! But the amazing moments I've had already with my kids learning experiences makes me want to keep going. Like when I think the math concept I'm teaching that day will be difficult to understand and they had already figured it out on their own. Or when the 5 year old tries to explain to the 7 year old the difference between a liquid and a solid. It's amazing to see how fast they learn and how amazingly capable of learning they are and I'm so excited to have the opportunity to be there to experience it with them.

 

Will homeschool be something we always do? I have no idea. I'm going to take it one day at a time and when it doesn't work anymore or there's a better option we'll change.

 

I tried to keep this short and fairly simple. These are just a few of the things I've experienced with homeschool. I could go into a number of different topics including testing, accountability, standards, different teaching philosophies, etc. But since this is not a homeschooling forum I'll spare you

[izzytheterri]

So... just out of curiosity, do any of you actually know anything about homeschooling? It seems like practically everyone arguing about it knows literally nothing about how it works. Most people's cons about homeschooling are really invalid. I played team sports, was involved in group activities and literally had more friends than my public schooled neighbors did.

 

Any curriculum is fine for homeschoolers, yes, BUT... every single year they have to pass SAT's. So it's not all willy nilly.

 

I WAS homeschooled, my entire life as a matter of fact. Many subjects were taught by other parents that were strong in. My mother taught English, Literature and Science. Another mother was strong in economics so taught that, etc.

 

I really honestly think a lot of it depends on the child. I regret not getting different perspectives and learning about evolution, for example. But, on the other hand, I absolutely adore being in the class room, too. So was that because I wasn't tormented in one during a very delicate time in my life? Or would I have thrived in a standard school?

 

Like the previous poster, I transitioned into community college at 16 and had honors for most of my stay. I had no trouble at all with a structured class environment even though I'd never experienced it before. I had no problem with tests.

 

One thing that may be a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it, is even today I do not do well with my peers. I've never been interested in things people my own age are. When friends would party or go clubbing, I'd still be more interested in reading and playing chess. I don't know if this is a product of my personality or my upbringing, but to this day most of my friends are 10 years older than me.

[momof8]

But I agree about the policing. I don't do home schooling myself, so I can't really answer for how they control what the kids learn. There is a curriculum they have to follow, and there are tests they have to pass, so in general they learn the same things as the kids in public school or they wouldn't be able to pass the exams. I do think creationist Christians do take a different approach to subjects like evolution and sex-ed.

 

What is to stop them from cheating on these exams? Since they are at home and all... Or do they have to go somewhere else to take the test?

 

 

The tests have to be given by someone else at an accredited school. They are the same tests given each year to public school students. I know this because I have home schooled all of my children at one time or another. Of course, only recently coming out of Christianity, I will admit that religion did play a part. But my reasons were more about trying to protect my children. I do not live in a great school district and we could not afford to send all of our children to private school. Now my older children are in a private Christian high school. I know! This was done before my deconverting. However, I don't think I would do it differently because of the bad school system. They are getting a much better education, even though they are taught Creationism. They are also taught Evolution because they have to have the knowledge to do well on the ACT. But they are told that Evolution is false. I am not quite sure what I am going to do about this, being that I have only accepted Evolution as scientific fact in the last few months and my family doesn't know about this deconversion. I did put my 8 and 5 year old children in public school this week. The only reason I feel ok about this is that my 5 year old daughter has been attending speech therapy at this school for the last 3 years, and I am good friends with her speech therapist, who is a phenomenal teacher. We both decided that being in school would help with her speech development and because I know the teacher she will have is excellent, I feel ok about it. Of course, her 8 year old brother wanted to go as well. So, they are both at school and loving it. As long as every thing goes well, I will keep them there. However, any bullying or mistreatment, or if I think they are not learning will warrant me removing them and home schooling again.

 

I think you have to realize that there is a huge secular home schooling community out there. There are so many reasons a parent may choose to home school and most of them have nothing to do with religion. I do know that I will never home school high school unless there are extreme circumstances of some kind because it is just too difficult. But I do want the freedom to choose home schooling again if I ever need to. Like everything else in life, there is no right or wrong answer. And most parents are really just trying to do what is best for their children.

[Chikirin]

I got bullied in 7th and 8th grades, my Christianity helped me through it in as far as I think it prevented me from going postal. "If a man says he loves God yet hates his brother then he is a liar." So I used this verse to try not to hate my bulliers. I still hated them but at least I didn't go postal.

[TheBluegrassSkeptic]

I am actually on the fence about having my son stay home with me and homeschool. He has adhd, the school has a one size fits all attitude and even with an IEP I find the school is still inconsistent with the skills they are trying to help him learn. My home is fairly routine and on a schedule and of course, he blossoms the most at home I think. Consistency is key, and I have that here. Problem I have is that we would be a very isolated homeschool seeing how a whopping 90% of the support groups around here are Xtian and vehemently so. Xnity around here is a lifestyle that is used as a judgement tool more than anything. Our neighbors even keep their distance at times. So you can imagine the awkward silence after my son says no to going to church with them on a Sunday. I refuse to let my 10 yr old be exposed to Christianity until he is old enough to think for himself and not be completely sucked in on his emotions, which is exactly what they would do. He watched Jesus Camp one time, and thought it all was cool and fantastic with the singing and dancing. Then he was creeped out with the tears and such. So I can tell he is still to young to comprehend and handle the onslaught he would face in a church.

 

I see so many pros if my community wasn't so religiously intwined in the schooling.

[izzytheterri]

 

I see so many pros if my community wasn't so religiously intwined in the schooling.

 

 

There are a lot of pros if it suits the child. And having a child with ADHD stay at home while you both work together to get through that can be really great. Most counties have a public homeschooling group. Heck, the state of Florida even offers free online curriculum. Whenever you have a homeschooling group, you'll find a lot of religious people, but you choose the curriculum, and from experience THAT is definitely not all religious.

[TheBluegrassSkeptic]

 

I see so many pros if my community wasn't so religiously intwined in the schooling.

 

 

There are a lot of pros if it suits the child. And having a child with ADHD stay at home while you both work together to get through that can be really great. Most counties have a public homeschooling group. Heck, the state of Florida even offers free online curriculum. Whenever you have a homeschooling group, you'll find a lot of religious people, but you choose the curriculum, and from experience THAT is definitely not all religious.

 

Yeah, that was what I was referring to. In my researching my options for homeschooling, the community programs available, the public school programs available, the public homeschooling groups as well, ALL of them are religious in NATURE. As far as content, yes, it is totally on me to pick his curriculum, but socially it will be rather awkward. At least in the public school itself, it keeps peer pressure to a minimum. I have had to explain to him to keep his mouth a little more under control when kids are discussing Jesus and church on the bus, and over all, as an individual he is comfortable, but then you have the cons of his adhd and public school policy which is more troubling. I guess I don't want a situation where we are pretty much even more alienated than we are now in the neighborhood.

 

Ahhh who knows. I still have a few days till Xmas. Maybe I will put up a huge Krampus display in the front yard.....THAT should break some ice right?

[Naughtyhamster]

Ahhh who knows. I still have a few days till Xmas. Maybe I will put up a huge Krampus display in the front yard.....THAT should break some ice right?

 

I wonder how many people here in the U.S. have a clue who Krampus is even with Colbert having this European holiday icon on his shown last year.

[VacuumFlux]

One thing that may be a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it, is even today I do not do well with my peers. I've never been interested in things people my own age are. When friends would party or go clubbing, I'd still be more interested in reading and playing chess. I don't know if this is a product of my personality or my upbringing, but to this day most of my friends are 10 years older than me.

 

I went to a private christian school, and I'm still that way. When I was younger, I spent more time hanging out with friends of the family than peer-aged friends. I used to lots of comments that I come off as much older than I am, so I guess I learned social interaction from adults more than from other kids. I now have friends in my own age range, most of whom I met in college. Never hung out much with my peers when they were partying, but there were plenty of non-partyers who can hold interesting conversations about serious topics. It is nice to finally get along with some people my own age, but I also have a lot of friends/acquantances with shared hobies who are much older than me that I have no trouble relating to.

[leopardus]

My take, having had my 3 older kids Homeschooled all the way through high school and my youngest about half that far;

If religion is in the mix, it's bad... because religion is bad.

As to academics, it completely depends on how much the parent puts into getting a thorough education. There are enough online HS co-ops now to make it certain that HS kids get excellent teaching in any subject.

My ex gave my kids an education that included math up to calculus, classic literature, exhaustive history, top notch reading and writing skills, foreign languages, and I contributed the physical education side. Not many kids get an education that good anywhere.

Mind you we did a bit better than average, but really it's what the parents put in that counts. If they truly care about their kids, then HS can be a great way to go.

[gall]

So... just out of curiosity, do any of you actually know anything about homeschooling? It seems like practically everyone arguing about it knows literally nothing about how it works. Most people's cons about homeschooling are really invalid. I played team sports, was involved in group activities and literally had more friends than my public schooled neighbors did.

 

Any curriculum is fine for homeschoolers, yes, BUT... every single year they have to pass SAT's. So it's not all willy nilly.

 

I WAS homeschooled, my entire life as a matter of fact. Many subjects were taught by other parents that were strong in. My mother taught English, Literature and Science. Another mother was strong in economics so taught that, etc.

 

I really honestly think a lot of it depends on the child. I regret not getting different perspectives and learning about evolution, for example. But, on the other hand, I absolutely adore being in the class room, too. So was that because I wasn't tormented in one during a very delicate time in my life? Or would I have thrived in a standard school?

 

Like the previous poster, I transitioned into community college at 16 and had honors for most of my stay. I had no trouble at all with a structured class environment even though I'd never experienced it before. I had no problem with tests.

 

One thing that may be a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it, is even today I do not do well with my peers. I've never been interested in things people my own age are. When friends would party or go clubbing, I'd still be more interested in reading and playing chess. I don't know if this is a product of my personality or my upbringing, but to this day most of my friends are 10 years older than me.

 

If you and many others I have talked to about homeschooling don't do well with peers because of it or related to it that is a very negative thing I feel and a big con.

 

Most professional jobs I have had required large amounts of team efforts and close interaction with many different employees who thought in many different ways than I did.

 

As long as you don't stifle ones ability to fit in with the way our society works (like it or not you will have a much harder time if you do not at least understand how to fit in even if choosing not to) and understand them homeschooling is a fine way to teach. Parents have to make an effort to get their children regular sociological contact for their own good if they want them to be well rounded as adults. No one will make you interact but it would be in their interest if they are capable.

 

My best friend was homeschooled many years ago and was very very smart because of it. It took him years to get over the social issues he had. It was interesting to see the contrast of the ways he looked at things compared to myself having always been in an actual school. Great person but it kept him from developing relationships with people for many years and I think depressed him in certain ways.

[Guest chrisassaf]

I voted okay for homeschool.

 

Anyone can teach kids. You don't need a degree to do it.

[RipVanWinkle]

"Anyone can teach kids. You don't need a degree to do it."

 

 

Even parents who can't read or write? Can all parents teach algebra? Chemistry? Biology?

American History? World History? Geometry? English Composition? Can parents teach kids with learning

disabilities? Autism? Dyslexia?

 

THINK AGAIN. bill

[Guest chrisassaf]

"Anyone can teach kids. You don't need a degree to do it."

 

 

Even parents who can't read or write? Can all parents teach algebra? Chemistry? Biology?

American History? World History? Geometry? English Composition? Can parents teach kids with learning

disabilities? Autism? Dyslexia?

 

THINK AGAIN. bill

Yes!!!!!!!!!!

 

All you are doing is teaching kids how to ass 2 + @ and spot their country on a map. I can do that with no training whatsoever. Any moron could.

[Guest chrisassaf]

 

"Anyone can teach kids. You don't need a degree to do it."

 

 

Even parents who can't read or write? Can all parents teach algebra? Chemistry? Biology?

American History? World History? Geometry? English Composition? Can parents teach kids with learning

disabilities? Autism? Dyslexia?

 

THINK AGAIN. bill

Yes!!!!!!!!!!

 

All you are doing is teaching kids how to ass 2 + @

Sorry, I meant to say add 2 + 2 and spot their country on a map. Sorry.

[mymistake]

 

 

"Anyone can teach kids. You don't need a degree to do it."

 

 

Even parents who can't read or write? Can all parents teach algebra? Chemistry? Biology?

American History? World History? Geometry? English Composition? Can parents teach kids with learning

disabilities? Autism? Dyslexia?

 

THINK AGAIN. bill

Yes!!!!!!!!!!

 

All you are doing is teaching kids how to ass 2 + @

Sorry, I meant to say add 2 + 2 and spot their country on a map. Sorry.

 

 

Either way is just as bad.  Why would we want an entire generation of kids who were educated by amateurs?  If the trend continues we will be overtaken by developing countries.  Instead we should look at what the top 10 countries at education in the world do and improve our game.