Topic : 11/24 Great School Debate

Please let me help to enlighten you - again - a broad generalization of what a 'homeschooling family is' is just as dangerous as a broad generalization about race. I will, however, simply speak of my own interactions with homeschoolers I know personally:

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"Home school" children are not nearly as well socialized tend to get in more trouble later in life

Not so fast....do you socialize only with people within your age range? Are all your co-workers of the same graduating class year? No. Homeschoolers (again those whom I know) are by and large more equipped to socialize with all ages. They relate to peers with stability in their own identity, to elders with respect, to those younger without feeling 'stupid' for 'lowering themselves' to converse with a child.

I suspect your motivation is good, but your method will leave almost all children behind.

I graduated from a traditional college prep private school, got scholarships to college and still have learned more while teaching school (in a private school) and homeschooling my own children than I ever knew from my traditional school.

All children (public, private, homeschooled, unschooled) will be 'left behind' in some area or another. Most traditional school settings will not complete a text book or two in the year, jump certain chapters, and will certainly not take time for discussion or mastery of the topic. Unschooling and Homeschooling will likely not differ from traditional school and will still produce 'some' shortcomings, but then again, did all of your learning cease with graduation or has it been an ongoing experience?

As more people go the route of "home school", they weaken public school. Soon they vote against any measure that would raise funding for schools because it won't, after all, affect THEIR children.

I have not nor will I ever expect a tax break for educating my children at home. My taxes still go to the public school system in our area and I voted to RAISE assistance for the school system. In fact, I was President of the parent/teacher organization the year before our children left traditional school. Please do not make the generalization that homeschooling families are not committed to their community at large.

Home school is social and religious paranoia at its worst.

Many people choose to homeschool simply because for that child, it is an environment better suited to his/her learning style, nothing religious or social about it.

I really feel for the children who will have to raise their children in what will remain of society. Whatever it is at that point, it will not be a democracy.

Lastly, I would like to submit that statistically, more homeschooled students enroll in the military, or some form of politics, civil protective service (EMTs, Firefighters, Police, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard etc) than their public/private schooled counterparts. Since the percentage rate is higher for homeschooled students to enter such felids, I believe our Democratic Society is quite protected, safe and well in tact.

You say, you doubt your efforts and even the efforts of other homeschooled parents combined could effect change soon enought, to effect YOUR children.  Don't you care about your children's, children.  It may not effect your childs generation, but it may effect your grandchilds generation.  Also, if all the women in our countries past (Elizabeth Statton, Susan B. Anthony, etc.) thought that way, You as a woman wouldn't really have a say at all in your childs education!!! 

You are sheltering your children.  I too discuss sex, drugs, pot, etc.  with my children, and they may hear that on a bus, or be confronted with drugs.  So they learn "by experience" to say No.  As opposed to being told about what COULD happen and IF it happens.  And homeschooled parents tend to only discuss the negative aspects of what you don't want your children to learn from other children.  What about the positive influences other children can have on your kids?  or the positive influences teachers, administration and staff could have. 

As for my 10th Grade English Class - what 10th grader is going to rat out a public school teacher that is letting him/her do whatever they want?

I was having FUN, I had plenty of class time to chat with my friends and socialize. It wasn't until 11th grade that I realized that skipping a whole year of English left me behind. Of course since I was an honors student and self motivated I caught up on my own.

Well homeschoolers can always homeschool their grandkids ;>)

As a taxpayer I work for change in the public school system.

As a parent I choose to homeschool because it is the best educational choice for my children.

I have noticed that those who demand parents leave their kids in public schools for the good of society tend to either be childless or they are able to live in high end neighborhoods with good school districts. It's awfully easy to condemn people for not doing things for the good of society when it doesn't affect you or your family. Also what possible benefit is it to society to leave a child in a public school that is failing him just so society can say he received a public education? Isn't it far better to homeschool your child and give him the skills necessary to get into college, have a successful career etc. ?

As for peer pressure. What is it with you anti-homeschooling people, you don't seem to have a clue that homeschooled kids interact with public school kids all the time. Our kids go to the mall, they play with kids in their neighborhood (and yes public school kids live in our neighborhood), they chat on-line with their friends, and homeschooled teens often work after school and their co-workers are often public school kids.

I don't believe our children need to learn everything by "experience".   This "experience"  can be had when they are older.  What is it with parents that feel their children need to learn to say no to drugs (or whatever else) by actually experiencing it?  I get so frustrated that we feel we have the right to submit our children to all of the crap that is out there in order to prepare them for the real world.  This world is getting worse every day - protect, protect, protect.  Protect by giving them all of the knowledge necessary to make wise decisions.  When you feel they are ready then we start to let go -I'm not sure age 5 or 6 (school age) is that age for my child.

I have noticed that those who demand parents leave their kids in public schools for the good of society tend to either be childless or they are able to live in high end neighborhoods with good school districts. It's awfully easy to condemn people for not doing things for the good of society when it doesn't affect you or your family. Also what possible benefit is it to society to leave a child in a public school that is failing him just so society can say he received a public education? Isn't it far better to homeschool your child and give him the skills necessary to get into college, have a successful career etc. ?

I do agree with you here. I live in a high income area with good public schools, so that does influence my perspective. This whole debate board has prompted my husband and I to have some serious conversations about our children and what we want for them. We are still coming down on the side of public schools, but we know we don't have to write anything down in stone.

I disagree with the notion of schools failing kids. The reality is that kids are failing school. There are many factors that play into this, but I think it is important to remember that schools simply are not capable of curing all of society's ill. The majority of people who struggle with dysfunctional lives are poor. So schools in poorer areas have greater struggles.

I sympathize with parents who simply cannot put their kids in schools with gang members, druggies, children who are so disruptive that the teacher can, at best, try for crowd control. I also see that many, not all, of these parents are NOT equipped to homeschool. We MUST make greater efforts to improve the state of public schools so EVERY child can get a chance at a quality education, regardless of their parents' finances, education, emotional stability, intellectual abilities, etc.

I am not going to homeschool, I don't think it will benefit MY children.  I don't think it would be healthy for them to be with me all day, they need to get out and be with other kids their age in an environment that will support that.  Plus, I want them to get the best education they can get, even if that means public schools.  There are lots of Merit schools in the town my children will be going to and the kids score very high on their tests. 

The only difference I see between Public and Private schools is the cost.  Also, that some private schools are religious based.  You can find the same classes in public school without the cost.  I don't think we need to push our children academically, and honestly I think it's a little too much to have a kindergardner doing 3rd grade work.  Now, if they child is capable of doing it, then so be it, but I do not think it's wise to push kids while they are so young.

There is bullying and crime if private school as well.  I had a friend that went to a Christian private school and the kids there did drugs and had sex on the property!  Same thing that was going on in the public school system.

I don't think homeschooling really teaches responsibility.  Some of the time it is not structured and it is only for a couple hours a day.  Going out of the house to school reinforces responsibility and teaching the student to be liable for their actions.  Sure, there were a few days when I didn't want to go to school, but I could not have stayed home.  I would not be socially mature, but that is me, it could be different for others.  Plus, leaving home to go to school prepared me for the real world, where you leave your house and you do what you have to do, even if you don't like it.

So it looks like public schooling for my kids.