So this author admittedly uses anecdotal evidence to paint a broad picture of the failure of homeschooling. The problem is that legitimate research has shown that homeschoolers are actually better prepared for college than their public school peers: http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/06/01/home-schooled-teens-ripe-for-college
The author tries to soften her erroneous conclusions by stating “that’s not to say there aren’t many homeschooling parents who are doing an excellent job...”. This however still is designed to leave the impression that such parents are a minority. The evidence in reality shows the vast majority of homeschooling parents do an excellent job, not some dedicated minority.
This is simply a hit piece that really fails to acknowledge that more kids as a percentage fail in the public school system than in homeschooling.
‘This is simply a hit piece...’
Exactly what it is, nothing more or less.
I agree. The fact that the writer starts off commenting on people she knew in the quiverful movement, which actually makes up a small percentage of homeschooling parents, was intended to paint a negative and extreme picture of homeschoolers as a group to her readers.
Yes, and it follows the pattern of many such attempts.
1) Pick out an anecdotal example of a homeschooled student with problems, or invent such a student. A few years ago in New Hampshire liberal activist legislators claimed there might be a homeschooled student somewhere who was being neglected educationally, or mistreated and the state would not know about it.
2) Ignore the thousands of public school students with worse problems. During the same time period more than one public school student died of a drug overdose during the school day.
3) Suggest that homeschool education by devoutly religious people is somehow substandard - in this case "an overly politicized education with huge gaps, for example, in American history, evolution or sexuality."
4) Ignore the fact that millions of public school students have even more glaring gaps in their education, like an inability to read proficiently, or complete high school at all.
Liberals who are against religion and in favor of state based indoctrination of children use the same tactics over an over again. Each instance should be refuted.