To: SuziQ; All
Hullo! - I am back From dinner!
You hit on much of what ticks me off about the attitude in that "give me your horror stories" post. I went to good schools, I guess... where I am. It never occurred to me that anyone would do anything else, except for my one friend who went to Catholic school for half of high school. But it wouldn't have occurred to my family to home school, and we didn't feel cheated or oppressed or threatened by anything offered in my public school. Where my schools better than average? - Probably. I don't know.
But my dad said one thing that was true. When a school system talked about changing bus routes or eliminating bus stops, the school board meetings would be packed and the parents were involved. (his work at the state involved transportation funding so he would be there then) but when they got to the second agenda item, curriculum, the room emptied and all the parents went home.
In other words... There is all kinds of room for caring parents to impact curriculum in their local schools. Schools are very much locally controlled, and if yours is messed up, it might be messed up because only a few very liberal involved folk are impacting the board... and the conservative folk abandoned the schools for religious school or home school. Who do we really blame then if the liberals are the only ones left who still go to the meetings?
I think it is great that there are parents like 2J and yourself, and Jen's folks, and the others, who can homeschool and provide a whole education for your kids. A lot of parents don't have that kind of talent, or the ability for one parent to teach full time. That is a fact. One death, one divorce, or one imperfect family, and the whole idea of home schooling goes out the window. It is a luxury afforded by a few, not a standard everyone can live by. So I don't loathe the public schools. They are going to be the only option for most, and I don't think they are a bad thing. It ain't a disease, it's school. And I have heard the stories that person is hoping to find... the horror stories, but I don't think they are the rule. I don't think they have to be the rule. Looking back, I don't hear that any of you that home school would change a thing.... It worked for you. Well, I feel the same way. I wouldn't change a thing about the way I grew up either. It worked for me.
To: HairOfTheDog; SuziQ
Reading back through that post, it still reads like I believe only imperfect families send their kids to public school.
I don't mean that. Maybe I am living in a bubble, but there isn't a thing wrong with my local schools. Every single one of my friends is sending their kids to the very schools I went to.... and if I had kids I wouldn't hesitate to do the same.
I can't picture the scene now, because I am not even married. But I can say that I would assume when and if I have kids, I would send them to those same schools. I just don't fear them.
If I were in a situation where I could home school, I suppose I would consider it, but I don't see a compelling reason to in my climate. I know that I don't think I can't replace the school system I went to on my own.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson