Why Homeschooling Continues to Grow

TCRecord ^ | 5/16/05 | Isabel Lyman

[kalee]

I have two questions for you.
1. Who decides if a parent is qualified?
2. What is your profession, since you said you were giving your professional opinion?

[sitetest]

Dear SALChamps03,

"Under federal law, all teachers must be highly qualified in their field. Otherwise, they cannot teach any longer. The process will be complete within a year. This is every state."

I believe that practically speaking, that means that a teacher must not openly drool while teaching. Vast numbers of public school teachers are incompetent. A federal law is not going to change that.


sitetest

[sitetest]

Dear SalChamps03,

"But it has been my experience that homeschool proponents will not accept that not everyone is capable of homeschooling."

It isn't that we don't accept that not everyone is capable of homeschooling. It is that we don't accept that the government is capable of adequately overseeing homeschoolers. The government has proven itself incompetent time after time in trying to educate the children already under its control in many, many public schools.

Thus, as long as the government fails in its own assignment, I scarcely see the sense in it overseeing the assignment of homeschoolers. In fact, if anything, it is the successful homeschoolers who should oversee the unsuccessful, incompetent, evil overlords who run most public school systems. And, since turnabout is fair play, and at times homeschoolers have been unjustly harmed legally by the scum that run the government schools, homeschoolers, in their oversight of the public schools, should have the power to imprison incompetent public school teachers and administrators.

Of course, that will never happen. Our society couldn't afford to build that many new prison cells.

"Homeschooling is right for many, but absolutely wrong for some."

Perhaps. But government oversight (which really boils down to demonic NEA oversight) of homeschoolers is wrong for all.

And not only, or even principally because the government is incompetent at providing education, but because the folks who run the public schools are a special interest group - they are public school "professionals." Their bias is for public schools, and they are threatened by homeschooling (why shouldn't they be when the average high school-diplomaed mom can achieve ten times what most public school teachers can achieve, in terms of actually educating children). It is permitting the fox to guard the henhouse. That the foxes are congenitally incompetent doesn't exactly enhance their position.


sitetest

[traviskicks]

possible ping?

[xzins]

Reference our education discussion.

[SALChamps03]

Well, that's debatable...but I'm certain of one thing: More people can do it than are presently doing it.

I will agree with that.

[politicket]

On the order of 90% + people who start home-schooling, abandon it within a year, not appreciating the tremendous amount of work it takes.

As a scientist...

As a scientist, I'm going to have to ask that you back up your data with proof text.

[SALChamps03]

In most states this sort of basic infrastructure exists. I know we've got it in North Carolina.

That's a a good thing. It will only benefit the children.

[sitetest]

Dear politicket,

Perhaps podkane is a troll. He/she/it signed up on July 7, 2005, made the ridiculous troll-like attack two days ago to which you (and several others) replied, and hasn't been back since.

Hmmmm....


sitetest

[Libertarian Nationalist GOPr]

I simply don't buy the into the notion that "teaching is a profession." That's the angle that the education establishment pushes to surrounding teachers and teaching with an aura of mysticism.

The ability to teach requires two things: subject matter knowledge and the ability to communicate. The idea that there's a skill set called "teaching" is utter nonsense.

I highly recommend Thomas Sowell's "Inside American Education." Public school teachers, as a group, are on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of academic achievement. They're overpaid, underworked, undereducated and overrated.

LNGOP'r

[ChocChipCookie]

I was a teacher trainer for several years in one of Phoenix's largest school districts. After teaching for eight years, I had assumed that all teachers were like me -- hard-working, striving to excel, etc. Boy, was I wrong. I was in more nightmare classrooms than I could believe. Yes, many teachers are excellent, but no kid deserves to be in a classroom with an incompetent teacher for nine months, and it's so difficult to get rid of poor teachers that principals seldom try. The only time I saw that happen was with a male teacher who was one year from retirement. Now, wasn't that a courageous principal. /sarcasm off

I now homeschool my own kids, and we are loving it.

[sitetest]

Dear ChocChipCookie,

The dirty little secret is that in many public school systems, large numbers of teachers with school-aged children send their children to private schools.

A ringing endorsement of these school systems.


sitetest

[SALChamps03]

I have two questions for you. 1. Who decides if a parent is qualified? 2. What is your profession, since you said you were giving your professional opinion?

1. State law places the responsibility of deciding the curriculum with the state department of education (in any state). Whether we like it or not, we are a nation of laws. Therefore, whether the homeschool proponents like it or not, the state decides.

2. I am a teacher. I have a degree from one of the top programs in the nation. I do understand that being a teacher automatically disqualifies me in the minds of some homeschool proponents. As I said before, I am not against homeschooling. I have however, personally seen what happens when someone who is not qualified to do it attempts to do so, and what happens when a parent merely removes their child from school without educating them.

Therefore, I stand by my view that homeschooling is a great choice for some, but absolutely a wrong choice for others. I am not criticizing anyone for wanting to homeschool, nor am I criticizing the many fine parents who take it seriously and do an excellent job.

[SALChamps03]

Vast numbers of public school teachers are incompetent.

That is an opinion. It isn't scientific fact.

[SALChamps03]

Their bias is for public schools, and they are threatened by homeschooling (why shouldn't they be when the average high school-diplomaed mom can achieve ten times what most public school teachers can achieve, in terms of actually educating children).

Once again, this is opinion. It isn't scientific fact.

[sitetest]

Dear ChocChipCookie,

Here are a couple of quotes from one article I found while googling on that subject - public school teachers who send their kids to private schools:

"A study done by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found that nationwide, public-school teachers are almost twice as likely as other parents to send their children to a private school."

"For example, in Philadelphia, 44 percent, and in Cincinnati, 41 percent of public-school teachers sent their kids to private schools."

Ouch. That's gotta hurt.

From, http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-school-Teachers-Know-Best-----They-Send-Their-Kids-To-Private-Schools&id=45797


sitetest

[L,TOWM]

As well you should be. We started out in CA and my wife and I made up our minds that our kids would never see the inside of a public school. That was when my daughter was 3. My daughter is 11 now, we are Texas, but have no intention other than to see it through to college.

Well done on your part, Kalee. I pray that our school will be as successful as yours has been.

[ChocChipCookie]

My sister, a public school teacher, sent her son to a Montessori preschool. $500 per MONTH. I know she would love to send him there, or somewhere similar, for kindergarten and beyond, but they don't want to pay tuition anymore. So, she's seeking out the "cream of the crop" in her school district and "interviewing" two principals next week. Sheeesh. And she BEGGED me to not homeschool. Go figure.

[sitetest]

Dear SALChamps03,

Yes, I exaggerate when I say "10 times."

However, homeschoolers, statistically, are far more successful at educating children than public school teachers. They have higher standardized testing scores, much higher rates of high school or equivalent completion/graduation, and higher rates of college attendance. Even though homeschooling families have lower median incomes than non-homeschooling families.

The typical homeschooling mom (who typically has only a high school diploma) does a better job of educating children than the typical public school teacher.


sitetest

[kalee]

I know 2 homeschool moms with only high school educations. Both have 6 children and both have graduated children from homeschool and sent them on to college. One of them is divorced, so is raising her children alone. Her daughter, who made dean's list every semester, will graduate college this Dec. with a degree in accounting.
As for myself, I am a conservatory trained musician.
What do we three mothers and our homeschools have in common? We each have the desire to give our children the best education possible and we believe that the best place for that to happen is in our own homes, under our guidance. We are COMMITTED to our children and their education.
Other than that our schools have nothing in common. We use different curricula and have very different teaching styles.
lol We don't even share the same religious or social backgrounds.
We are as different as night and day, but each of us has been successful in educating our children.