Homeschooling grows quickly in United States

reuters via cnn ^ | 3-2-06 | none listed

[LouAvul]

Elizabeth and Teddy Dean are learning about the Italian scientist Galileo, so they troop into the kitchen, where their mother Lisa starts by reviewing some facts about the Renaissance.

Elizabeth, 11, and Teddy, 8, have never gone to school.

Their teachers are primarily their parents, which puts them into what is believed to be the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. education system -- the homeschool movement.

For their science lesson, Teddy and Elizabeth are joined by three other homeschooled children and their mother, who live down the street in their suburb midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Before the lesson starts, all five kids change into Renaissance costumes -- long dresses and bonnets for the girls, tunics and swords for the boys.

"We definitely have a lot more fun than kids who go to school," Elizabeth said.

.................

But there is no disagreement about the explosive growth of the movement -- 29 percent from 1999 to 2003 according to the NCES study, or 7 to 15 percent a year according to HSLDA.

This growth has spawned an estimated $750 million a year market supplying parents with teaching aids and lesson plans to fit every religious and political philosophy. Homeschooled children regularly show up in the finals of national spelling competitions, generating publicity for the movement.

Parents cite many reasons for deciding to opt out of formal education and teach their children at home. In the NCES study, 31 percent said they were concerned about drugs, safety or negative peer pressure in schools; 30 percent wanted to provide religious or moral instruction while 16 percent said they were dissatisfied with academic standards in their local schools.

[Graymatter]

I had to homeschool myself in spite of a decade of forced attendance at traditional schools where I never learned anything but inhuman patience. I was in sixth grade when I promised myself my kids would never go through that kind of hell.
I did let them get a taste of it and choose freely. They chose homeschooling. Results---kids age 12 who could pass a high school equivalency test with ease.
Incidentally I don't consider them geniuses, or myself a gifted teacher. Though I could be wrong. :)

[JenB]

You don't have to have been homeschooled, or have kids yet, to be a member of the homeschool movement. Just the intention of doing so with the future kids is enough. Or just lending your voice to the movement.

I call myself a "once and future" homeschooler. I can't wait. My fiance was homeschooled too so we are both eager to experiment on our poor offspring.

[Indy Pendance]

The school tax proportion.

[Non-Sequitur]

The school tax proportion.

So if the state funds the local school $10,000 per student then you believe you should get that amount from the state? Do you pay $10,000 per year in school taxes?

[mountn man]

When I point out that the national average spending per kid was $8,589 in 2005 and ask them how much school tax they pay they never want to answer

I'm not doubting your stat at all, but I like to verify for myself. I'd hate to confidently quote something to someone, only to get my butt handed to me. Where can I find this stat?

[SUSSA]

Let me find it again. I had it here incase anyone asked and closed the window. BRB

[mrs tiggywinkle]

Hello, Trout-Mouth.

We're in our 10th year of home education and loving it. Our daughter is almost 16 and will be graduating next year. It has been a tremendous blessing in our lives.

I see a number of folks have given sage advice and some have offered opinion as well. I second the advice to learn all you can at HSLDA.org. Further, I'd encourage you as the grandparent to attend homeschool conventions.

I am an area administrator of a private school for homeschoolers in Northern California. I'm happy to supply you with whatever information I know.

Home education is a commitment and incredible lifestyle. I know of many certified teachers who are now teaching their children at home. Blessings to you.

[Lady Heron]

Exactly. I have some homeschooled kids in my neighborhood. They don't even know the meaning of sh%$, da%$, m%^he& f^&(er, su%& me, eat &%. Where are they supposed to learn this stuff if they are not exposed to older hoodlums?

Side story...I home schooled my boys. The oldest played hockey, where there is always trash talk during the game. It use to drive them crazy that they could not get under his skin no matter what they said to him.

One day I figured out why it never bothered him.....we were in the car and we were talking about what was said on the rink that started some of the fights and why he was never bothered enough to fight. He talked about the language used and how stupid it was. I asked in what way? He said well one day he had looked up one of the words he did not understand in the dictionary and since in only meant a pile of wood he did not bother with the rest!

Now I was really curious and asked what word he had looked up. He said fagg. Holding back laughter as best I could I told him to go home and look it up again with one less g.

He became a very different player after! LOL!

[Indy Pendance]

I don't pay $10,000 per year in taxes. And that leads to the question, where does that additional $7000+ come from? If I send my kids to private schools or home school, or my kids are out of school, why is it my responsibility to pay for other kids to go to school? If you'd have read this thread, you'd have seen, I spent $3000 per year, out of my own money, plus taxes to send my kid to private school. I spent less than half the average for school. The question is, where is the waste going? Aren't you concerned where our tax dollars are being spent?

[SUSSA]

Here's the link. The $8,589 figure includes capital expenditures, which it should because it is a cost.

http://www.joannejacobs.com/mtarchives/014895.html

[SUSSA]

Standard and Poors has the figure higher but only goes to 2003. Take a look here.

http://www.schoolmatters.com/App/SES/SPSServlet/MenuRequest?CatID=818&SecID=3200&CompID=-1&StateID=1036196&LocLevelID=162&StateLocLevelID=676&LocationID=1036195

[SUSSA]

I don't pay $10,000 per year in taxes. And that leads to the question, where does that additional $7000+ come from?

It comes from people who don’t have kids, old folks and people like you who don’t feed at the trough.

If I send my kids to private schools or home school, or my kids are out of school, why is it my responsibility to pay for other kids to go to school?

It’s not, and that is my point. People need to get off the dole and take care of their own responsibilities. It’s no more your responsibility than it is your responsibility to pay their mortgage.

If you'd have read this thread, you'd have seen, I spent $3000 per year, out of my own money, plus taxes to send my kid to private school. I spent less than half the average for school. The question is, where is the waste going? Aren't you concerned where our tax dollars are being spent?

Sure I’m concerned about where they are going. We know where a large part goes. It is inflated salaries and unneeded jobs. In fact, most goes to waste. On top of that, some goes to fraud and abuse. The socialist schools are no different than any other bureaucracy doing a job private industry should be doing. They do it worse at higher cost.

You can take some comfort in not being a sponge and sucking looking to others to care for you. Plus your kids aren’t dumped on classroom bureaucrats expecting to get an education.

[mountn man]

Thanks for the ammo.

[stbdside]

Heck, I used to work with a guy who didn't know where the Pacific Ocean is (no, I'm not making this up).

[SUSSA]

No problem.

Want to have some real fun? Tell a government teacher he or she is a bureaucrat. Just be sure to have a dictionary handy, because they will argue with you.

I even had one silly twit tell me the dictionary was wrong. I looked at the other two couples who were there and said see what you get in socialist classrooms.

She was livid. LOL

[Indy Pendance]

Too bad my lib sil teacher stopped talking to me.

Main Entry: bu·reau·cra·cy
Pronunciation: byu-'rä-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Etymology: French bureaucratie, from bureau + -cratie -cracy
1 a : a body of nonelective government officials b : an administrative policy-making group
2 : government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority
3 : a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/bureaucracy

[SUSSA]

Main Entry: bu·reau·crat

Pronunciation: 'byur-&-"krat

Function: noun

:a member of a bureaucracy

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

[vwunpimsmyride]

The NEA doesn't want children socialized, they just want them Socialized, Marxised, Fascised, and Communized.

[vwunpimsmyride]

But I want my 12 year old son to get "private lessons" from his gubmint teacher. It's very popular these days!

[Tired of Taxes]

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