Here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1834475/posts?page=81#81
As far as teaching, I graduated my oldest from homeschooling and at the same time taught my youngest two at their own grade level; teaching three different grades at one time. She finished high school in three years, including physics and calculus. She 1530 on her SAT test, which so far is better than any high school valedictorian we have yet to meet.
Not to mention going to the National Spelling Bee and participating in the Johns Hopkins Talent Search, for two of my kids. The third qualified but we were in a different school district which didn’t submit her scores.
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And then there’s these statistics:
SAT/ACT homeschoolers:
http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200105070.asp
Standardized test scores homeschoolers:
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp
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I’d consider it maligning the schools if so much of what is stated on these threads wasn’t true. Telling the truth isn’t maligning. Should we not talk about the bad things? Pretend they don’t exist to avoid hurting someone’s feelings?
The public schools have become an abysmal failure. Yes, there are some decent ones out there, but they are few and far between. When the schools get back to teaching the basics and really teaching it, not the mandatory AIDS/HIV prevention classes I just found out our school system is having, then there’d be less to criticize. And if colleges did not have to offer remedial math for entering freshmen, which has been going on for over twenty years, then there’d be less to criticize. And if I could see young cashiers in the store who didn’t look at me like I had two heads when I give them enough change to get only quarters back, then there’d be less to criticize.
I have seen people *homeschool* who shouldn’t have tried and who did it for the wrong reasons, but those are the exception.
Most absolutely not true. Urban school districts are certainly struggling, but a lot of suburban school districts provide very good education.
When the schools get back to teaching the basics and really teaching it, not the mandatory AIDS/HIV prevention classes I just found out our school system is having, then there’d be less to criticize.
Alright. As an example, the health class I had to take which included HIV/AIDS prevention was a semester-long course. I used the class to keep up with more difficult coursework. The fluff classes certainly didn't preclude me from entering college with 30 college credits.
And if colleges did not have to offer remedial math for entering freshmen, which has been going on for over twenty years, then there’d be less to criticize.
Not every student requires remedial math. I didn't know a single person in my college career who had to take it.
And if I could see young cashiers in the store who didn’t look at me like I had two heads when I give them enough change to get only quarters back, then there’d be less to criticize.
And you assume they're public-schooled? Or do you know where they were educated? The fact is that a lot of young people are overly-reliant on calculators. That is not a failing unique to public schools, but is also common to private and home-educated students.
I have seen people *homeschool* who shouldn’t have tried and who did it for the wrong reasons, but those are the exception.
That's my point. Homeschooling is an option - and a very good one, if you have a stay-at-home parent willing and able to teach the class material. This is an option only for the middle-class, single-income family. If both parents have to work, or where the parents are of modest academic background, it may not be the best choice.
Similarly, public education is a mixed bag. There are a lot of really bad public schools - but there are a lot of real gems out there. There are a lot of factors that determine their quality - teachers, funding, the attitudes of other students and parents, and the programs offered there. I know for a fact that the scientific education I pursued in high school and college would have been simply unavailable to me in a homeschooled setting.
I have absolutely no objection to homeschooling. It's a very good academic environment, one with some very serious advantages to be considered - but it is not for everybody. My objection is when people start extolling it as the only way - as though all children, families, and schools were uniform.