Well I think the best conclusion to come to is that public schools are not better than homeschooling and homeschooling is not better than public schooling in general.
It is all situational. Not all parents would make good teachers and not all public schools are good. However in some situations either one works for particular people.
I have to wonder about people who have to have broad generalizations in the manner of ‘this or that is better than this or that NO EXCEPTIONS’.
There is no sense in putting down public schools and the children in them. If homeschoolers want respect they should not be so quick to put down those who do not (or were not) homeschooled.
Also, not everyone has the luxury to stay home with their child all day. At some point it becomes an elitist thing in which people get smarmy and think they should not have to pay taxes for public education at all because they have the ability to homeschool. For the people who can that is great; I think its great we live in a free country where people can make their own choices.
No, in general, I am completely convinced that homeschooling beats any other form of education. I will allow exceptions to that, and also cases where families cannot homeschool (though those are more rare than you might think. I have known homeschooling single moms, grandparents, etc). Most families are simply unwilling to make the considerable sacrifices. I’m going to be giving up a not inconsiderable salary as an engineer to stay at home. We’ll have to economize, and maybe not have new cars all the time.
And no, homeschoolers and private school families shouldn’t have to pay school taxes. But that’s another debate. Most homeschool families are making far more sacrifices than you’ll ever know, and supporting the rest of their community too.
I am not a one-size-fits-all person with respect to education; I understand your point that children do well in different environments. However, you seem to still be stuck on the idea that home education means the parent is a teacher of a school, which makes me wonder whether you understand home education very well. A parent doesn't need to be a teacher in order for their child to be home educated.
Also, not everyone has the luxury to stay home with their child all day
This is another misconception; I know single mothers who work and whose children are educated out of school.
At some point it becomes an elitist thing in which people get smarmy and think they should not have to pay taxes for public education at all because they have the ability to homeschool.
I think you are mistaken about the motives of other people. From my observation it becomes a conservative thing in which people think they should not have to pay taxes for compulsory public education at all because it is unConstitutional and then find a way to be able to home educate in order to be true to their principles.
I think its great we live in a free country where people can make their own choices.
I think making our own choices is wonderful. I think footing the bill for our own choices is good too.