However, remember that some of the the greatest achievers in our lifetime went to public schools. Every county in America has one. They aren't going away. In the future, I will avoid these types of threads because it is my belief that some of you are deluded as well, and some of your beliefs border on fanaticism. As can be expected with any fanatic, you do not respond well to anything that doesn't reinforce your belief. I am done responding, and will not reply to anything else.
Dear SALChamps03,
"As I said before, any statement that doesn't treat homeschooling as the Second Coming of Christ is met with complete anger and denigration."
Hmmm... Well my own post, directed to all, certainly treated homeschooling as something less than the Second Coming. It's a bit early yet, but I don't see anyone responding to it with complete anger or denigration. Or any anger or denigration.
Other posts I've made on this thread and others have also stated explicitly that homeschooling isn't for everyone, that a small minority of homeschoolers fail (I have actually met one in the five years we've been homeschooling), and that there can be advantages to traditional schooling.
Yet, no homeschooler here has ever responded to anything I've written with complete anger or denigration. You overstate ridiculously.
"The 'snide' remark that you mention was in response to a specific statement by someone else, who made an equally snide remark that I choose not to point out again."
The reason you choose not to point it out is that it wasn't snide at all. Here it is:
" Sorry .. I don't buy it .. just because someone has the 'qualifications' doesn't mean they are a good teacher."
A perfectly reasonable remark that all of us can affirm by personal experience. The fact is, the percentage of "dud" teachers is higher than "dud" parents. In fact, it is that most folks aren't "dud" parents that most children are able to survive the certainty of encountering some fair share of "dud" teachers along the way.
"I believe that homeschooling is essentially a good thing. You do not feel the same way about public schools."
Not quite. You don't really know my views about public schools, as I haven't really discussed them. In fact, I've readily stated in this thread and others that there are public schools that actually do a decent job of educating kids. If public schools were inherently evil, that would be a difficult statement to make.
"However, remember that some of the the greatest achievers in our lifetime went to public schools."
Well, considering that somewhere north of 85% of all children go to public schools at any one time, and probably over 90% have gone to public schools for at least a while (although mostly educated in Catholic schools, I served a sentence... uh, term of three years in public schools, myself), it would be nearly impossible for that not to be the case. However, in many cases, these folks succeeded IN SPITE of their educational backgrounds, not because of them.
"In the future, I will avoid these types of threads..."
I think that's an excellent idea.
"...because it is my belief that some of you are deluded as well, and some of your beliefs border on fanaticism."
Hmmm.... You're the guy who thinks the people who fail should oversee the people who succeed. Perhaps you should check the image in the mirror if you're looking for the deluded.
"As can be expected with any fanatic, you do not respond well to anything that doesn't reinforce your belief."
Once again, SALChamps03, you're the one who writes posts that fly in the face of both facts and reason. Once again, perhaps you should look in the mirror.
"I am done responding, and will not reply to anything else."
Don't let the door hit you in the rear on the way out. ;-)
sitetest
I said: Sorry .. I don't buy it .. just because someone has the "qualifications" doesn't mean they are a good teacher. Also - unfortunately for teachers they just aren't allowed to teach.
Someone said earlier that there is so much wasted time in school - and there is.. honestly sit down and TALK to some kids about what it going on... it's really very sad. There's so much time spent on the whole concept of "social skills" that there is very little time left for the kids to learn. Many people go onto further learning to take them to a profession and they are not suited for the job... I was in the travel industry for many years, and frankly the people who went to "travel school" because the job seemed "glamorous" or they had the mistaken notion that they would make money did not make the best employees. It was the person that had a passion for travel that excelled.
I've met many teachers that had that passion for learning - unfortunately I've met many that did not ..
The difference is the vast majority of homeschooling parents are doing it because they have a passion to do .. for whatever reason.. whether it be to uphold their religious values that you allude to, or that they are not happy with their particular school system, or they want to protect their children from very dangerous popular culture.
I'm curious .. do you have children? Are you happy with the education they have recieved in the public school system?