[zbigreddogz]

I agree, experts frequently do a better job.

They are overlooking a few things, however:

1. They don't ALWAYS do a better job.

2. Parents ARE experts on their kids. Which is frequently more important then being an expert on the particular subject and/or educational techniques.

3. People with incentives tend to do better then those without. Parents have a far greater incentive for their children to do well then do teachers. Teachers might have the best heart in the world, but it doesn't change the fact that the kids are only under them for a few years.

[Arizona Carolyn]

These well-meaning "amatures" must be doing something right, their kids are doing a lot better on entrance exams than many coming out of public schools. My Niece and Nephew were both home-schooled and at 21 my nephew is working on his masters and my neice is already taking pre-med classes. I think they are going to be just fine.

[secret garden]

One could reasonably ask what a custodian knows about education as well.

[ChessExpert]

This kind of reminds of a long letter to the editor printed in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) several years ago. It was in response to WSJ editorials that recommended a more free market approach to transportation in large cities. The letter represented the X,000 (X = 33?) strong public transportation workers. You see, private cabbies or Jitney operators are not "trained professionals." It was a transparently self-serving and totally unpersuasive argument.

[ChessExpert]

It is well past time we privatize the schools. Vouchers would put parents in charge of the education market. It's consumer sovereignty. It's freedom. And it works. We would see increasing value from decade to decade: SAT scores going up (before each re-baseline), greater achievement in math and science, happy and excited students, more patriotic students (more patriotic adults), reduced school hours, higher pay for the good teachers, and a lower cost of education. Increasing value in the marketplace. That's the way it's worked in the larger economy for the last 100 years and more. But that is not the way it's worked in public education.

[Bellflower]

Socialization?

When I went to schools it was nothing but clicks. You were in or you were out. If you were out you were suppose to realize that you were a nobody. Many kids who were different at all were made fun of, some horribly. Not one teacher ever stood up for a child that was being tormented, not even if it went on right in front of them. In fact teachers seemed to pander to the popular. Not one teacher addressed the need to get along and respect each other. They either didn't notice what was going on or didn't care.

I remember that in 6th grade we all began to hear about which "hot" kid was "going all the way". I know that among quite a few, even in junior high, lots of drinking was going on. Some friends were already talking about they couldn't wait for the weekend so that they could get drunk. Also, there were the drugs. Many kids were taking them. I was amazed that some of the kids in school that were suppose to be smart and popular were doing drugs. I remember one of my sister's friends who could not get enough sexual interaction with almost everyone or anyone. She was considered a goody two shoes by the teachers. She loved playing both roles. Many got pregnant. Lots in my junior class were already getting married. Some were dating a teacher and going to bed with him. More bad social interactin went on in school than I can possible remember or write about.

Some of the kids who were actually intelligent and good. They stuck to themselves and not much was heard about them.

I went between different clicks of kids so I pretty much knew what went on. Most of the "socialization" that went on in my school I am sure I could have done without.

[HamiltonJay]

Unbelievable....

If you think teaching YOUR OWN CHILD requires tons of professional training, I sure don't want you teaching my kid, or anyone elses for that matter.

I won't argue that school teachers can be professionals, and most are. However, parents should be teaching their children every day anyway... its what being a Parent is. Also, it is a far cry to teach 30 students a day all with diverse backgrounds and behaviors vs teaching 1 child one on one.... I don't think most that can successfully home school could successfully teach a class of 30 full time... but to extrapolate from that that they can't teach their own child or handful of their OWN children is ludicrous.

Socialization??? What cop out argument is that... that's the lefts immediate cop out whenever you dis the public school system.... Oh I want them to be socialized, or to be exposed to many cultures.... REALLY??? I want my child exposed to SUCCESS! And success knows no cultural boundaries, but it does know HUGE behavioral ones.. and I see absolutely no benefit to exposing my child to a complete failure of a person just because their skin is a different color or they practice a different religion.

Sorry, but the pro-public school crouds are comical. Socialization is going to happen, period, the idea that I need to have my kid in a school where 5%-10% of the kids in it are doped up or already in trouble with law enforcement or have absolutely no respect for authority of the other 90-95% of the student body is somehow beneficial to him is crazy.

Public School should be the schooling of absolute LAST resort... if you have the means to educate your child any other way and choose not to, that's abuse and neglect as far as I'm concerned.

[Porterville]

As a certified teacher, I must say there are a lot of retards on this thread... that is just a professional opinion.

[Charlespg]

Teachers unions should be banned

[Sopater]

Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois

The guy who wrote this article is the "head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois"? Very impressive credentials... I'm sure he didn't get acquire such high achievements as a homeschooler. He must be the product of the highly trained professionals in the public education system.