Posted on 01/23/2017 8:32:01 AM PST by blam
Chris Weller
January 23,2017
Jessica Epting, a homeschool mother of four, with her kids in their home in the Bronx, New York
During Betsy DeVos' recent three-hour confirmation hearing to become President Donald Trump's education secretary, charter schools came up no fewer than 60 times. Homeschooling was mentioned once.
Charter schools have become a significant part of the US public-education system and now educate 2.5 million kids. But homeschooling has quietly experienced a surge in recent years too. Brian Ray, a homeschooling researcher at the National Home Education Research Institute, estimates the number of kids taught at home is growing by as much as 8% a year since the total hovered around 2 million in 2010, according to US Census figures.
That puts the upper estimate at approximately 3.5 million children, far surpassing charter schools.
Betsy DeVos Betsy DeVos testifies before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions during her confirmation hearing to be the next secretary of education, on January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
The homeschool myth
(IMO, teachers unions must go)
Teaching kids at home has long been controversial, with critics saying the instruction is uneven in subject and quality and makes kids asocial.
But in recent years, technology and changing attitudes have made homeschooling easier and more effective, helping boost its popularity. And research suggests homeschooled kids do better on tests and in college than their peers in public schools.
"Homeschooling really cultivates a trait of open-mindedness and [being] open to new experiences," says Claire Dickson, a Harvard sophomore who was homeschooled from kindergarten through her senior year of high school. Her mother, Milva McDonald, pulled her out of her Boston-area public school when she realized, for example,
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
When confronted with the question, “what about socialization?” I would respond with a list of extracurricular activities we were involved in and the comment, “if he were any more socialized, we wouldn’t have time to do school.”
My family are now second generation homeschoolers. Our daughter home schools her children and our son sends his to a classical Christian hybrid school, where as well as full day students, some attend only half days and homeschooled the rest of their subjects. That’s a great concept for students whose parents don’t feel confident enough to teach every subject.
And that isn't even a handicap because the parents can learn as they go.
I did graduate from public school and public college, and I learned more by doing the homeschooling of my kids than any public education taught me.
So the claim that the parents must be educated doesn't hold water because it doesn't allow for the fact that the parents can and will learn too.
Kudos.
Several of our kids deeply resented being homeschooled.
Until they matured.
All now are extremely grateful, the ones who resented it then the most grateful.......
Eldest was first homeschooled kid admitted to major university - got a 5 year full-ride, custom put together by them. Math dept. said to admissions, “Are you now admitting a level of students we’ve never seen before?” He’s the one with all the degrees.
Kids got their smarts & hard-work ethic from their mom. They got their good looks from me........their mom still has hers....... ;-)
Most Catholic schools are thankfully strongholds for a good education. Glad they are still around.
With Trump, they can stay around another 8 years at least!
My 10 year old son got snapcircuits for Christmas and he loves it - has already put about every combo together and is now experimenting with different stuff.
Exactly. I am far far more educated now after 10 years of homeschooling my kids than I was after completing my masters..... IN EDUCATION.... btw that degree means crap. Undergrad and grad degrees in education are nothing more than entry memberships to a club. No rigger all indoctrination. Biggest regret in my life.
Some years ago I recognized that even for parents who sent their kids to public school, the only children who learned well were those whose parents spent hours with them every night or sent them to after school programs like Kumon. The logical realization struck me that parents who cared were doing all the work either homeschooling or private schooled their kids, just some worked a job and put their kids into public daycare and taught them at night and some stayed home and taught them all day. My wife and I decided to have her stay home and do it all day (though she daydreams about sending them to school to get a break) rather than expose them to all the junk that comes in public schools. As I joke, if I want my kids to get public school socialization I can beat them up, take their lunch money and offer them drugs myself.
Even if they are public-schooled, they are still "home-schooled." Homework gets checked every night, reading material and level are all confirmed, and all parents who are serious about education (ie. many asians) are making sure at home their kids are prepared for upcoming tests.
In sum, much of the work and process of education still gets done at home.
To me it proves once again - family background and environment is literally everything to a child's development.
I started out with a California charter school but then switched to Liberty University’s high school academy. Both of them were good but LU was more Christian.
Well,I certainly never suggested government schools don’t need checking! The first thing government schools need is getting rid of unions;then restoring discipline to pre-1960 standards,and then a return to proven methods of teaching ,and teaching the traditional subjects including honest history.
I have heard that more than once.
My youngest will be graduating this fall and he was home schooled his entire life. He was accepted to his first choice of our prestigious state college in December. I anticipate he will do very well as he is self-motivated, and has mastered how to study/learn with minimal oversight.
IMO, most kids should be home schooled.
Translation: Prison protection gang.
That is what cliques are. Protection gangs. Much of the dysfunctional socialization learned in prison-like schools must be unlearned if a person is to succeed in the workplace, community, and family. Thankfully, humans are adaptable and it seems that most make the transition to healthier socialization habits.
When parents say that their children are in a good school district it almost always means that the parents are doing a ton of afterschooling, private tutoring, or study clubs. The parents and kids do all the work outside of school and the school is quick to claim the credit.
Of course, if the kids aren't getting tons of afterschooling their standardized test scores show it and the school blames the parent.
Gee! Win win for the schools. Good standardized test scores: School takes credit. Bad standardized test scores. Blame the parent.
The **real** learning happens at home.
Not my problem.
Only a fool takes responsibility for solving problems they don't own.
I’ve said this before......
Will say it again.....
My wife and I HS’d our two kids....
Started in SoCal....in 1989-90..Our oldest was 5...
Never had any issues in SoCal....just had to have an “umbrella” school...over us.
Moved to OK...in around 1997-98........
Never had any issues...here either.
Both of our children are professionals....and doing well.
Paying taxes...and employed.
And are happy.....
“Only a fool takes responsibility for solving problems they don’t own. “
—
Asking for SUGGESTIONS hardly equates with asking you to take responsibility.
.
Public schools are strapped teaching to the lowest common denominator.....and it takes longer.
Heck...I'm old and remember...being very bored in H.S. It was too easy.....
In this context of government administered services, it certainly DOES.
Why should one not so burdened concern themselves with the education of such youths?
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