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 ...
Kids in public school are socialized to other kids and tend to have older children as their role models. In effect, they are learning to be older children. Home schooled kids socialize with and to adults and have adults as their role models. Only when society has gotten so rich that the children don’t have to support themselves within the family do we have childhood as the ideal situation, to be perpetuated through adulthood. In less affluent civilizations that still use the plan God installed, children are in the process of learning to be adults. Home schoolers have a large advantage in the maturity area.
“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.”
Better stop him now before becomes an engineer......
He might become an engineer - sure likes to build stuff and take it apart. Will see how he likes math as he gets older!
Wow....in some ways...similar - but not the quantity!
We homeschooled our 3 from ‘90 to ‘07. Each was homeschooled through 10th grade - then on to a junior college for “running start” - taking college level classes for high school and college credit.
The first finished H.S. - then joined Army Reserves- trained as Combat medic, returned home, got her A.S. degree - then on to Seattle Univ. for her BS RN - and a Army Nurse (reserve) commission. Became an ICU nurse (like her Mom.)
The second went to the Naval Academy, graduated with honors, went to Navy Post Grad school for his M.S. - again graduated with honors....then to Nuc Power School...and has served in the submarine force for about 8 years - and is the Engineering Department Head on a Nuclear Submarine.
The 3rd opted out of college - joined the Army - Infantry, Airborne...did a tour in Iraq, went to Ranger School and got his Ranger Tab....made E-6 within 6 years of enlisting.
All 3 are smart, patriotic, and know God & Christ. We are blessed ....and home schooling was probably a big part of their success - because #2 would have been BORED with the slow pace of public schools, and #3 was so ‘bouncy’ - he would have been called ADHD or ADD...and the schools would have wanted him on drugs. His Mom could send him outside to be ‘physical’ while studying...and that was a BIG help. (He is know working on his college degree and trying to get into the Army Helicopter/Warrant Officer program.)
Home schooling might not be for everyone...but it sure is worth the effort if the parents can put the TIME and EFFORT into it! And the results are very rewarding.
There is some truth in here.
Children need supervision and discipline. Many public schools don’t over good structure, discipline...don’t challenge the children.
The worst case of poor home schooling was with a very very bright kid who had parents who must have believed in ‘un-Schooling’...the idea that the child should be permitted to set his/her own pace, be allowed to pick and choose what to study, when to study, how much depth to get into a topic, etc. As a result, if the child was interested - the child did well. BUT - if the child wasn’t interested...the child did CRAPPY. When the child became a young adult - he really wasn’t competent to work in a standard work environment, because he wasn’t used to ‘structure’...and he had a mediocre to poor record of classes at a junior college..... He basically needed a “RESET” - and a chance to start over with REAL structure...but who would give that to him....and how would he get it?
Lots of parallels:
Told kids when they reached 14 that daddy would never make enough money to put 8 through college - and that it wouldn’t be fair to put some through and not others.....so they were on their own.
BUT, if they made their own way - scholarship, GI Bill, etc., Daddy would buy them a nice (not new) car when they received acceptance. Paid for 5 cars....actually 4 1/2 as one only got a 50% scholarship.
2 took the GI Bill route, one 5 years Army, the other 6 years Navy - returning to Navy for OCS this year after degree with goal of flying fighters.......
At least this young adult did go to junior college. At some point people are responsible for their own life path. Hopefully, he will take a good look around him and push the reset button we all own.
bttt
I don’t think anyone is saying that only homeschool students are successful. In the case of Asians, they seem to have stronger family ties and a different culture that values education and respect for parents and teachers that many non-Asians lack (Yes, I know I’m generalizing some.)
Our 3 kids were homeschooled and did well, some of our grandchildren will be homeschooled and some are in private Christian school. One is in a public school. All seem to be doing fine, although the boy in public school has suffered what many active little boys do in traditional schools - he has difficulty sitting still for so long.
Having said that, I do worry about children in public schools because the schools have become so godless and the left is taking over and indoctrinating children in communism, Islam, and perversion. At some point, parents are going to have to decide if they can, in good conscience, keep their precious children in schools that are the antithesis to their own values.
The government school teachers are always droning on about ratios and how their class sizes should be smaller. Homeschooling accomplishes that. I happen to have a teaching degree, but it certainly isn’t necessary to have one in order to teach your own children. I would say organizational skills are some of the most important skills to have for successful homeschooling.
Thank you for the information.
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