Question to homeschool advocates

[Thoeting]

I have a question to homeschool advocates.

I teach English to students with learning disabilities in a small (500 students) middle school. I work mostly with 6th graders. These are students who are 11-12 years old.

This September, we had 6 students enroll who were previously home-schooled. Each set is coming into the public school system for different reasons. In 2 families, the parents have split up and both parents must now work. The others either just wanted to try it, or were tired of home. or moved from a large city. Of the 6, 1 enrolled in the school's gifted/talented program. Of the others, all 5 are coming in with deplorable skills. 2 of them (siblings) are unable to recognize all letters of the alphabet, and are also quite weak in math. They can count to 100, and do 1 digit addition and subtraction. Of the other three, 1 cannot recognize cursive, 1 can spell nothing beyond four letters, and the last one reads at about a 2nd grade level.

Everyone one of the 5 that I work with have "iffy" social skills. None are comfortable around large groups, and 3 of them are actually afraid of the other kids. All of them prefer to be with the adults.

I work with these 5 in an English class. Because of their discomfort with large groups, I requested to have only these five for this year. I enjoy their personalities greatly and I am thrilled every day to watch them grow. However, even though they are of normal intelligence, it is likely, that most of them will not learn to read at a 6th grade level before leaving middle school, which means they will continue to be behind considerably into high school.

I know that there is a large homeschool contingent that read FreeRepublic and I would like to know if anyone here has seen a situation like this before. Is there anyone out there looking out for kids to make sure they are actually being instructed? At what point do homeschool parents start to get worried? Is there any type of agency that oversees homeschool parents? As I have conferenced with these parents over the course of the year, NONE were aware that there was a problem! Yet some of these children were up to 6 years behind.

Please don't take this as a slam against homeschooling. Obviously something went wrong in these situations, but I think (or at least hope!) that the majority work well.

[Registered]

And the rest of your class, how are they doing? Did I miss that somewhere? Frankly, you haven't provided enough information concerning the ages of all the kids involved here. You say you work "mostly" with 11-12 year olds. Are we to assume that all of these kids are 11-12 years old then?

[Thoeting]

I don't take it personally at all. In this environment, there is and should be a healthy skepticism. We are not sheep.

But my job is unthreatened by my posting here

[Stone Mountain]

And don't take this personally, but I have serious doubts as to the veracity of all government employees, especially when they feel threatened by the free market.

So your story doesn't ring very true.

Don't take this personally, but I think you and everyone with a similar job to you are lying? How does one not take that personally?

[Helix]

Have you considered that they might be acting out? Resisting to the dramatic change in their situation. Perhaps this is a planned rebellion.

[repubmom]

There is testing available through HSLDA (and other places) for homeschooling parents to see where their children are academically and to see if there is progress year by year. We are not required by the state of CA to have our children tested - it's all elective. However, I do think it's the responsible thing to do and it's parents like the ones you mention who don't want to face accountability who give homeschooling a bad reputation. Not all home educating parents do a good job or are prepared for the discipline and consistency that succeeding in homeschooling requires. It's a lot of work.

[Doctor Doom]

You misunderstand. The jobs of all government teachers and their monopoly are threatened by homeschooling, which gives rise to my doubt about your story.

[IM2Phat4U]

So your story doesn't ring very true.

I agree.

[SauronOfMordor]

Well, I'm homeschooling. My 13-year-old 7th grader is doing physics, is competent with algebra thru trigonometry, and reads at an adult level. My 8-year-old second-grader reads well.

On average, homeschoolers do better than public-schoolers on standardized tests. Some will do worse. A lot depends on the competence of the homeschooling parent.

[Doctor Doom]

How does one not take that personally?

One way is by seeking gainful employment in the private sector.

[Thoeting]

These kids ARE one of my classes as I arranged to have only them together for one period. And they are doing rather well I think. We use a word study program developed from University of Virginia and all of them are close to a stage referred to as "syllable constancy." (One is solidly in this stage as he came in about a 2nd grade level) In a nutshell, they recognize all single and double consonant patterns, long and short vowel patterns and can join them to create compound words. Unfortunately, this level is by far the longest and the hardest. They will be here for a very long time.

[IM2Phat4U]

NEA: 2000-2001 Resolutions-- Home Schooling

QUICK CLICKS Main Page Table of Contents Foreword		NEA 2000-2001 Resolutions B-68. Home Schooling The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state requirements. Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being borne by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used. The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools. The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting. (1988, 2000)

[Doctor Doom]

Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.

The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.

How very telling.

[Dallas]

My question was more along the lines of what keeps it from going very very bad as in these situations?

The public school system is laying in ruins, and you're worried about homeschooling failures.......that's really a hoot.

[stanz]

I'm sure homeschooling is the answer for a lot of parents who do not approve of what's going on in the public schools. What worries me is that many parents are not equipped to teach. My daughter's friend left her private school to be tutored by her mom. My daughter noticed a folder her mom prepared for her English assignments marked "litrature."

[Khepera]

This may be the case where your from in communist New York or some such but Its not the law of the land. Too bad some people are better than others.

[Doctor Doom]

What worries me is that many parents are not equipped to teach.

You shouldn't worry because it's really none of your concern. I know there are plenty of homeschoolers who teach their children the creation myth from Genesis as fact, but it's not my business.

[IpaqMan]

If these students were following A Beka as my own son did, the parent/teacher would have a good idea of their child's progress. The testing program concentrates on knowledge and application. If a child was a bad reader, he/she would have difficulty working with A Beka materials. Reading is a requirement.

I went to public school myself, but most of my education was self-taught or on-the-job training.

[Dallas]

So ?

According to outcome based education speeling spelling doesn't matter.

[stanz]

Who the hell are you to tell me it's not my concern. What do you have a monopoly on righteousness? How smug.