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My "bias" is toward accuracy and that is not available from most of those who get incensed if I question the statements made regarding home schooling. Since I understand Statistics I understand how they can be manipulated and misinterpreted to prove a point and the point is that home schooling population is not the same population as that schooled by the public schools. This means comparision of them is dicey without great care in eliminating disparate factors between the population.

However, merely from a financial perspective h.s.ing should be superior merely from the fact that it can cost vastly more in a real sense than public education. If a parent stops working a 40G/yr job to school two kids, the cost of doing that is 20G/kid which is at least twice that expended on public ed. kids. In addition, there is the greatly increase concern in success and the willingness to go to extra lengths which is not possible in public education. But as a social policy h.s.ing is not something a country should advocate.

I also cannot escape the conclusion that the advocates of home schooling generally have a wildly anti-government attitude. It is rare to find the h.s.ing community ever admit that some parents are totally incapable of educating anyone or that a parent is wrong even when there is abundant evidence of mental incapacity, unwillingness to even minimally cooperate with the laws or outright criminal neglect of children. It is always the "stormtroopers" or "jack-booted thugs" of the Evil state. This does not incline the thoughtful towards taking such people seriously.

Virtually every suburb around Chicago has excellent high schools and even within the city itself there are many excellent schools. This is a fact. I also feel badly that so many people have had negative educational experiences unlike mine. Teachers had a large positive impact on my life and I still remember them from decades ago. Apparantly those around here who excoriate public education with such glee never had such good people in their lives to help expand their world view and deepen their understanding.

As indicated earlier education is like the weather- everybody complains about it though in the case of education they keep trying to do something about it. Can it be improved? Hell yes. Will it satisfy everybody, any body? Not likely. However, if too many talented, concerned parents pull out of it all together then it will be much harder to reform.

Rejection of the Division of Labor and professionalism is not a good thing in general. It is very costly and rarely can be done as well.(i.e. you can make your own suit but it will not be a good as that made by a tailor and will be far costlier in real terms. You can brew your own beer but it will not be as good as Pilsner-Urquell.) If huge numbers of parents h.s.ed the cost would be enormous and great economic difficulties would ensue. In addition, I am concerned that isolation of people and withdrawal can lead to many problems including diminished social cohesion and the cultivation of bizarre idiosyncresies.

Before you condemn my "bias" on this issue I suggest you review your own posts to me. You think they show no bias?

Oh I definitely have a bias, no doubt about it.

I was in public education from K through 4th grade and again for 9th grade, my bothers K - 3rd and K - 1st respectively. I have also seen many seniors and college students in the hiring process and as employees. So yes, I have a definite fact based bias.

I am not going to sit here and tell you that everyone should home school. Public education is the only way for many to ensure the education of their children, due to lack of funds. Though the lack of funds for private education is in part due to over taxation. Over taxation that funds an ever expanding and increasingly failing Government education system. Sort of a nasty downward spiral.

I simply advocate the right to choose the education path I see fit for my children.

I would love to see the Feds out of public education, I would love to see the state minimized in public education, I would love to see the teachers union disbanded or reduced to a simple labor union. Simply put I would love to see education cost less and do more, which it most definitely can by giving power back to the people and taking it from politician, unions and bureaucrats. Until then I will work as hard as necessary to ensure a private or home based education for my children. How can I do anything less?

Lastly, I do not see the problem with a healthy suspicion of government. Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Churchill, Reagan and many others not only held the same suspicion but implored all peoples to do also. Are you and I so arrogant as to set aside the warnings from such great men?