Full Version: Homeschool in America
Ok, heres the deal... After my mother and the truancy officer got into a heated argument, I was withdrawn from public school a little over two weeks ago. Extensive research went into this decision before it was made, the fight just sealed the deal for my mom. From where I stand homeschool is a great option, I was not doing well in public school at all. I was failing most of my classes and had an exorbitant amount of abscenes. The homeschool program I am enrolled in costs roughly 400 dollars and gives me the chance to graduate with a fully accredited High School Diploma (not a GED) in anywhere from 3-12 months. The program offers many of the same courses a public high school would, heres a link to it. Continental Academy I plan on getting the rest of my credits in about 4 months.
I was wondering what the good people here at
thought about homeschooling, as an acceptable alternative for troubled high schoolers.
So the questions for debate are:
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
I was wondering what the good people here at
thought about homeschooling, as an acceptable alternative for troubled high schoolers.So the questions for debate are:
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
Yes.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
It depends. For high school, there advantages to public/private schools over homeschooling - team sports, music groups, labs, clubs, gym. But, if one is creative, these limitations could be overcome.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
1. Students are able to go at their own pace. Whether it's fast or slow. It's not based on other peoples' schedules.
2. You can learn what interests you. If don't want to learn Shakespeare, then you don't have to. If you want to learn how to speak Swahili, then you're free to do it.
3. You can do it from anywhere at anytime.
4. You can take vacations at any time, instead of just on summer, winter breaks.
5. You can take field trips all the time.
6. You don't have to wake up early.
7. There is no peer pressure.
8. Little risk of getting involved in a fight.
9. There is no pressure to wear the latest fashion.
10. You don't have to put up with boring teachers/classes.
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
1. It takes discipline to do it. There aren't teachers breathing down your neck to do your work.
2. Group activities are harder to get involved with.
3. There is no peer pressure.
4. You don't get to enjoy school food.
5. You don't get to ride the school bus.
6. It could be harder to get into college if you don't use an accredited program.
Yes.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
It depends. For high school, there advantages to public/private schools over homeschooling - team sports, music groups, labs, clubs, gym. But, if one is creative, these limitations could be overcome.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
1. Students are able to go at their own pace. Whether it's fast or slow. It's not based on other peoples' schedules.
2. You can learn what interests you. If don't want to learn Shakespeare, then you don't have to. If you want to learn how to speak Swahili, then you're free to do it.
3. You can do it from anywhere at anytime.
4. You can take vacations at any time, instead of just on summer, winter breaks.
5. You can take field trips all the time.
6. You don't have to wake up early.
7. There is no peer pressure.
8. Little risk of getting involved in a fight.
9. There is no pressure to wear the latest fashion.
10. You don't have to put up with boring teachers/classes.
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
1. It takes discipline to do it. There aren't teachers breathing down your neck to do your work.
2. Group activities are harder to get involved with.
3. There is no peer pressure.
4. You don't get to enjoy school food.
5. You don't get to ride the school bus.
6. It could be harder to get into college if you don't use an accredited program.
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
I think, but I am not sure this should be used as a revolving door. But no more restrictions should be placed on this than the ability to move from district to district during a year.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school? Yes and no. While homeschooling seems to be evolving into a system, which will try to remedy some of the shortcomings of homeschooling, it is still likely to retain a character that depends on self-directed students or motivated parents to have the highest likelihood of success.
But for those without a thirst for knowledge, the self-directed course seems to me to be fraught with academic peril. I have had a few students who would have probably thrived in this environment, but they would have had a more collegiate approach of becoming experts in a few subjects at the expense of attaining a broad education.
Our school occasionally takes in home schooled children. I would say three out of four of them have to work hard to catch up with our system. Some are ready to swim from day one. To be fair, many students accepted from other school systems also have a difficult adjustment period.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
As a consumer of education homeschooling seems to provide much more. There is freedom to study what, when, and where one wants. It allows for a cafeteria style education of picking and choosing what to study. It strengthens the family bond. It helps a family instill its value system in its children.
The negatives of public education are avoided. It is structured and it is close to a one-size-fits all system on the when, where, and what of study. You often cannot avoid certain teachers or get your chosen educators for a course or a grade level. Dangerous social environments can be avoided or a bad school can be escaped.
It is best for outside of the box students in many cases with much higher or lower than average abilities.
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
Too often I believe that this pleasure principle approach to education allows families and students to avoid the hard or unpleasant education material. I think in most cases this would happen to young people left alone in a grocery store. The spinach might go to rot but the ice cream section would likely get used pretty well.
It takes a lot of discipline and talent to lead a homeschool education. It takes the talent to be pretty useful at a lot of subjects (think one room school house here) while having the discipline to know when one is out of one's depth and neds the assistance of more qualified educational support.
The benefit of more time with the family has the negative side effect of social isolation. This has been the consistent negative of the students I have seen come into my school from homeschooling.
The ability to show up every day is a trait that is important in many aspects of our economy. For those that will end up punching a clock this school benefit of being able to work within a structured setting is often lacking in homeschooling.
It is more difficult to get into college with a homeschooling degree.
DA I believe you are right to find a way to get your degree. I think it is clearly an acceptable alternative for troubled high schoolers.
I think, but I am not sure this should be used as a revolving door. But no more restrictions should be placed on this than the ability to move from district to district during a year.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school? Yes and no. While homeschooling seems to be evolving into a system, which will try to remedy some of the shortcomings of homeschooling, it is still likely to retain a character that depends on self-directed students or motivated parents to have the highest likelihood of success.
But for those without a thirst for knowledge, the self-directed course seems to me to be fraught with academic peril. I have had a few students who would have probably thrived in this environment, but they would have had a more collegiate approach of becoming experts in a few subjects at the expense of attaining a broad education.
Our school occasionally takes in home schooled children. I would say three out of four of them have to work hard to catch up with our system. Some are ready to swim from day one. To be fair, many students accepted from other school systems also have a difficult adjustment period.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
As a consumer of education homeschooling seems to provide much more. There is freedom to study what, when, and where one wants. It allows for a cafeteria style education of picking and choosing what to study. It strengthens the family bond. It helps a family instill its value system in its children.
The negatives of public education are avoided. It is structured and it is close to a one-size-fits all system on the when, where, and what of study. You often cannot avoid certain teachers or get your chosen educators for a course or a grade level. Dangerous social environments can be avoided or a bad school can be escaped.
It is best for outside of the box students in many cases with much higher or lower than average abilities.
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
Too often I believe that this pleasure principle approach to education allows families and students to avoid the hard or unpleasant education material. I think in most cases this would happen to young people left alone in a grocery store. The spinach might go to rot but the ice cream section would likely get used pretty well.
It takes a lot of discipline and talent to lead a homeschool education. It takes the talent to be pretty useful at a lot of subjects (think one room school house here) while having the discipline to know when one is out of one's depth and neds the assistance of more qualified educational support.
The benefit of more time with the family has the negative side effect of social isolation. This has been the consistent negative of the students I have seen come into my school from homeschooling.
The ability to show up every day is a trait that is important in many aspects of our economy. For those that will end up punching a clock this school benefit of being able to work within a structured setting is often lacking in homeschooling.
It is more difficult to get into college with a homeschooling degree.
DA I believe you are right to find a way to get your degree. I think it is clearly an acceptable alternative for troubled high schoolers.
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
I don't think I would say at anytime because of the administrative nightmare that would cause. I think it can be done just as well if you do it on a semester basis. For example, you can pull out in September or January, but not in between.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
Classic law school answer here; it depends. There are some home schooled kids who get into Harvard, so for them it works. But there are also a lot of parents who do this and put their kids to work at home, so for them it doesn't work. I think there needs to be a program in place where home schooled students need to pass a state certified exam to show that they are making the proper progress in school, to insure you don't have rogue parents pulling kids for child labor.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
I don't think I would say at anytime because of the administrative nightmare that would cause. I think it can be done just as well if you do it on a semester basis. For example, you can pull out in September or January, but not in between.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
Classic law school answer here; it depends. There are some home schooled kids who get into Harvard, so for them it works. But there are also a lot of parents who do this and put their kids to work at home, so for them it doesn't work. I think there needs to be a program in place where home schooled students need to pass a state certified exam to show that they are making the proper progress in school, to insure you don't have rogue parents pulling kids for child labor.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
- The parents can control subject matter, which probably matters a lot more when it comes to religious studies.
- Some parents willing to do this are in fact better suited to teach than some public school teachers
- It can lead to a closer family unit
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
- Unless the parents are good about this, it can lead to a noticeable lack of social skills
- It robs the child of some of perks of high school, such as the prom or in some instances high school athletics
- Some parents who do this have no business teaching their children
- It can make child abuse much more difficult to detect, as you can basically isolate your child from the world
My experience with homeschooling, such that it can be called, is very much second hand as I have no children. Locally it has become a very popular option and several of my friends are homeschooling their kids. The local school corporation is rated very low in the state (3rd from the bottom) and these people want their kids where they can be succesful.
While all of these people are college graduates, those who have children who were getting into high school were finding that they were not able to, in their opinion, educate their children quite well enough. Both kids who were of high school age have been sent to private schools, and well regarded ones, and guess what they found? The home schooled children were ahead of the kids in their classes...
But on to the questions...
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
I believe that the answer is a qualified "yes". This should be an option at the start of a school semester but not one for mid-semester unless very extraordinary circumstances obtain. Likewise, the parents must make the full commitment to educate their children for a full semester at a miniumum. (my opinion...)
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
Absolutely not - my admittedly non-scientific experience shows that committed parents can home school their children to standards above and beyond the local public schools and some of the privates. Since the highly selective universities are now looking hard a home schooled children, that would tend to also boost this opinion.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
See the above...
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
Participation in athletics and extra-curricular activities may be restricted or unavailable, although you should check into that too, since if the parents are paying public school taxes, those programs ought to be available to their children
Meeting and socializing with peers can be difficult unless church groups and the like can substitute for the school system
While all of these people are college graduates, those who have children who were getting into high school were finding that they were not able to, in their opinion, educate their children quite well enough. Both kids who were of high school age have been sent to private schools, and well regarded ones, and guess what they found? The home schooled children were ahead of the kids in their classes...
But on to the questions...
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
I believe that the answer is a qualified "yes". This should be an option at the start of a school semester but not one for mid-semester unless very extraordinary circumstances obtain. Likewise, the parents must make the full commitment to educate their children for a full semester at a miniumum. (my opinion...)
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
Absolutely not - my admittedly non-scientific experience shows that committed parents can home school their children to standards above and beyond the local public schools and some of the privates. Since the highly selective universities are now looking hard a home schooled children, that would tend to also boost this opinion.
Are there any noticeable pros to homeschooling?
See the above...
Are there any noticeable cons to homeschooling?
Participation in athletics and extra-curricular activities may be restricted or unavailable, although you should check into that too, since if the parents are paying public school taxes, those programs ought to be available to their children
Meeting and socializing with peers can be difficult unless church groups and the like can substitute for the school system
I myself have never entered the home schooling system, but it was a form of education I did consider at one time to take a "sabbatical" per se when the strains and pressures of the regular system became to much. However, in hindsight I think that would have been a horrible decision. One of my best friends was homeschooled, he came out alright, but he lacked work ethic. Not being exposed to challenging rigor and never having to adapt to stress that comes with atypical high school environments left him feeble upon entering college, which he subsequently flunked out of. I'm not going to say that this anecdotal evidence is universally damning to homeschooled students, but instead I'm demonstrating that people who put themselves in that position are only putting themself at a disadvantage compared to their peers that they'll have to overcome at some point in their lives if they're to become successful.
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
I would like to say, "yes" to this question, however I do not see that being feasible. Teachers teach on schedules which makes it nearly impossible for a student to come in mid-stream and function coherently. To which, the teacher could do one-on-one with the said student, but I think that's excessive demand on the teacher that places the burden of work on them, where it should be on the student.
Also, I see such an easy out easy in program only encouraging struggling students from just doing a "quasi drop out" which only teaches the youth that it's okay! to run from your problems and procrastinate, rather than meet them head on and work them out.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
For reasons aforementioned I would say they are. For they take the student outside a stressful environment which the student will undoubtadly face sometime in their life. Perhaps this is the most essential lesson public school teaches us, to adapt.
Should students be allowed to withdraw and enroll in homeschool at anytime?
I would like to say, "yes" to this question, however I do not see that being feasible. Teachers teach on schedules which makes it nearly impossible for a student to come in mid-stream and function coherently. To which, the teacher could do one-on-one with the said student, but I think that's excessive demand on the teacher that places the burden of work on them, where it should be on the student.
Also, I see such an easy out easy in program only encouraging struggling students from just doing a "quasi drop out" which only teaches the youth that it's okay! to run from your problems and procrastinate, rather than meet them head on and work them out.
Are homeschool programs sub-standard to public school?
For reasons aforementioned I would say they are. For they take the student outside a stressful environment which the student will undoubtadly face sometime in their life. Perhaps this is the most essential lesson public school teaches us, to adapt.
QUOTE
For they take the student outside a stressful environment which the student will undoubtadly face sometime in their life. Perhaps this is the most essential lesson public school teaches us, to adapt.
OnePatriot, I have to question your assumption about high schools being stressful. Obviously, there are some very well respected and very good high schools where there may be a lot of stress put upon the student. I just don't know of any around where I live. There is clearly stress associated with things like family breakups, abusive relationships, dealing with alcohol and other drug abuse and so forth. But those stress factors are independent of being home-schooled. Likewise, I don't especially see where the public school system, or the private schools, will excel in teaching students about the stress of life when it comes to occupations or of being a parent.
I realize it is difficult to compare my high school experience, which occurred 25 years ago and in a rural school district, with that of an urban school today. However, the stress I had in those days is far less than the stress I experience on a daily basis in the workforce.
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