Personally I think I can do a better job and refuse to allow the public schools to mutilate my child. Unfortunately private is out because I couldn't begin to cover those costs. I have lately begun to research home schooling as an alternative and have been amazed at the resources available.
But I am curious at the attitudes of AD members on this subject. The fact that so many members are parents with younger children leads me to believe that many have
at least given HS consideration.

Is Home schooling a viable and realistic alternative?

What are your personal Pros and Cons in regards to HS?

Howdy! All of my sibs and I have been homeschooled---my eldest sister didn't go to a public education center until she was accepted into university! And when she went, she was top of her class! I was homeschooled until grade 7, but my education was a little wonky. Actually, it wasn't really there, because it was so hard for my mom to teach me, but still, when I went to junior high, I knew most of the curriculum material already from my mom. What do you know? I actually learnt something! Grade 7, I was top of all my classes, but in Grade 8, when I started to "hang out more", my grades dropped!

What I am trying to say is---school is a babysitting service. If the schooling system wanted us to learn, then they would not have let me let my grades drop. When I failed my first course, my parents never knew. I never let them know. And no teacher did anything about it neither. I do NOT want to send my kids to that kind of an education. I will teach my children my way, and I will be responsible for them.

I think that homeschooling leads to problems with the expansion of one's social character. It is more difficult to attain friendships, extracurricular activities, and self confidence when the interaction that takes place in schools is absent in one's life. Of course there are many ways for homeschooled children to get involved in the aforementioned activities, and there are plenty of people that were homeschooled that excelled in those activities. It is simply my opinion (having known quite a few homeschooled children) that this is the case. Education is obviously important, but it is not the only important thing. A businessman who is charismatic, well-liked, and has strong social skills will be more successful than a hermit with a Master's from Wharton.

It is also possible to supplement a child's education by utilizing college courses, AP classes, and similar programs. A parent that is active in their child's life has many opportunities to ensure their children receives a strong education.

I have been researching this heavily up here, and it really, really depends on what state you are in and what school district. Here in Alaska we are fortunate in this because it is actually a cost saver for the state, due to the distances involved in maintaining rural schools. It is very popular up here, and you can even participate in high school sports, but do all academics at home! My daughter just was accepted to a school for baby geniuses (I am the one that can't spell, however ) so she will be publically educated, to some degree.

My kids education begins at home immediately, however.

I agree with CruisingRam. It depends very much on the school district. A child would be as well off (or better) at home if sending them to a bad school is the only other option.

Parental involvement, of course, is everything to a child's education whether outside or home. Statistically, students who are homeschooled do very well as a national average. I have seen both good and bad results with neighbors and acquaintances who have done it. The worst were very bad, because the parents were either unable or unwilling to instruct their children adequately. I know about eight teenaged girls right now who are being "homeschooled". They essentially teach themselves while the parents are at work all day...and from what I've seen I don't expect great things for these girls academically.

CruisingRam, this is point I actually agree with you on (I think). Parents should be the primary source for all instruction. Everything else is supplemental. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when many want to divest themselves of responsibility, including instruction of their children. Parents leave the task entirely up to the government and then act shocked when their kids can't read (like what's happening in New York). Yes schools are failing to some degree and need reform, but parents shoulder the majority of the blame.

With that said, I think parents should be free to choose what they think is best for their children when it comes to education. If parents feel that home schooling makes sense for their kids, then government should not stop them. If parents feel that private school makes sense for their kids, then government should not stop them. I also don't think that it's fair that parents have to pay tuition on top of taxes if they choose the latter option, which is why I support school choice through vouchers.

Personally I think that homeschooling isn't the answer. It depends too much on the qualifications of the parent. Instead, public schools should be far more extensive. I'd have been willing to pack into a classroom of 100 kids to listen to a smart, qualified teacher then have a class of 18 listen to some under-qualified shmuck because classes were over-crowded. Then again, I think school should begin with career based learning soon after the start of school. Start with general studies, and become more specific as tests show what the person would be best suited for.

Really, it depends on the dedication and discipline of the parent. I have heard a lot of good results from home-schooled kids, but I just can't understand how a child could separate the work they do and their home life.

I go to a public high school where I'm not getting a great education but I would never want to be home schooled. The very idea makes me queasy. It's not that I hate my parents but I don't want to spend all that time near them. Maturing as a kid is about separating with your parents. Going to a waste twelve years of your life that could be used learning seems worth it if you can only do that to some degree. There are probably tons people who can succeed in life and doing extraordinary things due to home schooling but personally it seems that it is a major abnormality that I would avoid. Even if it is an inferior educational experience I really believe that public education is one of the quintessential American experiences we all must have like watching TV or drinking beer. Going out to a community of 1000 or so people is a way you can learn about yourself more than get educated.

In regards to the quality of education of home schooled children it seems only sensible to me that the children should have to test to meet certain minimum standards. Since kids already are graded this way--A,B,C,D,F-- This shouldn't be too hard to set up. Parents who do not meet these minimum standards could and should face the loss of their choice on home schooling
As for the loss of socialization skills i just don't see it. There are so many options available for kids to engage in social activities and the ones provided in the public school setting are up for debate as to whether or not they are all that valuable.
Sporting leagues are available that are not associated with schools, church groups and cultural groups are widely available.

True and of course very necessary is the need to separate from your parents. Home schooling does not always mean that they are the ones to teach you. Many communities of home schoolers offer their services to help educate chidren in areas where a parent may feel they are not up to the task.

Even if I felt my education were well-rounded enough to educate our daughter, I think it would be a mistake, considering that I have to tell her more than once to do things.

We are blessed with good teachers at her public school. She is receiving a much better overall education than I could give her. Also, she has formed friendships at school and is learning every day how to get along with others.

I am sure that there are parents who would do a bang-up job educating their kids. But I'm not one of them. The teachers in our school district know what will be expected of my daughter as she moves on to middle school and then high school. I would be foolish not to let my daughter benefit from their knowledge and professionalism.

I have seen some successful homeschooling (I think) but I do not trust it.

First of all I think there are elements to education that are important that are more than just conveying knowledge.

Among these are discipline, responsibility, and managing a schedule.
Also included would be socialization and competition.

Some that are home schooled are done so competently, efficiently and ahead of the curve.

However, more to my experience, those that come to my private high school are way behind in terms of socialization and academic competence. They tend to be very strong in some areas but not in overall academic ability.

Since this is mostly an IMO category, I will be sending my kids to public school unless I can afford to send them to the school I teach at. Since this is unlikely, we are looking to move this year to one of the better districts in the state (but it is not a good education state). I would move them to my school despite the social problems of being middle class (lower) at a school of upper middle class kids and above. ($11K per year )

I would be in favor of my grandchildren being home schooled, but only because my son and my daughter are college educated, and would have help from their mom, my wife, who has taught school for a long time. It isn't likely to happen, though, because the public schools in the 2 areas where they live are more than adequate. Supplemental instruction may be needed in the near future, but that is a given almost anywhere you go. They get plenty of encouragement and supervision already.
I would not be in favor of SOME of my acquaintences home schooling their kids, though, because they would be subjected to the rants, raves, and unfounded opinions of their idiot parents, people who barely made it past 12th grade, got a little technical training, and somehow think they know everything.
So, for me it comes down to qualification of the teachers. There are good ones and bad ones, at home and in the public schools. Somehow, most of the children usually figure it out for themselves.

Timely topic--there was just an article in the local paper discussing this. They focused on an area of town with excellent public and private schools--all amongst the best in the state. Some interesting statistics from the article:

More children are currently in home school that are attending magnet schools--and home schools are growing faster.
Children being home schooled do better on SAT's than those who aren't.

I would imagine that home schooled kids do MUCH better in areas of responsibility and managing a schedule--as these are things that the teacher has to provide for them in a public or private school, while they must learn these skills quickly in a home schooled environment. I suspect, if you are basing your observations on kids who have returned to regular schools from home schooling, that these are kids who are coming from unsuccessful home school programs--otherwise they would be likely to remain in that environment. I do, however, share your socialization concerns. In fact, this is also one of my concerns with private schools. But, it seems, that as the home school movement grows bigger, that organizations and communitities are springing up to address these issues.

Where I see this going is increased homeschooling forcing changes in both public and private schools to address the needs driving the trend. From the article, the main driver seemed to be individual attention/responsibility/cirriculum. In short--abondon the cookie cutter approach. This is an institutional problem--not necessarily one of individual teachers. I don't really see our public schools addressing this anytime soon--but can always hope ;-)

I would like to add another question into this topic if no one minds.
One of the main concerns related to home schooled children is their socialization skills. Are the skills children pick up actually valuable? What do you see as the benefits of the public school system as far as creating persons of character?

Question: Are the socialization skills learned from being in public schools valuable or detrimental?

Homeschooling can be a very viable and realistic alternative for
those rare and admirable parents who are truly up to the task
and responsibility involved.

I contemplated the idea, and looked into what exactly it would
entail. After looking at it realistically I decided that I am not
capable of doing my children justice in this capacity. It takes
a lot of patience, discipline, energy, etc. - all on a daily basis.

I've known children who were home-schooled, and I did notice
a positive difference. They communicate better with adults,
and seem more focused. A big part of successful home-schooling
is making sure one's child is involved in activities that put
him into contact with others his own age. Sports is a good
example of such an outlet.

In a nutshell, I like the idea of homeschooling. But, it is nothing
to enter into lightly. It takes A LOT to do it successfully.

I think that public schools have a beneficial as well as a possible deleterious effect on children.

I know many people who were homeschooled, and some of the pros were that they did seem to be a lot farther down the road than public school students.

I am being serious when I say that one friend of mine's mom, put him in Middle School and the school seriously wanted to move him up two grades, because they figured he would be bored in his classes.

There are many other stories just like this one. However, the loss of interaction is a major setback.

I believe children need the chance to independently make friends, to learn about things other than what might be taught at home, and to feel as if they belong somewhere in society and not like they are missing out.

That being said, I would homeschool my kids before sending them to a private school.

>Question: Are the socialization skills learned from being in public schools valuable or detrimental?<

The 'socialization skills' learned from any institution that unifies the masses are always tied to hierchy and obedience. While certainly it inspires us to be unified by a common cause and greater good than ourselves; it is historically linked to oppression. The early spread of Christianity did not produce forgiveness, but war and time known as the 'dark ages'. Similarly the "parent smearing" campaign of public education is not producing smart, thinking people. Actually the best performing societies are those that rely on a fanatical zeal for the test score that rewards the most ritual and obedient in thought.

At issue with the village that is raising your child is groups who do harm to children. Our schools are filling with security devices, police, prison-like alternative education, and a proliferation of aides who are often used to teach. A heirchy of "hand's off" teaching, national curriculum and templates have replaced a thinking professional. Instead of using technology to intuitively understand our students through creative, non-judgemental interactive testing. We are a nation of incident gatherers, who can legally avoid the focus of justice through punishment as therapy aimed at a minority of children.

It's a sad statement to observe that home-schoolers frequently produce the best behaved, smartest and happiest children. Rather than polarizing ourselves over the success of individuals, we need to find out why it works. How could we use the achievements of successful home-schools to improve the outcomes of pulbic education.

In some situations, homeschooling is the only available option.

For example, I have a relative who has a gifted child. At 5 years old, this child can read and do math at or beyond a 6th grade level. This has been verified by outside testing agencies.

So, my relative attempted to enroll their child in kindergarten, figuring the child can clearly handle it.

Unfortunately, the child's birthday is not in line with the "cut off" provided by law in the state in which they reside. The child's intellectual capacity was not even considered.

So, the option is either to wait another year for the child to enter school (already knowing a good deal of the curriculum), or homeschool. Private school is not an option because, as I said, state law dictates the age cutoff for all schools.

So, this relative has chosen to homeschool the child. This relative has several children, and this is the only one being homeschooled.

The child is perfectly socially adapted. There is an immense amount of parental involvement, coupled with extracurricular activities and sibling interaction. The child will develop just fine.

Also, if any of you lived in Georgia, you would want to home school your kids. Our education system here is intellectually bankrupt, and no amount of restructuring will fix it. Maybe we could give them a few more trillion dollars?

Mike

(first, Mike, where might that avatar be from? (reminds me of a particular location on the outer banks of NC...))


Homeschooling is a very good 'alternative' to public schools.

As the others have said, yes it takes a lot of responsibility on the part of the parent, but it is extremely beneficial to the kids.

The main argument of anti-homeschool people is that they are un-social, seemingly cooped un in their little fox-holes.

Want to know how false that is? Well, for one thing, just look at me. Am I not being social, talking to you through this forum? Yes, in other words, I am homeschooled. Have been my entire life, as were my 3 previous siblings.

I would not say even relatively that we are 'un-social'. I admit, even I am somewhat shy, but that doesn't affect me at all. I am on the internet, being 'social' almost 3 hours a day, I play annual sports such as baseball and soccer (though I won't admit that I'm good at them), I attend church twice weekly...

If anything, I, as well as many other homeschoolers, are more active socially than many public school-goers are.


Homeschooling provides advantages academically. With homeschooling, parents can more their children at their own pace. If they excel academically, they can speed up, if they have some sort of learning disability, they have the right to go slower and settle more on everything. For that reason, they have the ability to get more out of school than someone might in a regular school. (I have also heard it said that with the 'no child left behind act', that some potential 'geniuses', who are way ahead of the class in a public school don't get the help and attention they could and should have, which slows them down academically.)


When you are homeschooled, you are not exposed to the same culture-trends that you might find otherwise. You don't have to deal with drugs, gangs, school bullies, bad teachers(hopefully... ), and a thousand other public-school-based 'problems'.

homeschooling also allows you to have a much more flexible schedule, with no specific requirements on when you must do it, how much time you have, etc. Though you are required to put in 180 'school days', there is really nothing more. This also allows you to schedule 'field trips', maybe do a part-time job, yea.


The cons of homeschooling? I can't think of a single one. (wait, yes I can--having to put up with the state homeschooling laws. Pennsylvania's are some of the toughest there are in the states.. )



[PuNK]

Home schooling COOL, i was home schoold, all but one year (private) before going to college. There is 'home school workshops', Parents in the comunity doing homeschooling take the children and go to a designated meting place to do acivities and help each other. Also, these workshops may be religiously based.

One leginimet concern of home schooling is falling behind (know this from experance).

And that sacrifices may have to be made:

Which parent is going to teach the child(ren).
One parent may have to quit a job.
Gray hairs (stress).
And the list goes on.....

So I sugest that you seriously think about it, before you do it.
And if you do it, make a cometment to do it.

First, I beleive that we need to realize that when it comes to education, schools are only as good as the people in the area that they are. D.C. public schools is not the same in terms of quality as a rural Kansas district. The problem with the homeschooling vs. public schooling argument is that broad generalizations are made all too often.

Pros
-If a local school district is horrible, you could do a better job yourself(granted that a parent has some degree of education past the rudimentary level)
-One on one attention, which is always a plus

Cons
-Stunted social development. I know this is not true in many cases and that parents can arrange for appropriate social development throuhg YMCA activities and such. At the same time, I've met one too many kids with the personality of a doorknob who were bragging about doing algebraic equations in their heads.
-Diversity, in other words, learning that there are other people besides them in this universe.

...you complain of how people 'generalize' the country as a whole, and yet you do the same yourself...


I do not even see why people complain of 'social problems' with homeschoolers. They are still 100% human. They still have mouths, hands, feet, ears, and the ability to use al five senses, just as you.

What is it about public schools that makes them more 'social'? Being in a class of 100 people, out of which you only befriend about 20 max? Just because you aren't in a large (overwhelmingly large, in most cases) class doesn't mean you don't come in contact with people.

I myself am on the internet at this moment, interacting, just as I am numerous (20+) hours each week. I also, as said earlier, play sports just as many other homeschoolers in the area do, and normally, after the neighborhood kids get home from school, I will be playing games with the ones my age (about 3, sometimes more), from kick-the-can, to ball tag, capture the flag.. :-S

Homeschoolers are intelligent, socially active, normal people. Just because someone doesn't attend a school 'like everyone else in the crowd' doesn't mean they're 'lesser' than everyone else or something..


I'm not sure what there is on the topic at the moment, but go check out http://www.hslda.org. There were several cases in years past against 'unsocial' homeschoolers... Not one actually made it through successfully.



[PuNK]

Yes, I made generalizations-something that I've acknowledged is a part of this issue. How does school make kids more social?? It's hard to explain really other than anecdotal references. I have a five year old niece whose mother is more of a "command" type of parent. Going to school has allowed her to develop more of her own personality that is separate from her mothers. Not only that, but she is more verbal and is more eager to interact with others, rather than waiting for them to get the ball rolling. Her introvertedness has been somewhat remedied by her educational experience. Take from this what you may, like I said previously--the pros and cons are in the eye of the beholder.

I find it disappointing to believe that in a rhetorical question, my acknowlegement that many homeschool parents try and give their kids enriching social situations was just ignored.


Do you acknowledge that there are good public schools out there and some bad private ones?? I remain convinced that geography and who lives where determines whether or not a given school is good or bad. All too often, the people who post on this homeschooling issue either dismiss public schools outright, or hate homeschooling no matter what. To me, I see the situation depending upon the context of location and necessity.

I will admit to having a strong dislike in regards to public schooling. I believe I started this post that way.

Harsh, No?
Education is poorly handled in our system. I went to a GREAT public school. Lots of resources. i doubt you can even find an actual "BAD" public school in Conneticut. when I compare it to places where I have lived, TN, WV, AZ, my appreciation ratchets up quite a few notches. Even still however the cattle herding method used is worthless. I seriously question the value of the social skills learned there. It seems more like a herding pen than a vital and fulfilling experience.
Nebraska raises a very good point though,



Allowing children to escape the influence of their parents and even "peers" is invaluable. Maybe even more so than the education aspect. No I would say it probably IS more valuable. You can teach anyone math easily, the resources are almost overabundant, but how can you teach development of the self.
I still however don't see the public school system as a good solution.

I'll try and take a stab at this one. Yes, you could teach english, math, and history at home. And yes, you are correct again when you state that there are lots of resource sout there that would help someone to do it. I like to look at curriculum material at our local bookstore and just see the kind of stuff that homeschool parents are buying. Personally, I might buy a few as well to work with my child in the summer time.

In regards to development of the self--I believe that school "teaches" this in a rather indirect way. Students are always comparing themselves to one another and forming social groups. They are constantly making remaking their "selves" when they get the general mindset that: "I'm a good football player" or "I'm a state speech finalist, and I'm good at this" or "I'm the smartest person in class" or even: "I'm the troublemaker and misfit." The forming social groups and cliques, along with tastes in clothing help define them as inviduals. They perhaps learn this through extra-curricular activities and social groups. Just a guess on my part, but your question is a darn tough one to crack.

I'm looking forward to reading quark's reply to this topic...but I'll take a stab at it.

As a potential homeschooler (my daughter is 2.5 and I have been seriously considering homeschooling since before she was born), I feel the need to address a great many of the typical responses the homeschooling community (or even those like me who are merely considering homeschooling) are bombarded wtih as "cons" and reasons that homeschooling does not work.

First and foremost, the argument of "socialization" is perhaps the most frustrating to homeschoolers. I think the definition of "socialization" varies greatly from one individual to another - but even so, those arguing against homeschooling (using socialization as the main 'con') rarely if ever offer real explanations as to why homeschooling is unsuccessful at socializing children. Homeschooled children have as many or more opportunities for socialization as institutionally-schooled children. First, homeschooled children and their parents (or whomever else might be schooling the children) are able to make their own schedules so that extra-curricular activities are less likely to interfere with schooling/homework (due to the inherent flexibility of a homeschooling schedule).

When I was younger, I was enrolled in public school in the gifted programs (and was also involved with acting/modeling (commercials, etc.) and dance and music were very big parts of my extracurricular life. There were many potential opportunities that I missed out on in these extracurricular areas because I was in school on a fixed schedule.

My mother was very good at supplementing my education at home because the pubic school never really challenged me. Had she been physically able at that time (she had a host of health problems, causing her to be ill for much of the time), she would have likely homeschooled me. SHe homeschooled my sister for two years while my sister was suffering from health problems of her own. My sister had always worked at about a B average (she was in public school until the end of 4th grade) but because my sister's education was tailored to HER strengths and weaknesses, she excelled in a homeschool environment. She had hearing problems that made it difficult for her to hear the teacher over the chatter and other classroom noises in a public school setting.

Another positive aspect of homeschooling is, as stated above, the ability to tailor the curriculum to the individual child. If a child is very itneresting in aerospace, you can spend a bit of time on it as it fits into the required curriculum (for states where there IS a required curriculum, that is). A homeschooled child also tends to have many more resources at his/her fingertips on a regular basis than your average institutionally-schooled child. University libraries (as well as public libraries and hundreds of other cultural/historical settings/venues) offer the homeschooled child (or at least the potential for) a much more well-rounded education. Public schools have more rigis structures in terms of curriculum - you have a set amount of time to spend on various subjects and you can't really cater to the individual needs of each student. Homeschooled children can spend more time on areas of interest (not neglecting the other necesary areas of course).

I could go ON and ON about how homeschooling is far more of a benefit to a child's education than a hindrance, but I don't have time (sorry). I think most people think of kids sitting at a kitchen table when the homeschooling parent has time to "fit in" lessons. That is just not the reality in most homeschooling homes. There are homeschooling communities and homeschool groups especially to address the issue of socialization (and also to provide access to more 'teachers', if needed).

A someone else said above, I think (okay I 'know') I can do a much better job at giving my child(ren) a wonderful education than any public school I've encountered. I am confident in my abilities as a teacher, both with respect to the actual curriculum and the actual 'teaching' and educating. I don't much like the fixed curriculae of many public schools and feel that I can offer a more accurate representation of many subjects (namely history) than public schools. We won't be learning the 1492 song in my school

This is exactly what I was saying, and I was home schooled for all but one year before college.
One major thing I want to warn about: It is easy to get behind--I know because I've done it.

Is Home schooling a viable and realistic alternative?

Well, like all educational systems, it is a double-edged sword. For the parents who are willing to put in the effort necessary it seems that it is a rewarding and stimulating experience. But it can also fail miserably. Homeschooling is just as viable as private and public schools, IMO. Every system has its problems, to be sure. I personally come from a public school system in East Tennessee; it is rather impoverished and very overcrowded. I see teachers everyday who are doing the best they can with classes of 30-40 (and these are classes like art where you just can't deal with 35 kids), and there are some truly great teachers who not only care a great deal about the subjects they teach but they care about the students they teach. I have been very fortunate to be in their tutelage. But I also see teachers that have just given up and just don't act like they want to be at school. I'm a gifted student (Mensa and all that jazz), but I don't feel that I am receiving the proper training and instruction in my classes. The school system simply doesn't have the money to fund classes and programs for the gifted students; as a result I don't feel challenged in any of my classes. I fear that this extends to other gifted students at my school. I supplement my school curriculum by doing inordinate amounts of reading and writing on my own (at least I was blessed with parents who are willing to buy books- but then they're pretty much all I ever ask for ), but I'm not sure that other gifted students are as motivated as I am. That's what bothers me about public schools- in my area at least- gifted students all too often simply fall through the cracks. I believe that homeschooling is a feasible and innovative solution to that problem. Is it for everyone? Of course not; some kids simply wouldn't be able to cope with that sort of freedom in their learning environment. But I think that it's the only solution for gifted students whose needs are not being adequately met at their public or private schools.

What are your personal Pros and Cons in regards to HS?

Pros: As I previously mentioned, it allows for gifted students to be challenged and taught at their own level without having to be held back by the "lowest common denominator" in their classes. I think that freedom to go at one's own pace is really the strongest argument for homeschooling. It also allows for a much more involved student-teacher relationship, which is very important in helping to foster the understanding of a subject. Teachers who can devote all their time to one student will see that student's academic performance flourish. The improved academic performance of homeschoolers is astounding and really helps to make the case for homeschooling.

Cons: There is of course a downside to homeschooling. Some homeschoolers simply cannot handle the self-paced curriculum and require a more structured learning environment; homeschooling simply isn't for them. Also it's been noted that some homeschool students do not develop proper social skills. I think that this problem can be overcome if the students become involved in sports, religious, or service organizations in the community. It has also been noted that children need to sever their parental bonds. But we have seen that many homeschool students form small groups and learn from a teacher other than their parents, thus overcoming that obstacle. Lastly there is the issue of teaching ability. The downside to homeschooling is that, for the most part, the teachers have no formal education experience. Some teachers lack the requisite knowledge in a particular area to be able to teach it well, but these can be overcome as was noted in the last point.

Are the socialization skills learned from being in public schools valuable or detrimental?

Depends on who you "hang with" really. Of course there are some societal skills that homeschool kids just can't pick up by being involved with church groups and sports, but I'm willing to bet that they are minor. Any social skills that public and private school kids learn can be picked up by homeschoolers if they are involved in extracurricular activities. But like I said, it depends on the crowd you associate with at a public school which determines whether or not the skills you learn are valuable or detrimental. If I spend my time around kids who are promiscuous and use drugs and alcohol, then I'm not going to develop valuable social skills. Alternately, if I'm around kids who are friendly, compassionate, and kind, then I'm going to develop good social skills.

To Summarize: I think that homeschooling can be a very positive form of education, but it isn't for everyone. Coupled with the proper extracurricular activities, homeschool kids can be just as "normal" as any public school kid- and maybe even a little smarter . It just depends on the kids and the teachers, just like in any education system.

It is true--much of it varies a lot frm place to place, from person to person.


But TLW, have you even bothered attempting to read my posts? Just drop the social thing. Totally. Completely. There is no problem there whatsoever, okay?



..Anyone who can't 'handle the self-paced learning environment' is really... sad.


Read my above comment on this..



Exactly. Why did you even give that?
I myself am in one of these 'co-ops'. It is a group of probably around a hundred homeschoolers from the area that meets together each Thursday afternoon for some classes. It's not exactly a come-and-do-what-you-please type thing. You sign up for a class at the beginning of the year, you have deadlines, homework, etc. You get two grades throughout the year; one at the 'mid-point', around the end of January, and another at the end of the year, in late April.

Personally, however, I don't see what you can think is so bad about parents.. Sure, there are certain ones that have problems, mainly with drinking/smoking, but... Personally, I am pretty close to my parents. There are times as well that I wish I could just 'get away', but I see them as vital.


With the resources available today, that is not a problem. You can get everything anymore--manuals on starting off, tips from 'the experts'...

With homeschooling, after the first couple years, and especially after about 6th grade, you'll find that the student is independant, and rarely needs help. (Although those classes I take do add to that considerably... )

Homeschooling, anymore, takes almost no experience. Sure, it helps to have someone who knows how to do everything and can help you, but as long as the parent could read, they would need almost nothing else. Seriously. Everything comes with teachers' manuals, answer keys, yadda-yadda-yadda. Also, many of the curriculums anymore are workbook-based, not so much involving hands-on work. (and when it does involve that, it is for the most part excruciatingly simple.)


If you ask me, to totally trash the public school system and have everyone homeschool would be great. No more school taxes! :-D

Sadly, however, that would not be possible now. There are too many families where both parents work, and rely on public schools as their 'day-care'. In addition, it would be neccesary for the government to add some sort of checking system or whatever to make sure they are actually learning.


In my opinion, there shouldn't even be public schools. Sure, they're 'free', but are they really? Nah. There are school taxes. Regardless of who you are, what your age is, if you even have kids in school! In addition to that, the government was created as a protective force for the citizens of the contry, not as a program designed to control your life. What do I mean by that? They control what is taught (and not taught) in the classroom. They control what you can and can not do. They control... almost everything.

Anyways, that was a little off-topic, so...


[PuNK]