The case against homeschooling

BS . I homeschooled my daughter who ended up going to college and started teaching at age 21 so that helped the students she has taught and is teaching. And we were not well off. We are very low to middle income. And I only have a GED. I mainly supplied her with the materials,encouraged her,and used the teaches guide to assist me and that was only up to a point. Then she had the study skills to go it on her own and started classes at a community college at 14 then finished up at a four year college. She teaches high school math. algebra and geometry at a public school. But she will definitely homeschool her children.

Nobody should consider their understanding of the school system complete without having read The Underground History of Education by John Taylor Gatto.

Would it be fair to assume that over 90% of home educators attended public school? If so, and if what this writer is saying is true, in advocating her 13 year educational system still leaves all (millions per year) of its entrusted students truely still incompetent to teach their own children after 13 years of compusion, One could suggest that massive refunds and a public apology is in order or that these institutions should be charged with gross criminal false advertising and incompetence and brought before the courts.

Kyrie Eleison

Ok, one by one...

10. “You were totally home schooled”. If by "geeky" you mean intelligent, loves to learn, makes high test scores and actually enjoys reading, then a little ribbing can be tolerated. If you mean "not good at sports" that is an individual characteristic.

9. "a students’ classroom shouldn’t also be where they eat Fruit Loops and meat loaf". And we get this axiom from whom? Thomas Jefferson, George Washington or perhaps Thomas Edison? Maybe Abraham Lincoln or Frederick Douglas or perhaps George Washington Carver made this brilliant observation.

8. "Homeschooling is selfish." Ok, got me there. However, many home schooled students offer their services as tutors and teachers' aides in the public school system.

7. "God hates homeschooling." Are we still using logic? The primary purpose for "schooling" is education, not missionary endeavors. However, many teachers and some guest speakers manage to "sneak" the gospel in occasionally even though it is banned in most public schools today.

6. "Homeschooling parent/teachers are arrogant to the point of lunacy. For real! My qualifications to teach English include a double major in English and education, two master’s degrees (education and journalism), a student teaching semester and multiple internship terms, real world experience as a writer, and years in the classroom dealing with different learning styles. So, first of all, homeschooling parent, you think you can teach English as well as me?" Don't you mean "as well as I?"

5. "As a teacher, homeschooling kind of pisses me off. (That’s good enough for #5.)" I know the feeling. I feel the same way about having to pay taxes to support a failing public institution.

4. "Homeschooling could breed intolerance, and maybe even racism. Unless the student is being homeschooled at the MTV Real World house, there’s probably only one race/sexuality/background in the room. How can a young person learn to appreciate other cultures if he or she doesn’t live among them?" Well, our children use reading. They also attend a mulit-cultural church. As for intolerance, I think you are doing a fine job at that yourself!

3. "Homeschooling, undoubtedly, leaves the child unprepared socially." That would depend upon the social context wouldn't it? In an institutionalized, authoritarian often hostile environment, perhaps home schoolers might feel somewhat defensive. However, in an entrepreneural, autonomous, competitive environment they will be able to stand their ground. Home schoolers spend a larger proportion of their time interacting with adults rather than peers, which gives them an edge in some social settings.

2. "Homeschooling parents are arrogant." That sounds rather intolerant to me.

1. "And finally… have you met someone homeschooled? Not to hate, but they do tend to be pretty geeky***." I meet homeschooled children all the time, and as a general rule they are a breath of fresh air. Perhaps, rather than pre-judging you should ask yourself this question; "What are home schoolers doing that public schools could implement in order to be more successful?" Of course you would have to admit that home schooling is successful in order to do that, and I really don't see that happening.

it will help to read the article before you read my rebuttle.

My question is not have you met home schooled kids, but have you met public school kids?

10. Name one thing public school kids do not mock.
Since public school kids mock you for anything and everything, what is your point?

9. Public school kids just eat chips and drink cokes in the class room, they text during class (which takes more concentration than watching tv) and where exactly in your school is a learning focused place? once you enter middle school focus is seen after you graduate from high school.

8. Have you have heard of nclb. I drive a public school bus for a living (helping me make it through college), I know for a fact some parents put their kids on the bus at 4:30 in the morning and do not see them 6:00 at night. And the school pays for breakfast and lunch for them. I think that this parent is the definition of selfish but that is just my opinion.

7. God hates public schools, he said if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me, well public school kicked him out and fights tooth and nail to keep him out, and yet the christians are stupid enough to keep their kids there.

6. Have you met any public school teachers? they think because they got some degree they are brilliant, even though they can not be fired regardless of stupid they are. They can get away with anything but murder and they know it. Furthermore they think that it is their God given duty to make fun of kids who are acting up. No offence but an adult picking on a child, that is arragant.

5. In public school the kids think it is funny that you are mad, so be mad makes you look week.

4. Public school does breed racism, have you ever heard of cliqs? or gangs? Most of the gangs are racist in nature, and most public schools especially high schools and to some extent middles schools are filled with them.

3. The worst kids I know socially are all public school kids (I am including myself in this one). But the thing that really gets me is as soon as they start talking to these socially inept people they say oh he was homeschooled, look at how stupid he is with people. I have several kids on my school bus that are socially inept (I mean like as bad as possible) the social experiment I see is be better by comparison and when you are getting made fun of make fun of this kid that is worse off than you.

2. Since you couldnt actually figure out ten reasons why you do not like home schooling and just rehashed this one I will skip it.

1. Public school kids are dumb! when I asked about 130 of those kids to fill out paper work, they had to ask me what the question "which school do you attend" meant. I was asked that question several dozen times, even by the "geeky" ones.

also i want to answer this one directly. Not the ones I know. One family I know that is homeschooling their kids has thirteen of them in all. They homeschooled them all and the only one of them that is geeky at all is the 11 year old, but if he is anything like his family in a couple of years he will grow out of it, and be rather intemidating. Another home schooled kid I know is 17 and got his black belt last year, now I may be a little prejudice here but once you have been at the wrong end of his side kick or his reverse punch ect ect, you will not find him geeky at all, although I dont think he was geeky to begin with.

If you are truly interested in the education of kids I suggest you go to http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/toc1.htm and read it all.

Give the immature, inexperienced, empty-headed educated dingbat a break. When your mind is programmed the wrong way, you’re bound to make an absolute fool of yourself sooner or later.

When you don’t want to [completely] research something—for fear that you might be dead wrong—you more than likely are dead wrong (most people in American society never in their entire lives will bother to learn that fact). Case in point: the average university administration operate [roughly] on a fifth grade level—NOW THAT TAKES THE TERM “SICKENING” TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEVEL, FOLKS.

—Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa
May’s Song: ♪Emily♪ by Dave Koz
Throw-away tools of war

I loved it when she gave all her credentials, then said, "You might think you could teach English as well as me, and maybe you can. I give you that, but...." Cracked me up. I can just hear her talking as she goes through these. I'd say that entire article was a huge reason to homeschool.