Why do you homeschool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for the sincere and non-judgmental question. There are many reasons, and not all who home school are extremist, religious zealots trying to keep their kids away from the evil world.

I know many people who homeschool. I don't and probably wouldn't, but I understand and respect their choice.

Here are some specific reasons I have heard, from some reasonable, intelligent, educated families:

Military lifestyle. Many of us move every 10 months to 3 years. In my spouse's career, we average around 2 years at an assignment. This lifestyle can result in very inconsistent education for the kids so a lot of military families choose to home school. Every state has different requirements (Think 3 different states in a 4-year high school career. Each state requires geometry in a different grade, but never the grade in which you were stationed at that location. Imagine the kind of senior year catch up and academic holes that situation would bring.). Many military bases are not located in communities that offer high quality education, and a military salary usually does not support expensive private schools, especially if a family has multiple children or is lower ranking, so they choose to homeschool. I know of several military families who usually use traditional schools, but choose to home school in this city because of the wealth of resources that are available. Homeschooling also offers military families flexibility to deal with the unpredictable job requirements, and a sense of continuity and stability for the kids.

Health and well being: I have a very good friend who homeschools her children due to health concerns of one of her children. Her kids are intelligent, well behaved, socialized, articulate and a joy to be around My sister decided to homeschool her son with Aspergers, because the school system was not meeting his unique intellectual and social needs, and because he was starting middle school and becoming aware of the bullying and being ostracized by the other kids. The large junior high was just not the best place for his needs to be met. He is flourishing socially when you compare it to how he was prior to homeschooling.

Academic: A family member attends a well-respected school district. This district adopted a new math curriculum designed to raise the state mandated test scores of the lowest performing students. They were making similar changes in other core subject areas. After one year in this program, my highly gifted niece’s math state achievement scores dropped a significant amount from the 98-99% she usually achieved. Many other high achieving students saw similar results. They home schooled for a year to bring her back to an appropriate level, and put her back into traditional school the following year.

Values: Many home school families do home school their kids for religious reasons. Not all of these people are judgmental crackpots. Many homeschool their younger children to give them a foundation centered on their family’s core beliefs. Once that foundation is built, many send them to public or private high school.

Well said, PP!

My mom home schooled my special needs siblings, who had been written off by the public school system. They flourished at home, went to college, became professionals and exceptionally kind people, and plan to homeschool their kids, too.

My mom is a special lady.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for the sincere and non-judgmental question. There are many reasons, and not all who home school are extremist, religious zealots trying to keep their kids away from the evil world.
. . . .
Values: Many home school families do home school their kids for religious reasons. Not all of these people are judgmental crackpots. Many homeschool their younger children to give them a foundation centered on their family’s core beliefs. Once that foundation is built, many send them to public or private high school.

I agree there are good reasons to home school and you listed many of them. We moved a lot when I was younger, so my mother would often home school me for the last few months of the year, and it was a wonderful experience. On the other hand, I really don't understand why someone would home school for religious reasons if they are not trying to keep their kids away from the evil world. Can you explain that a little more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree there are good reasons to home school and you listed many of them. We moved a lot when I was younger, so my mother would often home school me for the last few months of the year, and it was a wonderful experience. On the other hand, I really don't understand why someone would home school for religious reasons if they are not trying to keep their kids away from the evil world. Can you explain that a little more?

Sure. Here is one specific example that was part of a broader scope of reasons that helped one family I know decide to homeschool.

This particular religious family believes in the scientific theory of evolution, but wanted to be able to explain it to their young child in a way that was compatible to their faith and the Biblical teaching of Creation. In home school science, they talked about how the big bang theory compliments the "Let there be light" passage in the Bible. Out of nothing, came something, so profound and explosive. This compatibility of faith and science could never, in this country, be addressed in a public school setting. As homeschoolers, they could do that. They could study different archeological discoveries like the discovery of ancient twin cities that appear to have been catastrophically destroyed by fire around similar times (I forgot the name but remember seeing the documentary on the History Channel) and compare the discovery to the Biblical tale of Soddom and Gommorah. They were able to research the religious origins of many of our Christmas carols and Rennaisance artwork. They were able to talk about other religions in addition to Christianity, and how faith plays a roll in history. None of these things, important to this religious family, were possible in the public school setting. Homeschooling enabled them to lay a spiritual foundation for their child that a public school would not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for the sincere and non-judgmental question. There are many reasons, and not all who home school are extremist, religious zealots trying to keep their kids away from the evil world.

I know many people who homeschool. I don't and probably wouldn't, but I understand and respect their choice.

Here are some specific reasons I have heard, from some reasonable, intelligent, educated families:

Military lifestyle. Many of us move every 10 months to 3 years. In my spouse's career, we average around 2 years at an assignment. This lifestyle can result in very inconsistent education for the kids so a lot of military families choose to home school. Every state has different requirements (Think 3 different states in a 4-year high school career. Each state requires geometry in a different grade, but never the grade in which you were stationed at that location. Imagine the kind of senior year catch up and academic holes that situation would bring.). Many military bases are not located in communities that offer high quality education, and a military salary usually does not support expensive private schools, especially if a family has multiple children or is lower ranking, so they choose to homeschool. I know of several military families who usually use traditional schools, but choose to home school in this city because of the wealth of resources that are available. Homeschooling also offers military families flexibility to deal with the unpredictable job requirements, and a sense of continuity and stability for the kids.

Health and well being: I have a very good friend who homeschools her children due to health concerns of one of her children. Her kids are intelligent, well behaved, socialized, articulate and a joy to be around My sister decided to homeschool her son with Aspergers, because the school system was not meeting his unique intellectual and social needs, and because he was starting middle school and becoming aware of the bullying and being ostracized by the other kids. The large junior high was just not the best place for his needs to be met. He is flourishing socially when you compare it to how he was prior to homeschooling.

Academic: A family member attends a well-respected school district. This district adopted a new math curriculum designed to raise the state mandated test scores of the lowest performing students. They were making similar changes in other core subject areas. After one year in this program, my highly gifted niece’s math state achievement scores dropped a significant amount from the 98-99% she usually achieved. Many other high achieving students saw similar results. They home schooled for a year to bring her back to an appropriate level, and put her back into traditional school the following year.

Values: Many home school families do home school their kids for religious reasons. Not all of these people are judgmental crackpots. Many homeschool their younger children to give them a foundation centered on their family’s core beliefs. Once that foundation is built, many send them to public or private high school.

Will you homeschool ME? Just teasin', of course, but what a great answer - if you chose to homeschool, I bet your kids are doing well!

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who is military and home schools two kids, one with mild autism. I have to say that I'm constantly surprised (disturbed) by the poor grammar of her friends in her homeschooling community when they talk on Facebook. That, and how my friend somewhat frequently talks about how she is too tired to homeschool today, so they are going to the beach instead. It has really negatively impacted my perception of homeschooling.

Oh and before anyone criticizes my writing - my kid goes to school.

[Anonymous]

I have to admit that I sort of always looked down on the education homeschoolers received as I was a product of an elite all-girls academy, but after reading this (http://www.noogenesis.com/game_theory/Gatto/Gatto.html) I had a complete change of heart. I will probably homeschool my children now. I feel terrible that I had judged something so harshly before I really ever gave it a chance. I should also say that my mother-in-law and all 4 sisters-in-law are public school educators. I love them dearly, but from the stories they tell coupled with the web site from above, I would never consider public schooling and would only send my kids to a private/vocational school if they asked for it.

[Anonymous]

I really question how anybody could read something like what 16:40 posted and rely on it to the point of deciding to homeschool your kids. If you are going to homeschool, at least do more research on it and rely on something more than a propoganda piece. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit that I sort of always looked down on the education homeschoolers received as I was a product of an elite all-girls academy, but after reading this (http://www.noogenesis.com/game_theory/Gatto/Gatto.html) I had a complete change of heart. I will probably homeschool my children now. I feel terrible that I had judged something so harshly before I really ever gave it a chance. I should also say that my mother-in-law and all 4 sisters-in-law are public school educators. I love them dearly, but from the stories they tell coupled with the web site from above, I would never consider public schooling and would only send my kids to a private/vocational school if they asked for it.

I'm sorry, PP. But I looked at that link and it looks like a load of you-know-what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who is military and home schools two kids, one with mild autism. I have to say that I'm constantly surprised (disturbed) by the poor grammar of her friends in her homeschooling community when they talk on Facebook. That, and how my friend somewhat frequently talks about how she is too tired to homeschool today, so they are going to the beach instead. It has really negatively impacted my perception of homeschooling.

Oh and before anyone criticizes my writing - my kid goes to school.

This. And it's an important point that often is missed in the HS debate.

I have a SIL who pretends to HS her 5 kids. The situation is pathetic beyond belief. Here we have SIL, who barely got out of high school herself, actually believing that she has anywhere near the knowledge -- let alone teaching ability -- to properly educate these kids. Their spelling, grammar, math knowledge etc is far below where it should be for their ages and it's particularly bad with the younger ones, as she's losing steam after so many years of this. Don't even ask what they are taught about science. Literature/ world history/ foreign languages? Please.

I can't write about this anymore; it depresses me too much to think that these are my relatives....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit that I sort of always looked down on the education homeschoolers received as I was a product of an elite all-girls academy, but after reading this (http://www.noogenesis.com/game_theory/Gatto/Gatto.html) I had a complete change of heart. I will probably homeschool my children now. I feel terrible that I had judged something so harshly before I really ever gave it a chance. I should also say that my mother-in-law and all 4 sisters-in-law are public school educators. I love them dearly, but from the stories they tell coupled with the web site from above, I would never consider public schooling and would only send my kids to a private/vocational school if they asked for it.

I'm sorry, PP. But I looked at that link and it looks like a load of you-know-what.

I agree -- I skimmed the page linked and it looked nothing like what my kids experience at their lovely DCPS (yes, I said those words together) elementary school. I am not anti-homeschooling (tho would only do it with a curriculum, not coming up with my own) and I do a fair amount of additional work with one of my kids who is advanced in math and just likes the extra challenge. I can see valid reasons for people to do it and some of them were mentioned. The link is just strange and none of it resembles any school I have seen. Homeschooling to keep your kids from learning alternate points of view seems really short-sighted too. Why can't one just explain your family's viewpoints? It's not like they spend all day every day talking about evolution.

Like a PP I have a relative who homeschools ("unschools" actually) and the children's lack of knowledge is just frightening. They are a lovely family, really nice kids, well-behaved, respectful, close to each other and their parents. That is all wonderful. As to schooling, they don't do any more than most engaged parents do in addition to school (read books, take a walk and talk about leaves and trees, go to the library). The oldest should be in late MS/early HS now and I don't think she's had anything remotely resembling Algebra, not sure she can even do multiplication or long division. Yikes!

Anyway, I think sometimes homeschooling is a better alternative for some families and some families should be prevented from doing it (through regulations such as having to submit what program you're using and having the kids take state tests). I think if school is required and some people opt out of that, it is owed to society to make sure that those people don't become undereducated adults who have trouble holding down a decent job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think most "teachers" are pathetic overpaid public employees. They whine about the children's behavior. They while about the parents. They whine about all the extra hours for prep time. They want to be revered as the most important professions in our society, but they hide behind their union to secure benefits for even the worst of their kind.

Our kids are our responsibility to raise into educated adults with the right values, and there is no indication that the teachers we've dealt with are up to that challenge.

Besides, what's the downside? Am I going to teach finger-painting wrong?

The kids get lots of socialization through church and sports, etc. but instead of sitting in a room with 30 kids the same age and marching to the sound of a bell every hour, they get to learn in a much more exciting and fulfilling way, taking lots of trips and having lots of spontaneous interactions with people from all walks of life.

You mean "your" values. Your teacher bashing makes me wonder if you have the "right values." I am sure you have "your" values.

[Anonymous]

I don't have kids yet but will probably homeschool. I grew up in this area (FCPS) and often felt bored and stifled. I'm a very creative and artistic person. I love exploring, having different experiences, being challenged, and learning from a "failure". I want that for my kids. I don't want them pressured to focus on tests, gpa, aap, TJ, ect.

If I can afford the kind of private school environment I want for my kids then I'll send them there. But, as finances go, I doubt that will happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think most "teachers" are pathetic overpaid public employees. They whine about the children's behavior. They while about the parents. They whine about all the extra hours for prep time. They want to be revered as the most important professions in our society, but they hide behind their union to secure benefits for even the worst of their kind.

Our kids are our responsibility to raise into educated adults with the right values, and there is no indication that the teachers we've dealt with are up to that challenge.

Besides, what's the downside? Am I going to teach finger-painting wrong?

The kids get lots of socialization through church and sports, etc. but instead of sitting in a room with 30 kids the same age and marching to the sound of a bell every hour, they get to learn in a much more exciting and fulfilling way, taking lots of trips and having lots of spontaneous interactions with people from all walks of life.

Wow. Spoken like someone who has never set foot inside a classroom. I have a teaching degree from a highly regarded program from a highly regarded school. I spent four years teaching at an inner city public high school and let me tell you, the teachers are not the problem. Problems I ran into:

35 kids per class
Absent/uninvolved parents, which led to truancy, gang affiliation and crime.
Being forced to teach to a standardized test rather than teaching interesting and engaging material in an interesting and engaging way.
Being paid for a 30 hour work week but actually working 50-60 hours
Shabby/broken classroom furniture and equipment
$25/student to spend on supplies and only if the student pays the lab fee. I taught at a school where 83% of the student body were FARMs so yeah, good luck getting that money!

You clearly don't know what you're talking about so STFU.

Also, teachers don't get paid for their summer breaks. Our 9 month salaries get split up into 12 month payments.

[Anonymous]

The women I know who homeschool their children were teachers before they started their families. I also once spoke to a teacher who taught public school, and he homeschooled his high school son (I was his health care provider one day and we chatted during his appt but I never saw him after that and could not follow up for additional information).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most "teachers" are pathetic overpaid public employees. They whine about the children's behavior. They while about the parents. They whine about all the extra hours for prep time. They want to be revered as the most important professions in our society, but they hide behind their union to secure benefits for even the worst of their kind.

Our kids are our responsibility to raise into educated adults with the right values, and there is no indication that the teachers we've dealt with are up to that challenge.

Besides, what's the downside? Am I going to teach finger-painting wrong?

The kids get lots of socialization through church and sports, etc. but instead of sitting in a room with 30 kids the same age and marching to the sound of a bell every hour, they get to learn in a much more exciting and fulfilling way, taking lots of trips and having lots of spontaneous interactions with people from all walks of life.

Wow. Spoken like someone who has never set foot inside a classroom. I have a teaching degree from a highly regarded program from a highly regarded school. I spent four years teaching at an inner city public high school and let me tell you, the teachers are not the problem. Problems I ran into:

35 kids per class
Absent/uninvolved parents, which led to truancy, gang affiliation and crime.
Being forced to teach to a standardized test rather than teaching interesting and engaging material in an interesting and engaging way.
Being paid for a 30 hour work week but actually working 50-60 hours
Shabby/broken classroom furniture and equipment
$25/student to spend on supplies and only if the student pays the lab fee. I taught at a school where 83% of the student body were FARMs so yeah, good luck getting that money!

You clearly don't know what you're talking about so STFU.

Also, teachers don't get paid for their summer breaks. Our 9 month salaries get split up into 12 month payments.

You sound like the problem. 35 kids is fine if you are an effective teacher who doesn't just sit at the desk but moves around and engages with the class pretty much all the time. Also you can take a dry curriculum and add to it, but that depends on your own creativity and brain power. But maybe you lack that as well as the effectiveness. I expect so.