“Homeschoolers are weird”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Evangelical families make up the homeschoolers in our area.

Might be true someplace.

All the homeschool families we know in Fairfax County are non-religious and started homeschooling after seeing what a mess FCPS is. They use mainstream materials, teach evolution and science, and their kids are having no problems with obtaining good college admissions. So far, one has a BSN from UVa with an RN. Another is studying engineering.

The common theme...they are all poor.

Nobody with $.02 homeschools unless they have an elite athlete/musician/actor or like some billionaire I know wanted to sail the world on his 200 foot yacht for a year and hired two teachers to tag along to teach his kids (and then promptly re-enrolled them in a private school when back on dry land).

I started homeschooling because our school options were not great. I could pick from either terrible public school (as in under 75% of the kids are not at grade level, and 80% low income) or mediocre privates. I looked at all of the private options, including catholic and they were unimpressive and used a ton of Ed tech. I would still end up having to spend the afternoons supplementing material to provide what I feel is necessary for a well-rounded education and challenge. I got tired of doing this. Now my child is getting an excellent education AND we have the afternoons to spend cooking, doing sports, music, and freely playing.

Which begs the question...why do you live in such a shitty area? It's not because you are rich and just decided to "slum it", right?

Where I live, the public schools aren't great but aren't terrible either, but you have the choice of like 6 private schools within 3 miles, a number of which rank in the top 100 in the country.

What makes you think your child is getting an excellent education...because you teach it?

Check out Bloom's two sigma problem. Not sure why anyone with the proclivity to homeschool would pay five figures per year for worse academics outcomes.

Because most people with a “proclivity to homeschool” meaning they are the ones teaching, aren’t wealthy and aren’t qualified.

If you are so qualified then why send them to college? Homeschool through college as well.

Granted, plenty of ultra wealthy that think nothing of hiring tutors to bring on their world travels that don’t want to be tied down to a formal school schedule, though equally likely to send their kids to boarding schools.

What’s your point? Do you think your kid’s public school 3rd grade teacher would be equally qualified to teach multivariable calculus?

[Anonymous]

Why pop into the homeschooling forum and make fun of homeschoolers? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your Friday night lights Olney mcps experience? Or preparing your children for lockdowns and active shooter drills? Or counseling your kids to not take pills from their friends because they could contain lethal amounts of fentanyl? Or reminding your kids not to send nudes on their phones? Or teaching them how to drink responsibly? Please allow for the possibility that people who facilitate their children's education at home do so for reasons you could never grasp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Evangelical families make up the homeschoolers in our area.

Might be true someplace.

All the homeschool families we know in Fairfax County are non-religious and started homeschooling after seeing what a mess FCPS is. They use mainstream materials, teach evolution and science, and their kids are having no problems with obtaining good college admissions. So far, one has a BSN from UVa with an RN. Another is studying engineering.

The common theme...they are all poor.

Nobody with $.02 homeschools unless they have an elite athlete/musician/actor or like some billionaire I know wanted to sail the world on his 200 foot yacht for a year and hired two teachers to tag along to teach his kids (and then promptly re-enrolled them in a private school when back on dry land).

I started homeschooling because our school options were not great. I could pick from either terrible public school (as in under 75% of the kids are not at grade level, and 80% low income) or mediocre privates. I looked at all of the private options, including catholic and they were unimpressive and used a ton of Ed tech. I would still end up having to spend the afternoons supplementing material to provide what I feel is necessary for a well-rounded education and challenge. I got tired of doing this. Now my child is getting an excellent education AND we have the afternoons to spend cooking, doing sports, music, and freely playing.

Which begs the question...why do you live in such a shitty area? It's not because you are rich and just decided to "slum it", right?

Where I live, the public schools aren't great but aren't terrible either, but you have the choice of like 6 private schools within 3 miles, a number of which rank in the top 100 in the country.

What makes you think your child is getting an excellent education...because you teach it?

Check out Bloom's two sigma problem. Not sure why anyone with the proclivity to homeschool would pay five figures per year for worse academics outcomes.

Because most people with a “proclivity to homeschool” meaning they are the ones teaching, aren’t wealthy and aren’t qualified.

If you are so qualified then why send them to college? Homeschool through college as well.

Granted, plenty of ultra wealthy that think nothing of hiring tutors to bring on their world travels that don’t want to be tied down to a formal school schedule, though equally likely to send their kids to boarding schools.

What’s your point? Do you think your kid’s public school 3rd grade teacher would be equally qualified to teach multivariable calculus?

No, but I trust my kid's HS teacher with a Math PhD is qualified to teach multivariable calculus...far more than basically 99% of all adults. That's why my kid's 3rd grade teacher doesn't stay with the class each year through age 18.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why pop into the homeschooling forum and make fun of homeschoolers? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your Friday night lights Olney mcps experience? Or preparing your children for lockdowns and active shooter drills? Or counseling your kids to not take pills from their friends because they could contain lethal amounts of fentanyl? Or reminding your kids not to send nudes on their phones? Or teaching them how to drink responsibly? Please allow for the possibility that people who facilitate their children's education at home do so for reasons you could never grasp.

So...you admit you don't know what you are doing, but you have decided you are afraid for your kid to live in the real world and therefore that's why you homeschool? Just trying to understand your point, because none of the above has anything to do with a superior educational experience and of course completely ignores private schools (which come in every flavor) where most of those activities don't happen.

Furthermore, sounds like you also don't let your high school kid even socialize. Is your kid allowed to hang out with other high school-aged kids without an adult present or participate in competitive sports which may include an overnight that doesn't include you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Evangelical families make up the homeschoolers in our area.

Might be true someplace.

All the homeschool families we know in Fairfax County are non-religious and started homeschooling after seeing what a mess FCPS is. They use mainstream materials, teach evolution and science, and their kids are having no problems with obtaining good college admissions. So far, one has a BSN from UVa with an RN. Another is studying engineering.

The common theme...they are all poor.

Nobody with $.02 homeschools unless they have an elite athlete/musician/actor or like some billionaire I know wanted to sail the world on his 200 foot yacht for a year and hired two teachers to tag along to teach his kids (and then promptly re-enrolled them in a private school when back on dry land).

I started homeschooling because our school options were not great. I could pick from either terrible public school (as in under 75% of the kids are not at grade level, and 80% low income) or mediocre privates. I looked at all of the private options, including catholic and they were unimpressive and used a ton of Ed tech. I would still end up having to spend the afternoons supplementing material to provide what I feel is necessary for a well-rounded education and challenge. I got tired of doing this. Now my child is getting an excellent education AND we have the afternoons to spend cooking, doing sports, music, and freely playing.

Which begs the question...why do you live in such a shitty area? It's not because you are rich and just decided to "slum it", right?

Where I live, the public schools aren't great but aren't terrible either, but you have the choice of like 6 private schools within 3 miles, a number of which rank in the top 100 in the country.

What makes you think your child is getting an excellent education...because you teach it?

Check out Bloom's two sigma problem. Not sure why anyone with the proclivity to homeschool would pay five figures per year for worse academics outcomes.

Because most people with a “proclivity to homeschool” meaning they are the ones teaching, aren’t wealthy and aren’t qualified.

If you are so qualified then why send them to college? Homeschool through college as well.

Granted, plenty of ultra wealthy that think nothing of hiring tutors to bring on their world travels that don’t want to be tied down to a formal school schedule, though equally likely to send their kids to boarding schools.

What’s your point? Do you think your kid’s public school 3rd grade teacher would be equally qualified to teach multivariable calculus?

No, but I trust my kid's HS teacher with a Math PhD is qualified to teach multivariable calculus...far more than basically 99% of all adults. That's why my kid's 3rd grade teacher doesn't stay with the class each year through age 18.

I don’t think anyone here is advocating for homeschooling past one’s ability to teach the material or provide access to appropriate level material. Have you read any of this thread?

[Anonymous]

I find them weird in the sense that many of them are quirky or different, but I don't necessarily view that as a negative. It depends on how they manifest it.

[Anonymous]

I think it was "weirder" back in the 80s and 90s when our public school system was stronger. Now, especially after Covid, it's become more mainstream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Evangelical families make up the homeschoolers in our area.

Might be true someplace.

All the homeschool families we know in Fairfax County are non-religious and started homeschooling after seeing what a mess FCPS is. They use mainstream materials, teach evolution and science, and their kids are having no problems with obtaining good college admissions. So far, one has a BSN from UVa with an RN. Another is studying engineering.

The common theme...they are all poor.

Nobody with $.02 homeschools unless they have an elite athlete/musician/actor or like some billionaire I know wanted to sail the world on his 200 foot yacht for a year and hired two teachers to tag along to teach his kids (and then promptly re-enrolled them in a private school when back on dry land).

I started homeschooling because our school options were not great. I could pick from either terrible public school (as in under 75% of the kids are not at grade level, and 80% low income) or mediocre privates. I looked at all of the private options, including catholic and they were unimpressive and used a ton of Ed tech. I would still end up having to spend the afternoons supplementing material to provide what I feel is necessary for a well-rounded education and challenge. I got tired of doing this. Now my child is getting an excellent education AND we have the afternoons to spend cooking, doing sports, music, and freely playing.

Which begs the question...why do you live in such a shitty area? It's not because you are rich and just decided to "slum it", right?

Where I live, the public schools aren't great but aren't terrible either, but you have the choice of like 6 private schools within 3 miles, a number of which rank in the top 100 in the country.

What makes you think your child is getting an excellent education...because you teach it?

Check out Bloom's two sigma problem. Not sure why anyone with the proclivity to homeschool would pay five figures per year for worse academics outcomes.

Because most people with a “proclivity to homeschool” meaning they are the ones teaching, aren’t wealthy and aren’t qualified.

If you are so qualified then why send them to college? Homeschool through college as well.

Granted, plenty of ultra wealthy that think nothing of hiring tutors to bring on their world travels that don’t want to be tied down to a formal school schedule, though equally likely to send their kids to boarding schools.

Anyone with a college degree is qualified to homeschool a normal elementary child. The question is whether they can or want to put in the work to do it. Middle school (if working at a high school level), and high school are harder to homeschool for reasons mentioned above. Homeschool is a year by year choice, weighing in what other academic options are available and what you can provide. We homeschool through elementary then send to public once the accelerated programs and access dual enrollment and AP classes become available.

This makes sense to me! Through elementary, that is. We did for a few years as well when young. What I don't understand is how people do it for high school unless they have either low standards or all the time, money, and resources in the world to bring in help. I have a law degree and DH a PhD, both from Ivies, and we...would have to do a LOT of re-learning to teach multi-variable calculus or similar. There's just no way we'd be better than someone who teaches that subject matter day in and day out. Regardless of the academics, I worry aboit the socialization by that age too.

[Anonymous]

There are so many weird kids in public schools too.
-public school mom (we homeschooled one semester during Covid. And I mean homeschooled, registered them, etc.)

[Anonymous]

I find it weird when homeschooling parents like to hang out in the public school and private school forms to brag about how homeschooling is better

[Anonymous]

My kids have studied in public schools.

I was disappointed with the low quality of instruction and curriculum in American schools, and so in trying to keep them competitive with the students from my country of origin, I leaned heavily on many homeschooling resources to accelerate, supplement and enrich their education.

No, I do not think homeschoolers are weird. I think they are intelligent and smart. Most importantly, they do not waste away years of their life from K-12 in getting substandard or lopsided education. My reason for having my kids be in public schools was mainly for socialization and some guidance in the American education system. Also, I did not think that I could handle the burden of homeschooling since I was not familiar with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know, but homeschoolers ARE weird. I've known several throughout a few different states and over the last few decades. Funny how adults sometimes find them lovely, but they can't get along with other kids their age for anything.

My thoughts too unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Evangelical families make up the homeschoolers in our area.

Might be true someplace.

All the homeschool families we know in Fairfax County are non-religious and started homeschooling after seeing what a mess FCPS is. They use mainstream materials, teach evolution and science, and their kids are having no problems with obtaining good college admissions. So far, one has a BSN from UVa with an RN. Another is studying engineering.

The common theme...they are all poor.

Nobody with $.02 homeschools unless they have an elite athlete/musician/actor or like some billionaire I know wanted to sail the world on his 200 foot yacht for a year and hired two teachers to tag along to teach his kids (and then promptly re-enrolled them in a private school when back on dry land).

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know, but homeschoolers ARE weird. I've known several throughout a few different states and over the last few decades. Funny how adults sometimes find them lovely, but they can't get along with other kids their age for anything.

Not my experience at all.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever considered that we’re homeschooling because some of our kids were weird to begin with?

Mine is bright, creative, funny, and also has a lot of behavioral challenges due to adhd and anxiety. He can’t get accepted to privates, not just top tier, not any of them because of his quirks and challenges. And some public school staff might see his potential, but the need for and focus on compliance stresses him out, so he can’t learn there. We’re two income UMC, homeschooling, doing lots of enrichment classes, and my son is finally making progress.