Homeschool.....should it be illegal

[Anonymous]

We homeschool, because it fits our child’s needs and personality. Moved from DC to the PNW and it’s amazing how many of us can here are! We belong to a co-op

[Anonymous]

...hit submit too soon.

Basically, no, it is ridiculous to say homeschooling should be illegal (anymore than the crappy public school system should be...think of terrible abuses that have happened there). Kids thrive academically and creatively; extreme religious types are the stereotype but are actually the minority (in urban homeschool communities anyway); zero lack of socialization, unless you live in a rural area and don’t make effort to get your kids out and about, etc.

What happened to those poor children is so incredibly sad; their parents are sick and wretched individuals.

[Anonymous]

I grew up on the west coast and the home schoolers fell in a few categories:
1) Religious
2) Pregnant or troubled teen

I took a class on high school that was when homeschoolers would "check in" woth the district. Wasn't anything weird about them but all had unique issues that couldn't be handled in the mainstream system.

My niece is homeschooled due to an eating disorder and concerns regarding bullying. I'm not sure it's good for her to be isolated / controlled by her parents but it's not my business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I homeschool -I’m normal. My child is gifted and has learning issues. He was bullied in his expensive private school and developed such severe anxiety, he was having breakdowns at the end of each day and begging to never go back.

We spent a long time trying to work with the well-intentioned yet clueless school but my eventually my son needed a break— he does need help with social, skills but regular school was making this area worse, not better and I began to fear that he was going to eventually harm himself.

This is a pretty common story among homeschoolers.

+1

[Anonymous]

I don't think it should be illegal, but I do think it should be better regulated. I think it is too easy for things to go sideways very quickly and parents no longer always have the best interest of their kids in mind.

[Anonymous]

This idea that parents homeschool to control their children, or that homeschooling is still some fringe movement is outdated.

1. many parents with kids in school seek to control their children
2. parents homeschool for a variety of reasons- religion, travel/relocation, special needs, underperforming schools, or just a rejection of the traditional school model, etc.

All of these reasons are fine and within our rights.

Kids don't become "weird" because they are homeschooled- chances are good that they were called "weird" with impunity one too many times by peers at their traditional school and the parents got fed up like we did.

I absolutely do think it's fine if the government wants to allocate resources for home visits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This idea that parents homeschool to control their children, or that homeschooling is still some fringe movement is outdated.

1. many parents with kids in school seek to control their children
2. parents homeschool for a variety of reasons- religion, travel/relocation, special needs, underperforming schools, or just a rejection of the traditional school model, etc.

All of these reasons are fine and within our rights.

Kids don't become "weird" because they are homeschooled- chances are good that they were called "weird" with impunity one too many times by peers at their traditional school and the parents got fed up like we did.

I absolutely do think it's fine if the government wants to allocate resources for home visits.

refining reason one to state that "many parents with kids in regular school could be accused of seeking to control their children." Homeschoolers haven't cornered the market on that sort of thing.

[Anonymous]

This is too funny, pp. We ultimately decided to homeschool because it felt like regular school was micromanaging the kids. No talking! No running! No touching! No playing tag! Lose a minute of recess!

[Anonymous]

All the homeschool parents I know are very well-educated "normal" parents, whatever that means. If "normal" means ambitious, caring, focused on education, have plans and dreams for their kids--they are all like this.

Some of their kids have special needs, which were not being addressed adequately at school. For example, I know several very bright, social kids who are dyslexic. What the public school systems consider to be the adequate education for a child with dyslexia (I am referring to places with kind, responsible teachers who comply with IEPs in well-regarded schools of wealthy school systems) is shockingly far away from what experts consider the gold standard. Another friend of mine who does NOT homeschool feel that she needs to have her child in private reading instruction with a highly trained academic therapist FOUR days a week. So that is the other alternative! In sum: one good reason for homeschooling is that almost every school that is not a 40-50K specialized school is absolutely UNABLE to meet the needs of kids with learning differences.

I also have friends who just hate the rat race around here, the lack of outdoor time, the idea that their kids' childhoods would be spent so largely indoors and filling out worksheets. Many people don't have the interest, financial resources, or temperament to provide an alternative. Those who do, good for them!

I also have friends who, quite simply, have higher/different/other standards. Some of these kids are in underperforming schools and the parents can't afford to move or to send them to private. Others are in the highest performing schools and the parents still feel like the schools fall short. Every one of these parents is highly educated and cares deeply about education.

Personally, I would welcome more regulation and think it is super creepy when families go around looking for "homeschool friendly" states, meaning states that have EVEN fewer rules. I am shocked by how little is required to homeschool legally--even in the states with the most rigorous rules. But I am also appalled by the lameness of our public schools, even in the supposedly best school systems. How can kids be so busy, and so stressed, and... learn so little about the world, about history, about how to write, about how to think critically?!

I realize that my circles are self-selective and limited to people somewhat like me but I know a lot more homeschool families in the DMV than some of the posters who are throwing around opinions. I do not know any that fit the outdated stereotypes that so many DCUMers believe is the norm. Every child I know who has entered school in middle school and high school has been highly successful--in fact the only major issues I can share are the kids who were TOO advanced in certain areas for their local school. In these situations, these families ended up exploring numerous other options, private schools in other towns to be able to continue their kids' track. These are not profoundly gifted, genius kids. These are your typical bright kids who have, quite simply, gotten a fantastic education.

I now know several homeschooled kids who have reached college age (every college age kid I know has gone to college, I should add) and several of these kids ended up at Ivies/MIT.

Oh and also, socialization... well, I do know some children who are on the autism spectrum who might considered socially not-typical or however people might put it. But these kids I am thinking of are happy kids with friends. Pretty much all the homeschool kids we see at Coops, homeschool classes, field trips, and in general, are TOTALLY NORMAL nice kids. Some are Catholic, some Protestant, some Muslim, some agnostic, etc etc etc. If I can generalize, which is always going to a little dicey, I would say that they are a little calmer and gentler and more innocent--they are less edgy than other kids I know. But they are all totally socialized for goodness sake!

I'll conclude on a personal note by saying that I homeschool my kids because I am confident that overall the education I am providing is much better than what they would otherwise be getting in public school. I would never argue that it is better in every single way, but in so many that the balance is tipped. I am not a homeschool fanatic. I am open to the kids returning to school when the balance shifts--which it will. I would welcome stricter regulations in every sense: checks on homes, academic requirements for instructors, results of testing. All of that makes perfect sense to me.

Anyone who pretends that homeschoolers are all reclusive, fanatic wackos is deliberately holding on to very outmoded stereotypes that have nothing to do with our local DCUM reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I homeschooled my kids in the early years and glad that I did. They came into school two grades above grade level in all content areas and eight years later are still ahead. Yes, my kids missed out on some socialization, which may explain their shyness, but at least they are not getting into drugs, sex and alcohol, like many of their peers! They also learned to work independently and not wait around for some teacher to spoon feed them. This will serve them well in college.

Right - no sex, drugs or alcohol bc they were homeschooled in the early years ?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is currently in public (debating homeschooling) and was born insanely shy lol. If anything it would benefit her to be in a homeschool co-op with smaller amounts of children. She wants to be homeschooled but not in the cards right now. Hoping soon.

[Anonymous]

Most parents of homeschool kids do it because THEY want to do it. Hence the possible conflict of interest.

[Anonymous]

It becomes an issue when parents are 'phoning it in' and NOT educating children or at least not providing basic and well rounded education. That is robbing that child of any chance at a future/higher education.
Yes, there are some parents who are great at homeschooling, but there is a large pool nationwide that is just not. NOt at all and those kids deserve better. More regulations and oversight is needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most parents of homeschool kids do it because THEY want to do it. Hence the possible conflict of interest.

I reluctantly began homeschooling my child when it became clear that he was suffering in his private school, which was selected for its nurturing environment and small class size. I held many of the same prejudices expressed here. He is thriving in homeschool and I am certain that I am providing an excellent, well rounded education for him. He will always have the option to return to a traditional school.

[Anonymous]

Yes we never heard of abuse happening in public , private, charter schools. LOL