Providing Balance: America's Homeschoolers

[redcliffsw]

Avoiding gov't school indoctrination-

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/galvin1.1.1.html

[pepelect]

Ok lets say I am going to start Homeschooling my pups.

I think I could handle the 3r's.  The genius that we have available could handle the physics of electricity, drug interaction, animal husbandtry, veterinary inoculations, a&p, Catholicism, pharmacology, Geometry, Trig, accounting, tax law, HIPPA, SNAP, corporate tax law, drivers education, fork driving, 10 key, point of sale computerize inventory control, customer relations, calculus, counting change, pharmacokinetics, analytical thinking, and sex ed(we got HBO). 

But what about the things I don't care to teach them any thing about. 
They won't be exposed to art, art history, literature, Fox news, world history, foreign language, liberals, racists, opera, Wal-Mart, rodeo, or international foreign studies.  There isn't a good racket ball court at our school.  The tennis court is usually full of leaves from the yard guy, the pool is full of manganese and is chocolate brown so no back stroke, there are only three students so no volleyball, only 2on1 basketball tournaments and the oldest always wins, marching band looks like the bass drum swallowed the drummer, the football team is powder puff, the cheerleaders only know one cheer but they sure look good in camo-kevlar,  the math relay team keeps dropping the baton(something about integers), who do you compete against to get to the spelling bee?, how do they learn how to conduct a meeting, and why won't herbs grow under water?

I think you would have to be pretty conceited to think that you are half as knowledgeable in all subjects as even half of the teachers at the worst public school. 

[Diane Amberg]

Red, I have no problem at all with home schools or Charter Schools ( obviously) or private schools or alternative schools in general.  Montessori  schools have been around for a long time and provide a much looser curriculum, such as the writer was looking for. Considering his job, home schooling might not a problem.  Not every family can do that. I do have a problem with kids who just are not ready to learn, at any age, and parents who are looking for every excuse under the sun for why their kid isn't cutting it. Many years ago, kids who quit early weren't even willing to get trade educations and once you quit there was no going back. Now kids have every opportunity to go back, take on line classes, go to night school, apprenticeship programs, what ever it takes to get a good grip on the basics. I am very pro education in whatever form it takes. I do have one question. What on earth does school have to do with tattoos and body piercing?

[srkruzich]

Ok lets say I am going to start Homeschooling my pups.

I think I could handle the 3r's.  The genius that we have available could handle the physics of electricity, drug interaction, animal husbandtry, veterinary inoculations, a&p, Catholicism, pharmacology, Geometry, Trig, accounting, tax law, HIPPA, SNAP, corporate tax law, drivers education, fork driving, 10 key, point of sale computerize inventory control, customer relations, calculus, counting change, pharmacokinetics, analytical thinking, and sex ed(we got HBO). 

But what about the things I don't care to teach them any thing about. 
They won't be exposed to art, art history, literature, Fox news, world history, foreign language, liberals, racists, opera, Wal-Mart, rodeo, or international foreign studies.  There isn't a good racket ball court at our school.  The tennis court is usually full of leaves from the yard guy, the pool is full of manganese and is chocolate brown so no back stroke, there are only three students so no volleyball, only 2on1 basketball tournaments and the oldest always wins, marching band looks like the bass drum swallowed the drummer, the football team is powder puff, the cheerleaders only know one cheer but they sure look good in camo-kevlar,  the math relay team keeps dropping the baton(something about integers), who do you compete against to get to the spelling bee?, how do they learn how to conduct a meeting, and why won't herbs grow under water?

I think you would have to be pretty conceited to think that you are half as knowledgeable in all subjects as even half of the teachers at the worst public school. 

well the homeschoolers out there meet together and do those very things your talking about.
I am not so worried about sports as it is overrated but swimming can be conducted at the ymca, theres all kinds of sports there,

as far as art, art history,  
what kind of art.  There are such things as museums which the schools take kids to too, so your utilizing the same resources. But look at things that you like to do.  I love woodworking.  I build unique items in  my spare time that could be considered art.

as far as literature,
thats easy. get them into reading. Teach them to read and let the MASTERS teach them about literature.  Shakespear, edgar allen poe. I remember being 7 and reading the tale of the telltale heart. and then my next book was Ivanhoe.  I got into shakespear at 10 years old.  The key is introduce them to it and let them find their own interests.


as far as Fox news, commie news network and other various insidious entities, their better off not even venturing there but if they must teach them that nothing they say is valid.

On world history,
It depends on what history you wish them to learn.  Some of this can be combigned with art


on foreign language,
That is not hard.  There are various language courses you can put on computers.  Rosetta stone is one of the best language courses around.

on liberals,
well if you raise them right they can recognize a liberal at 500 yards!

on racists,
They won't have a problem identifying them!  They tend to stand out rather well.

On opera,
Take them to one and suffer through it if you don't like it.  We all have to sacrifice at times.

on  Wal-Mart, what is there to learn about walmart???

on a rodeo, take em to one.  


The biggest thing about homeschooling is that it is a sacrifice to homeschool.  You sacrifice your time and energies to give them the best education you can possibly give them.  A homeschooler has a much better education than any institution can provide mostly because of the one on one time as well as the flexibility in teaching that you can adapt.   Every trip to town can be a lesson. thats the cool thing about it.

You can also teach your kids with a TON Of curriculum available on the internet.  For example, your highschoolers could start learning from MIT's online courses which are free.  Imagine them turning 18 years old and having completed MIT's courses and excelliing at them.  They would be years ahead of their peers and they would be ready to tackle even greater challanges.

You can't get that with canned education.

[srkruzich]

I think you would have to be pretty conceited to think that you are half as knowledgeable in all subjects as even half of the teachers at the worst public school. 

Not conceited, but a good chunk of the teachers are half my age. Life experiences teach more than any 10 teachers in a school could teach.
Note that is not true in all cases.  This world has raised some complete idiots.

[redcliffsw]

Pep-
You seem to relish a partnership with gov't to build a "greater" school.
Good luck on that.  If you win the "yes" vote, then you've successfully captured the means to tax
the community and gained the borrowing power, all in the name of education and you can call it a "political
vivtory".

We ought not to seek a bigger gov't or gov't schools - the home-schoolers don't, why not you?

I'd vote for more freedom by voting "no".

[pamsback]

 I think the best balance is a combination of both. I don't have a problem with public school.....my kids all did and do fine. I kept  and keep up with what they are taught or NOT taught and fill in the blanks with the rest of the story.
Some people home-school to INCREASE their kids knowledge and then SOME home-school to do their OWN indoctrinaion.

[Tobina+1]

I think this is a completely empty argument.  Kind of like which church is better.  That all depends on your own beliefs and abilities.  We've all determined on here that not every parent is QUALIFIED to teach their kids in a  homeschool atmosphere.  Yes, the real-world basics, but all parents should be doing that regardless of what type of school their child attends.  But those people who struggled themselves in school probably aren't real qualifed to be teaching those basics.  ALSO, as also stated on here... many people struggle to keep roofs and food and clothes.  They don't have the time or the money to homeschool their kids.  Kids don't learn well naked and starving.

Yes, the homeschool system is good (if not great).  But it takes a special kind of parent and child to make it work... just ask any parent or kid who has done this.  Yes, the public school system is effective.  But it also takes the involvement of parent and child to get any education out of it, too.

No one is better or worse for choosing homeschool or public school.  No child is better or worse educated, either.  No one is more or less "free".  Yes, there are some who thrive in certain environments and learning situations... but you can also say the opposite.

[Varmit]

I think the best balance is a combination of both. I don't have a problem with public school.....my kids all did and do fine. I kept  and keep up with what they are taught or NOT taught and fill in the blanks with the rest of the story.

Pam, I think you have a good point so long as the combination is with state and local gov't and not the federal.  There doesn't seem to be enough parents that keep up with their kids education.  They leave it entirely up to the schools.

Yes, the homeschool system is good (if not great).  But it takes a special kind of parent and child to make it work...  No child is better or worse educated, either. 

Tobina, I see what you're saying but I don't think it takes a "special" parent or child.  I believe it takes a parent that is willing and determined to make the nessecary adjustments in their life. 
As for the education, the majority of homeschooled kids tend to score higher on standardized tests than public school kids.

[Diane Amberg]

I would be amazed if home schooled kids didn't score better than public school kids. The public schools have to work with whatever product is dropped at their door. You take whatever level they are and try to take them as far as you can. That's if they come to school at all. You can't help a child who isn't there. Most kids are great to work with. Some aren't.