I guess it is in most ways.
Only difference is that the entire system is entirely state-driven, including the universities

 

We live in one of the largest districts in the country- top 25. The district's policy is to bus kids all over the county to achieve balancing. While they can't do this based on racial lines, they skirt the law by doing on "free and reduced" (F&R) lunch criteria, which is essentially the same thing. This serves the purpose of camoflauging the actual problems, while fixing none. The results are unmeasurable and the costs (transportation, etc.) seemingly undeterminable. They then tout themselves as one of the best districts in the nation.

While we have had good teachers for our children and primarily good schools, the district itself sucks. If a parent said, "I', homeschooling." I'd say, "I understand". I konw of several people who took oportunities to move, all driven at least in part by the school system.

Social interation? We have 4 boys (same family) in our scout troop who are homeschooled. Smart and polite; true young leaders actually. Whereas, my son was bulllied all through middle school and the school seemed incapable of dealing with it. Same thing when a neighbors daughter was groped on the bus. Oh, but how they moved when the police were called. I've heard people say the problems at thier schools are coming almost exclusively from children bused in. Instead of fixing the problems and addressing the issues at each school, the school administration is moving students around the system in a shell game to hide the problems. Kids from the same neighborhood wind up going to schools 10-15 miles apart- so social networks from school are fragmented.

For those that think being a techer is overly difficult. Both my wife and I have graduate degrees (I've instructed at the graduate level). I think neither of us would have any problem implementing a defined instructional program. That's not to say we don't appreciate the good, hardworking, and underpaid teachers our children have had. Nor is it to say it is not a hard job.

It's sad but my wife and I have gone from involved parents and school supporters to people who will NEVER support another school bond (due to waste and mismanagement) and will not even join the PTA. Our sole goal is to get our youngest through HS (about 5.5 more years) and then I don't care. I never thought I'd think or feel this way, but I do. Until the system changes and is accountable I won't change my stance.

For those who might care, the system is Wake County, NC.

So back to the thread- if you want to home school and you are up to it, I think it's perfectly fine.

 

Heyas,

I seriously disagree with this.

The home schooled kids of friends are probably the best adjusted kids that I have ever met. It wasn't even like you're were talking with kids, just short, intellegent adults. They're mostly all in college now, and they are all doing exceptionally well.

The public schools these days are geared to the lowest common denominator, so the reasonably smart kids are basically told to sit and color for four years. Total waste of time and taxpayers dollars. Social "interaction", as it were, is a compelte waste.

Not all is lost, though. Some smart kids where I live have figured out how to game the system. They do 2 years in high school, then take the GED. Now legally released from high school, they go and do 2 years at the local community college, then transfer into a 4 year school. They live at home while they're in the CC, which saves even more money, and gives them a chance to adapt to college without the social stress of being out on their own for the first time (binge drinking, anyone?), and so have a MUCH better performance.

It saves money, time and is 10X easier than the retarded dog & pony show that the college application process has become. In most cases, they don't even need to take the SAT/ACT, since they are transfer students, not applicants. They graduate 2 full years earlier.

Naturally, the teachers and adminstrators are ****ed at this because without the smart kids in school to prop up their miserable performance, the schools are seen for what they really are...failures.

Nu

 

One of the biggest problems with the current system is funding. As a result of current educational policies teachers aren't educating. They're preparing their students for standardized tests. If the standardized test scores drop, they lose funding and resources.

The result of this is that the students that are lagging receive extra attention and the students that are ahead don't receive the attention they need and end up "average". Public school teachers are left powerless out of fear that parents will come for their head if they don't give every child the attention they need or discipline those who are acting out.

I went to private schools my entire life. Not because my parents had money, but because the public schools where I grew up are some of the worst in the state and beyond dangerous. We moved while my sisters were in grade school and they finished up in public schools. I excelled in school because the classes were smaller, and the teachers didn't put up with the BS from trouble makers. My sisters fell behind when they transferred. On two or three occasions they were failing classes and didn't because I was able to teach them an entire semester worth of material in one or two days in preparing for a final.

All in all, I don't know which is better. Most children in my area that are homeschooled are in that situation because their parents have some sort of religious/political agenda behind it. The result is that many are narrow minded bigots like their parents.

Somebody mentioned the roll parents play. I think this is the most important regardless of where your children are educated. Too many people think schools are responsible for teaching and disciplining your children and this couldn't be farther from the truth. Most of what they learn will come from the parents. Teachers can talk at them nonstop but if the parents don't take an active roll in their homework and study they will fail.

 

When I was first starting college I would have totally agreed with that statement. I resented the fact that the college made me live in the dorms my freshman year. Looking back on it, it was probably one of the best things possible. I matured both, socially and personally, a great deal that year. As a kid who grew up in a town of less than 1000 people, you could say that going to a major state college was a total culture shock for me. Living on campus, away from the family, taught me alot about who I was and who I wanted to be (or not be). It also taught me alot more about the true nature of people that I did not get growing up in small town USA (mayberry ).

It seems people are so afraid of their kids getting on the wrong track, so they try to shelter them from life. This is just crazy to me, raise your kids right and let them go. You, I and your kids was/were exposed to alot of bad influences in life. It's ultimately up to the individual to make the decisions and deal with the consequences. It was easy to point out the ones in college who were sheltered their whole life....many suffered greatly and ended up going down the wrong path anyway.

 

Crewdawg,

I would say it would depend on the person most likely. It may be good for some people to go away, while it may not be so important for others.

 

Take a look at ANY government run program and then come back with a straight face and tell me the government is more qualified to teach children ANYTHING.

No it isn't. The government has thrown more and more money at government schools for decades and they are STILL failing.



Agreed, and everything is dumbed down to the lowest common denominator now, for a number of reasons. My sister-in-law is a high school Spanish teacher. She tells me all the time of school policies like not giving out homework, because it "harms the children's self esteem" and they should be "spending time with their families instead of doing extra work". And they dont give out "F"s anymore, it's now an "I" for incomplete, and the kids can just turn in the work as they see fit.

Part of the problem is the teacher's union for not allowing voucher programs to be put into place. If parents (those who give a damn anyway) were able to CHOOSE where their kids went to school, and the teachers actually had to compete to keep their jobs and keep their schools open, I bet things would turn around fairly quickly.

Part of the problem are the parents. A. Why someone thinks its a good idea for the government to be teaching their kids I will never understand. But B. Back to my sister-in-law, she gets calls WEEKLY from parents wanting to know "I See Danny got a D. Can you raise that to a C so he can still play football/baseball/soccer/lacrosse??? Well, I know he didnt do his homework, but you shouldnt give him that much anyway" Get real. These kids sole function in life at this point is to get through school and prepare themselves for life. In 10 years, no one gives a damn if you were the quarterback of your HS football team. (On that note, I'm also sick of listening to these asinine commercials on the radio about how hard it is for kids to graduate high school, and their friends should really help them out. Come on, if you cant make it through high school, you're a loser, period.)

And more about parents ... Here's a tip for you. It's not your job, as a parent, to be your kid's FRIEND. You are doing them no favors by coddling them and not expecting more out of them.

Good point. And remember, this is where the fake "disease" ADD came from. Those same reasonably smart kids were told they had ADD/ADHD. So rather than take the time to find something to challenge and stimulate the child, it's much easier for the school personnel to recommend the parents simply drug the kid so he doesn't ask too many questions, or "cause trouble" for the rest of the class.

 

My wife taught public school for seven years. When we had our first child, she elected to stay at home. We now have four children who are school age and we homeschool them for several reasons:

1) We choose the curriculum...some children may not do well with certain curriculum, so you can try a different source that may be better suited to them.

2) Children can learn at their own pace, which is usually faster then the public school. Discipline in the classroom is a big problem for teachers in public schools because often there are disruptive children there that they just can't remove.

3) We choose the social settings & friends for the kids. Our city has a huge home school cooperative with sports leagues and classes. Public schools can have positive and negative socialization -- we have more control over that in the homeschool arena.

4) Progress is measured through standardized testing, typically the Stanford Test. Our children typically test 2-3 grades higher than their public school counterparts all the way up to post-high school for our 8th grader.

For a complete list of the legal ramifications of homeschooling, check out this website:

http://www.hslda.org/

It also has facts regarding homeschooled children.

As the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan use to say, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts."

Read the facts and you'll be impressed.

BTW, Tim Tebow, quarterback of the National Championship Florida Gators, was home schooled through high school. I'd say his social skills are without peer in college football.

 

It can work and it can backfire. I've seen both. I hope you are still teaching them to deal with those "bad elements" on a daily basis or else they will be like lambs to the salughter when they leave the cozy nest you have built for them at home and send them out in the cruel world eh? Sometimes that little bit of exposure to the less desirable elements is like the flu shot. A little bit of bad prevents a whole lot worse; but if don't get any bad then you are open for the whole kittencabootle!

USMCFLYR

 

For a truly well rounded individual, homeschooling could possibly be followed up by a three or four year stint in the military. My son will be highly encouraged to consider the Army Airborne or Marine Corps Infantry.
Or ballet school, whatever makes him happy.