This link, http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml, looks at the business of home-schooling.
My brother just broke off a relationship with a young woman who was home-schooled. She seemed bright and bouncy. She wanted to join the Sheriff's Department. She began to take classes in college. She knew she had problems in math so she invited me over a couple of times to help her with the textbook. I had some trouble myself because of the way they teach math now compared to when I was in school 40-50 years ago. She also had trouble with reading. Apparently, these things slipped by her mother's attention when she was being taught at home.
She had started working at a bank, but found that she didn't like getting up early. She has trouble getting up before 11:00 AM (she has canceled appointments to her doctors because of this). Also, she was not making the money that she thought she could. She found work as an exotic dancer (shy works in the evening and can sleep until 3:00 PM). She could make $1,200 a week with only two or three nights of work. She plans to home-school her two daughters because she doesn't like the Toledo Public Schools. She feels she can give her daughters a much better education than they can get at either public or private schools. My brother broke off with her when he found that she had started herself an "escort service" with "full services" and herself as the only employee.
Sounds like her kids might be better off even at TPS. Yikes.
There are some parents who do an effective job with home schooling, and I have no issue with them.
I do personally know a family who chooses to home school their kids, and unfortunately (from an observer's perspective) that particular mom is not doing an effective job...at all. The kids roll out of bed anywhere between 9-10 am, by the time they all eat breakfast and get dressed its nearly 11 am. They might do an hour of actual school work, and then the mom has to run her errands (grocery shopping, etc.) They come home and do another half hour or so of school work until dad gets home. And that's it. Those kids are not very well prepared for anything in the future...whether it be college, vocational training, or even military life (not enough structure in the home - military would be a real culture shock!) The extended family is not terribly happy about what's going on with these kids, but of course there's nothing they can do about it.
Before anyone jumps on me, let me be absolutely clear that I am not saying that all home school families are like that. I know there are great home school families, and I"d hope that the majority of them are at least reasonably effective.
Its just unfortunate that when there is a specific family where home schooling clearly is not the best option for the kids, there isn't much that any concerned friend/family member/neighbor can really do about it.
Also concerns me that so many abuse victims are "home schooled" to be out of the prying eyes of teachers and the public. For example, the recent news story about the family in the South that was rescued from a filthy home where the domineering dad didn't let them out of the home...not even to take out the trash. (Note - not saying that families who legitimately home school their children are abusive. The abusers who lie and say that they are "home schooling" to keep their kids away from teachers and other adults who might detect the abuse are not "legitimate" home schoolers to me, because they aren't actually trying to teach their kids...just keep them hidden.)
Seems like it would be a delicate situation to keep an eye on home schooled kids to make sure they are okay, versus overstepping boundaries with the legitimate home schoolers. I don't pretend to know what the right solution is...just wish there was a way to help the kids who need it. (Without stepping on the toes of the families who don't.)
We home schooled him till 8th grade. The one on one ratio is a great bonus. Many days he slept in late. He still had a great advantage, one on one you can get alot done in just 3 or 4 hours . He played football in grade school years and in high school , many field trips too. It comes down to parental responsibility .
My wife has taught in the public school system for ten years. She wants to home-school our children. Even her fellow teachers agree it is a better education to be taught at home. How can anyone argue one-on-one compared to being one of thirty in a class. Does anyone here learn something on their job better with thirty other people around interrupting, asking to go to the bathroom and bringing all their broken home drama to work? Unlikely,
This example you use of this woman not being able to do her work is quite the rare exception of someone who was home schooled. Of course, your bias against home-schooling is obvious or else you wouldn't even have made this post in the first place. Most of the kids in our church our home schooled. Almost all of them have gone on to top universities (at early ages). Our daughter started kindergarten this year at a public school....she is the only kid in her class that knows how to read. (From us home schooling her). So now, she has to waste time in class because the other kids can't read. She was told she can't read a book to the class or teacher because it might make the other kids feel bad. When she asked me why....I told the truth....there mommy's and daddy's don't take the time to read with them....that's why that can't read. The public school system has tons of programs for the kids that can't do...and hardly any programs for those who can do.
As for home schoolers starting late in the morning...who cares? My wife says about four hours out of six are wasted every school day because of parent problems, behavior problems, disruptions, etc. She only needs about two hours to teach our kids what it would take six in a public school.
Let's not even get started on all the negatives kids our exposed to in public schools. Other kids home problems, sex, drugs, etc. Can we always keep our kids in a bubble? No. But, we don't have to throw them into the fire either. After all....there are still some of us common sense parents who don't think our young children should be reading fairy tales about two gay guys called the Prince and the King....and other liberal political crap pushed on these kids by global warming believing nut jobs and "educators."
Public schools are nothing more than a political brainwashing tool for liberals and the democratic party.
Another thing I find fascinating....is that when I get into discussions with people about certain issues...lets say by stance against gay marriage. People call my a bigot and say "What do you care what gay people do behind closed doors? It's not affecting you, they're not hurting your family." So, I say the same thing in response to the tons of people that for some reason get really mad at us for saying we are going to home school....what do you care if we teach our children at home? It's not affecting you.
Who's the bigot and hypocrite now?
Why then, does, McCain want to give more monies and support to brainwashing tools of the opposite party?
He has proposed rewards for teachers and other measures.
is a senior at BGSU. She has been to Hawai, and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans. She went to Glenwood for kindergarten which was a disaster. In first grade her teacher threatened that if I did not send in the medical form the next school day my daughter would not be able to watch movies on Friday. Huh? I figured if she was going to watch movies, she could do that at home.