Home school vs public school?

k8blujay2

I certainly hope you are joking. Those of us in the homeschooling community refer to "No Child Left Behind," as "No Chiild gets Ahead."

Haha, never heard of it that way--I'm totally using that from now on! :laugh:

I have so many friends in my age range (I'm 25) who have been hurt, education-wise, by NCLB from when it first started. I can only imagine how bad it is today.

Learning about NCLB, FCAT (Florida's state-wide standardized test...aka: bunch of crap), etc....are really disappointing. FCAT is one of the biggest reasons, if not THE biggest, for why my friends are homeschooling in Florida.

Believe me, I totally support your concerns! I teach in a school that doesn't have to follow NCLB guidelines. I get to TEACH!

I think that's where the problem lies in getting big brother too involved... Crap like NCLB happens... But then I'm a firm believer of as long as students are learning the 3R's and are getting funding as they need it (not bloated)... then everything is gravy... I'm also a firm believer that the DoEd needs to go away (or at the very least have their role diminished)... But that's just me... because I feel that the educational needs are not the same in Massachusetts, as they are in Texas, as they are in Washington State, as they are in Alaska.... The results should be the same of course (having a literate society that goes on to be a productive member of society)... but the paths are very different just because of the social constructs within each state. Shoot, even the social constructs from city to township are different as well... That's why I am not a fan of standardized testing as it is either.

roachhaley

I knew two homeschooled girls through my grandparents' church. They were learning calculus at the age of 13. I think that should speak for itself.

Obviously, everyone has different needs and should pick their course of education based on their needs. I attended a charter high school - basically, we got public school funding but got to do (mostly) whatever the hell we wanted to with the money. that meant I got a much better education and experience out of school. I was friends with all of my teachers and everyone genuinely cared about each other. I went back to visit a while ago and we all had a big cry together because we missed each other that much.

Some people do better in a more traditional public school. Some people are just wired to do that kind of work and flourish with it.

Some people are better with one on one teaching or teaching in small groups. I'm not, because I'm extremely shy. I find that a small class size with a flexible curriculum is best for me.

KimmyEB

I certainly hope you are joking. Those of us in the homeschooling community refer to "No Child Left Behind," as "No Chiild gets Ahead."

Haha, never heard of it that way--I'm totally using that from now on! :laugh:

I have so many friends in my age range (I'm 25) who have been hurt, education-wise, by NCLB from when it first started. I can only imagine how bad it is today.

Learning about NCLB, FCAT (Florida's state-wide standardized test...aka: bunch of crap), etc....are really disappointing. FCAT is one of the biggest reasons, if not THE biggest, for why my friends are homeschooling in Florida.

Believe me, I totally support your concerns! I teach in a school that doesn't have to follow NCLB guidelines. I get to TEACH!

I've been looking for alternative places to start volunteering and (hopefully) obtain a career with, that don't have to work around NCLB, FCAT, etc. It's hard, but I'm hopeful!

StarvingKyy

As a certified, licensed school teacher, I am always concerned when parents pull their children out of regular school and say they will be "homeschooling" their child from that point forward. I will share my reasons below:

1. Qualifications/educational level of parents - Can a parent reach and teach their child the important things that child needs to know? Do they know what "developmentally appropriate" is for their child's age? Are the parents knowledgeable enough about the curriculum to present it in ways the child understands?

2. Is the curriculum relevant? Is the child learning what should be learned, versus what the parents want that child to learn? (some HS programs offer "revisionist" history, where important truths are conveniently left out - eg, slavery, holocaust, etc) There are certain skill sets/requirements all children MUST know in order to be well rounded adults. Slanted or inaccurate information can negatively affect a child's future.

3. Is the parent willing to sit by their child, invest the time, and hold their children accountable for their school work? Many parents nowadays have to work, and trusting their young child to stay home and do their school work all on line is a recipe for disaster. My daughter's friend is now being homeschooled (due to bullying) and guess what? This girl only gets 5 hours of weekly school work, which is less than one full day's worth of schooling. In a WEEK.

4. Schools provide the opportunity for children to learn HOW to get along with others, even if the children are being bullied. Instead of retreating into a "safe" world, it is better to learn how to handle the bullying and work on developing self esteem. Running away from it doesn't build self confidence, it only pushes the real issues aside.

I hope this provides you with some real information to make a very educated choice. I'm not anti-HS, I am against homeschool programs that end up causing more harm than good. Make sure your child is being monitored on a regular, weekly basis, by qualified school teachers, and is learning STATE curriculum standards. If those criteria are met, then a HS program should be okay overall.

My mom homeschools all of my brothers and sisters. My 11 year old sister (5th grade) is in 7th grade reading, 6th grade math, and is in 7th grade English. The rest of her courses are her 5th grade level. My 9 year old brother Josh has SEVERE ADD and ADHD and would have done horrible in public school. He has been finished with his 3rd grade level school since March and is doing fantastic. My younger brother Mija is 5. He began sitting down with his siblings "doing school" since he was 4 and by the time he began kindergarden he knew how to spell his name, write and pronounce the entire alphabet and he could count to 100. He finished 1st grade Math in April and my mom has him dabbling in some 2nd grade Math as of now - and he's 5. All three kids have been tested and placed in their division of education by the public school so that my mom is for sure and certain about what levels of course work they should be taking.
My brother and I went to public school, and we both have learning disabilities. I always got D's and C's and an occasional B on my report card. I started homeschooling my Freshman year online and within the 1st semester, got straight A's along with my brother. My GPA is currently a 4.1 because not only am I getting straight A's in my highschool right now, but I'm also enrolled in 3 courses at the local college that I'm attending in addition.
I think Homeschool has made me more of an amitious person.
And in a way, you are right, I think homeschooling depends on the parents dedication. But I also think you are wrong that homeschooling depends on the parents qualification. My sister's friend is 12 (had cancer for 4 years of her life so she began homeschooling) and is in 6th grade, a year behind where she should be because he treatment kept her out of so much school. Well last week this 12 year old girl blew away the public school teachers when she was tested at the public school and was tested into 12th grade Reading, 9th grade Math, 7th grade science, and 8th grade English, all wayyy above her level. I definetly think it's the dedication of a parent who truly cares, that is going to help you to succeed in homeschooling. Just IMHO

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Ok I did not read ALL the previous posts but I think I got a sampling.

I was a high school teacher in public school, my husband was homeschooled, and I went to public school. Here goes.

I plan to homeschool my own children, and will be putting in the necessary time and effort to make sure that education is well-rounded and will prepare them socially and academically for college. I do think that public educators for the most part are better trained than the average parent-- it's not just a matter of learning a subject matter but the fact that teachers are trained in the science of how to teach the material most effectively. However, public educators are overworked, stressed, and given far too many students and far too many required tests. Teachers are being stripped of their ability to use their education and creativity and instead states are implementing a much more scripted program. And while some students may actually get 5 hours of education at school, the more intelligent students will finish early and spend most of their time doing busy work. It's not the most effective use of time for students are work/learn quickly. In fact a large part of our principal's complaints about the staff was that there were too many students who weren't engaged for large periods of time.

My husband's homeschool experience wasn't great-- he had workbooks and textbooks, but he was on his own. He is dyslexic but learned to compensate on his own, since he didn't have anyone modifying material for him. When he got to high school he went to public school an was instantly confused. He didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to leave when he'd finished, and he was a couple of grade levels ahead so he was bored.

I went the public school route. I was miserable and had social anxiety. Nothing in public school helped that anxiety, and honestly the fact that I was constantly pushed to be "more social" made me more and more anxious. I didn't really get over it until college, which was much more laid back. Both myself and my husband have good careers and got good scores in college.

Is private schooling an option for your sister? Perhaps a school with smaller class sizes would be helpful? I agree that running away from anxiety doesn't solve it, but neither does pushing someone into a situation that makes them really afraid. Maybe whoever prescribes her meds could give you a better idea of what the best course of action would be.

StarvingKyy

We're Catholic too. The kids are taught science and religion pretty much. The world was formed by God. But they are also taught about the Dinosaurs (some amish people don't know what dinosaurs are -theyre education are the ones we should be worried about!! ha ha ha jk jk jk.. : ) )) and they're taught that man did NOT start out as an ape, man started out as man, but slowly over time, man along with animals and plants and evolved to match their backrounds. Like if you live in Africa, you're skin has become darker to tolerate the sun. If you live in Alaska where the sun is very bright reflecting off the snow, your eyes are slanted to protect you from the light (idk about the last one, just examples) but ya thats pretty much it. I did not go into depth with this, but just simple examples.

CrazyTrackLady

I do not feel that Christian home schoolers should have to study the Quran, nor should Muslim home schoolers have to study the Bible. Since Christianity is the basis for Western Civiliztion, and the Bible is referenced in much of Western Literature, I think the study of both would be appropriate in public schools. Being a classics lover, I would also include study of the pre Christian classical world, particularly Greece and Rome. When I went to High School, fortunately, Classical Latin was required for the top academic track. I think understanding our civilization requires study of the most important books in our civilization including the Bible (but not the Quran - different civilization.) I certainly have no objection to the study of any religious text as a secular subject, but I would prefer the Bible since it is so basic to our culture.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Many of our words, morals, laws, etc... are founded off of the Christian faith. That's just how it works when you live in the Western world. It doesn't hurt to learn a little bit about what Christianity believes, even if you're not teaching children it's necessarily true.

It would also be nice to teach kids a little about the First Nations people and their faith systems as well though.

It also doesn't hurt to teach children about OTHER faiths, because it leads to acceptance, tolerance, and the willingness to remain open minded instead of coming across as judgmental and exclusionary. Not to mention sanctimonious and self-righteous.

penrbrown

I do not feel that Christian home schoolers should have to study the Quran, nor should Muslim home schoolers have to study the Bible. Since Christianity is the basis for Western Civiliztion, and the Bible is referenced in much of Western Literature, I think the study of both would be appropriate in public schools. Being a classics lover, I would also include study of the pre Christian classical world, particularly Greece and Rome. When I went to High School, fortunately, Classical Latin was required for the top academic track. I think understanding our civilization requires study of the most important books in our civilization including the Bible (but not the Quran - different civilization.) I certainly have no objection to the study of any religious text as a secular subject, but I would prefer the Bible since it is so basic to our culture.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Many of our words, morals, laws, etc... are founded off of the Christian faith. That's just how it works when you live in the Western world. It doesn't hurt to learn a little bit about what Christianity believes, even if you're not teaching children it's necessarily true.

It would also be nice to teach kids a little about the First Nations people and their faith systems as well though.

It also doesn't hurt to teach children about OTHER faiths, because it leads to acceptance, tolerance, and the willingness to remain open minded instead of coming across as judgmental and exclusionary. Not to mention sanctimonious and self-righteous.

Doesn't hurt but there's only so much time and room in a classroom and I should think the religions prevalent in our society would be the ones that should take pride of place in the educational process.

Hannah1234567893753

Im homeschooled right now and it works for me and I think if your mom made her go to school it would just make her nerves get worse, like my mom and dad always said like face your fears and it will get better and sometimes it will but when I was in middle school it just made things worse a child should not be nervous to go to school. There are programs where parents and kid that all homeschool meet and like go places because you need social skills as well and sometimes when someone is homeschooled those skills tend to be neglected especially if the reason you left public school was like because you were shy. As long as she likes it and she learns social skills it seems like it would be a good thing.

VegesaurusRex

Doesn't hurt but there's only so much time and room in a classroom and I should think the religions prevalent in our society would be the ones that should take pride of place in the educational process.



I agree. Christianity is important for our history and literature, and Judaism and Christianity are important for our morals, laws and world view. This sounds awful, but these are the most important religions for our culture. Other religions may be interesting or cool, but as you say there is only so much time, and what I had in mind was working the religious topics into English and History courses. Now of course, if you are studying Asian history, then Buddhism is also important, and if you are studying the Middle East Islam is important..

And if I had my druthers the biggest change I would make would be bringing back an emphasis on the classics. A hundred years ago, every city had a Latin School which was usually the best (sometimes the only) public school. A few have survived: Boston Latin and Cambridge Latin for example, still the best schools around.

impyimpyaj

So I know I said I was out, but I want to put in my opinion on the religion thing:

I'm Christian. If I homeschooled, we'd have Christian education. But we would also be learning about the other major world religions: Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc. We are European-American, but we would also be learning about the histories of other cultural groups in our country, and around the world. I understand that in our society, white Christians are the majority. But there are countless other cultures that our children will encounter in their lives. No, we can't cover them all. But if we cover as many as possible, they will be more open-minded and accepting of differences. It's important to give kids a multicultural education, whether in public school, private school, or homeschool.

penrbrown

I agree. Christianity is important for our history and literature, and Judaism and Christianity are important for our morals, laws and world view. This sounds awful, but these are the most important religions for our culture. Other religions may be interesting or cool, but as you say there is only so much time, and what I had in mind was working the religious topics into English and History courses. Now of course, if you are studying Asian history, then Buddhism is also important, and if you are studying the Middle East Islam is important..

And if I had my druthers the biggest change I would make would be bringing back an emphasis on the classics. A hundred years ago, every city had a Latin School which was usually the best (sometimes the only) public school. A few have survived: Boston Latin and Cambridge Latin for example, still the best schools around.

I sincerely like your approach to this.

I think it sounds very respectful to each culture involved.

KimmyEB

The last cluster of posts prove why religion is excluded from public education.

Do what you want homeschooling, though.

impyimpyaj

The last cluster of posts prove why religion is excluded from public education.

Do what you want homeschooling, though.

Religion isn't excluded from public education. Schools often learn about world religions. They're just not allowed to ENDORSE any religion, or say that one is better. Religion is an important part of a multicultural education.

VegesaurusRex

The last cluster of posts prove why religion is excluded from public education.

Do what you want homeschooling, though.

I am starting to see your point. Religion is a hot topic. When I was in High School we openly discussed religion and there were Protestants, Catholics and Jews in the class as well as a few atheists. Everyone's point of view was respected.

CrazyTrackLady

So I know I said I was out, but I want to put in my opinion on the religion thing:

I'm Christian. If I homeschooled, we'd have Christian education. But we would also be learning about the other major world religions: Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc. We are European-American, but we would also be learning about the histories of other cultural groups in our country, and around the world. I understand that in our society, white Christians are the majority. But there are countless other cultures that our children will encounter in their lives. No, we can't cover them all. But if we cover as many as possible, they will be more open-minded and accepting of differences. It's important to give kids a multicultural education, whether in public school, private school, or homeschool.

AWESOME!

CrazyTrackLady

I do not feel that Christian home schoolers should have to study the Quran, nor should Muslim home schoolers have to study the Bible. Since Christianity is the basis for Western Civiliztion, and the Bible is referenced in much of Western Literature, I think the study of both would be appropriate in public schools. Being a classics lover, I would also include study of the pre Christian classical world, particularly Greece and Rome. When I went to High School, fortunately, Classical Latin was required for the top academic track. I think understanding our civilization requires study of the most important books in our civilization including the Bible (but not the Quran - different civilization.) I certainly have no objection to the study of any religious text as a secular subject, but I would prefer the Bible since it is so basic to our culture.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Many of our words, morals, laws, etc... are founded off of the Christian faith. That's just how it works when you live in the Western world. It doesn't hurt to learn a little bit about what Christianity believes, even if you're not teaching children it's necessarily true.

It would also be nice to teach kids a little about the First Nations people and their faith systems as well though.

It also doesn't hurt to teach children about OTHER faiths, because it leads to acceptance, tolerance, and the willingness to remain open minded instead of coming across as judgmental and exclusionary. Not to mention sanctimonious and self-righteous.

Doesn't hurt but there's only so much time and room in a classroom and I should think the religions prevalent in our society would be the ones that should take pride of place in the educational process.

That's pretty much how North Korea educates their children - they only learn about their own culture, and to heck with the rest of the world. And we all know how well North Korea has accepted and gets along with the rest of the Western world.

k8blujay2

So I know I said I was out, but I want to put in my opinion on the religion thing:

I'm Christian. If I homeschooled, we'd have Christian education. But we would also be learning about the other major world religions: Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc. We are European-American, but we would also be learning about the histories of other cultural groups in our country, and around the world. I understand that in our society, white Christians are the majority. But there are countless other cultures that our children will encounter in their lives. No, we can't cover them all. But if we cover as many as possible, they will be more open-minded and accepting of differences. It's important to give kids a multicultural education, whether in public school, private school, or homeschool.

Even though we used a primarily Christian curriculum (Bob Jones anyone.... and let me remind, this was before there were many decent choices at least for those of us living overseas (in the early 90s)) as we are a Christian family... we too also learned about other religions. We have always had (for as long as I can remember) a Book of Mormon, a Quran, the Apocrypha and other books and writings on other religions in our house as well. I myself was always interested in the pantheism of the Greek and Roman persuasion....

RilantheFirebug

My gut instinct is to worry they wouldn't be socialized enough, however each kid is different.... However I've had several friends in college who went from homeschooled to a large state university (like the size of Notre Dame, Purdue, etc) and did not adjust well at all.

I'd also worry that the parents would let their bias color their education.

k8blujay2

I do not feel that Christian home schoolers should have to study the Quran, nor should Muslim home schoolers have to study the Bible. Since Christianity is the basis for Western Civiliztion, and the Bible is referenced in much of Western Literature, I think the study of both would be appropriate in public schools. Being a classics lover, I would also include study of the pre Christian classical world, particularly Greece and Rome. When I went to High School, fortunately, Classical Latin was required for the top academic track. I think understanding our civilization requires study of the most important books in our civilization including the Bible (but not the Quran - different civilization.) I certainly have no objection to the study of any religious text as a secular subject, but I would prefer the Bible since it is so basic to our culture.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Many of our words, morals, laws, etc... are founded off of the Christian faith. That's just how it works when you live in the Western world. It doesn't hurt to learn a little bit about what Christianity believes, even if you're not teaching children it's necessarily true.

It would also be nice to teach kids a little about the First Nations people and their faith systems as well though.

It also doesn't hurt to teach children about OTHER faiths, because it leads to acceptance, tolerance, and the willingness to remain open minded instead of coming across as judgmental and exclusionary. Not to mention sanctimonious and self-righteous.

Doesn't hurt but there's only so much time and room in a classroom and I should think the religions prevalent in our society would be the ones that should take pride of place in the educational process.

That's pretty much how North Korea educates their children - they only learn about their own culture, and to heck with the rest of the world. And we all know how well North Korea has accepted and gets along with the rest of the Western world.

Except there is a difference between us and North Korea... we are multicultural, with many sociatal influences... we also provide (whether directly or indirectly) access to information that is outside of our culture and society... Whereas, North Korea is not and does not.