Homeschooling: What's the deal? What are the guidelines?

[RandomKoolzip]

I've wondered about this:

If you decide to homeschool your kids, how do you go about it? Are there some set tests/standards to meet? Where do you get the textbooks? Are there textbooks?! How do you decide when the kid has learned enough? Do you leave the socialization to the church/mall environments?

Someone edumacate me about this stuff. It just seems like a dodge so that fundies and John Bircher-types can "bring their kids up godly and right-wing."

[goddess40]

1. Depends

on which state you live in. In Wisconsin all you have to do is tell your kid's school you intend to homeschool. They will send you a form. After you fill out the form and return it that is the end of your obligation. There are no tests or standards the kids have to maintain.

[RandomKoolzip]

3. So with what materials do you teach them?

Do you pick out the books? Do most parents feel qualified to teach their children, for example, algebra? How do you gauge their growth?

I'm still of the mind that this is just a way to ram the bible down the throats of the young.

[democratreformed]

19. I considered homeschooling but opted for a small private school.

My son failed miserably in public school. At the end of kindergarten, he still could not even write his own name. Around Christmas of that first year, we began seeking testing for ADHD. We couldn't get an appointment at the "official" place for months, so,instead we took him to a psychologist we found in the phone book. We called first and his nurse told us that this particular psychologist does not normally reccommend medication for ADHD.

Well, we took him for testing and the psychologist's words were "I don't usually reccommend medication, but....." And, of course, that's exactly what he did. With that diagnosis, we were then able to get a required appointment at the "official" place and went through the whole testing mess again. By the time of our diagnosis, there was nine weeks left in the school year. My son did very well those last nine weeks, but still had missed basically the first three nine weeks of kindergarten. We chose to hold him back for a second year of kindergarten.

Lo and behold, the new year arrived and the school assigned my son to a classroom with a brand new teacher fresh out of college. On the first day of school, I discussed his problems with her and told her that we had found that, if he took his medication around 10 a.m., he was more likely to eat a healthy lunch. On the second day of school, she complained that they do too much work in the mornings for him to wait until 10 for his medication. I said it was okay for him to take it first thing (7:45 a.m.) On the third day of the second year of kindergarten for my son, I could not make it up there to talk to his teacher. My daughter was in 10th grade at the same school and I asked her to check on his progress for me. She was told, by his teacher, that my son would "either fail kindergarten AGAIN or be passed to first grade this time without knowing anything."

I was very upset. I went to the principal and told her what had been said. Her reaction was to ask if I was sure that my son was taking "enough medication". I told her that I did not intend to play with my son and run to the doctor every week asking for more medication because the school could not control or teach him. After I left the school, I visited a tiny little private school that I knew about here in my town. I was told by a friend that her son had taken a preschool program there and had entered kindergarten on a first-grade level. The people at the school were very nice and made a lot of sense. My husband and I decided it was worth a try. (I was leery of homeschooling - not b/c of my limitations - I'm a certified math and science teacher - but b/c I was pretty certain I wouldn't be disciplined enough to do it right).

I took my son out of public school the next day and enrolled him in the private school where he has been for the last four years. He is in third grade there now. He has learned to write. He is a whiz at math. He struggles with reading (likely dyslexic) but we are making progress. The bottom line is that he is learning and he is not "lost in the system" - which I absolutely would not allow to happen.

[democratreformed]

21. P.S.

Yes, it is a church school. But, I tolerate the religious part so that my son can get an education. It would be nice if there was a private school here that was not religiously affiliated but there's not.

[Tsiyu]

15. Wiccans, Pagans, Muslims, Mexicans, Amish....

Many people homeschool. Many of our public schools are turning out idiots who vote for other idiots like *. I homeschooled and three that can vote are liberal Democrats.

States set guidelines. Most parents I have met who homeschool are great parents. Too sad when people make sweeping generalizations about this option for children.

[NC_Nurse]

2. Varies widely from state to state.

Yes, some are fundies who want to indoctrinate their kids. Some aren't.
many brilliant scholars have been home schooled, but it's not always a success.
There are a variety of ways to go about it to, from ordering textbooks to online schooling.

[David Zephyr]

4. Andrea Yates is the Poster Girl for Home Schooling

If her kids had been in public schools, they would all be alive today and maybe, just maybe Andrea could have gotten professional help and a divorce from her controlling, bible thumping jerk of a "husband".

[Tsiyu]

11. That's not really fair, Zephyr

And Jeffrey Daumer and TEd Bundy the poster children for Public School Products? Really!

[beyurslf]

5. Basically, if you can "make" a child, then you are qualified to "teach"

that child. Why we send people to school for 4-6 years to be teachers is beyond me. Just put them in the bedroom with someone and tell them to get naked. They'd come out master teachers in no time.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. Not all home schoolers are fundamentalists

Some are counter cultural types who mistrust all mainstream institutions. Some feel that the school is unable to meet their children's needs. Others, I suspect, are just control freaks. (This was the case with one of my academic colleagues. Whenever I saw her with her son, she was one of those hovering mothers who doesn't give the kid any breathing room.)

Even though my public high school left a lot to be desired both academically and socially, I'm glad I went. On the one hand, our house was full of books--classic literature, history, geography, science, world religions, biographies--and I was a voracious reader, so my academic knowledge didn't suffer. If a class was boring, that was simply an opportunity to sketch or to write stories. On the other hand, my mother and grandmother were over-protective, and I was delighted to have an excuse to leave the house every day, even if the social atmosphere at my school was sometimes painful.

[goddess40]

9. There seems to two main groups that home school

Fundies (like my sister) and people with gifted kids, especially those with any kind of learning disability.
The minority of home schooler do it out of the need to control, to cover abuse or sometimes the school doesn't fit with their kids for some reason such as a really horrible teacher.
I still regret that I didn't take my oldest out when he was in 7th grade as he had one of those really horrible teachers. There were so many complaints about this women the district moved her to the elementary school, that's what they do with bad teachers that screw up in middle or high schools here.
Some of the home schools are more correctly called alternative schools as parents band together and help each other, they take organized field trips. Some even have school type rooms in their homes where they teach other peoples kids, one parent may be better at science, while the other's strength is math.

[starroute]

7. I homeschooled both my kids on and off

I did it mostly because the public schools suck. I took my older son out early in 8th grade -- the last straw being that instead of real reading assignments for social studies, they were being given one-page handouts that were about on the level of a USA Today article and full of outdated information and opinions. He went back in 10th grade when the courses were at least a little more challenging.

I took my younger son out in 8th grade bascially because he was unhappy, let him go back in 9th grade because he wanted to be with his friends and thought high school would be better, then took him out again at the start of 10th grade because he was failing everything and getting knotted up with irritable bowel syndrome besides. He went back again in 12th grade, got almost all A's, and was accepted by a good college from which he graduated this past spring.

My older son loves reading, so my husband and I mostly threw a lot of adult-level books at him and encouraged him to read a pile of novels on the side. My younger son was terribly school-phobic by the second time I took him out, so although I did some reading and discussion with him, I also let him spend a lot of time fooling around on the Internet and playing Everquest. Oddly enough, it worked very well and built up both his communication skills and his self-confidence enormously. We also pulled both kids into whatever we were interested in at the moment, from current events to the history of Japan.

Math and science were the most problematic. I did some math with both of them but found it slow going, so they had a little catching up to do when they went back to school. Science we did mostly in terms of watching nature programs, wandering around the back yard with a magnifier, and talking about the philosophy of quantum physics.

I wouldn't recommend our experience as a model for most people, and it probably wouldn't work over more than a two-year stretch, but it did very well for us. We're in Pennsylvania, where the requirements mostly amount to submitting a one-page summary at the start of the year, outlining what you mean to do in the four basic subject areas, and then submitting a diary and samples of writing and other work at the end of the work, along with an evaluation by someone who is a teacher or equivalent and who will certify that the student is receiving an adequate education.

Unfortunately, most of the support for home-schooling comes from the religious right, which tends to distort its goals, but a lot of it also involves people who want to expose their kids to a broader and deeper range of information and philosophy than the public schools allow.

[9119495]

20. No, the home schools suck

I teach in a public school. I'm REALLY good and my school is REALLY good.

There was a post up thread about not making sweeping generalizations about either. Yes, some schools "suck" and some home schoolers are qualified to teach.

You saying "public schools suck" reminds me of all the fundies that were home schooled that end up at my school unable to read or think critically. We wait for them and help them out, but then that is our job.

Home schooling is also not an option for some people. My massive student loans and cost of living prevent me from quitting my job and educating my daughter. So in that way home schools are like private schools. They are for the privilaged...and they select their student bodies in ways public schools can't. Our local private school tests in the 90th percentile. My question is always, "how could they not?" They refuse special needs students (we test 'em). They refuse students with behavior problems (we test 'em). They won't take poor kids for free (we test 'em...and feed 'em).

Understand the complexities please.

[skygazer]

33. Well, you are kind of generalizing too

when you say that home schools are for the privileged. If you see my post below, you will see my story of home schooling my daughter, which I did when I was working full time. Much depends on the age of the child, of course - my daughter was in 8th grade which probably requires less one on one time than a younger child.

There are certainly people who are probably unqualified to teach their own child. And just from reading this thread, it seems obvious that there are vast differences in requirements and support from state to state. I was fortunate to be in Vermont which has a very helpful Dept. of Ed. that offers a lot of support and resources for home schoolers.

I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. I think it should be an option for people but there should be clear requirements and guidelines that have to be followed. Just as public and private schools have to meet certain requirements, I think home schoolers should have to prove that their children are indeed learning the things that they need to get by in the world.

In addition, I think the programs need to allow for some interaction with other kids, perhaps by opening up extra-curricular activities in the public schools to home schooled kids which Vermont also encouraged. Our home schooled kids were able to participate in sport and music programs through the schools which I thought was great.

[davsand]

8. There are many reasons to home school.

Had we stayed in a metro area it might have been an option we chose.

One benefit is your kids are working with VERY individualized lesson plans. If you are organized and not needful of time away every day from your kid it can be a great experience. If you chafe at 24/7 contact and need your space it can be a problem.

Another argument against it is the lack of socialization for kids. I know that my kid LIKES to see her buddies at school and would be bummed if she didn't get to do that. Additionally, there are the benefits of the sports programs and other activities that go along with school that your kid misses out on if you home school.

One last consideration for a parent thinking about teaching at home is the idea of college admissions. Quite frankly, a lot of universities aren't sure HOW to evaluate kids that are home schooled. Typically, kids from home schools do very well on the admissions tests, but the colleges just are not sure what to do with them.

Now, as for curriculum, you can do a google search on home school and the word curriculum, and you will find a wealth of info out there on how to do it. Some families do band together and form co-ops so kids are around each other and they get exposure to things that maybe are not your forte. (To give an example, I am not a mathematician, but I am very strong in Natural Science and English. I'd want somebody with a better ability to teach my kid advanced math concepts.)

There are several options out there for curriculum, and some are quite good--for example, literature based classes that teach Social Studies and English in one fell swoop! There are nifty ideas for how to teach basic science and everything else under the sun.

Depending on your kid, it is quite likely that you will only need a few hours a day teaching. This is simply because you can do such a good job teaching to that one or two kids' learning style--you have the ability to linger on concepts they need more time with and can move on as soon as they "get it". They will not be bored...

I think home schooling is an OK option for people that want or need to do it, but it is not for everyone. You need to be dedicated to the idea and you have got to work at it. If you fit that profile it might be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do with your life.

Good luck!

Laura

[momisold]

10. If I could afford....

to homeschool I would because my ADHD child does so much better when he has one-on-one time. My school is great about working with us and trying to accommodate, but there are 19 kids in his class, and you can only do so much for one child. He's in 1st grade.

My best friend homeschooled both her boys for one year while they were in junior high. She felt like it was her last chance to have any quality time with them before they got into high school. Once they are in high school, they are basically "gone" as in always with friends, on school trips, etc. She spent the year one-on-one, teaching them extras like how to schedule your time wisely, how to study, how to cook, reading alot of the classics, etc. besides all the regular courses. She also met with some other homeschoolers to help with subjects that she needed help with. Both boys are in college now, one about to graduate. They both turned out fine and I think she cherishes those days with them.

[newyawker99]

35. Hi momisold!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[rman]

12. According to proponents of homeschooling,

every adult is qualified to teach, because we all know what it's about - since we've all been to school.

So all that pedagogy and teaching standards stuff is nonsense, just do what comes natural.

It'd be particularly interesting to see how homeschooling turns out in single parent families and in families where both parents are income providers.

[Tsiyu]

16. This single parent has three homeschoolers in college

Bright, great kids who know who they are, who don't tolerate bullies and who are probably more well-read than anyone I've met on DU.

[rman]

25. ok...

I'm wondering how you managed to do that.

What i meant is, in general it'll be hard for a single parent to both teach the kids and provide income at the same time.

Also, i'm not saying that homeschooling is bad no matter what. I realize there are circumstances where there's no other option. I think it can be ok if there are good standards and guidelines that are being followed, and if the parent is educated in the subjects that are being teached.

But not every parent is sufficiently educated to teach. And i'd expect income providers typically just don't have the time to teach. So i think it is a bad idea to abandon public schooling all together in favor of homeschooling. Especially if there are no good universal guidelines and standards.

[Tsiyu]

37. And I wonder how public teachers can teach 30 kids at a time

But there you go. I didn't work for some of the time ( independent means I earned ) and only worked part time, at nights, some of the time. I was also married for some of the time I homeschooled. As I said on an earlier post, our state required 4 hours of academic work a day. Some days we did 8.

Schools make a big deal over a field trip to a pumpkin patch, where hundreds of kids are herded onto buses and none of them gets any individual attention. We could go out in the woods and identify flora and fauna, and the kids had their questions answered. We could go to the fire station, and their questions were answered. We could go to museums, libraries, etc,.

One of my homeschooled is a poster here: antigone382. Decide for yourself if she is a warped fundie. Her high school principal said of her: "She is the only person I know who is more well read than me." She used to read National Geographic for pleasure! Oh, yeah, that homeschooling really is for the birds!

As I said last night, it isn't for everyone but neither is public education. I cherish individuality. Perhaps others do not. To each his or her own.....

[alittlelark]

39. Congrats to you!!!

I did it last year w/ a 4th and 2nd grader. They are now in a gifted charter school. They tested exceptionally well.

Would I do it again....yes (the year in question)! It was a great learning experience and we all got to know each other sooo well... but

I will not do it again unless I have to - I need more personal space than was allowed me in the setting. I recognize my limits, and between work, hubby, and homeschooling I had little time for ME.

I cheer on those that can do it right!: :toast:

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

42. Some times more than 30 kids per class.

I heard recently that the class sizes at the high school I used to work for last year have gotten even larger. One of the math teachers there said most classes have about forty now. One poor women had a geometry class, a subject I used to teach, with over fifty students. They had to move the class to the library because it was so large. That's pure hell! The kids at this school are so poorly behaved too. That classroom must have been chaos. I was told the woman quit. I don't blame her, since I did the same thing myself. I guess they have a hard time getting subs for the class too, because none of the subs want to deal with all those kids at once.

So much for that class size amendment that everyone voted for about two years ago. Jeb Bush just decided he didn't have to follow through with the wishes of the voters. He said the state didn't have the money to reduce class sizes. With all the rich people that live in this state, you'd think they'd be able to adequately fund the public schools.

[shrike]

27. Sounds like the home-schooled kids I know

Family I know home-schooled all three of their kids. All three finished high school at 16. The eldest was working on his doctorate at 20. The youngest is still at home but she was one of those sensitive, artistic types that need a few years to find their way -- I told them to be patient with her.

[Tsiyu]

38. Oh yes. They each are like blooms

that open with patience and acceptance. Forcing all children to learn at the same time is damaging to both the advanced and the slower children. Some children do not have the eye development to read at six. Others will be reading by four. Expecting the same rate of development out of every child is the same thing as saying they should all be wearing the exact same size clothing at the exact age as other kids. Can you say, 'Bell-shaped Curve?' I knew ya' could!

[Tsiyu]

13. Why did you start this thread twice?

Did you not get the canned anti- homeschooling crap you were baiting for in the first thread? These questions were asked last night but I guess they didn't suit you. So, so sad.....

[Bridget Burke]

26. I'm interested in how a single parent can homeschool.

Can you please supply details?

[Tsiyu]

36. Sure.

Our state required 4 hours a day of academic instruction. ( Remember, in public school, time is wasted on lunch, lines, busy work and recess, so 4 hours is about the average a grade school kid will get in his or her school as well.) There are 24 hours in any given day. You work some, you teach some. It's easier for a single parent to homeschool a few kids than for one school teacher to teach 30.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. laws vary state to state. i home-schooled my children through 7th grade.....

they have been in public school now for 2 years and are both top in their perspective grades and are on the Superintendents Honor Roll for 8 quarters running. one is President of his class and the other was voted VP. Not all home-schoolers are Fundies as a matter of fact my 13 year old just wrote this poem yesterday for an English assignment: "Terrorists"

As the dust settles to the ground
Pale gray faces all around
Streams of tears run down the faces
So many people from so many places
Lost their lives and their loved ones
By terrorist acts of faceless someones
Questions ring throughout my mind
With answers I may never find
Why the hatred why the death
I mumble underneath my breath
Will this change the world forever
Or will it bring us closer together
Three years later, I’m still confused
About the power that’s been abused
Now our bombs drop on innocent people
With devastation and terror just as equal
Ask this question to yourself
Are they the terrorists or someone else?

in NY you must submit a letter of intention to home-school, along with course of study (curriculum) and submit quarterly reports (grades) to the superintendent of schools in the district.
socialization was theater groups, little league, soccer, dance, and home-shool networks ( but, be careful many home-shooling networks are fundies).
text books can be gotten from local school but it is the schools choice whether or not to loan the books and facilites or you can purchase a curriculum (I designed my own). and there is a Teacher Parent Store near me that was very useful.

[Tsiyu]

17. I love your pins!

And thanks for sharing your story. Weren't Einstein, Edison and a host of other great scientists, musicians, poets, writers and other productive, successful people homeschooled? If people did a bit of research on their own they might lose some of their unfounded bias...

[kayell]

18. There are plenty of people who homeschool who are not RW nutcases

Often because they want to be able to give their children a richer, more diverse experience than they can get in most public schools. A lot of these people are doing what is called unschooling. Read some of John Holt's works for a look at these homeschoolers. Here's a link that will get you started. http://www.holtgws.com/

[elehhhhna]

22. Mine will do public then I'm homeschooling college through MBA.

[marano]

23. Its a scary trend.

In my state I see it used by parents whose kids stay in trouble in school. To keep from being in Juv. court all the time for nonattendance and just because they basically don't care they pull them out to home school them which means nothing in most cases. The Repubs love this plan as it creates more ignorant people to vote for them in future elections. It's another slap to the educational system.

[Ezlivin]

24. Read John Taylor Gatto's "The Underground History of American Education"

If you think home schooling is a distant second to a private or public institution, you need to read this book.

Properly done, home schooling is far superior to anything provided by "others".

Improperly done, naturally, it is as faulty as any other system.

[Crago]

28. Homeschooling:

I've wondered about this:

Has any child fail homeschooling?

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

29. I've been considering home schooling my child.

He'll just be turning two on October 19th, but I'm already thinking about it. It depends on our situation at the time, such as where we are living and if I am employed outside of the household. I feel that my husband and I are very qualified to teach our son a number of subjects, especially math and science.

I don't think a lot of the public schools are challenging enough. Both my husband and I were disappointed with our experiences in public schools because we felt we were held back. My opinion is that a lot of the public schools are getting worse academically, but I do not blame the teachers for this. Both my husband and I have experience teaching at public high schools, so we know about the bureaucratic BS that happens at these schools.

I am also concerned about some schools, especially urban schools, that have lots disciplinary problems among the student body. I think schools can be great for socialization, but I don't want my child going to a school where an overwhelming majority of kids are misbehaving and acting like animals. I have worked at a public urban high school, so I know that this problem is real.

As far as going about homeschooling, contact your local school district to find out what you need to do.

[July]

44. You know about the schools, do what you think is best.

I'm sorry I didn't homeschool my kids (husband and I couldn't agree whether it was a good idea or not).

The quality of education out there seems to me to be very low (we've been in 3 public school districts, as well as in two private schools in Europe). Like you, I don't put all the blame on teachers (my parents were both teachers, and my mother eventually became a principal), though some are godawful, but I feel the schools are all about maintaining their own authority.

Don't forget that compulsory schooling is a relatively "young" phenomenon in the history of the world. There are lots of ways for kids to learn. My two kids (both very intelligent) spent a lot of time spinning their wheels in public schools, and some teachers just don't have enough knowledge, not to mention the right stuff, to lead them to some real learning.

The beef I have with schools is that they care way too much about their own somewhat arbitary rules. Kids like mine, decided nonconformists, don't care about the rules and therefore have moderate success despite having inquisitive minds, high intelligence, and a thirst for knowledge.

Only you know what your child needs. You can teach what you know and find outside help for what you don't know if you homeschool. It beats having a tenth-grader coloring pictures of the organs in the body (yeah, it happened to us).

[OnionPatch]

30. From my experience

Most home-schoolers are fundamentalists that are afraid to have their children exposed to mainstream culture (evolution vs. creationism) or liberal and hence quite concerned that their children get the best education.
I thought about it but to be perfectly frank, I can't afford it. I'd have to quit my job to do it. I also worry about the socialization. We are out in the country and a little isolated. Plus we don't have a lot of family around here so I need my daughter to be able to socialize somewhere!
I've thought a lot about this and wish there were some way you could do both. Some classes at school, (say algebra) others done at home (say, history) with more freedom of curriculum.

[Tsiyu]

40. The Problem is the Stigma and the Dollah, Onion Patch

There is a war for children being waged in America today, and it is doing considerable damage. Public education as we know it ( and as I've noted earlier) is a relatively new phenomenon. And it is a lucrative one. There's a price on every precious head.

A price if you show up and attend school all day.$$$$$$$$$$

A price if you are disabled, gifted, a 'behavior problem.'

A price if you play football.$$$$$$$$$$$$$

A price if you're in the band.

A price if you take certain medications.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Don't be deceived, all you rational, "Homeschooling is for wackos" detractors. Where money and humans are involved, there is ALWAYS a war.

I do not approve of testing as a way of teaching. I do not approve of the government being the custodian of my child. Not when I'm the one paying the medical bills, feeding and clothing them. Not when they are too quick to lay all the blame on the parent for all of the child's problems, and so hesitant to ever take responsibility for wrongdoing or mismanagement themselves.

Check out the Calvert School. We used their program to begin. Once I understood scope and sequence ( thousands of dollars woth of books later - damn, homeschoolers are all illiterate hillbillies. Hyuck! Hyuck! check out the sums spent on homeschooling books if you think homeschooling parents aren't "doing their homework") I branched out and used a variety of resources. Most were much more extensive and useful than their previous school's.

I wish there was a happy medium, because homeschooling/public school combos -sort of the way a community college is run- would give all kids a chance to love learning.

I used to be the staunchest public school advocate you'd want to meet. I felt it was the government's DUTY to teach my child. But ultimately I am responsible for how he or she turns out. Like every parent, I screwed up things. But I don't believe homeschooling overall was one of those things. There are sacrifices in any damned choice you make. And money...........don't forget the money

[skygazer]

31. I home schooled my daughter for 8th grade

She had some real social problems at school and was miserable. I thought a break from all that would do her good.

This was in Vermont. The state Department of Education sent me a bunch of materials. There were guidelines listing what a child was expected to know throughout the different grade levels, what subjects were required (math, science, english, reading, etc.) and listings of resources and where they were available. It was very helpful.

I found that we were able to cover a lot of work in a short time in this format because we didn't have to deal with a whole classroom full of other kids. We only worked one on one for a couple of hours a day. I assigned her homework, took her on field trips and generally had a good time with it.

I developed a curriculum that was centered on the state of Vermont. For history, we studies Vermont history. For literature, we read books by Vermonters or set in Vermont. For science, we studies the botany and geology of Vermont. For math, we set up a business for her on a computer program and she had to "run" it, using the paperwork I would give her on a daily basis (it was a boarding stable - she had to purchase supplies, collect payments, pay for animal care and building upkeep, etc.).

I had a number of friends who home schooled. None of them were fundies or extremists in any way. They were people who worried about the quality of education their kids were getting and most of the kids had proven to be unresponsive to the public school system. Our kids did participate in some school programs like music or sports which was allowed and encouraged.

All in all, it was a positive experience. My daughter went back to public school the following year and was at or above her classroom level in all subjects. I was working full time and a single mother then, by the way.

[Shrek]

32. My kid is home-schooled

So I'll take a crack at your questions.

Are there some set tests/standards to meet?

It varies from state to state. Some states regulate it pretty tightly, and require supervision by the local school board, annual submission of lesson plans, or satisfactory performance on some sort of standardized test. Other states require nothing more than a notification of intent to home-school.

Where do you get the textbooks? Are there textbooks?!

There are plenty of choices. You can design your own curriculum and pick and choose which materials to use. Or you can select a professionally designed curriculum that comes complete with textbooks, lesson plans, and other materials. There are plenty of companies out there producing goods for home-schoolers.

Do you leave the socialization to the church/mall environments?

Many home-schoolers belong to co-ops where they join with other families to provide group instruction, field trips, and other activities. My son is also involved in soccer and tae kwan do, and has plenty of neighborhood playmates. It's not like he's locked in the house by himself all day.

It just seems like a dodge so that fundies and John Bircher-types can "bring their kids up godly and right-wing."

Unfair stereotype, IMHO. :eyes:

[Marymarg]

34. Retired teacher here

From my experience, I must say that public education has been on a downward spiral for many years and any hope of recovery is uncertain, at best. Since schools are run by politicians who can only speak of test scores, the situation can only worsen.

Teaching to a one-size-fits-all test is ludicrous on its face for public education that is supposed to serve ALL students. Call it IQ, learning differences, intellectual strengths and weaknesses, whatever; not all God's children are the same--in any way. So, that means, for ALL students to pass any test, the test must be structured (dumbed down) to the least common denominator. Now, what do you have--exorbitant resources, time and energy expended for an complete exercise in idiocy and futility.

When my son was in middle school, he finished one such idiotic, simple test very quickly and, of course, since the test was untimed, he had to wait (for hours) for others to finish. He was not allowed to read a book while waiting! All in the name of good education??!!

As for home schooling, I have mixed feelings. I feel the pain of parents struggling with a broken system but, at the same time, schools (and the politicians who control them) should be forced to fix the public school system and really educate our future generations by really making education the priority they say that they believe it is.

[Tsiyu]

43. And many parents don't have the courage to wait

until the problems are fixed. Some schools are crumbling heaps; others resemble prisons. (Hmmmmmm). Many are not pleasant buildings for socializing or for academics.

To each his own, but I am sad the schools are in such disarray in many places, and that as long as the affluent have their sweet new schools the rest of American children can rot. Not a very evolved, humane or dare I say, "Christian" stance, is it?

[Tsiyu]

41. Thanks, RandomKoolzip, for asking

Sorry I bin so ruff on ya' Boy.

Not everyone can do this. Not everyone should do this. You have to enjoy the experience of creating a childhood and encouraging a way of viewing the world and comprehending it.



Here are a few links:

Does your third grader have these materials?

http://www.calvertschool.org/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=CES1624

My favorite magazine in those years:

http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/215/solie.html