HOME SCHOOLING

[Duchess]

Many of you have kids & I know we have at least one teacher in here, what do you all think about home schooling?

Whenever I've given it any thought (rarely) I didn't think it was a good idea because I believe kids should be socialized, now I just don't know because I think about their safety before education, if that makes any sense. I just left the thread where the teacher's aide probably killed a little girl and it's on my mind.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think going to school with other kids is important for socialization, learning to deal with diverse groups, understanding competition in the real world, etc...

Recently, I've stopped posting in the Teachers Who Bang Their Students thread; it so rampant. There's at least one story per week that makes the news (probably many more that don't) - with more female than male teachers at the center of them lately.

I think a lot of cradle-robbing inclined adults wanna work with kids because they're attracted to them in the wrong way; not a majority of teachers, but too many. It's disturbing.

There was also a story about a teacher selling drugs to his students last week; not the first case of its kind.

Even given all of that, I'd still send my kids to school rather than home school them (unless there was a learning disability or emotional instability in play).

BUT, I think it's important for parents to talk to their kids about what's not okay for a teacher (or other adults) to do and how their kids should handle such situations. Not to breed fear, but to instill in their children that they aren't ALWAYS to obey adults and to make clear that there should be no secrets kept from their parents when it comes to the kids' relationships with other adults.

It's sad that parents need to worry because schools make great targets for psychos with guns and it could happen anywhere. Also sad that parents have to worry about sexual predators and drug dealers amongst the faculty when they send their kids (boys and girls) off to school. But, that's the way it is in the world. While I'd sure be staying alert and involved in regards to my kids' goings-on at school, I'd not keep them home to avoid all risk of encountering something fucked up or dangerous.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I think home schooling by a prepared and capable parent is a fine thing. My sister home schools her 3 kids and they are doing fine socially and are ahead of the education curve.
In light of the pathetic state of schools at least here in Florida at least, I don't think I would send my kids in there if there was a way around it.
Too many assholes and animals out there

[sally]

I have no problem with my kids going to school, I just don't allow them to walk to and from there by themselves. Not in elementary school anyway. Most kids are abducted walking to school or even playing outside of their house, not while they're actually in school.

Sure there are plenty of freaks that work in the school system, but they're not going to have much of a chance to abduct and kill your child there. As far as the middle school and high school predators go, well I would hope my kids would know that it's wrong to fuck your teacher or buy drugs from them. As far as someone shooting up the school, that could happen anywhere. You may as well never leave the house.

[Maggot]

When you home school the kids are still able to play any sport, compete in any activity, go to any dance in that school district. There are quite a few that are home schooled around here and they are fine and probably more adapted and ready for adulthood than most. Home schooled kids are not in a closet. I'm pretty close to doing that. But my wife as a teacher helps them in their homework and is very active in all school things. Its the kids that have no parents being involved that lead to bad things.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't see major drawbacks in home schooling if it's done for positive reasons and the parent is committed and qualified to teach, and if the parent makes sure the kids have group activities outside of the house. That sounds like it's the case with Six's sister and the families Maggot knows.

I wouldn't do it for the purpose of shielding my kids from what's in the real world, though. I'd want them to be ready for the risk, adversity and unfairness that resides in the work place and outside of the family when they're finished with school. I learned a lot about that shit by attending school - along with experiencing all of the good stuff that comes with being in a social and academic environment with a bunch of other kids for years.

I like the concept of "going to school" for kids for a lot of reasons, but there are probably many valid reasons why some parents would rather have direct control of their kids' learning environment and education.

[Midwest Spy]

I'm in favor of going to school, traditional education.

My sister home schools her kids and I don't know how she can be doing a good job of it. She has a 15 month old and a 3 year old running around, demanding attention while she's teaching her kindergartner and 2^nd grader.

I don't even talk to her about it.

[ramseycat]

Thing 2's K teacher was arrested and convicted of molesting his students. He was everyone's favorite teacher and often requested. He never touched T2 thank God. Vhole would have killed him. His name was Christopher Culver. You can google him for the story. Needless to say it was one if the worst phone calls I've ever gotten. All his former students had to speak with the school psychiatrist. When we met him at orientation I was certain he was gay. But he was married and his wife was pregnant.

[Midwest Spy]

When we met him at orientation I was certain he was gay. But he was married and his wife was pregnant.

She was what we call his 'beard'.

[Cynical Ninja]

Homeschooling is only for people who want to brainwash and indoctrinate their kids in their own image.

I am against it and I am also against all faith schools because they brainwash and indoctrinate as well.

[aussiefriend]

There are studies to show that children that are home schooled are not as well educated as those who attend school. When you send your child to school they are being trained by professionals who are specialised in this area of education. Some have years of expertise and knowledge and are able to input that knowledge in well practised ways. There is no way someone in the suburbs who is sitting at home without the training could input the same knowledge to your child. School also have extra curricular activities and socialising aspects that the child would otherwise be excluded from.

[Maggot]

There is a thing called common core a government created curriculum spurred by the likes of Bill Gates that tries to diminish any book that is non-fiction. It is a big PITA because there will be no more book reports based on Mark Twain, Shakespeare, Poe, Shelly, or my very favorite author Dickens. Its running through the U.S. today with bad results. Home schooling is a better more balanced way with the proper application.

[aussiefriend]

I have research has shown that children who go to school do much better. I mean, it makes sense that if you are going to learn from an actual professional you are going to learn more and be instructed better too.

[Cynical Ninja]

Home schooling is a better more balanced way with the proper application.

Bullshit.

There are some kids in the US who if they were home schooled would only learn two things, biblical scripture and firearm handling/maintenance.

Remember the right wing nutcase foxglovepress? She's the one who called for homicidal firing squads on the Mexican border? She's homeschooling her grand daughter! God (or her secular equivalent) help her!

There is nothing “balanced” about being educated at home by a totally unqualified extreme right wing fundamentalist Christian. Normal schooling isn't perfect buts its always better than being taught by a totally unqualified relative who wants nothing more than to create a clone of themselves.

[Duchess]

Are you two unaware that a curriculum must be followed? It varies from state to state but there are requirements and the children must be able to pass state testing in order to pass their grade.

[HairOfTheDog]

Home schooling is a better more balanced way with the proper application.

I don’t see it as necessarily bad or limiting for kids if their qualified parents teach them at home, using a solid curriculum and ensuring that the kids are involved in regular group activities with kids their own age outside of the home.

I’ve not read a bunch of studies, but the one that I recall reading last year showed that home-schooled kids scored higher in standardized testing for their grade levels than kids who attended public school, on average, when a structured curriculum was used. I agree with you that, with balance and proper application, home-schooled kids can excel.

That same study showed, on the other hand, that kids being taught by parents who adopted an unstructured or non-teaching type curriculum (learn on the fly and learn by life experience only) typically scored much lower than their public-schooled peers, unsurprisingly. Some of these parent/teachers likely fit the mold that CN is referencing - committed to keeping their kids from exposure to different thoughts and groups than their own and aiming to raise indoctrinated mini-mes instead. This type of parent/teacher is the minority, but they do exist.

Edit - found those research results that I read last year: http://www.parentingscience.com/homescho...comes.html

[Duchess]

Let me preface this by saying, I am not buttering your biscuit. I want to be clear on that.

That's an awesome post. I always appreciate that you take the time to present facts instead of pulling something out of your butt.

[HairOfTheDog]

There is a thing called common core a government created curriculum spurred by the likes of Bill Gates that tries to diminish any book that is non-fiction. It is a big PITA because there will be no more book reports based on Mark Twain, Shakespeare, Poe, Shelly, or my very favorite author Dickens.

The absence of Dickens stood out to me when I first saw the Common Core standards exemplars too, but there’s nothing keeping Dickens out of classrooms and certainly not out of households.

If I were teaching at a K – 12 level, I’d teach some Dickens – whether I was teaching kids at school or at home. Sylvia Plath isn't in the sample reading lists either - she made a real impression on me in middle and high school; I'd teach some of her works, too.

There’s no required reading list with Common Core, AFAIK. It’s a program of graduated complexity based on quantitative and qualitative measurements. The language arts model includes readings of key US historical documents, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction stories.

The exemplar readings in the CC guidelines -- which are not required or mandated for states/schools/districts/educators but rather samples of the qualitative and quantitative content complexities by grade -- include Twain, Shakespeare, Kipling, Poe, Shelly, Dickinson, Eliot, Whitman, Williams, Frost, Carroll, etc… along with non-fictional pieces by Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr, Winston Churchill, etc.

Personally, I really like the combining of fiction and non-fiction, and making room for newer classics, in the teaching of reading comprehension in the CC Language Arts standards. Also like that CC aims to bring more consistency in education between states (though it is less stringent than the standards of the highest-achieving states, which is a problem that needs to be addressed).

Also really like that CC standards are based, in part, on international criteria. The fact that US students only rank at the bottom of the top 20 countries worldwide and we're not keeping up with the improvements in test scores by many other countries is concerning to me.

Anyway, change is needed in the US educational system without a doubt, IMO. There will have to be some trade-offs in the process, as is true when major change is implemented within any wide-reaching system or structure.

[HairOfTheDog]

Let me preface this by saying, I am not buttering your biscuit. I want to be clear on that.

That's an awesome post. I always appreciate that you take the time to present facts instead of pulling something out of your butt.

Thank you, you buttery biscuiter. Or, biscuity butterer. Or whatevever. Haha.

I broke it into two posts after you commented because educational environment and educational standards are two different tracks, in my mind.

You're stuck in the middle of those two tracks now.

[aussiefriend]

Are you two unaware that a curriculum must be followed? It varies from state to state but there are requirements and the children must be able to pass state testing in order to pass their grade.

Yes but you need more than a curriculum. You need professional expertise to learn. What if you have a learning deficit? Or require special attention in certain areas? How would that even be identified? Ask any kids, or school age children they will tell you. Are home schooled kids smarter than kids that go to normal school? They will tell you no.