Home School in Jeopordy

[thelma]

news.aol.com/story/_a/home-schooling-threatened-in-california/20080311091009990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

According to a new ruling by a California Appeals Court, parents that homeschool their children MUST be Certified Teachers.

If not, then the child/children must be registered in a Public or Private school.

The basis for this is so that the Teachers can watch these kids on a daily basis to make sure that their parents didn't "abuse" them.

Even the Governor is against this ruling!!!!!!!

Leave it to California to pass such a "Law"!!!!!!!

[frankcor]

This is a huge victory for teacher unions who have been fighting the injustice and shame caused to public school students who lose self-esteem when exposed to home-schooled children who can actually read.

[thelma]

I admire anyone that has the brains and temperment to home school their children and keep them away from all the bad influences that are in our schools today. At least if they are schooled at home, you don't have to worry about drugs being sold to them or some crack head bringing a gun in and shooting everyone.

It is a threat to the Teachers to know that a HS "Mom" can teach better than they can! The Governor Arnold is going to fight them on this one and I hope he wins. Again, this is another example of parental rights being taken away.

[Swimmy]

Actually, I think it's a great ruling. It insures that the parents are qualified to be teaching the material. In Michigan, if you home school your children, you have to be certified to teach the particular course that is being taught. If not, you're expected to pay for a certified teacher to come and instruct the children.

While home schooling has some advantages as thelma raises, there are several disadvantages. The children are not exposed to different people and do not acquire the skills necessary to interact with those diverse personalities. They are not able to compete on an athletic team and lack the honor and privilege of representing their school on the game field. They won't know how to deal with different teachers, some good, some bad. Not all parents are better than the actual certified teachers. In Michigan, several studies were done and showed that many home-schooled students were more advanced academically than their public school counterparts. The Michigan Supreme Court explained the discrepancy. The court reasoned that because the home-school students receive more one-on-one attention, they naturally will accelerate. Try sending one of those "moms" into the public school and teach an entire class for 15 weeks, see how "good" she is then.

[thelma]

Swimmy - you have raised some valid points against home schooling. BUT, I was under the impression that in NYS a certain criteria is given by the Public School to the Home based Parent/Teacher on the subject matter that has to be taught. Same thing about the tests that are given to follow their progress. Some home school students attend public school to participate in the various atheletic (sp) programs and even after school activities for the social aspect of school.

The one on one attention is a plus for home schooled students and they also have a shorter school day as all their school time is spent on learning and nothing else.

I know of a Teacher who had a 16 year old daughter who kept skipping classes at Proctor because she hated that school so much. The mother worked out a program with the officials at Proctor whereby she would home school her daughter after working all day as a Teacher.

She lasted for about six months - her daughter wasn't listening nor was she learning. Last I heard, the Mother gave up on the home schooling and the daughter was going to attend classes to take her GED exam.

Like many different aspects of schooling, there is good and bad in all the various methods of teaching our children how to learn.

[Swimmy]

I'm not sure how NY handles home schooling. I only know about Michigan's because I studied some cases that dealt with the issue when I was learning about state administrative law.

[kim]

I was once working at a science center here in NC and a family from Miami came in. I asked them what brought them to NC and they said they home schooled their kids and they were studying NC, so they decided to visit! Neat.

I don't think I'd ever home school. Unless, of course, I won the lottery. Then I might home school so we could travel!

[countrygal]

I have a friend who home schools out near Rochester. Her 4 kids are wonderful rounded kids. They participate in sports, clubs, dance classes, etc. They are all very smart and personable.

I think each school district is different about how much home schooled kids get to attend public school functions. I know that Rome has a pretty big home school community. When there are plays at the Capital for the public school, home schooled children are invited too.

I used to think that home schooled kids were at a disadvantage socially, but I'll tell ya, after having kids myself and putting them in public school, I can totally see the logic for wanting to home school your child. I don't have the patience, but somedays I wish I did. It is a constant uphill battle against stuff my son learns from other kids at school.

[bobbbiez]

Actually I've never heard anything bad about home schooling. I've read articles and watch programs on the news concerning it and most all agree that home schooling is very acceptable and these parents were not certified, except in willing to spend more time with their children.

Again , I have to agree with you Frank. These home schooled kids know how to read, write and whatever better then kids that go to public schools. At least that's what I got out of what I have seen.

[rrogers40]

I see more home school kids who are being taught in groups- thus the "class" is actually fairly large (for home schools)- about 7-12- depending on the amount of families that get together. And I seem most of them when they come out on field trips- which I think out weigh the disadvantages of home schooling alone.

I think its time to start some sort of voucher system- that will really get those teacher unions in an uproar.

[dgriffin]

A moderately supervised kid with a laptop at home stands a good chance of learning more and being more creative than in a lock-step environment with the discipline problems and distractions of the normal school system.
Here's another thought. Think of home schooling as outsourcing by the school system to you, the parents. Soon the costs of maintaining the old paradigm of centralized buildings, buses, labor force, etc., will become too costly. Some say that is true already. Many hi tech companies have already begun to save taxes, building and utility costs by having employees work at home. Standing inthe way, of course, are the teacher unions and the dependence that working couples have on the school for babysitting.

If I had access to the today's Internet when I was in 8th grade, I would have completed my high school subjects at home in half the time (or less), had I been motivated and supervised. Those are two important qualifications and they need to be taken seriously.
But I have no doubt the money issues will drive us closer to "home school," if the social issues don't.
("It's the economy, stupid," will go down in history as the smartest thing said in the entire 20th century, thank you James Carville.)

[Swimmy]

Fair enough. But I've read cases in Michigan where the homeschooling was a failure in some instances. Some of them mirror thelma's example.

[frankcor]

One doesn't have to look much beyond Detroit to see thousands of examples of failed public schools in Michigan.

When a state can assure that they hire only certified teachers, can they require that home schoolers be certified.

And yes, it's very common for home schoolers to team with one another. Each parent brings a skill to the table that the others may not possess. Children gain in socialization skills as well. There are tremendous resources out there for people who chose to home school. All you really need is the committment to make the time available.

What do the following men all have in common: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, William Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt?

I think socialization is over-rated but you couldn't tell that by knowing me, could you?

[Swimmy]

I wasn't trying to imply that Michigan public schools are better. The state wanted to ensure that all students receive a quality education and the courts have supported requiring parents who home school their children to become teaching certified. I don't know if the entire teaching industry in MI is certified. I know what the law there says, and that is teachers are to be certified.

When I pointed out that several homeschool setups failed, I was pointing out they depending on their setup, a homeschool may not be much better than the public school alternative.

Remember, the Supreme Court has denied a fundamental right to receive an education.

[dgriffin]

swimmy said:

When I pointed out that several homeschool setups failed, I was pointing out they depending on their setup, a homeschool may not be much better than the public school alternative.

It may be like Charter Schools. Great idea, but when the devil got into the details, the solution didn't work very well. Too many compromises.