[MouseWife]

Damn but that was a lot of reading.....

I've been following the matter, just a bit, as I have homeschooled my two boys, just one year each, but I have.

I do not have any type of degree, certificates, nada. But, I knew I did not want my kids returning to their schools the following year. Schools may be for teaching but not all schools are equal. If I had a child who was to be in grade school right now, I do not think I would put them in.

The public school system, what programs haven't been cut? They are also cutting nurses, vice principals, teachers, but, adding more and more classrooms.

I can offer my child more as far as arts & sciences on my own, I believe, than most schools now can {especially with the budget cuts as well as the programs being replaced with other programs, like the emersion program}. Imagine taking a group of 50-70 kids on a field trip to an art museum, how much do you think one child would learn? Imagine trying to teach 20 children to read, write, or do math and how many of them don't speak English, or, haven't had any introduction to any type of education? Then imagine sitting alongside your child, showing them, teaching them. Which situation do you think your child would benefit more from?

When I went through the homeschool system, I had to be assigned to an accredited school. They interviewed me, asked me why I wanted to homeschool. We were assigned a teacher. Then I was assigned all of the books, workbooks, worksheets, etc., as well as the year plan of when each lesson was to be taught. We would turn in samples monthly as well as meet up with the teacher, though, not as often. The school had a small library as well as a computer room, and weekly classes in art and really every topic. They had fieldtrips where the kids could socialize {as well as those weekly classes}.

I think that the time I spent with my children homeschooling was the best time ever. I knew so much more about what they were learning and every where we went I could point out things that were relevant to their lessons. I think those things really sank in.

As for things that parents don't know, the teachers manual pretty much explains it all. Things you don't understand, you can either look on line or else set up a meeting with the teacher.

I don't think that right for parents should be taken away, and I don't think that we should have to have a degree. Some classes, that might help parents in how to teach, become organized. But, when the schools are in such bad shape that they are in, why should we be forced to send them?

I would like to see some checking up on parents, though. I know we worked and we covered everything they required, plus more. But, we were quite serious about it and I've always felt education was important, mostly, reading and math. The other subjects, I like for the kids to discover what interests them most and then focus on them. But, I do know parents who fudge things, who do not put in the necessary amount of time. That bothers me greatly. I wonder what happens when these children are tested {as they do test them regularly}.

That being said, I think it might balance out for the students in regular school whose parents are fudging things and not taking their education seriously. Either way, I personally, want that choice.