Home schooling in CA

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

This is based on the premise that public education does better. I do not support that premise.

I'd like to point out, for the 3rd time, that I'm not suggesting that homeschooling be abolished in favor of sticking them all in public schooling. I simply am saying that a higher standard of accountability is a justifiable pursuit of the state.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I'd like to point out, for the 3rd time, that I'm not suggesting that homeschooling be abolished in favor of sticking them all in public schooling. I simply am saying that a higher standard of accountability is a justifiable pursuit of the state.

I don't believe anyone thinks you have said that. I just believe that if you are saying even a small percentage of kids failing in homeschooling is unacceptable you might think public education was a worse choice in most circumstances, even with teachers trained in education.

[wendybeth]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

This is based on the premise that public education does better. I do not support that premise.

I agree. Again, like I stated before, if the system was so fabulous, why are they trying to fix it? Plenty of kids slip through the cracks and their parents have to stand by helplessly and hope that someone in a position of authority will do the right thing. The school systems are so friggen political it's disgusting, and anyone who has had a child in pubic school and had to contend with the arrogance encountered when trying to resolve a problem at or with school can attest to that. Their attitude is "Too bad- we're the only game in town so you'll have to suck it up". With homeschooling, the field has been leveled a bit. I'll tell you what- they treat homeschool parents a great deal more respectfully than regular student parents. We work with the school as a team with the same goal: a quality education for the child. The bad attitudes I dealt with in regular public school are non-existent.

[wendybeth]

Each state has different requirements for teaching homeschool, and it appears California at present is a bit more lax than others. As homeschooling increases in popularity nationwide it is likely that such things as teaching and curriculum requirements will tend toward standardization, but it won't happen without a fight from both sides- the public school system and parents who value their autonomy with regards to their child's education. One interesting note: here in Washington, the school districts were very much against homeschooling, at least until the NCLB, WASL testing and such were enacted. Then they couldn't wait to set up homeschool programs, which have turned out to be quite profitable for them. They receive the funding from the state for the kids, and they have minimal output. Parents get a modest stipend ($500 a year) for supplies and the school gets the same amount as a full-time student. I find it somewhat amusing to see the same officials who railed against homeschooling a decade ago now embracing it enthusiastically.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Would you say the same of doctors?

If I were stuck in a room with 25 other patients who may or may not have similar symptomology and medicinal allergies and we were all told to turn to page 154 of the health textbook to cure our ills or to follow along on the chart while he points out various organs.....yeah, I probably would.

[katiesue]

Traci - what happens when the kid who's been doing art for 90% of their time decides they need to go to college for whatever reason. College degrees are almost manditory for many jobs, even things like receptionists. If you don't have a degree on your resume they don't even bother. So if they go to college how to they catch up on things like math and science which would be required courses? I'm just curious.

Scaeagles - Personally I want my child to understand that other people have values different than my own. Seeing and understanding that will, I hope, help her to choose her own values. And some may be different than mine.

[scaeagles]

I would suggest that public school is done badly FAR more often than home schooling is done badly.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I would suggest that public school is done badly FAR more often than home schooling is done badly.

I and I would suggest that most students who are doing poorly in public school would also do poorly if their parents were homsechooling them.

[katiesue]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I and I would suggest that most students who are doing poorly in public school would also do poorly if their parents were homsechooling them.

I wouldn't agree with this. A friend of mine is homeschooling, well Charter School which is a little different, because her child was doing poorly in public school. His test scores have improved tremendously since she started. He just needs more attention to accomplish this, and she knew that in a standard Jr. High he would get lost in the system.

[Alex]

I would disagree with that as well. But the homeschooling debate is like the abortion debate. All that happens in most discussions of it is that people slowly get angry with each other.