Home schooling in CA

[scaeagles]

I don't understand all the methodology stuff with teaching. Seriously. Some trained teacher is supposed to understand better than I do how my child learns the best when I've been raising my child and to the teacher my kid is just one of 25-30 kids who may learn in a completeyl different fashion.

Let alone the one on one time (or if not one on one, a better teacher-student ratio is going to exist in the home without a doubt).

[wendybeth]

All I have to do is look at my kid, and I can tell by her expression if she is 'getting' the material being taught. If not, I simply re-state it in terms that I think she will understand. This is not something one can expect a teacher to do when they have so many other students to deal with at the same time. However, with Deaf/Hard of Hearing students, this is something that has to be done to ensure they get the same information hearing students get. Since the school district was unwilling to hire an oral facilitator, we had no choice but to pull her out and teach one-on-one. In our case, the District knows what they need to do to give my child what the law requires- they were simply unwilling to do it. I know I am not the only example of the public school system's failure to do what the laws of the land require. I could have sued, but I have neither the time or the money to do so. Homeschooling was our only answer, as it is for thousands of others. Yes, it can be done badly, but so can public school.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I don't understand all the methodology stuff with teaching. Seriously. Some trained teacher is supposed to understand better than I do how my child learns the best when I've been raising my child and to the teacher my kid is just one of 25-30 kids who may learn in a completeyl different fashion.

A good teacher, absolutely. Would you say the same of doctors?

By most accounts, I'm a math genius. I knew more about calculus than my calculus teacher did before I began taking the class. And yet I have tried countless times to tutor people on basic algebra...and have failed miserably. I am a terrible teacher, I don't understand it at all. It's a skilled occupation. No amount of restating it until they get it has ever done me any good. I simply do not possess the skill of passing my knowledge on.

Traci - would your parents have made good homeschool parents? Nevermind, I think know the answer to that based on what you've said about your family. Odds are, many of the same qualities that would have made them poor homeschool teachers are the same that lead you to feel unserved by your education. There is a HUGE misconception that the goal of public education is to dump your kids and have them magically absorb knowledge. The reality is that any education system can do no more nor less than provide a framework in which to learn. Success relies on active (and productive) participation by the student in the learning process and by the parent in the student's learning process. I'm sure Traci and Wendy and others are in a better position to confirm this, but my suspicion is that a good chunk the homeschool community are people with parents that didn't do much to reinforce good learning while they were in public school and therefore have a bad impression of it.

And Wendy, like I said before, no one is arguing that there isn't a place for homeschooling. At least, I'm not. No system can fit everyone's needs and homeschooling is absolutely the right choice for some. All I'm saying is that not allowing for some level of accountability is not a workable option. While it may be true that the majority of the 200,000 homeschool students are doing just fine, even a small percentage of 200,000 is too many kids getting left behind (to coin a phrase) or worse as in the case that lead to this ruling.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

While it may be true that the majority of the 200,000 homeschool students are doing just fine, even a small percentage of 200,000 is too many kids getting left behind (to coin a phrase) or worse as in the case that lead to this ruling.

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

[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.