Homeschooling is becoming more and more of a popular educational model as time goes on. In an Education Week report, the number of children homeschooled in the United States in 2007 rose to 1.5 million from 850,000 in 1999. There have been numerous reasons given for this increase, including the parents' views on public education and/or other beliefs. In my opinion, whether or not a child is educated in the home or in a school building the parents are responsible for his/her education. Even if children attend a "traditional" public or private school it is vital for their parents to be involved in what the children are learning and working with them at home, especially in the younger grades.
There are so many variables that go into the homeschooling model. I believe that if students are homeschooled there needs to be some way to monitor what is being taught and how they are learning. In her presentation, Jenn told us that in a majority of states all that a parent has to do is provide information that tells the local schools what the child is going to learn and then show that they learned it (using a portfolio or other assessment tool). In choosing that material, hopefully the parent would take many factors into account, including what the public schools are teaching. I think that if parents are completely involved in their child's learning and not just giving him or her videos to watch or worksheets to complete (I guess the term to use would be "unschooling") then it can be a positive environment and have a lot of benefits, but there needs to be some sort of accountability that learning is actually taking place. This may be in the form of the public schools "evaluating" the learning of the homeschooled child by testing or possibly even an interview.
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about homeschooling. I think that it can be done well, and have known some kids who were taught at home that ended up being very successful in college and beyond. But I definitely think that children who are homeschooled have to have some outside form of social interaction. True, there are groups of families that get together to take their kids on field trips and also do a lot of other activities together, but I believe that kids need to have interaction with their peers in both educational and more social settings. Whether they join a community sports league or take other lessons/classes, there needs to be some outside of the home contact with people their own age. Parents that choose to educate their children from home need to be able to provide not only the content that is important for their child to learn, but also the experiences that they may be missing if not in the "traditional" classroom.
Showing posts with label Home Schooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Schooling. Show all posts
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Public School vs. Home School
The discussion of the role of parents and teachers in a child education seems to be debated and talked about everyday if you are a teacher. I will honestly state that before the presentations I have always believed that parents played an important role in promoting and guiding a child’s education but I was against home schooling. After the presentations I can start to see some benefits to be home schooled but I also still think that for the majority of students public school environment is better.
In past articles we mentioned how in the work field society is looking for individuals that are prepared to be responsible, work well with others, and have good social skills. Like Hess stated in What is a public School? “it’s the public components of schooling to include the responsibility for teaching the principles, habits, and obligations of citizenship.” I think children can better obtain these skills in a more social setting than being alone or with only a select group of students at home. I think that children who are home schooled are going to miss the opportunity to learn these skills while growing up. I’m not speaking for all home school experiences but for the majority I have heard or seen effects from often these are major skills they are missing. When you are learning at home you do not have to be responsibility for remembering what work you have to complete, or take responsibility for having correct supplies because your parents give everything to you. Often when students are entering a public school system after being home schooled it takes them awhile to figure out how to handle things on their own, take responsibility for the education actions (like turning work in, remembering to do homework, get supplies and much more) and they often do not know how to properly socialize with their fellow peers and work in group settings. It was mentioned in the article Focus education that many people were being home schooled due “to bad experiences with teachers or school bullies to a proliferation of time-consuming outside activities to worries over peanut allergies.” I agree that we shouldn’t just ignore these issues, like bullying, but children also need to learn how to handle these issues on their own. If they are athletes they need to learn how to manage a working life with their sports. Unless you are some outstanding athlete at some point you will have to get a full time job to support you financially when still competing in sports. I mean even a lot of pro volleyball players still have to work normal jobs to obtain their lives financially but they have learned to juggle their schedule. I believe these are skills are important to learn at a young age.
Another situation that often occurs in teaching is that the school is teaching or presenting information in which the parents do not agree with. In the presentation it was mentioned that this debate is often brought up around the topic of evolution. Hess argued that teachers often do teach their own beliefs but I disagree. I think this situation can be handled in various ways, whether that is selecting a preferable setting for your child like a religious or private school, or home schooling but I believe if you really talk to the teacher, and they were teaching with the open mind and all equal approach to how a public teacher should teach, then they will teach the general facts not based on bias opinions. As a science teacher I often get confronted with this issue when we teach about evolution and global warming. One time I was confronted by a parent about whether I was teaching both sides to the global warming issue. I stated that I was a science teacher so I only gave scientific facts about the issue. I taught them about the atmosphere, pollution, greenhouse effect, and what is global warming and the statistical facts behind the concept. They then asked me whether I would put down students who would state they didn’t believe in global warming. My answer to this, and all other science topics that are controversial, is that I let the students state this and say that this was their opinion. I can’t teach opinions or beliefs but rather just facts and that I would be happy to look at any facts and statistics that they would like to bring in to support the statement. Then we often have the lesson on when stating case or point of view you need information or facts to support your ideas. I too may have my personal beliefs on global warming or even evolution but its not my job to teach this but it’s my job to teach the scientific facts. I often give the example that I can tell a kid what the color orange is and show them a shirt that is the color orange. It a known fact in art that orange is orange but if a student is to state well I don’t believe that is true to me that is blue then that is fine. He could hold that belief, there is nothing wrong to that but for my class and teaching the facts is it’s orange. I think it’s important that children get all the facts that are out there and it’s there choice to then decide what they want to believe. I think if you are to really believe in something you should be acceptable to hearing all sides of the story and then making your decision on what you decide is correct. I will never tell a child that what their parents taught them is wrong but I will tell them the facts and let them decide what they want to in the end.
The one thing I did like about home schooling is the freedom to teach what the child would like to learn. In the presentation it was mentioned how if a child should ask a question about a star you can then have a unit about stars and take them on field trips about the topic. Teaching this way you can then get the child excited about learning and further the knowledge on the topic then what can be presented in short bits at school. At the same time though a parent can still doing these things while they are getting a public education at school and support what they are learning with school with activities the family can do at home. In the end I am not as against home schooling as I was before the presentation. I do believe there are situations and sometimes settings, which home schooling would be a better setting than public school. But in the end I believe these students would be missing out on individual growing experiences in their life.
In past articles we mentioned how in the work field society is looking for individuals that are prepared to be responsible, work well with others, and have good social skills. Like Hess stated in What is a public School? “it’s the public components of schooling to include the responsibility for teaching the principles, habits, and obligations of citizenship.” I think children can better obtain these skills in a more social setting than being alone or with only a select group of students at home. I think that children who are home schooled are going to miss the opportunity to learn these skills while growing up. I’m not speaking for all home school experiences but for the majority I have heard or seen effects from often these are major skills they are missing. When you are learning at home you do not have to be responsibility for remembering what work you have to complete, or take responsibility for having correct supplies because your parents give everything to you. Often when students are entering a public school system after being home schooled it takes them awhile to figure out how to handle things on their own, take responsibility for the education actions (like turning work in, remembering to do homework, get supplies and much more) and they often do not know how to properly socialize with their fellow peers and work in group settings. It was mentioned in the article Focus education that many people were being home schooled due “to bad experiences with teachers or school bullies to a proliferation of time-consuming outside activities to worries over peanut allergies.” I agree that we shouldn’t just ignore these issues, like bullying, but children also need to learn how to handle these issues on their own. If they are athletes they need to learn how to manage a working life with their sports. Unless you are some outstanding athlete at some point you will have to get a full time job to support you financially when still competing in sports. I mean even a lot of pro volleyball players still have to work normal jobs to obtain their lives financially but they have learned to juggle their schedule. I believe these are skills are important to learn at a young age.
Another situation that often occurs in teaching is that the school is teaching or presenting information in which the parents do not agree with. In the presentation it was mentioned that this debate is often brought up around the topic of evolution. Hess argued that teachers often do teach their own beliefs but I disagree. I think this situation can be handled in various ways, whether that is selecting a preferable setting for your child like a religious or private school, or home schooling but I believe if you really talk to the teacher, and they were teaching with the open mind and all equal approach to how a public teacher should teach, then they will teach the general facts not based on bias opinions. As a science teacher I often get confronted with this issue when we teach about evolution and global warming. One time I was confronted by a parent about whether I was teaching both sides to the global warming issue. I stated that I was a science teacher so I only gave scientific facts about the issue. I taught them about the atmosphere, pollution, greenhouse effect, and what is global warming and the statistical facts behind the concept. They then asked me whether I would put down students who would state they didn’t believe in global warming. My answer to this, and all other science topics that are controversial, is that I let the students state this and say that this was their opinion. I can’t teach opinions or beliefs but rather just facts and that I would be happy to look at any facts and statistics that they would like to bring in to support the statement. Then we often have the lesson on when stating case or point of view you need information or facts to support your ideas. I too may have my personal beliefs on global warming or even evolution but its not my job to teach this but it’s my job to teach the scientific facts. I often give the example that I can tell a kid what the color orange is and show them a shirt that is the color orange. It a known fact in art that orange is orange but if a student is to state well I don’t believe that is true to me that is blue then that is fine. He could hold that belief, there is nothing wrong to that but for my class and teaching the facts is it’s orange. I think it’s important that children get all the facts that are out there and it’s there choice to then decide what they want to believe. I think if you are to really believe in something you should be acceptable to hearing all sides of the story and then making your decision on what you decide is correct. I will never tell a child that what their parents taught them is wrong but I will tell them the facts and let them decide what they want to in the end.
The one thing I did like about home schooling is the freedom to teach what the child would like to learn. In the presentation it was mentioned how if a child should ask a question about a star you can then have a unit about stars and take them on field trips about the topic. Teaching this way you can then get the child excited about learning and further the knowledge on the topic then what can be presented in short bits at school. At the same time though a parent can still doing these things while they are getting a public education at school and support what they are learning with school with activities the family can do at home. In the end I am not as against home schooling as I was before the presentation. I do believe there are situations and sometimes settings, which home schooling would be a better setting than public school. But in the end I believe these students would be missing out on individual growing experiences in their life.
Home Schooled Athletes - Should they be allowed to play?
With the recent success of Tim Tebow in the national spotlight in football a nationwide debate has been created. That is, Should students who are home schooled be allowed to play on public schools sports teams?
I personally am indifferent to the situation. I feel that if a student lives in a district and his/her parents choose to home school their child for whatever reason it is, it should not be held against the child if they wish to play a high school sport. With the growing number of bad options that are being presented to our children; Such as drugs, alcohol and sexual activity. How can we set a limitation on a student’s willingness to participate in after school activities? Also during the course of the presentation we discussed a home schooled child’s social interaction time frame with people of various cultures. Megan stated, “The real world goes beyond interacting with only one type of person, you have to take orders from someone and be able to adapt too many different social settings in a real world work place.” If a child is home schooled, playing on a public school team might be their only option to interact and develop socially on a different level.
Also in jenn’s PowerPoint she discusses the main argument that parents of home schooled children make. Jenn states, “One argument that home-schooled parents make in favor of access to extracurricular offerings is that they pay taxes that finance the public school enterprise. Therefore, they claim, they are entitled to take advantage of the school's offerings to the extent that they and their children are interested in doing so. Paying taxes is not the equivalent of paying tuition for public school.If it were, then people who have no children, or whose children are grown, would not have any obligation or reason to pay. Yet we all paytaxes, regardless of whether we have children and of how many we have.” In Amherst we have a situation that is different from most public school settings, if a child wishes to play a sport they have to pay $450 to participate and that doesn’t guarantee them playing time. So for me if a child is willing to pay to participate and be part of a team, I see no reason to restrain the child from playing. This child is attending school, getting the grades, and staying out of trouble. This is a lot more than we can say for a large number of students. The last thought I wish to make is, our job is about developing all children’s future, are we limited to only developing the children we teach?
I personally am indifferent to the situation. I feel that if a student lives in a district and his/her parents choose to home school their child for whatever reason it is, it should not be held against the child if they wish to play a high school sport. With the growing number of bad options that are being presented to our children; Such as drugs, alcohol and sexual activity. How can we set a limitation on a student’s willingness to participate in after school activities? Also during the course of the presentation we discussed a home schooled child’s social interaction time frame with people of various cultures. Megan stated, “The real world goes beyond interacting with only one type of person, you have to take orders from someone and be able to adapt too many different social settings in a real world work place.” If a child is home schooled, playing on a public school team might be their only option to interact and develop socially on a different level.
Also in jenn’s PowerPoint she discusses the main argument that parents of home schooled children make. Jenn states, “One argument that home-schooled parents make in favor of access to extracurricular offerings is that they pay taxes that finance the public school enterprise. Therefore, they claim, they are entitled to take advantage of the school's offerings to the extent that they and their children are interested in doing so. Paying taxes is not the equivalent of paying tuition for public school.If it were, then people who have no children, or whose children are grown, would not have any obligation or reason to pay. Yet we all paytaxes, regardless of whether we have children and of how many we have.” In Amherst we have a situation that is different from most public school settings, if a child wishes to play a sport they have to pay $450 to participate and that doesn’t guarantee them playing time. So for me if a child is willing to pay to participate and be part of a team, I see no reason to restrain the child from playing. This child is attending school, getting the grades, and staying out of trouble. This is a lot more than we can say for a large number of students. The last thought I wish to make is, our job is about developing all children’s future, are we limited to only developing the children we teach?
Homeschooling Students
Homeschooling allows parents to take direct responsibility for their child's education. Parents can take responsibility for their child's education by choosing a curriculum, and approach to learning, and the principles and values on which these are based on. No other education arrangement offers the same freedom to arrange an education designed for an individual student; in homeschools, parents are responsible not only for selecting what their children will learn, but when, how, and with whom they will learn (Rob Reich). Homeschooling allows for the individual child to work at their own pace. I can understand why many parents would choose to homeschool their child because it allows them to control exactly what their child is learning and who is teaching their child. However, there are two negatives that I see with homeschooling. One is that children who are homeschooled do not have as many opportunities to interact with other children who have diverse perspectives. By homeschooling, students are primarily only learning what their parents beliefs are and may not be as exposed to diversity compared to those students in public schools. Customizing education may permit schooling to be tailored for each individual student, but total customization also threaten to insulate students from exposure to diverse ideas and people and thereby shield them from the vibrancy of a pluralistic democracy (Rob Reich).
Another question that I found my asking when reading about homeschooling is how qualified are these parents to be teachers? According to a 2000-2001 Barna survey, homeschool parents are 39% less likely to be college graduates. Are these children who are being homeschooled learning everything they schould be learning when they are not being taught by a certified teacher? I can understand parents wanting to teach their children because of moral and religious reasons. However, when children are homeschooled they are not being exposed to as many diverse people and ideas that they would find if they were to attend school. I am not sure if there is a solution to this problem because parents can not completely customize or control their child's education if their child is going to a traditional school.
Another question that I found my asking when reading about homeschooling is how qualified are these parents to be teachers? According to a 2000-2001 Barna survey, homeschool parents are 39% less likely to be college graduates. Are these children who are being homeschooled learning everything they schould be learning when they are not being taught by a certified teacher? I can understand parents wanting to teach their children because of moral and religious reasons. However, when children are homeschooled they are not being exposed to as many diverse people and ideas that they would find if they were to attend school. I am not sure if there is a solution to this problem because parents can not completely customize or control their child's education if their child is going to a traditional school.
Homeschool Responsibilities
The responsibility of educating children ultimately rests in the home, so it seems only fitting that there are parents who are taking on that responsibility and educating their children in a full-time capacity. As Jenn pointed out, home-schooling was the 'norm' in the early 1800's. The need for all children to have a balanced education brought about compulsory education. It was felt that immigrants, farmers' children, and urban children all needed to be educated in the basic structure of our society and democracy. Every child needs to be able to read, write, and do arithmetic. However, this brigs into account concepts and ideals that may not be in line with the values of the particular family unit. As noted by Fredrick Hess, "it is inappropriate for public school teachers to use their office to impose personal views upon a captive audience." (p. 163) The manner in which a child is educatied is therefore under the authority of the parent(s) of the child.
Choices in the educational process are numerous and they continue to grow. Parents are given many options when it comes to teaching their children. Although many homeschoolers teach tehir chldren outside of the public school environment for religious reasons, there are a growing number of homeschoolers who are teaching their children because they are disappointed with the public school system. In the "Focus on Education" article mentioned earlier, it was stated that "academic concerns outweigh religious reasons." Some see that the pubic schoool does not meet the needs of their special education child. Some have had bad experiences with bullies or with a poor teacher. Others see homescholing as an inexpensive option to an individualized education. Whatever the reason, homeschooling is just one option available for parents who are dissastisfied with the methods by which their children are being taught.
One of the greatest appeals of the homeschooling choice is the lack of regulation. As Dr. Scott pointed out, "the lack of regulation is the greatest strength [for this choice], but it is also the greatest weakness." Unregulated schooling practices could create a culture of children who are not being educated in subjects that are necessary to compete in society. Rob Reich, in his article "On Regualting Homeschooling: A Reply to Glanzer", states that he believes that "parents...bear the burden of proof in showing that parents, in their capactiy as teachers, will meet the state's and child's interests in education." Reich supports greater regulation for homeschooling. He also believes that there is "no good evidence about the performance, academic or otherwise, of homeschool students." All homeschooled students should be registered and all students should take basic skills tests. Is the homeschooling curriculium too subjective? Should there be "basics" that should be covered? Who's to say what...by when...how? I do believe that homeschooling has a place in our educational system and I have considered homeschooling my own children on a number of occasions, but there are still a great deal of questions to be answered. For now, I allow my children to go to the public school, support them wherever I can, and be in contact and communication with their teachers, so that we may all (student, parent, teacher) work together for the best interest of the child.
Choices in the educational process are numerous and they continue to grow. Parents are given many options when it comes to teaching their children. Although many homeschoolers teach tehir chldren outside of the public school environment for religious reasons, there are a growing number of homeschoolers who are teaching their children because they are disappointed with the public school system. In the "Focus on Education" article mentioned earlier, it was stated that "academic concerns outweigh religious reasons." Some see that the pubic schoool does not meet the needs of their special education child. Some have had bad experiences with bullies or with a poor teacher. Others see homescholing as an inexpensive option to an individualized education. Whatever the reason, homeschooling is just one option available for parents who are dissastisfied with the methods by which their children are being taught.
One of the greatest appeals of the homeschooling choice is the lack of regulation. As Dr. Scott pointed out, "the lack of regulation is the greatest strength [for this choice], but it is also the greatest weakness." Unregulated schooling practices could create a culture of children who are not being educated in subjects that are necessary to compete in society. Rob Reich, in his article "On Regualting Homeschooling: A Reply to Glanzer", states that he believes that "parents...bear the burden of proof in showing that parents, in their capactiy as teachers, will meet the state's and child's interests in education." Reich supports greater regulation for homeschooling. He also believes that there is "no good evidence about the performance, academic or otherwise, of homeschool students." All homeschooled students should be registered and all students should take basic skills tests. Is the homeschooling curriculium too subjective? Should there be "basics" that should be covered? Who's to say what...by when...how? I do believe that homeschooling has a place in our educational system and I have considered homeschooling my own children on a number of occasions, but there are still a great deal of questions to be answered. For now, I allow my children to go to the public school, support them wherever I can, and be in contact and communication with their teachers, so that we may all (student, parent, teacher) work together for the best interest of the child.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Home Schooling:A Choice in a Democratic Society
Home schooling has been growing considerably according to Jenn’s presentation with over 2 million home schoolers nationwide. Jenn and “Home Schooling Grows” stated that the primary reason given for parents to choose to home school was for moral or religious reasons. Parents want to assure that their children are raised with the values and beliefs that the parents believe are crucial to the well-being of their children. “The Civic Perils of Home Schooling” states “parents view the education of their children as a matter properly under their control and no one else’s.” They want to be able to choose what their children learn and how they learn it. The author of “The Civic Perils…” has the view that this “dilutes active democratic citizenship”. I do not understand how home schooling is a component of the demise of democratic citizenship. Isn’t it just the opposite? Are not home schooling parents exercising their democratic right to choose what is best for their family?
Our question was “How should we apportion responsibility between families and public schools?” The responsibility for our children lies solely in the laps of the parents. It is only by our parental choice that we give over control for the education of our children to the public school. When you really think about it, most of us send our children to public school, because it is the norm, without really even considering anything else, except maybe a religious private school. We give control to the school for the curriculum that our children will learn and how it is taught. How many parents have actually gone to the ODE website and looked at the state standards? Most of us just blindly accept that the school knows best and say “Here are my children.” I have never had a parent question me over curriculum or teaching methods, except on how they can help their child study.
I applaud parents who have taken back their God-given rights to raise their children as they see fit. Oftentimes, home schooling parents are seen as radical and extremist. Bring up the topic in a public school teachers’ lounge and watch the disgust and even some anger come out. Maybe we are threatened. Maybe we do not understand how a family’s biblical world view may cause them to choose home schooling. Somehow we always remember that one family that home schooled and what a disaster it turned out to be. If the majority of home schooling experiences were disasters, why is it growing so rapidly? Personally, I would have loved to home school, and my daughter actually begged to be home schooled. However, my husband and I chose to have our children attend our public school, because we exercised our rights to choose that option as the best for our family. As parents, we should put as much thought into our child’s K-12 education options, as we did for their pre-school experience or will when it’s time to choose a college.
Our question was “How should we apportion responsibility between families and public schools?” The responsibility for our children lies solely in the laps of the parents. It is only by our parental choice that we give over control for the education of our children to the public school. When you really think about it, most of us send our children to public school, because it is the norm, without really even considering anything else, except maybe a religious private school. We give control to the school for the curriculum that our children will learn and how it is taught. How many parents have actually gone to the ODE website and looked at the state standards? Most of us just blindly accept that the school knows best and say “Here are my children.” I have never had a parent question me over curriculum or teaching methods, except on how they can help their child study.
I applaud parents who have taken back their God-given rights to raise their children as they see fit. Oftentimes, home schooling parents are seen as radical and extremist. Bring up the topic in a public school teachers’ lounge and watch the disgust and even some anger come out. Maybe we are threatened. Maybe we do not understand how a family’s biblical world view may cause them to choose home schooling. Somehow we always remember that one family that home schooled and what a disaster it turned out to be. If the majority of home schooling experiences were disasters, why is it growing so rapidly? Personally, I would have loved to home school, and my daughter actually begged to be home schooled. However, my husband and I chose to have our children attend our public school, because we exercised our rights to choose that option as the best for our family. As parents, we should put as much thought into our child’s K-12 education options, as we did for their pre-school experience or will when it’s time to choose a college.
Who Should Provide Public Schooling?
Right now, pretty much anyone can provide a public education. The parents are left with many choices on how to educate their children. Ria said it best in her post about parents having the right to decided what is best for their child's education, whether it be public, private, charter or homeschooling. Hess even states that it is not clear that public schooling needs to have restrictions on who provides services. Those parents who choose to homeschool have that right. Jen told us in her presentation that between 1.5 and 2.4 million kids are homeschooled. There is no way of knowing what these kids are learning at home and if they are receiving a rich education.
Mary also discussed the decline in private school education. Right now in this economy, public schooling is the better route. Again, it is ultimately up to the parents to decide. Public schools have no tuition, and if you are in a good community like River or Westlake, you know that their levies pass and that their test scores are high. They are great school districts. Mary also mentioned that the lack of enrollment in the private schools could be due to lack of faith. Which goes back to the economy as well. People are pressed for money. Times are rough, a lot of people have lost faith. There has also been a change in social values. Families have changed. Families don't sit down and have dinner together anymore. Everyone is on the go. Too many families are broken and have no structure. Times have really changed.
Public schooling is open to all in this country. There are no restrictions. Anyone can attend. It is the sole responsibility of the parents to decide what is best for their child when it comes to their education.
Mary also discussed the decline in private school education. Right now in this economy, public schooling is the better route. Again, it is ultimately up to the parents to decide. Public schools have no tuition, and if you are in a good community like River or Westlake, you know that their levies pass and that their test scores are high. They are great school districts. Mary also mentioned that the lack of enrollment in the private schools could be due to lack of faith. Which goes back to the economy as well. People are pressed for money. Times are rough, a lot of people have lost faith. There has also been a change in social values. Families have changed. Families don't sit down and have dinner together anymore. Everyone is on the go. Too many families are broken and have no structure. Times have really changed.
Public schooling is open to all in this country. There are no restrictions. Anyone can attend. It is the sole responsibility of the parents to decide what is best for their child when it comes to their education.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Home School Dilemma
I believe the choice to homeschool shows a true commitment and dedication to one's child(ren), not to mention much needed patience and dicipline. If a parent truly has their child(rens)'s best interest at heart I believe they should be able to have the final decision in the approach of their education. I have a neighbor who has home schooled her two boys up until the oldest graduated from H.S. and was able to obtain a football scholarship because he played football for the local public H.S., and the younger brother is currently a sophmore in a charter school. I asked my neighbor why she chose to homeschool and she reiterated many points that Jennifer brought out in class. My neighbor stated that she checked into the public and private schools but they didn't encompass all three of the components of an education that she regarded important:1)academics, 2)spiritual emphasis, and 3)cultural enrichment/awareness-as far as pertaining to a young black male. She chose to home school because she had an "awakening, where God said this is what i needed to do for my children." She went on to tell me that it benefited her because:1)it allowed for stronger social skills with adults, 2)it allowed for hands on activities (she utilized many of the methodologies presented in class), 3)a freer spiritual but serious approach to education, and 4)allowed her teach her Christian values while living it on a daily basis. This correlates with Jennifer's presentation as well as that of the article Home Schooling Grows where it was cited "the biggest motivation for parent's to teach their children at home has been moral or religious reasons."As far as whether these homeschool children should be given access to services provided by the public schools (i.e. extacurricular or auxilarry services in the form of OT/PT/SLT or PE)...I say why not? Why deny these children any opportunity to socially interact with their peers? more than likely,these will be the same children they'll be playing with in the neighborhood. This is where apportioning responsibilitieas between famalies and the local school or school district must be held accountable equally. School districts should allow homeschoolers to be a part of the school community and be involved as much as possible. When there are activities (i.e. field trips, sporting events) parents would have to be mandated to be present, accountable, and sign a waiver of responsibility on the part of the school or staff members. The waiver would be implemented to protect staff. After all, they do not know these children, their personalities, let alone whatever issues. People are also choosing homeschool to keep their children safe! As Brian presented last week in class school violence and among children in general is on the rise. We see it in the media everyday...look at Success Tech H.S., Columbine H.S., or Virginia Tech!As pointed out in the article Amid Hard Times, Home Schoolinh Famalies Persist "people are looking to homeschool as an alternative more in light of economic circumstances." My neighbor, an administrative educator, worked during the day so she collaborated with another homeschooler who also was a Christian educator that worked in the afternoon. My neighbor taught math and social studies in the afternoon while the other mom taught music and science in the morning. It was even brought to my attention that one of the superintendants of Warrensville Height H.S. homeschooled the gradson and allowed/encouraged interaction between the public schools and homeschoolers. Many school district discourage homescooling because that is additional funds that is being lost per day for educational purposes from the state. I believe that's called per diem. Therefore, that child is viewed as a lost in working capital.Between the class presentation, talking to my neighbor and other homeschoolers I admire and support these parents and agree with the statement "these famalies are already sacraficing-when times get tough, there's no belt left to tighten. These are famalies who homeschool because public education wouldn't serve the needs of their child," and parent's can't afford private education, as Mary's report indicated.
Our Public Schools Practice Reverse Discrimination
How should we divide responsibility between families and public schools? If I remember correctly, we live in the United States of America, and we do have a constitution with a first amendment. "The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws 'respecting an establishment of religion' or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, infringe the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of press, limit the right to peaceably assemble, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievences"(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution). This being the case considering our rights as citizens, don’t we have the right to educate our children the way we see fit?
It is clear to me that the parent’s role as the primary educators of their children has been usurped in public schools as well as some private schools. This can be traced through the history of our public schools back to the anti-Catholic rhetoric going on during the 19th century, and today it can even be seen in your local diocesan school due to the watering down of the faith (Noll, 2008). I have seen more Catholics than ever before jumping on the homeschooling bandwagon, all because the true faith which they are trying to teach at home is being undermined in their local schools.
According to Frederick Hess, in his article “What is a Public School? Principles for a New Century”, the public school should teach children the essential skills and knowledge that make for productive citizens, teach them to respect our constitutional order, and instruct them in the framework of rights and obligations that secure our democracy and protect our liberty, however, unfortunately, today’s public schools are explicitly promoting a particular world view and working harder to stamp out familial views and impress children with socially approved beliefs (Noll, 2008). Schools have intruded on the familiar sphere (Noll, 2008), and faculty members make no bones about advancing their own liberal agenda, at the cost of undermining the morals and values many parents are teaching at home. Hess states, “in a liberal society, uniformly teaching student’s to accept teen pregnancy or homosexuality as normal and morally unobjectionable represents a jarring absolutism amidst profound moral disagreement” (Noll, 2008). Remember my definition of moral relativism? Is this not what is being taught in our schools today? The head of Christ’s Church on earth, Pope Benedict XVI, has stated that moral relativism is one of the greatest evils of our time. In light of all of this, is it no doubt that so many parents want to withdrawal their children from these schools that are undermining their authority and primary duty as parents?
So to bring up the question again, how should we divide responsibility between families and public schools? I think it would be very hard to turn the tide of extreme liberalism that has infiltrated our schools, and give parents equal responsibility in public schools. God has been stripped from schools, and so we are at the point of no return. Reverse discrimination has affected those who want their children to hear God’s laws and practice Christian virtues in their everyday lives as citizens of the United States. I don’t think God will ever be able to return to public schools, and so homeschooling is bound to increase. We still have the right to educate our children as we see fit. Let’s pray this will not be taken away as well.
It is clear to me that the parent’s role as the primary educators of their children has been usurped in public schools as well as some private schools. This can be traced through the history of our public schools back to the anti-Catholic rhetoric going on during the 19th century, and today it can even be seen in your local diocesan school due to the watering down of the faith (Noll, 2008). I have seen more Catholics than ever before jumping on the homeschooling bandwagon, all because the true faith which they are trying to teach at home is being undermined in their local schools.
According to Frederick Hess, in his article “What is a Public School? Principles for a New Century”, the public school should teach children the essential skills and knowledge that make for productive citizens, teach them to respect our constitutional order, and instruct them in the framework of rights and obligations that secure our democracy and protect our liberty, however, unfortunately, today’s public schools are explicitly promoting a particular world view and working harder to stamp out familial views and impress children with socially approved beliefs (Noll, 2008). Schools have intruded on the familiar sphere (Noll, 2008), and faculty members make no bones about advancing their own liberal agenda, at the cost of undermining the morals and values many parents are teaching at home. Hess states, “in a liberal society, uniformly teaching student’s to accept teen pregnancy or homosexuality as normal and morally unobjectionable represents a jarring absolutism amidst profound moral disagreement” (Noll, 2008). Remember my definition of moral relativism? Is this not what is being taught in our schools today? The head of Christ’s Church on earth, Pope Benedict XVI, has stated that moral relativism is one of the greatest evils of our time. In light of all of this, is it no doubt that so many parents want to withdrawal their children from these schools that are undermining their authority and primary duty as parents?
So to bring up the question again, how should we divide responsibility between families and public schools? I think it would be very hard to turn the tide of extreme liberalism that has infiltrated our schools, and give parents equal responsibility in public schools. God has been stripped from schools, and so we are at the point of no return. Reverse discrimination has affected those who want their children to hear God’s laws and practice Christian virtues in their everyday lives as citizens of the United States. I don’t think God will ever be able to return to public schools, and so homeschooling is bound to increase. We still have the right to educate our children as we see fit. Let’s pray this will not be taken away as well.
Exposure to the Outside World Essential
This is an interesting question to consider in the home schooling debate. In our class discussions we have looked at the teacher-parent relationship from a different angle. We’ve debated whether or not teachers should “fill in” where parents and families are lacking. The question of should we help the student reach their highest potential when their parents aren’t has come up. People tend to either feel that teachers should help out for the sake of the child. Or, teachers shouldn’t because they already have so much responsibility and are enabling the parents. But Hess discusses a different angle in reference to home schooling. The idea that teachers are trying to correct the family is an invasion.
I think that, as in many situations, a middle ground is the way to go. Students are frequently home schooled because the parents feel it is in their best interest. Jenn discussed a variety of reasons ranging from religious/moral to environment. This comes down to the idea that parents want to choose how their child is educated and formed into their future self. I can respect this to an extent. The article Amid Hard Times talked about how much home schooling strengthened the family structure and how the older children believed in it to the extent that they would sacrifice for their younger siblings. But I also feel the sheltered environment robs them of learning about others, being exposed to uncomfortable situations, and diversity of life. In Hess’ chapter the educational thinkers called this, “freeing students from the yoke of their family provincial understandings”. If a family is biased against an ethnic group or way of thinking my bet would be that that would be portrayed through in their lessons and work. Personal bias does come into play in all families, but when students attend school they are at least exposed to other environments and ideals for 6-8 hours a day. The interactions with teachers and other students will have an influence on their opinions. This exposure prepares them for the future in the working world and lives up the diversity of our country.
I am not arguing against home schooling. Like anything I am sure it can be done in an appropriate manner with good intention. I love the idea of families getting together and planning excursions and I understand when it is necessary for some individuals like those with health issues. But I do think it would be beneficial for the students to get some education/time away from their family structure.
I think that, as in many situations, a middle ground is the way to go. Students are frequently home schooled because the parents feel it is in their best interest. Jenn discussed a variety of reasons ranging from religious/moral to environment. This comes down to the idea that parents want to choose how their child is educated and formed into their future self. I can respect this to an extent. The article Amid Hard Times talked about how much home schooling strengthened the family structure and how the older children believed in it to the extent that they would sacrifice for their younger siblings. But I also feel the sheltered environment robs them of learning about others, being exposed to uncomfortable situations, and diversity of life. In Hess’ chapter the educational thinkers called this, “freeing students from the yoke of their family provincial understandings”. If a family is biased against an ethnic group or way of thinking my bet would be that that would be portrayed through in their lessons and work. Personal bias does come into play in all families, but when students attend school they are at least exposed to other environments and ideals for 6-8 hours a day. The interactions with teachers and other students will have an influence on their opinions. This exposure prepares them for the future in the working world and lives up the diversity of our country.
I am not arguing against home schooling. Like anything I am sure it can be done in an appropriate manner with good intention. I love the idea of families getting together and planning excursions and I understand when it is necessary for some individuals like those with health issues. But I do think it would be beneficial for the students to get some education/time away from their family structure.
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