Replies to '11/24 Great School Debate'

In our state, at least, our kids have to take standardized tests every two years. They have to meet a certain percentile benchmark in order to continue homeschooling. My son tested this year and so I have those "official" results that say he is doing well for his age and "grade level". That might be meaningful information to the school district or to someone studying unschooling vs. public schooling or something like that.

To me, these results don't really mean much because I get to see my kids learning every day. And more than just learning, I get to see the ways that they work, play, the responsibilities that they take on, their enthusiasm and energy for projects they start, and how they interact with other people of all ages. They have minds that crave learning and challenges, and they are well-versed in seeking out the resources they need for whatever their interests are.

Both of my kids have already found ways to make their own money. Both of them started earning their own money at age five. My son ran plant sales during the summer he turned five and cleared over $70 from plants he propagated from starts in our garden. My daughter started playing the violin in public at age five and this year has cleared almost $200 (she's saving for her own pony, of course!). Needless to say, I am not worried about "gainful employment" for kids who are so industrious, hard-working, enthusiastic, and have such an entrepeneurial spirit!

Success in life is so much more than a test score, so much more than a grade. My husband was a high-school dropout with no university degree. Now he is an extremely successful businessman. He is successful because he is hardworking and honest, because he has great interpersonal skills, because he knows how to work with people and work for people, and because he has great ideas and the enthusiasm to follow through on them. He didn't learn these skills in school, he learned them in life. I have every confidence that he and I are passing on similar skills and values to our children, and that they will be successful in whatever they put their minds and hearts to. No matter what the "objective" state tests say.