Topic : 11/24 Great School Debate

dr.phil i 5 children home home schooled from 2nd to ninth grade my children all have been in public school , matter of fact i have a kintergarder in public school ,but eventualy she will be home schooled , it is best for her at this time to go to public school .    my other 5 children were down on there grades my middle school kids were down on there grades the teacher's were only worried about there boyfriend (the princapul)  was doing.    this kid was worried about what that kids parntes were driving or how much money thay made ect.    my children go throught ohdela which is a charter public were thay do there work online thay give the children computer and text books and there grades have improved

Who pays for the test???

If the state is going to require testing then the state should pay for it.

Also private schools are exempt from state testing and state requirements, why should homeschools be treated differently then private schools?

Dr. Phil was a little bit biased on his show.  He showed the extremes on homeschooling, but did not show what an average homeschooler is like.  Most homeschoolers use some form of curriculum and are not "un-schoolers".  There is a vast difference between homeschooling and un-schooling.  My children, ages 11, 8 and 6 are homeschooled and have always been homeschooled.  Homeschooling allows my children to take extra time learning the things they have problems with and to go a little faster through the things they find easy.  I helps them learn a lot better.  They still have to study things they don't like!!  I think if the parent is willing to work at it, children can actually learn more when they are homeschooled because they are able to learn at their own pace, not a pace preset by a school district.  Most homeschoolers are socially adjusted and a lot are more well-rounded citizens.  If there was such a problem with homeschoolers, why would schools like Harvard have special departments that are dedicated to recruiting homeschoolers?  Homeschooling takes work on both the parent and childs part.  But it is well worth the effort.  Next time, Dr. Phil, please present all sides instead of just the extremes.

I am a mother of 2 boys, one in Grade 1, the other in Grade 4. We are in our 3rd year of homeschooling, my oldest went to a public school for Kindergarten and Grade 1.

Unfortunately too many people are getting homeschooling and unschooling confused.  To me they are nothing alike, to properly homeschool you require a curriculum and structure. I am proud to homeschool, but very much disagree with unschooling.

As a homeschooler my children learn exactly the same things that their friends in public school are learning. We are in Canada and each province has a set curriculum that the schools have to follow, we too follow that same curriculum. And by teaching them this same thing at home I am here to help them when they need it, I'm here to stay on them and make sure they are doing what they need to do, unlike in a classroom where there is only 1 teacher to do the same with 30+ children.

I completely disagree that teachers are better suited to teach our children, in the 2 years of public school that we did experience with our oldest I did not believe that either of the teachers had any interest in the future of my children, they had more interest in the money they were making and themselves. I have an interest in my children's future, therefore I'm going to work harder then a teacher would at making sure my kids have the knowledge they need to succeed in life and be who and what they want to be. 

I will admit that my children do miss out a little bit in socialization with other children, only because I don't drive so can't run them around to things I would like to so they can interact more with other kids, and we're currently stuck living in an area where I would rather my children socialize with each other then become involved with how these other children are being raised.  But that being said, for the most part homeschooled kids actually get MORE socialization then school kids do, homeschooled kids are more involved with things such as shopping and running errands since they are usually with the parent that does these things, and homeschooled kids have more time in a day to do extracurricular activities because their school day is shorter, generally the same work that it takes kids in school an entire school day to do homeschool kids finish in just a few hours.

My children are receiving a MUCH better and more detailed education on a much broader range of things then kids in public school do, and I am baffled as to how anyone can think that's a bad thing.

A lot of people I've come across seem to think that homeschooling is not schooling, but that is so completely wrong.

Just because I didn't pay money and spend time in college or university myself does not mean I'm not suited to teach, I probably have a broader range of knowledge then at least 80% of the educated teachers out there, and what I'm not as knowledgable on my husband is and can pick up in those areas.

I am much happier knowing exactly what my children are learning and on top of that knowing my children are safe.

A comment on the young woman who was homeschooled and feels it left her socially retarded, I believe she is trying to find something to blame that on and it was easiest for her to blame it on homeschooling, when in fact there are many many people who feel the same social retardation she does and went to public school as well as being involved in extra-curriculur activities.  I believe she is going through a stage in her life where she is trying to find her purpose, almost everyone goes through that regardless of their upbringing and source of education.

I just have to make a comment regarding the 26 year old who says she was socially retarded because of homeschooling and that she feels like an outcast. Feeling like an outcast happens all the time in public school. If you're not part of the in crowd or the popular crowd or just a little different, kids can be really cruel. I went to public school in New York and Florida and had two totally different experiences. My experience in New York was great, I was involved in many different activites and very outgoing up until 7th grade, when my family moved to Florida. First, I became very bored because we were learning things I had already learned in 5th grade. Then, most of the kids were just mean. I was picked on and called names and was an outcast from the in crowd. Because of all the teasing I became very shy and struggle with that today. I have trouble letting people in, because I feel I won't be accepted for who I am. Because of my experience I have chosen to homeschool my kids and have been doing it for 8 years. I am not against public schools at all, but there are good school districts and not so good school districts. I happen to live in the same school district I went to in Florida and I believe it is not good. If we lived someplace where the schools were good, then I would send my kids to school if they chose to go. I have a 13 year old and almost 9 year old. My 13 year old is traditionally homeschooled and just does not like school at all. It wouldn't matter if he were in school, because I know he would dislike it even more. He is a very hands on learner. On the other hand my daughter loves school and I have her enrolled in one of the virtual public schools and has been since the pilot 4 years ago and she loves it. She has asked about going to public school and I would send her if she wanted to try it. Both kids have a wide range of friends and are exposed to all ages, races and religions and do not have a problem getting along with anyone. So the whole socialization thing is probably the easiet thing for people to pick on about homeschoolers, unscoolers, etc.  The main thing about my kids is that they are kind. They don't judge others by the way they look, if they are heavy, orhandicapped in some way or different races or religions. They treat everyone with kindness. And if someone doesn't like them for whatever reason, they move on and know that it is not a reflection on who they are. There is so much more that I could say on this subject, but I will stop here, otherwise I could write a book lol.

First- Not all public school teachers are required to have a master's degree.  I know because I was a full-time teacher before having children.

Second- Degrees and courses on teaching methods do not necessarily make good teachers.

I do take my children to the doctor, and I take my daughter often as she has two medical conditions that require three-month follow-ups.

Education is different. The reasons I have chosen to homeschool do not have to do with socialization or issues of the children in the school, they have to do with the administration and the issues we were having with how the adults were behaving. After several years of receiving education to make them "trained professionals", I was hard pressed to see any of that professional training in action. It was very much a case of redneck backwoods justice and who you know, old school mentality that was a huge hindrance to the education of my children. They get one shot to be educated correctly; and with them being in this district, that shot was being blown big time. I did all I could within the confines of procedure to try to change things, and it didn't happen. If a doctor does something wrong, they get reviewed and often lose their license. If a tenured teacher is doing something wrong, it takes an act of God to get them out.