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I graduated from an upper-middle class high school in 1990.  I thought I had learned what needed to be learned so that I could go on to college.  WRONG!  In college I had to pay for REMEDIAL math classes!!! I was so angry.  But then I looked around at who was in my remedial class and they were all students from North Hills High School!!  I wanted to bill the high school for my remedial classes, but my parents said I should just drop it.  I wish I had sent the high school a bill.  Maybe it would have caused them to take another look at their sub-par cirriculum!!

That was all hapening 16 years ago!  I now live in New Mexico and the schools here are horrific.  Graduates can't read, write, do math, spell....nothing!  My niece is in the 9th grade and probably reads on a 4th grade level.  She can't spell correctly if her life depended on it...and it does.  No one wants to hire someone too stupid to spell or add or divide correctly.  And her speaking is just as bad.  She sounds like a dullard.  This will haunt her for the rest of her life.  People will assume she's an idiot, not the kind, sweet, beautiful girl that she has become.

New Mexico ranks 43rd out of 50 for our inadequate schooling, yet our govenor refuses to address it.  Yes he's trying to throw money at the problem, but we need to start requiring more from the teachers and principals before we can make such demands on our children.  New Mexico also has a "don't ask" policy about if a child is an illegal or an American citizen.  Therefore our schools are flooded with illegals who only speak Spanish.  This adds to the teachers' burden---the teachers must learn and teach Spanish to "accomodate" these illegals.  No wonder we rank so low!!  New Mexico is like a 3rd world country in many ways.

Home schooling sounds like the way to go so long as the parents meet all the required credentials and they are diligent about teaching at home.  Home schooled kids should have some kind of network so that they can be around like-aged kids.  That way they can learn the socialization skills needed out in the real world.

For our retirement we are looking to go to the mountains of Montana -- maybe we'll find some smart people like us up there!!

There is more to teaching than just "loving your children".  You need to be able to understand the brain development of your child, their learning style, tools to push your child to think beyond a book or a lesson, proper evaluation of what your child has learned, a means to verify that your assessment meets the needs of what society demands, the ability to listen to and evaluate ideas of others, problem-solving techniques that develop because of interactions with people who are not like you, cultural awareness that comes from working and playing for extended periods of time with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

You may not like society or agree with its values, but the truth of the matter is that your children will need to participate in this society.  Will they have enough tools, experiences, background knowledge to cope with the difficulties and challenges that they will face if all they know is their family?

One student was on a strict curriculum with deadlines, expectations, goals, etc.  She had no trouble doing her school work but never overcame her social inadequacies even after four years.  Yes she was involved in outside activities while being home schooled but that did not take the place of learning how to socially interact on a daily basis.  While this student graduated with a 4.0 average, even her parents said they have a hard time getting her out of her shell and now are concerned how she will fair in college. 

I'd counter that this girl was likely an introvert and likely would not have been more outgoing and social even if she attended public school from the get-go.

How do I know this?  I'm an introvert and all the time I got notes on my report cards how I needed to be more social, to participate in more activities, and to speak out in class more.  Being an introvert is NORMAL, not abnormal.  Just because introverts are the minority in our society amongst the loud, vocal, partying extroverts doesn't mean that there is something wrong with us.

Hi.  I have two children, one is 4 and the other is 18 mos..  I have been giving very serious thought to homeschooling my children.. The town I live in apparently has a large number of homeschooled children.  I know there are networks in town but finding them is a different story.   I was wondering where you found the literature about it.  I tried to find things online but the amount of information is overwhelming.  My 4 year old is supposed to start Kindergarten in '07.  I'm in Indiana so the law does not require children to start until first grade.  I'm very concerned about putting him in school.  He could read his ABC's at 2 on top of knowing 1-10 by sight, knew his colors and shapes.  By the time he was 3 he could read words, now at 4 1/2  he can read whole books with large words like "professional" and such.  He can tell time, he knows tons of other things, too numerous to list.  I'm afraid that putting him in school will only hinder him.  He'll get bored and be disruptive then fall behind.  I need help to find the information before it gets too close to school time.  I also wonder how can you convince others that you are doing what is best for your child.  I'm not getting much support from my family.  I would appreciate any help you or anyone reading this can give me.

Homeschooling is a novel idea, I guess. Obviously, I am not a big fan of home schooling.  I understand wanting to protect your child, I want my child safe as well but the few kids that I have seen that are home schooled are sort of outcasts.  I know they interact with other kids in other situations and all but they do not have the same social skills as other kids.  I am not trying to put down your choice, I would never want to tell someone what they are doing is wrong, this is just MHO.  My son goes to a very good private catholic school and that is the only way I would have it. Kids need a little separation from their parents and need the enriching experience of school. Remember this is just MY OPINION.