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Public Schooling Vs. Home Schooling

Is your child home schooled?  

15 members have voted

  1. 1. Is your child home schooled?

    • Yes.My child has a medical condition.
      0
    • Yes.I think public schools have become too violent.
      1
    • Yes.For religious reasons.
      2
    • Yes.Public schools no longer provide a quality education.
      5
    • Yes.For another reason (specify)
      1
    • No.Public schools are doing a fine job.
      5
    • No.Homeschooling is simply not an option for me.
      1


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I was talking with my buddies at work early this morning about home schooling.It seems to be on the rise here in Arkansas (and nation wide).To my surprise three of my co-workers homeschool their children.The reasons ranged from everything from the deadly shooting here in Jonesboro a few years ago,to a lack of confidence in the modern public school's ability to provide a quality education,to a lack of Christian faith and morality in public schools.

Although my daughter does not live with me,I am fine with her attending public school.I think the teachers try and provide a good education,most public schools try and provide as good a learning environment as possible,and that incidents like jonesboro,Paducah,and Columbine are the exception and not the rule.In contrast,my Missouri relatives (Admiral Peewee's family) are big on homeschooling,and all of the school-age children there are taught at home,and have,so far as I know,never seen the inside of a public classroom.

Are your children homeschooled or do you prefer a public education?What are your thoughts on the issue?

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I'm a big advocate of homeschooling. Sure, the public school system works fine for the average child. The problem being, I've never met an average child in my entire life. They all have their individual talents and personality quirks that sometimes do not respond well in a cookie-cutter environment. There is no opportunity to tailor the education to a child's interests and needs in a public school.

 

I homeschooled my youngest daughter in 5th grade, she went to a public highschool for her freshman year, and she is now enrolled in an independent studies program.

Edited by Indy

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My son is homeschooled by his aunt.My reasons for removing him from school were religious.I just got a little tired of the anti-Christian,IMO,sentiment pervading the public school system.

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My sister's children have been homeschooled for several years now,due largely to her concerns about bullying (school violence) and a lack of Christian values,morals,etc.

 

Myself,I say as long as the children receive a quality education at home (and there should be some organization that checks to make certain that the child or children being homeschooled are learning at an appropriate rate),then it should be the parent's choice.

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My fiance pulled her children out of public schools because she was disatisfied with the commitment of local educators (who were striking twice a year,sometimes more,for any reason their union could think of) to teach their students.Also,the schools her children went to were some of the district's worse in terms of annual test scores,and in basic skills assesments.So we've taken it upon ourselves to homeschool,and so far,I don't feel the kids are losing anything in terms of their education.They miss interacting with a whole class full of kids their own ages,but they still see their friends after school.

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My son is homeschooled by his aunt.My reasons for removing him from school were religious.I just got a little tired of the anti-Christian,IMO,sentiment pervading the public school system.

A public school is just that, a public school. It is taxpayer supported. These taxpayers come from many non-Christian (Jewish, Islamic, etc.) beliefs. To force a Jewish kid to listen to Christian beliefs is against the Constitution of the United States, and it is also mentioned in the Bible. (Spread the word, but don't force it on anyone that won't listen.)

 

In most cases, home schooling will do more good than harm. The only drawback to home schooling is the social interaction the kid is supposed to develop. The kid might end up as a closet case, as it doesn't know how to interact with other people.

 

Home schooling on religious beliefs is an excellent idea. The kid will learn all about it's religion as well as the educational fundamentals it will need in the real world. After viewing many messages on Internet message boards, you can almost tell the educational level of some of the users. It's apalling to try to fathom some of the comments due to gross misspelling and lack of punctuation and capitalizing. Home school the kid and teach them the right way to perform in society.

 

Anti-Christian? No! Non-Christian? Yes.

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Well being in the 8th grade I am currently homeschooled and have been since the 2nd grade.

I do take a couple of classes at a VERY small local school..(When I say small I mean they have 3 classrooms...)

 

My mom and dad have thier reasons for not sending me to public school and one of the main reasons is becuase of our religon.

 

As far as interaction, I do activities such as choir and guitar lessons..

Sometimes I wish I went to "normal" school, but only for the socialisation..

 

:thumbs:

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Commander Peregrin's intelligence log:

The Earthmen have no faith in the ability of their educational institutions.In large numbers they withdraw their hatchlings from such facilities in order to educate them in their own homes.Apes teaching apes.... :thumbs:

End log.

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I didn't vote because I don't have children and don't fit into one of the categories. As I've mentioned in other threads I have been working to become a certified teacher. But given my choice I would prefer a private school(not an option on this poll) over public - especially if lived in large city.

 

As for religion. Yes, many school districts are engaging in anti-Christian behavior. I'm not talking about religious neutrality but aggressive anti-Christian policies and practices. However, in other districts Christian groups use the schools to engage in active persecution of other faiths even other Christian faiths (this persecution is what led to the Texas case regarding student led prayer). As I've also mentioned in other threads I have an active interest in the First Amendment - and I do believe some school districts have violated the "establishment clause" - but that's a whole other thread.

 

I get very frustrated when people start talking about the changes that need to be made in education. The primary influence in a child's educational success is their family and home environment. There are children that enter the school system without ever having seen a book - much less having had someone read to them. This child is severely disadvantaged compared to the child whose parents have read to them, taken them to museums etc. At that point it becomes a matter of more taxpayer dollars for programs to "fill in the gap".

 

My theory is that most people that choose home school or private school generally come from the group of parents that would take the most active concern in their child's life and these children would probably do well in public school. For the most part, there are exceptions where children not doing well in public school will soar in home school because of the specialized attention.

 

Not all parents are qualified to home school their children, not all have the financial situation to make it possible. Not all parents can afford private school. And then there are those parents that don't care - so what happens to their children if the majority of concerned parents abandon public school.

 

I believe we need some major overhaul of the education system in this country and I'm not sure people are looking in the right direction for these changes but I'll save that for another thread.

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I grew up in the country on the outskirts of Norman, Oklahoma and the public school that was in our district was far from high quality. My older brother had lots of problems so my mum decided to start home schooling us the same year I would have entered kindergarten. Because of this I never stepped foot in a real school until I went to college. Though I will admit to certain weak points in my own education I'm still very glade I did it. I've been tested and my brain leans very far to the right side and unfortunately public schools are designed for the left side of the brain. I've always been pretty bright but I completely suck at standardized testing and had I gone to public school I think I would have been a C- student. I have little doubt that by high school I would have stopped caring all together and I may or may not have even kept going to class. I would have most likely developed a very low self esteem and who knows what kind of trouble I would have ended up in.

 

I say all of this because of the number of people who I personally know who are very much like me that went to public school. They are some of the smartest people I know but they were terrible in school. The public school system needs to be re-designed from the ground up. Because at the moment have an A+ average has little to do with how smart you are and a lot to do with how well you can play the system. I've known way too many idiots who could barely tie their shoes who graduated with honors.

 

As for Home schooling for religious reasons... Growing up 80% of my friends also home schooled and I would say that most of them did so for religious reasons. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with doing so but since I'm not a very religious person myself I don't recommend it. In many of the cases I've seen about the time the children hit the age of 16 or so they will often reject the religion merely because it has been thrust down their throat so much their entire life. Also since we live in a world that is full of diversity I think that it is important to not blind your children to the world around them and in many cases those who home school for religious reasons are doing just that. If a child is never exposed to people who feel differently then them what will they do when they hit 18 and go away to collage? This is an important question to always keep in mind.

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The school's here in Laurel are fine.In fact,I'm pretty sure Mississippi has some of the best schools in the country (the state has made a lot of progress over the past twenty-years).I attended public schools my whole life and so did all of my brothers.If I had children I'd send them to the same schools I went to.

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The school's here in Laurel are fine.In fact,I'm pretty sure Mississippi has some of the best schools in the country (the state has made a lot of progress over the past twenty-years).I attended public schools my whole life and so did all of my brothers.If I had children I'd send them to the same schools I went to.

Yeah,I feel about the same for the schools here in and around Jonesboro.I think they're just fine and dandy.

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i was home-schooled for a term in year 4 (7 years ago) ... it was cool....my mum knows a lot of stuff!

 

It was cool because i started school at 3pm!

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I don't have a child,but if I did there is no way I'm sending the kid to public school.TrekkieBabe and I went to a fairly decent high school,but it is decent only in comparison to the other high schools in its district,which were like junior varsity versions of Pelican Bay,Chino,and San Quintin.You've got kids that don't want to learn and constantly disrupt classes.Teachers that either have given up,or just don't care.School administrations that will not allow the teachers who do care,to get rid of disruptive students,and more and more violent crimes occuring.One of my friends from early childhood,a guy with a Phd in Geology (could've gone to work for Exxon,2-years ago,but decided teaching was a nobler career),Dr.Roy Tugman,usually calls me up a couple of times a week and we shoot the breeze.I've heard him complain about the way his school's administration simply refuse to let him clean up his class and toss the troublemakers.If he gives them a slip and sends them to the office,the counselors and principal send them right back.If he sends more than a couple down,they return with a note from some higher-up telling him to stop sending so many students to the office!He's had his tires slashed,his car antennae snapped off (both,multiple times),been called racial slurs (he is white and teaches at a predominately black high school),and threatened with physical assault.And the kids doing this?Nothing happens to them,but a talking to by a sympathetic counselor or even the office secretery. :thumbs:

Its insane.Sadly,he's about given up and decided to seek employment elsewhere.

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You could say that I never left the schooling system. :blink: I would definitely support the state schooling system and know of many fine colleagues who have the kids' best interests at heart and continue to provide a safe and supportive environment where the kids can learn and enjoy their time. Mind you I don't have kids of my own and have never had to make the choice. :thumbs:

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i was home schooled all through elementary, andi must admit, i hated it. i would fight with my parents till they spanked me, and then when i got to big they just grounded me. but they diecided that if i hated it so much, i could go to junior high and i have been going to public schools ever since. now a sophmore in high school.

SoCalTom, what do you have agianst us misspelling people? i am not gonna take the time to use punctuation and capitalization on a sentence in a forum. i am not being graded. plus, i really dont get how a capitalization makes anything hard to read.

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SoCalTom, what do you have agianst us misspelling people? i am not gonna take the time to use punctuation and capitalization on a sentence in a forum. i am not being graded. plus, i really dont get how a capitalization makes anything hard to read.

To me, it shows a lack of an education. It shows laziness, poor taste, and poor netiquite.

 

You're incorrect when you said that you're not being graded. When you submit a paper to an instructor, only one or two other people will see it. When you post something on a message board, the whole world can see it.

 

The question that I have is: Do you want to show us your true intelligence level, or are you showing it now with poor spelling and punctuation?

 

 

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SoCalTom, what do you have agianst us misspelling people? i am not gonna take the time to use punctuation and capitalization on a sentence in a forum. i am not being graded. plus, i really dont get how a capitalization makes anything hard to read.

To me, it shows a lack of an education. It shows laziness, poor taste, and poor netiquite.

 

You're incorrect when you said that you're not being graded. When you submit a paper to an instructor, only one or two other people will see it. When you post something on a message board, the whole world can see it.

 

The question that I have is: Do you want to show us your true intelligence level, or are you showing it now with poor spelling and punctuation?

 

 

Your assuming a couple of things:

 

(1) That the person typing is a native English speaker.

(2) That the people who post,care what the rest of us think about them.

 

Myself,I don't judge someone based on their ability to post a nice,neat little reply to a topic.

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Mr.Tinkles has a good point.

A friend of mine,a recent immigrant from Estonia (where he taught mathematics at university)is only just learning to speak,read,and type in English.Just to view one of his e-mails,you wouldn't think,"Oh,here is an educated man".But he is one of the smartest people I know.

Don't assume a man (or woman) is ignorant based on their typing skills.

 

Now,to address the topic.My children are enrolled in public schools.They were given the choice of public,private,or home schooling by their mother and myself a few years ago,and (surprisingly,to me at least),they all preferred to remain in public school.But,we have some very good schools and teachers here.

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SoCalTom, what do you have agianst us misspelling people? i am not gonna take the time to use punctuation and capitalization on a sentence in a forum. i am not being graded. plus, i really dont get how a capitalization makes anything hard to read.

To me, it shows a lack of an education. It shows laziness, poor taste, and poor netiquite.

 

You're incorrect when you said that you're not being graded. When you submit a paper to an instructor, only one or two other people will see it. When you post something on a message board, the whole world can see it.

 

The question that I have is: Do you want to show us your true intelligence level, or are you showing it now with poor spelling and punctuation?

 

 

I have to say that I take a bit of offense to your remarks (minor of course). I was homeschooled by my mother and was tought the same as all of my broters and sisters but for some reason spelling never clicked for me. In a lot of fields I test far above average but in spelling I always get the D-. It's not because I'm stupid because if it was then I wouldn't do so well in the other areas. And it's not because I had a poor education because both my older brother and younger sister who were also taught by my mother can spell just fine. Everyones brain simply works different. I know plenty of great spellers who can hardly do basic math and would flunk any history, pholisophy, or psycology class.

 

Also in this day in age of computers and spell check, knowing how to spell perfectly isn't much of an issue. And as for people who have grammer errors on message boards... I really don't care as long as their post makes enough sense to clearly understand.

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This isn't directed at anyone in particular, just my thoughts on the spelling issue.

 

Personally, I don't have a big problem with poor spelling as long as it's limited to a few words. I don't think it represents a lack of intelligence at all, and a lot of people just have trouble picking it up. Some of my best friends are surprised by my, generally, good spelling and grammar, but I know for a fact that they are far more advanced in other fields than I could hope to be. We all have different skills.

 

On the other hand, SoCalTom is right that it's bad netiquette. It's a pain reading messages that are poorly constructed or riddled with spelling mistakes to the point that I have to do extra interpretation to figure out what they mean. So why not just use a spell-checker (which can help with grammar, too) if it's difficult? It takes very little time and can improve a message greatly. It amazes me that people will take the time to add glowing text or goofy smilies (though I have to say I'm prone to using them), but not check their spelling. It's just frustrating having to read through poorly constructed paragraphs - I just give up now. The worst ones are those that don't use caps (or use them too much) and don't separate ideas into paragraphs properly. They're just irritating to read.

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