I have had 4 TBM friends either switch or say they plan to switch this year to home schooling.

While I see pros and cons to various education methods, I personally choose to send my boys to public school.

One of my TBM friends mentioned above is taking her kids out of public school because "the world is going to pot and I don't want my kids under that influence."


My apologies if this has been a topic recently...

Well, it boils down to dollars. It's much cheaper to home school than send them to public/private schools. If Mom does not produce an income, then she can buy the Abbecca programs (or any other computer programs ) and "Educate" her kids. My problem is, these kids alot of times are "weird" because they lack social skills/public relations and don't learn how to deal with "the hard facts of life". (Sheltering them is not the best idea because they don't learn how to handle "life"). I have a friend who home schools and her 3 kids are bright, yet her whole life is around these kids needs/education. (And she works weekends as a staff nurse).I have one child and I have a career. He went to public school (and I was a very involved Mom). He got into the Magnet program and received a great education.

Hmm......I probably can't be of much help to you there Queenie; my youngest is 10 now and they've all been going to public schools. I've heard the subject come up more frequently with younger moms than I think it has in the past, and I'm sure it has an appeal to Mormons wanting to keep their kids away from 'negative influences', but I don't know how largely they factor into the general homeschooling population. I agree though with your feelings on the matter; my kids have always enjoyed and done well in public schools, they've had excellent teachers and engaged parents in an area noted for great academics. I know personally I couldn't have handled it if I had kept them all at home and tried to go that route!

intellectualfeminist Wrote:
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>I know personally I couldn't have handled it if I had kept them all at home and tried to go that route!


I have other reasons, but a biggie is I simply know I wouldn't be disciplined enough. Having them attend school, public or private (that will never happen) gives me as much structure, if not more, as them. Plus, we've been fortunate to live in areas with good schools.

Once upon a time, when my oldest was a baby, I had considered home schooling if we were not out of our then current town by kindergarten. The schools were scary. Fortunately, we moved. :)

He really needs the social exposure if he's going to have any hope of a somewhat "normal" adult life. But I've been encouraging my kids to buy him a computerized academic program too because for him he can learn social skills or academic skills but trying to do both is a bit tough. Fortunately he loves computers so a little computerized home teaching doesn't seem like work to him. :)

I would never have home-schooled our children because we had a good public school system available where we live. If we had lived in the city the schools are terrible and all under threats to be taken over by the state because the failure rate is so high. The decision to home school kids is a difficult one, but in areas where the public schools aren't doing a decent job it may be a good choice if a parent is prepared to do it.

I know a few fundie Christians who homeschool, the poor young kids of one family have probably already learned everything Mommy knows... ;)

Mormons here flock together and a couple of schools are mostly Mormon kids, so they probably feel pretty safe.

I took my son out of public schools in the 8th grade because the teasing was really getting to him. He was always a bright student but sensitive and the target of bullies. When he started asking me if he was really what they called him (weirdo, geek, nerd, etc.) I finally decided enough was enough. Of course I'd been dealing with the school and their tolerance of this behavior for years at that point.

When my son began homeschooling my daughter decided she needed to as well. However she went back into public schools in the 9th grade. Both of my children are smart and successful people now as adults. I tend to think that homeschooling (at that point in time) was absolutely the best thing for my son's mental health and self esteem. And public school was the best for my daughter's gregarious and social nature.

However I was never interested in homeschooling my children at young ages. I figured that schools may be "worldly" but my children are part of the world and need to learn to deal with it. :)

I don't know anyone who is homeschooling, but I agree that it has a place if the public schools are bad and private schools are not an option or if the child is being bullied or cannot handle public school or isn't getting what he needs there. If parents are doing it to overprotect the kid, if they aren't qualified or if the point is to teach the Bible instead of history and science, then it is bad.I do not think many parents have the skills or knowledge to do a good job on their own and kids can miss out on the social aspects of school. Some sort of arrangement for them to associate with others is important.

My opinion is that, provided that the public school system isn't horrible, children should at least start public schooling. Then, after a couple of years, if they can't handle it for whatever reason, pull them out and homeschool them or send them somewhere else. I think homeschooling should be a kind of "last resort" except under special circumstances. Public school's main benefit to children is teaching them how to socialize with others and how to survive in groups of large people. If they are homeschooled, it will take extra effort for them to achieve that level of social competence.


I know a family who decided to homeschool every single one of their children just because they didn't like public schooling. Both parents were extremely smart, so the kids were becoming fluent in French while other public schooling children were learning the differences between nouns and verbs. They are now all extremely inteligent, but they have literally no social skills at all, and it will require them a number years to just be considered "normal".

This is an interesting topic for me. My wife and I are strongly contemplating home schooling our children at the elementary level but not for sheltering reasons. My wife is a school teacher currently and can't stand the policies and techniques used in the public school system today. Everything is about math and English skills. These skills are drilled and tested by standardized means. She says that all of her students hate school and she doesn't blame them. The school systems have changed drastically since we were in them (we are 25). I remember social studies, science, history, etc. All of those subjects have been cut. There is no room for the children to pursue personal interests. Creativity is punished. If my wife decides to do an educational science or art project the administration goes berserk. In short, the public school system is failing.

I don't blame other families for pulling their children from school systems that hold back intelligent kids in the name of standardization. My children are advanced for their age and would fail to thrive in the current school environment.

There is a risk of making children socially inept when they are home schooled, but usually this is a product of family lifestyle rather than schooling preference. The reality is many weird people with weird kids are home schooling. My wife and I make a point to get our kids into social situations and learn life lessons the Hard Knox style. Destroying my kids education experience in the name of social interactions that can be gained elsewhere seems irresponsible.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2011 04:45PM by foreverhuman.

I homeschool my oldest son. He is ten years old and is not socially backward in any way. In fact, he gets to socialize much more now than he did while in school and the people he socializes with are of various ages and backgrounds (unlike school where you mainly socialize with your own age group). He is part of a homeschooling group (run by the public school system) that goes on field trips, has talent shows and science fairs etc. He also takes Karate during the afternoon with other homeschooled kids, takes an art sculpture class,is on a little league team, and plays with all the neighborhood kids. In addition, he consistently scores extremely high on all the tests the state requires. Homeschooling has been a great fit for us. I do admit, however, that there are some pretty wacky homeschoolers. If you are going to homeschool your child, I suggest finding a good homeschooling group that you can attend field trips with etc. In my state there is a homeschooling group that is run by the public school system. We have a homeschooling counselor and are given some money that we can spend on curriculum and/or extra-curricular activities

H/s is large in TX. Big percentage of h/s homes. My youngest sis is pregnant w/the 4th and h/s's her 7 yr old. The 4 yr old and 2 yr old sit in the "class" and somewhat learn what is being learned/taught. My sister is an inactive presbyterian,(never a mormon) as far as religion. From what i gather, the few times I've been in Austin, they also have these "playtimes" @ the local park(s) and it's h/s kids from different families of the same age group who meet, get aqquainted, and get to play. It's a certain time in afternoon on thursdays, i believe, for app. 4 hours that you can carry your children and they play w/other h/s children.

...and I just registered my daughter for Kindergarten today.

I'm going to keep close tabs on how things are going for my kids, but short of some really serious problems, I don't think that pulling the kids out of school is the problem. As an adult, I can look back, and while I got along great with adults and smaller children, I had trouble with children my own age...now, those "peers" are co-workers, romantic interests, etc.

There is a lot that isn't taught in school anymore, and that's my job. Art, history, culture, music...

You can choose your child's public school. It's a matter of priorities. My so was born in Sacramento. The local schools where we lived were dismal. High crime and high dropout rates. Before my boy started school, we moved to an outer suburb with better schools. I bought a tiny little two bedroom attached home, because that's the best we could afford in this area (I still live in it and I like it). In Sacramento, I could have put us in a four bedroom ranch house on a large lot with a swimming pool for the same price.

But my son would have gone to a school with a high crime rate and a high dropout rate. Instead he went to a newer school with high academic standards. Now he attends college at U.C. Davis. I would rather rent an apartment if that's what it took to benefit the next generation.

or, as I'm told by some of my friends, it's un-schooling.

I'm sure the main reason it is big in Memphis is because the public schools just plain suck. There are many private schools and everyone with any kind of money or extra means put their kids in private schools, leaving even more of a gap in the public schools.

But of course, here, the private schools and home schools are mostly Christian based. There was an article in the paper last week about a secular-based home-school group that some of my UU friends helped organize and they have about 50 member families, but it mentioned that the largest Christian group has over 1,000 member families. And the ones I know who home school are not weird, nor are their children. I think being in a group that meets several times a week and trades off projects and other varietal learning, really helps. I've also noticed that the zoo, the children's museum, botanical gardens, museums, etc. in town all have year-round activities for home school groups.

If I didn't have to work and still had children at home, I'd be doing it in a heartbeat.

I know more and more families are pulling their kids out of public school. I went to my son's teacher parent conf. for their grades and how he was doing in school. My son told me 2 kids were bulling him and other students in his classroom for 2 weeks now. I even called the princpal and told him about it. I made a small comment about that and the teacher took a defense postion that she said that never happens in my classroom crap. I'm still trying to get the school to do something about it.

Some 7th grade teachers are just idiots at my kids school!!! It Really blows my mind how they let bulling at these schools. It's stop for my kids, but their other kids that are being bullied all day long.

I would love to pull my kids out and put them home schooled!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2011 07:43AM by chiefluma.

chiefluma Wrote:
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> I know more and more families are pulling their
> kids out of public school. I went to my son's
> teacher parent conf. for their grades and how he
> was doing in school. My son told me 2 kids were
> bulling him and other students in his classroom
> for 2 weeks now. I even called the princpal and
> told him about it. I made a small comment about
> that and the teacher took a defense postion that
> she said that never happens in my classroom crap.
> I'm still trying to get the school to do something
> about it.
>
> Some 7th grade teachers are just idiots at my kids
> school!!! It Really blows my mind how they let
> bulling at these schools. It's stop for my kids,
> but their other kids that are being bullied all
> day long.
>
> I would love to pull my kids out and put them home
> schooled!!!

It probably doesn't happen in her class. Most 7th graders are smart enough to do their bullying between classes, at lunch, or before and after school. If they do do it in class, they do it quietly. I have taught for years and I know bullying goes on, but they don't do where I can see or hear it. I find out when and if the kids tell me.That doesn't mean the teacher and principal shpudn't do something about it now that they know.

Bullying is definitely a huge problem in my opinion.

Yes, in PA, homeschooling is a huge thing. Cyberschooling is big there, too.

Especially in the overcrowded, underperforming inner city/urban districts and their 'opposites': the underperforming, consolidated rural districts.

Homeschool advocates and professionals are mining for their share of huge profits in PA. There are websites by subscription, expensive materials/books geared to homeschoolers, and pay-per-visit events/activites organized at local churches for homeschoolers. Plus membership co-ops which provide transport/lunch/social/athletic opportunities for kids, with monthly fees, plus fees for each for each meeting/activity a kid attends.

Most of the groups and homeschool families who join them are Christian. Only one of the more prominent ones (by prominent I mean has lots of members/kids, and is well-known, not necessarily that it is high quality or well managed, as I have no real idea about that), that I know of, is not religious in nature. It's the one associated with PA Cyberschool program, which is a state-funded/led thing.

Yes--especially here it Texas, and it's more about the poor quality of the schools than anything else. It's only going to get worse.

Case in point: the State Board of Education here (in charge of all textbooks) has decided to remove all but just a mention of Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declaration of Independence, a framer of the Constitution, and our second President. He's apparently just not important enough for more than a passing mention. Too liberal.

Another change to the social studies curriculum? The Civil War will now be known as the War Between the States, and all references to the KKK and Jim Crow laws removed. Slavery will not be mentioned as a cause of the war, because the war was about states rights, and the positive aspects of slavery will be listed.

Shall I go on?

In addition to the violence, drugs and parents who are convinced that their little monsters should not have to do their schoolwork or be disciplined, Texas districts are now dealing with such massive budget cuts that average class sizes will be 35 to 40 kids.

With University and private school curriculums offered online and groups of homeschool parents organized around different churches or philosphies to share resources for socializing kids and providing excellent enrichment (think field trips, language or science immersion), do you really think homeschooling is such a bad option?

due to chronic health problems of my child.

They have a complete online curriculum in Utah for free, and have social activities/field trips planned on a regular basis as well.

I don't think the "socialization" kids receive in middle school years is a positive thing. Kids learn more about sarcasm, bullying, and disrespect than they do about positive social interaction.

That said, kids DO need SOME peer interaction, and I'm concerned about her feeling left out or getting out of touch with her friends.


I wonder if weird homeschooler kids get that way because their parents are weird and suspicious of outside influences, or if maybe they get homeschooled BECAUSE they are weird and can't fit in. I have a tendency believe that home influences and personality would be bigger factors than non-attendence at a public school.