Comments on: Homeschooling on the Decline?

By: Barbara Frank

Barbara Frank — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:51:23 +0000

You make some great points, Sebastian. I wonder if people will be forced to look as education as more parent-directed as the public school are affected by drops in funding because of our bad economic situation….

By: Sebastian (a lady)

Sebastian (a lady) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:38:48 +0000

I agree that the growth couldn’t just continue at the high rate it had over the last 20+ years. There will likely continue to be some growth, although it might not occur across the board. What I’m hoping is that homeschooling signals a reform of looking at education as something that should be parent directed, even if the parent isn’t the one delivering every lesson. Breaking the monopoly of public schools would be a good thing in my mind.
I use cooking analogies a lot. We all agree that food is a necessity. But we don’t expect that we will go to a government kitchen or state run restaurant for our meals. We value the variety made possible through competition and the control that we have in our own homes. In my mind, education should flow through a similar pattern.

By: admin

admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:39:07 +0000

Mel, your son’s at a tough age, and it could be that he will come around before long. But if not, homeschooling could definitely be an option for you, if your husband becomes supportive. Have you read anything by John Taylor Gatto? He was chosen teacher of the year in New York state a while back but quit the job after 30 years and became a homeschool advocate. Try Dumbing Us Down or A Different Kind of Teacher.

As for financial ruin, assuming you don’t live in a hideously expensive area like NYC where two high incomes are a necessity, have you done the math? You might find that between taxes and expenses, that second income won’t be much help. I wish you the best whatever you decide!

Dawn, that’s too bad. What happens if they won’t let you just pull out of these programs? I think some of those people will regret that choice. Thanks for filling me in!

By: Dawn

Dawn — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:58:07 +0000

In my state (WA), between the virtual online schools (there are 3), and the “parent partnership” schools, they are recruiting large numbers of homeschoolers… even the diehard ones… What we are beginning to see where I live, however, is that families are wising up and pulling OUT of these programs. Here in my city, anyway. Still, these programs are gaining a huge foothold in Washington and they recruit heavily from among the homeschool population, as well as gaining first-timers who “heard about a homeschool program” and decided to do that rather than full time public school.

By: Mel

Mel — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:18:50 +0000

Although one of my children would love to be homeschooled, I have never thought I was up to the challenge. He has always done OK in public school. I actually am a public school teacher — on a long term leave of absence. Now that he is 8th grade, his grades have taken a nose dive, his depressive moods are high, and I don’t know which end is up. Since I am at hime right now, I could home school, but I don’t even know where to begin. That, and the ever increasing pressure of my husband for me to go back to work to keep us from financial ruin. If only I knew for certain what is best for all. Any advice?

By: admin

admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:12:33 +0000

Jan, I know my mom wasn’t cut out for it!

CW, where I come from the schools were on the decline. However, here in WI the virtual academy is making a dent, though I doubt that’s so among the diehard homeschoolers. Re: Mandarin, I hear that’s really big now.

Barbaralee, at least you tried with your dd.

By: BarbaraLee

BarbaraLee — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:34:16 +0000

My dd1 is like that. Not abusive just not homeschool material. She didn’t like it when I started and she was 15 and pg. She doesn’t have the patients to do it. I also think she is lazy. Thankfully she is in a good school. They want to in that school district.

By: Crimson Wife

Crimson Wife — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:57:58 +0000

There’s also been some improvement in the quality of government-run schools at least in certain places. Families who never even would’ve considered enrolling their children in a government-run school 5 or 10 years ago are now willing to give it a try. Granted most of those families would’ve gone the private school route, but some of them might’ve ended up homeschooling.

In our district, there’s a new Mandarin immersion program being started. If they had done this a couple years ago before we began HS, there’s a good chance we would’ve enrolled our oldest. At the time we started HS, we were pretty much doing it by default because we didn’t like our other options. It didn’t take long for me to become “sold” on the benefits of HS and now I wouldn’t send my younger ones to that Mandarin program. But at first, I was definitely a bit skeptical about HS.

By: Jan

Jan — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:37:29 +0000

I have a cousin that could be your friend. She too was an accident, and only child. She didn’t get married until she was too old to have children. She teaches P.E. to other people children. What a sad life, no one to be there for you when you get older. No one to be best friends with from birth.

I’m glad my mother didn’t homeschool us, she wasn’t cut out to do it. But I’m blessed to have been able to teach not only my own children, but to keep going with 2 of my granddaughters. There are some “issues” with the oldest, but we are getting through it.

Thanks for your blogs! I love them.