When the kitchen and den are classrooms
D. Aileen Dodd has a story today about an expected rise in homeschooling in Georgia as parents can no longer afford private school tuition. Nationwide, it’s estimated that between one million and 2.6 million students are home schooled. (The USDOE numbers based on the National Household Education Survey Program tend to be a lot lower than those offered by homeschool groups.)
Georgia is ranked among the moderate states in imposing requirements on homeschooling. Generally, the most restrictive states are in the northeast; the least are in the west.
One of the most interesting things about homeschooling is the diversity. While many Georgians cite “values” for why they choose to educate their children at home, New Yorkers often point to enhanced opportunities. (Among these opportunities are travel. Rather than rely on textbooks to teach their kids about Gettysburg, they jump in the car and visit the site. I once read about a family wealthy enough to even take their kids to China when they were teaching Asian history.)
Because home-study practices are so varied, it has been viewed as near impossible to make a fair comparison between the academic achievement of home school vs. public school students. That’s a problem for public school administrators who may have home schooled students enrolling and who must determine what grade level and courses are appropriate. It’s also a problem for colleges where students seek admission. I have talked to school officials who have enrolled homeschoolers who can barely read as well as homeschooled students well ahead of their peers.
What has been your experience with homeschooling? In my experience, homeschoolers – if they return to public schools – do so around the high school years.
Should there be more regulations on homeschooling? (The link above will lead you to the DOE requirements.) Unlike some states, we don’t require parents have any college, requiring at least a high school diploma or GED. There’s a cottage industry now in tutors for homeschooled students, especially in more advanced math and sciences. And the state’s virtual school is also offering far more options.
What do you all think?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
27 comments Add your comment
jim d
August 5th, 2009
11:21 am
I think it is a growing movement in this country for a reason.
David S
August 5th, 2009
11:40 am
The sad part is that the article focussed on parents who already pay for private school making the move. While certainly the economy is pushing this move, it is the kids in government schools that really, desperately need to be taken out of that situation and given a quality education at home. Hopefully the article will inspire most of these parents to do the right thing and the government school system will simply collapse from lack of interest.
Amazing isn’t it that some parents will even move from their own house to somebody else’s basement just to make sure their kids can get a good education. Does anyone even doubt that these kids truly know how much their parents care?
Great inspirational story that hopefully all parents will take note of and emulate.
Wareagle87
August 5th, 2009
11:41 am
After teaching in public school & private, homeschooling was the only way to go for us. I now have one starting college in a few weeks and the other just beginning 11th grade. Alot of people use public schools as a babysitting service and don’t want to deal with their kids (I’m not sure why they had them)then are shocked when they are not learning but also have all of the nasty habits, language, etc. that they have picked up there. YOUR children are YOUR responsibility to “train up in the way that they should go”.
David S
August 5th, 2009
11:46 am
The other thing that people fail to appreciate about homeschooling is that when you turn your house into the classroom, you begin to realize, as do your kids, that the world is their classroom. Every moment becomes a learning moment, not just the 6 hours of imprisonment, 150 days a year or whatever that they are in the defined classroom. And isn’t that truly what education is about anyway – teaching kids HOW to LEARN.
The greatest hope for this nation is the Homeschooling movement and the well-educated, independent thinkers it is producing. As a concerned american citizen, I am thankful to all the parents that are making sure their children get educated out of reach of the government influence, no matter how that happens.
David S
August 5th, 2009
12:23 pm
Its interesting that everyone speaks of more accountability for homeschoolers, but there is truly no accountabilit for the government schools whatsoever. I mean at least with a private school, you can take your money and walk. With the government option, there is not only no money to walk with, your school has to be a complete failure (as designated by performance on testing that has been shown to be rigged and manipulated). Even then, the only option is another government school.
Arbitrary testing and the like is just a mechanism to allow the government to control what kind of garbage kids are forced to learn. Curriculum must be approved, text books must be approved, and all ultimately in an attempt to make sure that kids get fed the version of the truth that the government approves of.
No, there should absolutely be NO regulation whatsoever of homeschooling. Parents need to start being responsible for their children’s education, and society needs to STOP.
Parents care WAY MORE about their kids getting a good education than the government does. The government is concerned with turning out good “citizens” that will comply, get jobs, not think independently, and obediently pay their taxes.
Any parent that is going to pay the token bit they pay in school taxes and bother to educate their kids at home is damn sure doing a better job than the career bureaucrat down the street. Today with internet resources and the growing movement to connect to, parents have far more resources at their disposal than ever before. Without being tied down by the same burdensome regulations that are stifing innovation and creativity in the government schools, the sky is the limit for these kids’ education.
Joy in Teaching
August 5th, 2009
12:26 pm
I respect parents who choose to properly homeschool their children as it is an arduous job. However, let’s get real: some parents who homeschool barely function well as parents much less as teachers. I’ve received a few students over the years who have been homeschooled for a few years and they are barely literate, much less where they should be academically.
I do think that some parents choose to homeschool their students for the wrong reasons, such as “That school just doesn’t understand how sensitive my child is.” My particular school has had the same parent try to sue us 4 times in the past 5 years for perceived infractions against his children who were “delicate.” That same parent had had a restraining order placed against him in an elementary school for threatening to “take care of” a second grade teacher.
Is public education perfect? Not by a long shot. I could go off on the “if only” tangent, but I’ll refrain from that. However, for a society that gives a serious attempt to educating ALL of its citizens, unlike most other countries, we do a fairly decent job.
Way Down South
August 5th, 2009
12:34 pm
Every child that came to me(in high school) after being homeschooled up to that point was miles ahead of everyone else, particularly in reading, vocabulary and reasoning skills(and behavior).
While socially awkward at first, they did well once they got over the initial shock of the wild and wooly school environment.
Elaine
August 5th, 2009
1:01 pm
I find it disconcerting that those in the homeschool movement repeatedly refer to public schools as “government schools.” Some of us consider our local school not to be a “government school” but a community school, or neighborhood school. The stilted language is not helpful. Our neighborhood school is a wonderful place that broadens our children’s horizons and encourages them to grow. It also is a very natural way for us to be connected with and involved in our community.
Most of the really important school decisions are made at our local level. Less than 6% of our funding comes from D.C. Implying that we’re enrolling our children into some sort of mass indoctrination is insulting and false. I regret that many people in the metro Atlanta area are assuming such falsehoods about their neighborhood school that frankly aren’t true. They need to quit listening to talk radio and actually walk over there to see what kind of place their local school is. A vast majority of the schools in our metro area are marvelous places of learning.
Even though I send my children to public school, I know that ultimately it is my job to make sure they’re learning, and I do. I am very pleased with the role our school plays in our children’s overall education. I stay very involved. Most of the public school parents around me do, too. We supplement what they’re doing at school; we provide enrichment through our family activities. We know “the world is their classroom.”
Choosing to stay home for school presents challenges for the children (and entire family, for that matter) when being part of their local community. Some homeschool families do not take the extra effort to become a part of their neighborhood and are quite isolationist, even elitist toward the families that live around them. Not all, but some. This is not healthy.
I agree with much of what Joy in Teaching (12:26) has to say. I know many, many homeschool parents and I am repeatedly disappointed with how far behind their children are. Is this every homeschooler? Of course not. But there are many. This is what has lead some to decide there should be restrictions, or requirements for families to teach their own children. I am not in favor of this. But I am very concerned for these children who in the name of homeschooling, do a few worksheets in the morning and then go to the farmer’s market with Mom and this is somehow supposed to be an education. Homeschool parents: please, please become educational experts. Do not simply purchase curriculum (read “worksheets”) from a publisher and assume that because your child can fill in the blanks, he/she is learning. I know this isn’t everyone, but it is way too prevalent.
I’m also disheartened a what a divisive topic this is becoming/has become amongst people of faith. I am repeatedly finding myself facing disparaging remarks from my fellow worshippers because we do not choose to homeschool or send our children to private school. Please, choose whatever schooling you believe best for your children, and I defend your right to do so, but leave Jesus out of your rationale. You’ll find very little support for isolationism in the scriptures, so please don’t try to justify your choice with them.
Julie
August 5th, 2009
1:18 pm
Joy of Teaching, there are kids who are way behind in public schools too. You have exceptionally gifted kids and behind kids, middle of the road kids and athletic stars in both environments. You have good teachers and bad in public schools and you have equipped and ill-equipped parents at home.
Home education has the power to create great good in family life, in education and in response to a deteriorating public school system in large parts of the country. Public schools that get the job done are to be valued as well.
Cere
August 5th, 2009
3:39 pm
I pulled my son out of public school and home schooled him (in a fully accredited program) until graduation. I found wonderful tutors (fully licensed, experienced teachers who were currently stay at home moms) to bring him up to speed – one on one – in math and literature – and boy were they worth it!
For my part, I took the time to explore the world with him. We traveled some. We had amazing conversations and visited a number of museum exhibits and attended local plays. He never would have been ready for college had I not pulled him out and allowed him to freely ramp up to speed as he repaired his damaged confidence.
BTW – this was all done for much less than the cost of tuition at any of our area private high schools.
In addition, he got a job and worked 20+ hours a week – which taught him more real life lessons than he would’ve learned otherwise. Not only that – working has shown him how important an education is! I think early work experience is vital and natural for boys. It is not natural to expect boys to sit at a desk 7+ hours a day, listening to lectures and “engaging” their brains – with 22 minutes for lunch. I don’t even think I could handle that. This is why I am a big advocate for vocational high schools.
I have to say that after this experience, my son has become more literate, not less. More accomplished in math, not less. More motivated to learn, not less. For him, it simply turned on the switch.
Old School
August 5th, 2009
3:46 pm
One of the advantages of homeschooling is that lessons can be grounded in the real world. I had a friend who homeschooled his daughters. They learned math by working in the family’s screenprinting business. Given specific responsibilities related to a very real business, the girls were proficient in math, communications, computers, even art. Shipping out orders created geographical teachable moments as did family travels. The real world tie-ins go on and on.
That is where my school is sadly lacking and I dare say so are many schools. Perhaps if the GADOE and legislature could take a page from effective homeschoolers and vocational instructors, we could see some positive, effective changes and produce some truly educated students from our public schools.
Cere
August 5th, 2009
3:50 pm
BTW, Elaine, my children did more than their share of “worksheets” in public school. Save a tree, people!
And as far as the religious aspect goes, for most it’s a bit more than just “Jesus” – it’s a whole value system that is in conflict with many value systems brought into public schools by the masses. (One of the largest home schooling groups in the area is Muslim – Muslims really can’t tolerate the loose values of many of our young people.) There’s too much partying, cussing, disrespecting, bullying, sexual activity, etc. going on in our public schools. One very popular child OD’d from drugs as a freshman in my son’s class! Plenty of her “friends” were at the party, but nobody’s talking – and their parents aren’t making them. It’s like fighting an uphill battle to hold on to old-fashioned values in that kind of environment. (And this was at a “top-performing” high school.)
David S
August 5th, 2009
4:50 pm
Elaine. I use the term government schools because it is accurate. They are not run by the free market, nor your neighborhood collective. The government comes and steals the money from you and your neighbors and local businesses through property taxation. I say steal because it is not a voluntary contribution nor optional fee for service.
I have spoken with superintendants of county school districts and though you may only get 6% of your funding from Washington, you get 100% of your regulations from either the state or the federal government and mostly from the feds. That of course is why so many are in favor of ending the DOE (as the worthless Republican revolution promised to do). They tell you what to do 90% of the time for 6% of your funding. You should just turn off the spigot and rely on the state.
The free market is the free market. Everything else is the government. We use the term so everyone will not be deluded into thinking that these schools are anything other than an extension of the government apparatus. Don’t like the term, then change the system. Yes, the truth hurts.
Jessica
August 5th, 2009
5:05 pm
I have been reading a lot about homeschooling lately. When attempts are made to compare homeschool students with their public school peers in academic performance, homeschoolers come out way ahead. Some really good colleges are now actively recruiting homeschoolers.
For years, I was sure that homechoolers were backwards, ignorant and sheltered. Over the past few years I have met several homeschool families and I have been impressed by the maturity and confidence of their children. They have their own friends and interests, they are planning to go to college and they seem happy (even the teenagers).
I am actually considering homeschooling my own children because of the difference I have seen. I hope the state doesn’t addd any more homeschool regulation — that would be an attempt to fix something that isn’t broken.
Cere
August 5th, 2009
8:00 pm
David — I couldn’t agree with you more! I advocate for saying “thanks, but no thanks” to federal dollars all the time! Do you realize that it actually costs MORE to implement NCLB mandates than we will ever receive in funding? In fact, NCLB mandates and testing are eating deeply into our state education budget! (I am not making this up — studies have been conducted in at least 8 states that prove this.) And what do we get in return? Nada! Nothing! Zip! Just a constant reminder that we (the state of GA) are failing! We don’t need to spend $$$ to know that!
Cere
August 5th, 2009
8:07 pm
You know, Maureen, you should have called this, “When the World is Your Classroom” instead of the kitchen and den because that’s what home schooling can be if you accept the challenge — a window to the world for a child!
Vince
August 5th, 2009
9:28 pm
I respect a person’s right to homeschool, but there are definitely some drawbacks. I have a BA in education and three master’s degrees in education, but there is no way I could have provided as rich an education as my children received in the “government schools.” My wife was also a teacher. We got them prepared for school, supported them in their efforts, but let the experts take over when it came to academics.
As an administrator I have enrolled many students coming from homeschooling. I have yet to meet even one who was not at least a year behind his public school peers. At times I have considered it almost neglectful how far behind the students are.
You must realize many parents “homeschool” when their children are excessive behavior problems at school or they are experiencing learning problems. Rather than working with the school to improve matters the parents withdraw their children to “teach” them at home. They see the withdrawal as a slap to the face of the public schools. Heck! I don’t care where you care to educate your children. However, when you bring them back to me and they are far, far behind and you tell me, “I can’t do this,” then I take a bit of umbrage.
I’m sure there are positive exceptions but my experiences with homeschooled students is not positive at all. At the pool, at a park or just walking down the street my wife and I can invariably pick out young people who are being homeschooled…and I can assure you….that is not a positive thing.
Cere
August 5th, 2009
9:56 pm
Vince, that’s insulting. You are painting with a very broad brush. Shall we do a little research to see just how many geography bee, spelling bee, essay contest winners etc are home schooled? Oh, maybe when you see them on the streets, they look acceptable to you in your crystal ball so you just assume that they couldn’t possibly be home schooled. Geeesh.
Jessica
August 5th, 2009
10:11 pm
Vince, most of the parents returning their children to public schools are probably those who realized that homeschool wasn’t working out for them. The many successful ones don’t come back, so you never see them.
ScienceTeacher671
August 5th, 2009
10:39 pm
It all depends on the family and their reasons for homeschooling, I think. Some of the brightest & most poised and polite students I’ve met have been homeschooled. Then again, I’ve had a few formerly homeschooled students who were quite behind, and in some cases the parents admitted they had not really worked at educating their children.
Just as there are academically strong public schools and some that are not so strong, some homeschooled students excel and some do not.
Seen it all
August 6th, 2009
1:15 am
Elaine (and all the other homeschoolers out there),
I agree with your point that “homeschooling” is more than just buying some workbooks and having your child complete worksheets for a few hours a day. The reality is that the MAJORITY of homeschoolers we see tend to come from white, conservative, Christian homes. These are people who are dissatisfied with the public school system, typically for NONINSTRUCTIONAL issues. Their purpose for homeschooling is for idealogical reasons. There are many parents who have issues with the schools, but they never homeschool. The homeschoolers we see are a handful of families, typically with a mother who can afford to stay at home. This is probably why you are seeing some people on this blog talk about a “Jesus” factor.
free market educator
August 6th, 2009
3:37 am
I prefer the term “free market education” to “home school”. It is true that very few are experts in teaching all subjects. However, in this computer age, “expert” teachers can be bought or rented on DVD or internet for a very reasonable price. Live tutors can also be hired and part time schools can be utilized. The parents can teach courses they feel competent in and plan educational field trips. If they decide that at some point a public or private school will best suit their child’s need, then they can plan for that option as well. Isn’t that the ultimate in free choice?
Free market education is not for the lazy or faint of heart. It requires dedication and sacrifice and an inner motivation to glean its huge benefits: freedom, family time, a custom education, and a great excuse to spend money on books, computers and travel! Imagine, we do all this without government funding. In addition, we save taxpayers thousands each year by not claiming our government sanctioned tuition. Instead of worrying about “regulating” us, the school board should be sending us thank you notes. I wonder how many more furlough days would be required if all private and home schooled children showed up at GPS or APS this year?
Ken Thompson
August 6th, 2009
8:05 am
Regulating homeschool is problematic. Legend has it that the originally proposed legislation included a provision that homeschool students must take and “pass” some form of widely accepted standardized test or they must return to public school. One legislator asked “what do we do with the public school students who don’t pass the same test?” As it turns out (for us anyway) the student takes a test but we doesn’t have to score above any level, and if I recall correctly, we didn’t even have to report the scores.
As for “you aren’t qualified to teach your own children”, it would present a similar dilemma. What do we do with all the “teachers” teaching outside their hyphenated-degree “field”? Fire them too?
Cere
August 6th, 2009
8:37 am
My child had a long-term sub for Spanish in a “high-performing” public high school – the sub didn’t speak a word of Spanish!
Lisa
August 6th, 2009
4:29 pm
Vince since you are an Adminstrator, maybe you can change the system. I pulled my daughter out of public school because she was behind and I was receiving NO help from the “Goverment School” she was attending. I was very involved with her school and volunteered weekly. She is now ahead of her friends and feels excited about learning. Because you and your wife are educators, your children were taken care of by other educators that were teaching them. Georgia needs to look at how other states are succeeding in their schools and implement it. Maybe block schedules where children have more time in each subject instead of the 42 minutes a teacher has to cram it all in. Don’t knock the homeschoolers until you try it!
Concerned Blood Donor
August 6th, 2009
10:30 pm
Nowadays it’s hard to find a job because of the recession. There are many got unemployed and seeking job now. As a worker, I am also a blood donor to help on my daily needs. I think this is a very big help for the students who are seeking for a part time job now or got unpaid internship and especially it is summer time which are some of us need extra income. I’m donating for 2 years now and it really helps because every donation I make up to $50/hour for blood donation. As we all know, Blood bank shortages kill tons of people all the time and it is the time to spread the word about blood donation and give blood, you will never know when YOU might need blood. This really helpful even it is just a part time job, the bottom line of this is to saved lives.
parent and teacher
August 7th, 2009
11:11 pm
What people don’t realize is that teachers rarely see the homeschool success stories – we see the failures when the parents find out that teaching really is hard work and that it’s hard to do successfully.
I applaud those that do it right – it’s tough to do well. I also think that there are kids for whom homeschool is the best choice – extremely gifted – you know, off the charts, IQ over 160, less than 2% of population gifted. They tend to be so curious and such self-learners that homeschool is a blessing for them.
I like to say that I also “homeschooled” – I reinforced at home what they learned at school and then some – provided experiences, read with them, etc. You can’t expect the school to do it all, and public schools are really designed for a minimum – you have to work to get it above that.