If it is so important that kids be in school why is home schooling allowed

[Fullduplexxx]

If home schooling is ok so should remote learning

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Absolutely! Very good point.

[NurseJackie]

14. America's Got Talent 2016 - Ryan Beard Homeschooled Singer Charms Ladies Humorous new tune

America's Got Talent 2016 Audition - Ryan Beard Homeschooled Singer Charms Ladies Humorous new tune

[SWBTATTReg]

18. Thanks, this was really cute! I got a kick out of this kid and we actually watched the

particular AGT that night when it originally aired.

[mopinko]

2. trust me, it's not supported.

'allowed', sometimes. ok? not w most people. esp here, but i did it for 8 yrs. i rarely got a message from anyone that it was 'ok'.
and for all the reasons cited by the critics of remote learning.

totally false equivalence.

[stopdiggin]

8. agreed. it's a false equivalency

and home schooling doesn't have a huge amount of support. Grudging acknowledgement and tolerance would closer fit the bill.
(and I think many harbor strong suspicion for where a lot of the HS push and advocacy originates - while trying to remember there are other legitimate factors and situations involved)

[mopinko]

12. there are waaaaay more lefty homeschoolers than people think.

lots of us who were not even going to shave off our kid's square corners to fit their round holes.

on the legal front, the xtians took the lead long ago. forget the name but there was a legal group that took a lot of the laws to court and won. they did so under religious freedom, tho, so that's why the right half is so much more visible. lefties are more likely to keep their heads down.

[stopdiggin]

21. still a little uncomfortable with the idea

of isolating or shielding ones children from the 'influences' of the larger public. (while recognizing we all do so to greater or lesser extent within our homes and methods of upbringing - and I also realize there are other factors, rather than 'shielding', involved as well) But - respectfully - I don't know if I find that a great idea - regardless of which direction of the spectrum it flows from.

Suspect we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Peace.
----- -----

[mopinko]

28. you vastly over estimate the 'isolation'

on both sides, pretty much every parent i ever met gets their kids into some sort of social situation. sports, band, art and science classes, park programs. and however misguided some of them are, a lot of xtian churches provide programs for homeschoolers.
we just dont put them in 'lord of the flies' situations. like the kids i sent to public school endured.

biggest wrong assumption in this debate.

and ftr most of the ivy league is eager for well homeschooled kids. done right, those kids are eager, life long leaners. and leaders. even the kids i sent to school were regularly praised by teachers for 'stepping up to the plate' and 'driving the discussion in the classroom'.

[AleksS]

3. I agree, there's also something a lot

of folks are missing in this all-or-nothing approach to schooling: what about the students who thrived in virtual school?

There’s a subset of students who discovered they do much better in virtual school; do we force them to go back into a situation that’s worse for them? People are spending a lot of time focused on why we need to get the kids that virtual school was bad for back into real school, and that’s fine, we should make sure students are in the best possible situation, but what about kids for whom the best situation was virtual?

[mopinko]

10. they're out there for sure.

esp neuro divergent kids for whom the classroom is torture.
that's how i ended up doing it. oldest is on the spectrum, tho that wasnt even a thing at the time. i just knew any big school was going to do more harm than good.

[harumph]

33. one of my daughters is on the spectrum

and we did home school but utilized the resources of a local community college
as dual credit. IOW, she graduated with her HS diploma and an associate
degree in science at the same time. Prior to doing the dual credit/home school,
she did two years in her local HS and then told us
she couldn't stand it anymore.

Another daughter, my oldest, is possibly on the spectrum, and she also
went to some classes outside of her HS at the community college. She played in
a city youth ensemble for her elective.

Youngest son is likely going the same path.

Many posters on DU assume home schooling only involves crazy evangelicals.

[mopinko]

35. yes they do.

i ended up having to send them off to public school. i had 4 by then.
the 2 who started young we f'd up by it, pretty much.
the other 2 did great.

[onecaliberal]

16. My daughter is one of them. She flat out told me that she will find an online

College to finish her BA, if the state university doesn’t continue to make a way for her.

[stopdiggin]

23. a legitimate point for sure

and one I've thought of often in regards to this issue. There are kids that simply do not thrive in the same social situations - or learning environment.

That said - to the degree it is possible (and hopefully without harm to individuals) I think it is to the public good to expose students to a social environment as well as diversity and variation - in much the same way that I think universities (workforces, and organizations) are made better through the same measures.

[dalton99a]

4. No shit.

[jimfields33]

5. I doubt the homeschooler parents are the ones demanding to get kids back into a building.

[Hoyt]

6. Not a fan of homeschooling.

[Shermann]

7. It's the difference between pulling a rope and pushing a rope

If the parents are the ones pulling for it, the support systems needed for success will likely be in place.

If the kids are being pushed into remote learning by the pandemic, those support systems may or may not be there.

[MichMan]

9. Are there school systems that offer both in person and remote classes simultaneously ?

Meaning on any given day, does a student get to choose which option they prefer? Or is it either, one or the other for everyone ?

When some parents want in person classes, and others want remote, one group isn't going to like whatever option is decided upon.

With home schooling, the parents make the decision for their own children, which has zero effect on anyone else's kids. There is also nothing preventing parents who don't want in person schooling from home schooling their own children if they so desire.

[cbabe]

24. I knew some parents who would

homeschool core classes such as math and language arts for quality education.

And then send kids to school for half days of music, art, gym for socializing and fun.

[LiberatedUSA]

11. On that train of thought...

…how does expelling work? If parents are charged for not taking their kids to school, but the kid is expelled and can’t go to school…how does that work?

[mopinko]

13. btw, this is at least the 5th time i have seen this same false equivalence.

many here love to bash homeschoolers. even tho they know little to nothing about it.

[Fullduplexxx]

15. I havent seen it brought up before ... and btw I didnt "bash" anyone

[stopdiggin]

17. the social aspect of school is huge

and of quite legitimate concern. (sharing space with the mental health concerns for lockdowns and social isolation in general). As does the deficiencies of remote learning. Public health measures, on the other hand, also have huge legitimacy.

We should be getting kids back into the classroom as quickly as reasonable health precautions allow. (meaning maybe not during peak infection waves) This goal is not aided in any way by parents (and politicians) insisting that the little darlings need not wear a mask.
----- -----

[nitpicker]

19. Arlington County VA is trying to push kids back into schools

https://www.apsva.us/post/update-on-virtual-learning-program-for-2022-23-sy/

(snip)
For the 2022-23 School Year, the recommendation is for virtual instruction to be offered on a limited basis to students who are eligible due to medical conditions and meet specific criteria, such as health impairments whose conditions interfere with continuous daily school attendance. Students who are unable to return to in-person instruction due to the medical condition of a family member who resides in the household will be able to apply for exemption to returning to in-person instruction.
(snip)

[Tickle]

20. The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standar

The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. ... 78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools

Here's a link that may help tell you why

https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#:~:text=The%20home%2Deducated%20typically%20score,on%20standardized%20academic%20achievement%20tests.&text=78%25%20of%20peer%2Dreviewed%20studies,schools%20(Ray%2C%202017).

[stopdiggin]

25. most of that can be explained

by an abysmal baseline that drags 'average scores' way, way down. Let's try matching those homeschoolers up against a really fine level of instruction at one of the superior public or private schools. (motivation - and a little competition - can be a wonderful thing)

[Tickle]

26. maybe they should be baselined

on the school in their jurisdiction. I would think that result would be more apropos

[MichMan]

27. Wouldn't there also be home schooled kids that received lesser quality education as well ?

Most parents home schooling their children have little to no educational teaching backgrounds, compared to public school teachers with Masters degrees in Education.

Seems like comparing them average to average is more reflective of the entire subset than just concentrating on the upper end

[stopdiggin]

29. my assumption is that the home schooled

are (generally) in a more proactive and involved environment. That may be entirely erroneous. (and very sadly so) I would suspect that the quality of instruction (while perhaps 'involved') is probably inferior, in general, to people that actually have teaching credentials - but then that's kind of part of the argument. No?

[mopinko]

32. your assumptions are wrong.

and i assume the quality of education at public schools varies greatly and is often abysmal.
that, however, is based on data.

[mopinko]

30. they get matched up when they go to college.

and those who did it well succeed at high rates.

but i notice that these discussion presume a possible bad outcome for homeschool, but rarely public school. it's assumed that the baseline is no affect. no education. it omits the immeasurable harm the conditions in many public schools do.
remember the 'school to prison pipeline'? yeah, lemme know when you find the 'homeschool to prison pipeline'.

[snowybirdie]

22. All I know

is three home schooled grandkids, now adults, all are rtumpers. No difference of opinion are tolerated. Even from Grandma.

[mopinko]

31. and i know a bunch of kids that went to the public school here

who are in prison.

[Baitball Blogger]

34. They're going to accuse us of being the same poster!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216195280

[Fullduplexxx]

36. Ha! Gmta