Oh, it's a big disadvantage to homeschooling. Because where else but in public school would a child meet a wide variety of other folks from various backgrounds and ethnicities, etc. etc.? Interesting question. I think the high school I attended until my junior year had, like, four black kids in it. Out of 500-something kids. Oh, and two of those children were the identical twins Ronald and Donald, who dressed identically in their little Members Only (tm) jackets. Remember those days? (Hey, they were nice guys, though, and really, we ALL dressed alike as teens.) I think the school paper made a crack that we had diversity because we all had different coloured "Benetton" shirts. Yeah, you could learn a lot about other cultures there fer sure.
Another huge disadvantage is the blurring of lines between being the "mom" and being the "teacher." You know, because being the "mom" and doing the "teacher's" work for two hours a night under the guise of "homework" doesn't count.
I can't believe this stuff passes for journalism. It's all nothing but stereotypes of homeschooling, written up as an article. Couldn't they at least interview some guy saying they heard from his barber that someone's cousin's best friend tried homeschooling but it didn't work?
Maybe this outfit will let me do a piece on skiing. Oh, I've never been skiing, but I'll write about how the disadvantages of it involve too much money going out for the sport and the fact that it's cold. Oh, and people's noses can turn red when it's cold and I heard some guy died in an avalanche once. How much money do you think I could get for that? Mama needs to buy a new curriculum kit instead of shoes because we never go anywhere.
(kidding. Well, it would be nice to have a new curriculum kit, though.)
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Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
Loved the satire. Good luck with the skiing post ;>)
ReplyDeleteI don't think any school my kids could attend could be more diverse than our own family!
ReplyDeleteMy family is Black, Spanish, White, Native American, etc. My husband's family is Mongolia. My husband speaks English, Russian, Mongolian and Greek. If I sent them to public school they might be under-socialized and I wouldn't want that.
;-)
Learning in the four walls of our public institutions cant begin to compare with the diversity that abounds in the life of any homeschooled child.
ReplyDeleteLoved the mocking satire here! LOL
Another homerun, Mrs. C.
ReplyDeleteI'm not anti public school. However, whoever said putting my child into that classroom with children whose parents have far differing morals and beliefs than ours is correct socializing is very wrong.
Ask my son about differing ages and social groups--he just spent three hours in a fantastic and affordable art class yesterday creating things the likes of which I've NEVER seen come out of the Lee's Summit school district. And the age/race/gender difference between the children at the week previous' Friday swimming social was refreshing! Oh--free, btw.
So...I won't wast much more time convincing anyone, but darnnit this gets my feathers all ruffled and stuff. And you know I like my feathers neat and pretty! xo
LOL thanks Alasandra!
ReplyDeleteI was actually being *serious* when I said there were only about four black children out of about 500 and two of them were identical twins named Ronald and Donald!! But otherwise I was being kinda snarky. ;]
Mrs. D, the "socialization" argument for diversity just might work for my children, because we mostly stay home and have the same schedule every. day. for my autistic child. Beats the locking the child in a "safe room" (closet) so that he'll learn to behave properly in public ed. I'm thinking whatever "socialization" loss he gets there is made up for by the fact he's not abused. Then again, I will admit we are an EXTRAORDINARY situation and usually the "not socialized well" argument holds zero water.
Daja, I think just for that you should log down about 50 hours a year under "social studies" because the children learn so much from their family. Gana's credentials sound seriously impressive! :]
Stacey, I think my bad experience makes me pretty anti-public school, but I do realize that at least in theory it has a very important place in a society. I just get so discouraged knowing they take my tax money so they can hire lawyers and fight parents like me from getting a proper education for their special-needs children. :[ Oh, and that abuse is legal in public school so long as the teacher holds a state certificate here in Missouri.
But you know my older children are in ps and I really like their teachers. The upper administrators though, well... I think there is a personality test or something most of 'em have to take. It's probably the same in about every school district you could name.
The absolute ONLY thing I agree with in the article is "the cost." Yep, it's more expensive that public school (if by "cost" you mean, actual money; I'd say the "cost" our children and families pay when kids are in public school is very, very high, socially especially)...except that at least we don't have to buy a bunch of stupid wrapping paper and junky items as fundraisers, and we don't have to harass our family and friends to, either.
ReplyDeleteAll the other items listed are over-simplified and based on stereotype, and hold no water in my homeschool world.
Wow. You read your newspapers? I gave up 1/2 a century ago. They never got anything right & I got all het up to no purpose. Besides, small community. Everyone knows my Ditz ~ she's always out & about bugging people who've managed to put their own kids in school. lol. No socialization issues here.
ReplyDelete