EDUCATION MYTHS
1.
Homeschooling is illegal or there are impossible requirements to
meet.
Homeschooling
is legal in all 50 states, but the requirements are different in each
state. Being a certified teacher is not required in any state. If you
are considering homeschooling the first thing you need to do is
contact your state homeschooling association. They can give you a
copy of the law for your particular state and help you understand how
to comply with those laws. They will also be able to connect you
with other homeschoolers in your state. The support and encouragement
you will get from them will be invaluable.
Do
not contact your local school or state Department of Education until
you know what is required. It is rare that they actually know what
the law requires for homeschoolers and even if they do, they loose
money if your child doesn't attend their schools so they aren't
likely to give you the whole truth. It is rare that you will get good
info from them.
2.
The state has a responsibility to educate my children. That is why
there are laws that force children to go to school.
Fact:
Parents are responsible to see that children are educated. Children
who do not have a high level of parental involvement in their
education are unlikely to receive a good education.
Compulsory
education laws were enacted because some children and teenagers were
on the streets committing crimes. People thought if they could compel
children to go to school, this would solve the problem. It has not.
Juvenile crime has steadily increased. In fact, in every state, the
juvenile crime rate is highest among males who are in their last year
of compulsory education. In addition, the illiteracy rates in the US
have plummeted from near 0% among the educated population* in the
1850’s to 17% among high school graduates today.
*This
consisted of white males. It was not considered economical and/or
proper to educate girls and children of color.
3.
Making sure that children get a good education is such a complicated
process that only highly educated people are qualified to oversee
this process.
Fact:
Numerous studies show that homeschooled students score 20% to 30%
higher for their grade and age level on standardized tests than
public schooled students. When parental education levels are
recorded, no appreciable difference can be found between
homeschooling parents who did not complete high school and those who
have college degrees.
(http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp)
4.
A teacher’s certificate ensures that a person is qualified to
teach.
Fact:
If you have had a public school education, you know this one is not
true. While most certified teachers love children do their best to meet their students needs, there are certified teachers who are incompetent,
neglectful and even abusive. Just listen to the news. How long has it been since a teacher sex scandal has been reported?
5.
I’m not educated enough to teach my children at any level.
Fact:
The only qualification parents need to teach their children is a
commitment to do whatever it takes to ensure their children get a
good education. Homeschooling parents typically learn right along
with their children. There are ample resources from which parents can
learn what they need to teach their children, teachers manuals,
Internet sites and homeschool support groups are just a few.
6.
Parents cannot educate at the high school level children unless they
have a good grasp on high level subjects such as calculus or
chemistry.
Fact:
One of the basic tenants of homeschooling is teaching children to
seek out information so they can learn independently. To have one’s
children pass you up in their knowledge of certain subjects is a
goal every parent should strive for. This can be accomplished through
independent study, correspondence courses, community college classes
and apprenticeships. It is not unusual for homeschooled students to
begin taking community college classes at the age of 15 or 16.
7.
Children with learning disabilities cannot be homeschooled.
Fact:
Children with learning disabilities who are homeschooled receive 5
times more teacher/student interaction time than traditionally
schooled students. They are also not segregated in the home as they
have to be in traditional school systems. As a result, homeschooled
students with disabilities have a comparatively higher rate of
success, just as the homeschool population in general. There are
organizations devoted exclusively to homeschooling learning disabled
students from which parents can learn and share educational
strategies.
8.Homeschooling
takes a lot of money.
Fact:
Homeschooling families spend an average of $500/year on curriculum,
field trips and other educational expenses. By taking advantage of
used curriculum, libraries and Internet sites, many families whittle
their educational expenses to less than they would typically spend on
book rentals and activity fees if they sent their children to public
school.
9.
Homeschooling takes a huge time commitment from parents.
Fact:
Parents of children who are doing well in public school typically
invest as many or more hours supervising homework, getting their
children ready for school, and transporting their children to and
from school and extra-curricular activities as most homeschooling
parents. Several years ago a time study was done in Illinois of the
880 hours the state requires for a public school to receive state
accreditation. 539 of these hours were spent waiting on the teacher,
talking with other students, waiting in line, lunch, recess, going to
the bathroom, ect. It takes much less time to teach a few children
than a class of 20 or 30. Most homeschooled students accomplish in
2-3 hours a day what takes 6 hours plus homework time for
traditionally schooled students.
10.
Working parents can’t homeschool.
Fact:
Working and single parents are successfully homeschooling across the
US. Some have home businesses, others have baby-sitters, family or
other homeschoolers take care of their children while they work and
homeschool during their off hours. Many working parents who
homeschool find themselves spending equal or less time than their
public school counterparts participating in educational activities
and they do not have to deal with the negative social aspects of
public school.
11.
Homeschooled students will have a hard time getting into college or
the military because they won’t get a diploma from an accredited
high school.
Fact:
Colleges are actively recruiting homeschooled students because they
are typically better prepared for adult life and study. Homeschooled
students typically present a portfolio of their work to 4 year
universities or start college at community colleges and then transfer
to a 4 year university.
Successfully
completing one year of college negates the requirement for an
accredited high school diploma in nearly any situation. Many
homeschooled students are able to start taking classes at community
colleges or online schools while in highschool and have their first
year completed by the time they “graduate”.
Another
avenue for students wanting to join the military is to enroll in an
accredited online or correspondence highschool program. There are
even some free ones out there.
12.
Homeschooled children aren’t eligible for scholarships.
Fact:
There are all kinds of scholarships out there that are available to
homeschoolers. Some even are available exclusively to homeschoolers.
13.
Homeschooled children miss out on dealing with others the same age so
they cannot develop healthy social skills.
Fact:
Children will imitate those they are around most. If we want our
children to grow up to be adults, who do we want them to be around
most? Children or adults?
Traditional
schools have an artificial social structure that does not in any way
reflect the real world. They actually foster unhealthy age
discrimination and negative peer pressure. Families are set up with
God’s wisdom in mind. Older children imitate their parents, younger
children imitate their older siblings and older children learn to
teach and have responsibility by caring for younger children.
It
is the rare homeschool parent who isolates their children. Most are
involved in church, clubs, home business and other activities which
expose the children to a wide variety of people of all ages while
giving the parent the opportunity to closely supervise and correct
the child's social behaviors.
Statistics
show homeschooled adults outshine traditionally schooled adults in
the area of socialization. They have better self esteem. They are
more likely to be involved in government, volunteer work and own
their own businesses. Among homeschooled adults the rates of drug
use, suicide, depression, crime and illegitimate pregnancy are
significantly lower. The results speak for themselves.
At
the founding of our country, only a small minority of people received
a formal education and even then it was usually only for 2-5 years in multi-aged classrooms.
If grouping children in classes of people all the same age for 13
years is necessary for proper socialization, producing men like
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and all who
helped to found our country would have been impossible.
14.
Homeschooled children cannot participate in organized sports.
Traditional
schools are not the only place where organized sports are played.
There are YMCA’s, churches, summer baseball, private leagues and
homeschool groups to name a few. Many public schools also make
accommodations for home and private schooled students to play on
their teams.
God Bless You All!
~Grama Sue
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