My kids, who are all out playing with friends right now, would say no.

To the uninformed who say hs kids don’t get social opportunities, do some research before you open your mouth.

We do our school work when we have time at home and the rest of the time we spend out and about in the “real world”. Sitting in a classroom of 25 kids of the same age is NOT the real world.

It isn’t bad. It can be very good for many students! But it isn’t right for others. The two things are unrelated, because what works for one won’t for another. Because it is far better for one person doesn’t mean that it is for everyone. Nor does one homeschooled student’s success imply that schooled students can’t be just as successful. It is as social or reclusive as you make it, the same as school. Just think of it this way: Everything but school and homeschooling groups are open to all. You can do anything besides go to a school. You can do sports, you can work, you can go to university, join 4h, scouts, your church youth group etc, a homeschooling group. Kids, schooled and homeschooled do all those things. The only thing that makes it different is that you have to make it happen when you homeschool. No one is going to come knock on your door and tell you about the homeschooling prom. It all comes down to education and life are what you make of them. It’s up to you. Make it happen, you can!

Homeschooling is no worse or better, in concept, than attending a private or public school- just different. There is a tremendous support network to guide educators (usually parents, but not always) through the homeschooling process meaning that these educators don’t need to be experts in the material. Besides- there’s little in high school and nothing in grade school that requires any “expertise” to teach. The little that is (often physical sciences and mathematics) is taught at all levels in college. It is very common that such students will take these college courses and have the credit apply to both a high school and college degree, much like traditional Advanced Placement courses.

The key is in the execution. Homeschooling can be done in a very well structured, meaningful manner or it can be done in the stereotypical manner so often associated with its practitioners in popular culture. The same can be said for brick and mortar schools, as well- how many readers can honestly say that they either 1) remember anything from high school, or 2) had exceptionally good teachers throughout? Many of my teachers knew the material only because they had read the textbooks to the point of memorization.

I was not home schooled but I know quite well some families which currently practice this with their children. Would I consider this for my own children? Yes. The vast majority of currently or formerly home schooled people that I know are exceedingly intelligent and very sociable- better socially adjusted, in many cases, than traditionally educated children.

I think that’s a bit of a loaded question. Is peanut butter bad? No…unless you have a nut allergy.

Incomplete analogy, I know, but stay with me. There are reasons that we have educational choices. Children are not standardized robots – they are people, with individual giftings, interests, developmental levels, and learning styles. Some work extremely well in a classroom, and some don’t. Some need the competition, accountability, and structure of a classroom, while others need the ability to learn at their own pace and on their own time. Kids learn in all different ways, and often a child will learn better in an environment that is suited to their needs.

Homeschooling can be very good, if it is done in a way that fits both the child and the family situation. It takes motivation on the part of the child and consistent effort on the part of the parent in order to work. If the child is not self-motivated, or if the parent is unwilling or unable to provide a learning environment, then it may not be the best choice.

Homeschooling is an excellent choice for my son. His academic and health needs, as well as his learning style, just plain don’t fit well in the logistics of a classroom. He is highly motivated and loves to be able to study according to his interests and abilities, and I’m able to put the work and time into making sure he gets a great education. He also has the ability to pick the extracurriculars (sports, Scouts, and church programs) that he wants to be involved in and give them 100%.

So…there really isn’t a yes or no answer to that. Done right, it’s very good. Done wrong (like anything), it could be bad. It really all depends on the student, the parents, and the family situation.

A lot of people tend to think it is- and those people also have absolutely NO idea about the great things there are involved with homeschool.

I think it is great.

There are many reasons why home schooling is bad, and you’d find some reasons that are good and reasons that aren’t.

If you can come up with a reason not to homeschool I’m %60sure that someone here, or on homeschooling forums, can give you an excellent solution to the bad ‘reason’.

And the thing is… you wont have socialization problems like alot of people think home schooled kids do. All you have to do is join a group/club and stuff.

Define “bad”.

What are your concerns? Write them down and then address them in research. Look for local homeschoolers to interviews, books and websites that can give you the details you need. Remember to disregard people who make knee jerk assumptions about homeschool, without doing any research of their own or having any real exposure to the homeschool environment. Also remember that homeschool is different from distance learning.

I think homeschool is one of those amoral decisions. It is neither bad or good. It would be like making a statement that my car is bad or my telephone is bad.

My car gets me where I am going and my telephone helps me with communicating with others.

On the other hand, I don’t think anyone would argue that an education is good. Many people have found that they do not need to attend a public school to get a good education.

depends on the individual, the environment and the program.

Negatives in any or all of these could render bad results.

Homeschool sees a 20% failure rate compared to the 40% brick school failure rate so it is not perfect but still ahead of the game statically.

Finally one has to realistically comprehend that if a student choose not to learn they not learn at home any better or worse than in a brick school

With college studies showing that the average homeschooler is doing 2-3 grade ahead of the average public schooler and 1 grade ahead of private and religious schools, with the current Heissman trophy winner a homeschooler, with the current national spelling bee champ a homeschooler and with shuttle diplomacy on an international level from Dr. Condoleze Rice who was homeschooled half her life, the results speak for themselves.

Homeschooling, whatever else it may be, is viable competitoin for brick schools and it’s winning out.

6% today someschool vs >1% in 1980

Florida, Arizona and a few other states are offering free on-line virtual school to residents and paid services to non-residents

Brick universities are offering distance education with the ability to get some liberal arts undergraduate and graduate degrees from a fully accredited brick university that has been around 120 years without ever step foot on the brick campus.

Not talking Phoenix here, talking Duke University, Seton Hall and many others offering college programs over the internet.

Now, the school system accounts for 60% of the property tax bill. That’s a fact. Roadwork, sidewalks, snow removal is minimal compared to elementery schools, high schools, teacher salaries and teacher pensions.

Now, what if you could cut that cost in half and improve education by 60%

How, virtual education.

We still have brick schools, but replace teachers with TAs and tutors. The education is done through AV materaials, bookss and tests.

Teachers compete to get contracts for class. They have to device a great syllubus, have great deilvery. The have to be superstars to get the money to produce a series or make software.

Teachers get paid a royalty for their work.

I mean you do realize this is done right now

Teachers use books written by PH Ds

These have teacher editions which tell the teacher what to say, what to ask.

You don’t think the teacher actually KNOWS this subject do you

Go ask any nerd in computer programming how smart their teacher is!

Ask to see your drama teachers Oscars, Emmys and demo reel.

Ask to see their SAG, AGVA and Equity cards

Your drama teacher got a BA in drama and a teacher credential and they teach you wht they learned.

So it isn’t such an astounding idea to have virtual schools on a full time basis.

We already have it, we just pay these people $50,000 to take attendence.

Now, ask them to WRITE the text book for the class.

Ask them to get it published

Text books are written by 3-5 people all with PH D degrees

Your teacher has a BA, they aren’t qualified to teach in college except for a junior college

Now all the current homeschool programs are written by people with PH Ds

Just like the brick programs,

except Mommy and Daddy supervise instead of some stranger with a BA degree who is paid $45,000 a year to take attendence and grade your papers.

Teachers rarely teach. They do lectures from the book.

Your baby sitter can do that

They rote a syllubus desigend by the state and school district, using a book picked the state and school district (in college the professor picks the book) and there job is to break it down into a 19 week lesson plan, teach it, evaluate with tests provided by the book and using the teacher edition as a guideline for discussion prompts.

A test

Take a nice, hefty sentence and put it on the black board and have your

Science

Biology

Health

PE

Computer

Shop

Teacher diagram the parts of the speech and then let an GOOD english teacher come in and say if they got it right or wrong.

In fact bring in all the english teachers and watch them argue and debate some of the items

See five English teachers won’t always agree on a fine point of grammar.

Now, let us imagine the future of education in which 12 year olds talk about some teacher like they talk about Hannah Montana

And students want to get educated so they can make teaching programs like that one.

So they can be superstar teachers.

That day is coming as so is the teacer who makes $5 million a year in royalties and advances on their next offering.

Imagine the day when kids can’t wait for tommor so they can see the next installment of Geometry 2.

the only way teachers are going to make millions is by capturing an audience of millions and you can’t do that in a local school.

I wonder how many kids climbed over each other to get into Dr. Carl Sagan’s courses at Cornell

He’s one of the few teachers in the world who used to get asked for his autograph.

Only to those who have never tried it and are too lazy to get the REAL statistics on homeschool.

Fact is, experiences and statistics both show homeschool to be a good and healthy thing, in ALL aspects, no matter what the uninformed try to tell you.

Homeschooling is whatever you make it.

If you want to work hard on your subjects and get involved in social activities, it can be the best thing ever.

If you want to watch TV all day and never do anything with anyone, then it will be horrible.

It’s all in your/your parent’s hands!