truth

[Brandon]

I can understand this site, there are some odd parents out there and they make homeschooling horrible, the sterotype we see today. But not all homeschooling is like that, I personal enjoy homeschooling, can finish my school by 11 and go get some coffee with friends and hang for the rest of the day. See, theres two types of "homeschool kids"
the Homeschooler(er)
and then theres being "homeschooled.
the homeschooler is when you get the social dysfuction kids, ive seen them there funny
and then you get me(and my friends) People cant believe im homeschooled, cause im actually normal
its all about the reason your schooling and the parent
So ya its not all bad, you probally have seen more homeschool kids then uou think, you just cant tell cause there not a "homeschoolER"

[Survivor]

Thanks for the post, but let me pick apart a bit of what you said, because that is what I do.

First of all let's at least call it perception or opinion, truth is an awfully bold statement, but I can live with it. You say you enjoy "homeschooling," but let's look at your words of why you say it. So you can be done early and go get some coffee and hang out with your friends. Basically what you are saying is that you don't like having to work very hard, because if you had to, you wouldn't be done by 11am.

Second, then you want to hang out with your friends. I have to assume these are also "homeschoolers," or they probably wouldn't be "hanging out" at 11 am. So, as I continually point out on the site, you are surrounded by homeschoolers. How would you know if you aren't socially dysfunctional? I got told that growing up too. It's called pity. It's like looking at a 3 legged dog and everyone goes... "awwwww it's so sweet."

I know A LOT of "homeschoolers." I even went to college with a lot of them. Many do appear normal, until you get to know them, and then the dysfunctions appear quite rapidly. I throw myself in that same boat. Even as I get older, I find myself in situations, where I just can't relate.

One last thought... Stereotypes are there for a reason... many are true. There are always freaks in every scenario. Maybe you are a freak in a freak world. Producing a double negative and therefore a positive.

So, give us the reasons... You said "its all about the reason your schooling and the parent" so tell us why they do it.

Looking forward to your response.

Survivor

[Homescrewed]

Dear Brandon:

I can't help but wonder how old you are. If you're nine, I guess I can't say much. But I'm pretty sure you're a young/mid teen, and here are a couple of things that immediately suggested to me that you are indeed a home schooler:

1) Your grammar and spelling skills leave much to be desired and as such should be an embarrassment to your teacher. While you are hanging out with your friends at 11am, most other children are in school learning the basic, necessary writing skills that you so obviously lack.

2) Your inability to correctly post your message to it's proper board. This board's description clearly states "Pro-Home School Media: A collection of published pro-home school media, and HSAHS members responses to them." Your post is not published media, it is simply a child's praise of the ease homeschooling and would be better suited for the General Board. You state that you enjoy rushing through your schoolwork so you can get out and be with your friends; I attribute your inability to properly read the full description of this board to what you are allowed to "learn" in homeschool: Rush, don't pay close attention to details, just scrape by and get out.

As you grow up you will undoubtedly begin to understand that finishing your schoolwork as fast as you can so you can hang out with your friends by late morning on a "school day" is entirely destructive to your future and your chances of success in life. I doubt you are beginning your school day at 4am, and I'd go so far as to say that any teacher/parent who allows their children to rush through their schooling so they can run off with their friends is a horrible parent and has no business even generically raising a child, much less being in full control of the child's "education".

[Sara]

I, too, do not know the ages of the responders, but much of the attitude you assume the author possesses is quite prevalent in public school students. In fact the students I meet at the university who have the best study skills are most often homeschooled for at least a portion of their education if not all the way through "high school."

Also, many schools (charter, cooperative, etc) that keep class sizes to a minimum 8-10 students are often done with their instruction before lunch. Most, in fact, are scheduled from 8a - 12 noon and often only 4 days a week. And yet when these students take national standardized exams, they consistently score in the top 10% of students.

Lastly, if children and teens are brought up in an environment they disagree with they will often hold onto much hurt, contempt, and anger. So those who've been educated at home against their will ought to have a place to come and commiserate with others who feel the same way. I'm glad that there is a place for that to take place. Hopefully you will find healing from all the hurts that you have.

[Leslie Wagner]

Feb 28, 2010 0:35:02 GMT -6 @Sara said:

he students I meet at the university who have the best study skills are most often homeschooled

With nothing but your word to verify this claim, I'll take it for what it's worth.

Feb 28, 2010 0:35:02 GMT -6 @Sara said:

Also, many schools (charter, cooperative, etc) that keep class sizes to a minimum 8-10 students are often done with their instruction before lunch. Most, in fact, are scheduled from 8a - 12 noon and often only 4 days a week. And yet when these students take national standardized exams, they consistently score in the top 10% of students.

Very interesting claim. Please cite your source.

[Coast]

Just my two cents:

I am a life-long homeschooler, who is now in tenth grade. I go to a independent study charter school through which I see one teacher for thirty of so minutes a week. Despite the fact that I am, by definition, oh so horribly "socially dysfunctional," I go (swing) dancing weekly, with public and home schoolers. (<A mixed group who get along great!) Additionally I see my home schooled friends frequently and enjoy the fact that they're all unique and they get to be themselves. It's not like people are going to harass them as adults for their interesting and complex personalities. I myself am heavily involved in my community, I participate in Key Club, Boy Scouts, 4-H, own a local business, know and talk to many adults around town, and appear frequently in in the local paper. Students, who I know, from the local high school openly talk about the fact the there is senseless violence day-to-day. I really think that if either the parent or the child puts any effort into home schooling at all that they will have a good experience with it.

-Coast

P.S: My (home schooled) friend and I both have a 4.2 GPA. The ".2" is extra credit for doing more work than needed...

[anonymous]

Feb 28, 2010 0:35:02 GMT -6 @Sara said:

Also, many schools (charter, cooperative, etc) that keep class sizes to a minimum 8-10 students are often done with their instruction before lunch. Most, in fact, are scheduled from 8a - 12 noon and often only 4 days a week. And yet when these students take national standardized exams, they consistently score in the top 10% of students.

And then the question is: why not take one's children to those fantastic schools then, where they will have time to hang out with their friends, will have excellent grades and will be taught by people who are actually educated to do it?

Why, when there are so many types of schools to choose from, would a parent choose to walk away from all those options and "homeschool" their child?

[Searchers]

Charter schools are notoriously hard to get into; they often use lotteries to pick which kids get to attend....which is probably why *everyone* doesn't send their kids there. Waiting for Superman is an interesting documentary that talks about charter schools. Also (and I have no data to back this up, honestly) I would believe that a lot of parents don't know about charter schools, especially in areas of the country where you can't really choose what school your kids go to.