LOL!

I got this in an e-mail from our homeschooling group. Dave Arnold got it published on the NEA website and I couldn't help but laugh! As near as I can tell, his research included one website. One. I Googled 'homeschooling' and got 1,670,000 hits. That's like judging all homeschoolers after talking to one homeschooling parent.

For the sake of argument, I looked at the site and found several things he had taken out of context. For example, Mr. Arnold says, "If this Web site encouraged home-schooled children to join after-school clubs at the local school, or participate in sports or other community activities, then I might feel different."

The website says, "The whole point is to carefully choose your child's social interaction. Socialization does indeed affect your children. Choose wisely those influences you want in their lives. The truth is, your children will get plenty of socialization from the neighborhood kids, church groups, and other outside activities." It seems to me that sports and community activities could fit into that. Oh, yeah, and Mr. Arnold, I believe it should be “I might feel differently.” I might be wrong. I went to public school.

I would challenge Mr. Arnold to go to any science museum of his choosing during the week when school groups are touring, just for research purposes. He could probably take the cost of the ticket off his taxes for work expenses. Let’s see what public school socialization looks like. I’ll tell you what I’ve seen: kids shouting and running, pushing each other to get the best view, crying because they were pushed down or had their toes stepped on, screaming questions to teachers and frazzled museum employees.

I’ve been on homeschool field trips, and I can assure you that none of the children, even the preschoolers, behaved in an inappropriate manner. Why? The kids in our group were taught how to behave in public. It was part of school. They were also taught to respect and obey adults. Almost all of the moms accompanied the group, so there were lots of eyes. It was understood that if a child was getting into mischief, either the mom got a gentle nudge and took care of the problem, or the child was spoken to by another mom and the behavior stopped. Most of the time it was a matter of saying the child’s name and a quick shake of the head. There were never discipline problems, crying spells were only babies or toddlers being kept from their naps, and no mom ever took offense when someone reprimanded her child. Then again, the moms didn’t scream at or belittle their kids.

Socialization is a common misconception among those who feel homeschoolers are damaging their kids. The reality is that most homeschooled kids are better socialized than public schooled kids. Their schedules are more flexible, thus allowing them opportunities for outside art/dance/music/religious education, Scouts, public service projects, and so on. Homeschooled kids are exposed to people of all ages, not just thirty kids the same age and an occasional adult. Let's face it, do you work every day with people the same age as you?

He goes on to criticize the site for having an on-line bookstore, his point being that they are scamming gullible parents and that a book can't teach you what you need to know about teaching your kids everything they need to know. So they don’t use books in teacher school? He's partly right; you can't get it all from books. Like socialization, that can't be taught; it has to come from experience. Homeschooling allows the teacher and the students to focus not only on academics but also on life skills that are sorely lacking in public schools. I didn't get any home ec until 7th grade. Why would anyone think that kids are incapable of baking a cake before they're 12? Attitudes like that are the reason my neighbors marvel about my kids doing their own laundry.

I could go on for days, tearing Mr. Arnold’s article to shreds. I could cite statistics and show where he is wrong. However, what his article did accomplish is to uphold what the NEA thinks is education. I have to give him credit for knowing his audience. He also knows better than to bite the hand that feeds him. Mr. Arnold is the head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. Kids being withdrawn from public schools result in less tax money going to each school, which may eventually lead to restructuring and lay-offs.

I’m not a militant homeschooler. I haven’t written off public schools. In fact, Alex will be going to high school up the road next month, leaving me at home with Vicky. I will probably drive Alex’s teachers crazy because I have grown up enough in the last several years that I’m not afraid to ask someone about their methods. Education is not an exact science. It can’t be because each child is different. Some kids need to be in school, and some kids need to be at home, and that’s just the way it is. The trick is to figure out what each kid needs and to be willing to see that they get it.