Which is better? Homeschooling or Public Schooling?
114196
I think all parents early on should have a plan as to what their goals are as parents. In my opinion the two best things I can provide my children is good health and a good education. It kills me when people just expect the government to provide these things for them. What greater gift can you give a kid than at 18 to have options? \n\nI homeschool but I do not recommend that all people should. It works for us. I know lots of kids who have gotten an amazing education through public schools from teachers who loved their jobs and genuinely cared about the kids. The main difference in that the parents took an active role in their upbringing and provided a lot of supervision and support. It is not a teacher’s job to educate your child. They have them for 9 months and then pass them on. You are the consistent force in their education. \n\nI personally went to private school and received an amazing education. I felt like I had to reprogram some of my beliefs after high school. I totally had a superiority complex that I was smarter then public schooled kids. What a shocker when I got to college. I think it was partially my parents influence. I see this problem with homeschool kids as well. If you shelter kids to where they are always in the same peer group, you are doing your kids a great disservice. What happens when they are competing in the job market with people who are different then them? For that reason, I keep my kids involved in lots of different social groups. I heavily monitor them so I remain the number one force in their belief system. \n\nI don’t think the question in my mind is if homeschooling is better. I have seen kids that have gotten a lousy education because their parents never should have attempted homeschooling. I think the main issue is what influence a parent is in a child’s life. We should always put what is best for the kid in front of our motives. If I can maintain a relationship with my kids that they respect me so much they will do their best not to disappoint me then I have succeeded. If my kids feel I am the one they should turn to no matter how bad of situation they are in then I have succeeded.
51122
I took American School. Its in illinois and is through the mail. But its a top notch school and they know what their doing. I worked at my own pase and im 16 and in college. Also, With being able to work at your own pase, you can keep your social life. Dont listen to what people say about homeschool. Most people have never given it a try and just jump to conclusions about it. Good luck finding a school to go through with!
639610
No. Private schools often offer more opportunities, but not necessarily better people. For example, the top schools are more likely to accept someone from a private school than a public school, but that doesn't mean they are actually better students.\n\nAlso you have to consider the backgrounds of the people. A very small minority of kids in private school come from broken homes/poverty, while larger numbers go to public schools. Some things like this are difficult to overcome in any educational setting.\n\nI feel that, in the end, the important thing is to study hard and get support both at school and at home for the child's individual needs and skills.
897004
Homeschool for sure.\n\n1)My kids get to socialize with all races, ages, religions and gender on a daily basis.  They don't spend 8 hours a day with ONLY people their own age.  \n\n2) They can go to the bathroom whenever they want, and they don't have to ask permission from a teacher who may or may not give it. (I had a teacher in second grade who wouldn't let me go to the bathroom because it was "rest time" and I peed all over myself.  I was known as pee-pee girl for the rest of my elementary years.  Funny, I had forgotten all about that until I read this question) What does all that have to do with schooling? Well, when I had finished my public school years, and entered the working world, I wasn't sure if I needed permission to go to the bathroom....\n\n3) A homeschooled child gets more social time than public schooled ones.  In public school, you get 5 minutes between classes, and if you're lucky, 20 minutes of recess.  Homeschooled children get most of any given day.\n\n4) You get more than 15 minutes to eat your meals when you are homeschooled, and you don't have to spend the rest of the day with indigestion.\n\n5) You don't have mountains of homework when you are homeschooled.  You learn everything set aside for you in a few hours, then your school day is done.\n\n6) You don't spend half of your day waiting when you are homeschooled.  You aren't waiting on 26 other kids to sit down and shut up so you can start learning.\n\n7)  You learn more when homeschooling.  You can take any given subject as far as you want, you don't have to stop when government mandated outlines say you do.\n\n8) You don't have to worry about "fitting in" when you are homeschooled.  If you don't have Tommy or Gap clothes, so what.  Whereas in public school, you get snubbed if your clothes come from Target.\n\n9) When you are homeschooled, you KNOW  your teacher cares about you.  \n\n10) The only real negative to homeschooling is having to listen to, and be snubbed by, public school advocates who don't have a clue what goes on in a home education environment.
888741
I'm with you.  Let's see the valid studies!\n\nNHERI has done a tremendous amount of research.  Dr. Brian Ray and his colleagues give presentations in courts of law, to the US Congress, and to governments of foreign countries.  The statistics are clear and present the fact that home-schooling is a very good method of education.\n\nI personally helped with one project that involved questioning home-school students in regards to the military.  The study involved questions that could help the military adjust their enlistment requirements and recruiting policies.\n\nEvery home-school will have it's "issues" just as every public school has areas that need improvement.  The question is:  Who do you trust more -- parents or the government?
506960
Wow, what a variety of answers.  If this is something you are considering, you really need to make the decision yourself, based on what's important to you.  We chose to homeschool because we were not satisfied with the education my son was getting in the public school.  Since we started homeschooling, he has really excelled in some subjects (math, in particular) and has just been average in others.\n\nAs for socialization and the 'real world', can you name me one other place where people are segregated by age besides school?  The real world is dealing with people of different races, cultures, ages, beliefs - take a look around any office.  My kids are exposed to all these and more and are perfectly able to handle themselves in most any situation.  I have not locked them in a closet!  Our house is usually bursting at the seams on weekends with kids from the neighborhood.\n\nAs for teaching them only my strong subjects, we are fortunate enough to live in a fairly large city and I have sent my older son to a homeschool co-op for Latin (I know nothing about it) and he took private violin lessons.  I'm not big on art (as in painting, sculpture, etc.), so I'm not really introducing these things to my kids, other than through art appreciation.  So what if one of my children is supposed to be the next Rembrandt.  Maybe the next Rembrandt is sitting in an African village somewhere starving to death?  If it's not something that interests them, why should I force it on them, even if they are gifted in that area?  I'd rather they be average at something they love and enjoy, than famous for something they hate.\n\nSorry if I seem to be ranting here.  I just get tired of hearing the same old arguments from well-meaning, but un-informed people.\n\nIf you choose to homeschool, I wish you the best of luck.  It's certainly not for everyone, but if you decide it's for you, you will NOT regret the choice.
1075873
I never thought I would be advising someone to KEEP their child in school, but I might make the exeption here. If you want to homeschool to give your child a better education, then go for it! But, if your only reason is because the teacher is young, that's not going to work. Homeschooling takes EXTREME dedication to your child, lots of work on your part, it takes patience, and persistence. You have to be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn what you need to teach and how to do it. You have to enjoy your children enough to have them with you 24/7! You have to be willing to taxi them to the different opportunities for social engagement like sports or dance classes, whatever. A lot of homeschooling is done outside the home, in the form of educational outings, where they learn hands-on about the world around them and social engagement with ALL age groups, not just their peers. All of this is GREAT for them, but it's a sacrifice on your part, and you have to be willing to do it. See, it's not just a simple decision to be based on the fact that a teacher is young, that really has no bearing on anything. Plus, you have to take into account how your child is going to react. It's a lot harder to pull a child out of school then it is to have never put them in in the first place, this can cause resentment and I don't feel it should be done unless the parent feels it's necessary, and feels that the fight is worth it in exchange for the better education. Good luck to you, but I suggest you think about it some more, do some research, get to know the teacher and see if you still feel he/she is not adequate as a teacher, then go to the principal if you still have concerns. If the principal is unwilling to help, then go to the school board. Try some other options first, because it's not an easy job. It's a very rewarding job, and most beneficial to the child, but it is a sacrifice.
667208
No. Most public schools expect way too much homework from students. I think 6 hours/day is more than enough time for formal learning. Kids shouldn't have to go home and put in another 2+ hours! The best learning happens while playing, socializing, and doing the things you love to do. Not by doing mindless busy-work. This is one of the many reasons I choose to homeschool my daughter.
917954
You raise a very good question. I home schooled for a year with my children who were in 3rd and 1st grade at the time. My daughter who was in 3rd grade benefited tremendously from it. And it worked for her. My son who was in 1st grade at the time and was diagnosed with ADHD should have benefited from it but didn't. He didn't want to cooperate with any of it, and thought he was on vacation! They are both back in public school. While my son still has occasional problems, he enjoys school much more.\nI know alot of home schooled children and public/private school children and I think it really depends on the home environment and the individual kids.  A person that teaches school at home has to be really organized, and I wasn't. I think that all programs are great when the parent stays involved in their education whether it is home school or other schools. I don't feel one is better than the other and they should be treated as the same.
670359
Homeschooling can be a great experience.  The education is flexible and full of awesome potential.  You have the option to pursue on a deeper level the subjects that interest you, and are not held back by other students.  The luxury to study at your own pace is invaluable.\n\nThe argument that homeschoolers suffer socially has little founding in reality.  I have never had any trouble "integrating into society," nor have any of my peers.  I was taught at home all 12 years, and I was never lacking friends.  I think that your social skills depend more on your upbringing and personality than where you go to school.  I was given a broad education that taught me to never stop loving to learn, and I am thankful to my parents for that.  They made huge sacrifices to teach me at home, and I appreciate them, as well as my education.
51063
i was home schooled from the 6th to the 9th grade. it was horrible when my mother did put me back in school i was so lost socially. i think that children need to go to public school so that real life isnt such a shock to them.
993118
Home education, also called homeschooling or home school, is an educational alternative in which children are educated at home by their parents, in contrast to the compulsory attendance which takes place in an institution with a campus such as a public school or private school. Home education methods are similar to those widely used before the popularization of compulsory attendance requirements in the 19th century. Before this time, the majority of education worldwide was provided at home by family and community members, with only the privileged attending privately-run schools or employing tutors, the only available alternatives at the time.\n\nIn modern times, although there were American families living overseas who were already homeschooling their children, the first parents known to homeschool within the United States were Tom and Mary Bergman of Utah, 1971. Unknown to each other at the time, the second known family was Charles and Virginia Birt Baker of Texas, 1972. Homeschooling was sometimes erroneously called unschooling, but the latter was a curriculum-free philosophy coined in 1977 by American educator John Holt in his alternative education magazine Growing Without Schooling. The terms homeschooling and home education also include instruction in the home by parents choosing to be under the supervision of correspondence schools, which are referred to as "umbrella schools" [example: Christian Liberty Academy].\n\nIn the United States, homeschooling is the focus of a substantial movement among parents who wish to provide their children with a custom or more complete education, which they feel is unattainable in most private schools or the government's public schools. While many families in the U.S. are educating their children at home, the vast majority still utilize the institutional setting for their children. Despite its popularity some people have concerns about the recent renaissance of this traditional method of educating children.
680915
I am homeschooled. I'm graduating a year early and I hope it never stops for everyone, I've learned more than if I was in a public or private school. You can also be homeschooled in college through an internet college.
409821
The number one advantage of public schools is SOCIALIZATION!  If you do research under that category, I guarantee that you will find many reasons to prove why home schooling isn't such a great idea.
614060
Are you looking to start homeschooling? There are 8 "types" of homeschooling. I believe that unschooling is perhaps the best way for the younger kids - by younger I mean under 5. Unschooling is and unstructured way of learning - children learn naturally and follow their curiousity and interest. \nFor more info to make a decision based on what is best for your family and situation try the website www.fpea.com
596635
I am not sure about this one, but there are MANY homestudy options in your area!  Visit http://www.charterassociation.org/home.asp to find charter schools that offer independent study or personalized learning programs in your area.  These are public schools, so you do not have to pay tuition, and you can get guidance and curriculum.  This is a good way to start out homeschooling for many families, so it is worth looking into.
51747
The answer depends almost entirely on where you live.  Some public schools are quite good while some really stink.  For example, I live in Dallas, and the Dallas Independent School District has a very bad reputation - if I had kids, I would do what I could to send them to private school.  However, some of the suburban school districts are great and I'd have no problem using them - and saving the money I'd spend on a private school.  I went to public schools and I turned out fine (I think...).