Homeschooling, the Feds, and You

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Homeschooling, the Feds, and You

Who Knows Best?

By: John Stonestreet|Published: October 3, 2016 7:00 AM

Topics: Education/Development, Worldview, Youth Issues

Was this a warning shot? Or just a misinformed opinion? Homeschooling parents want to know.

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Recently, US Secretary of Education John King, while speaking at a press conference, remarked that although some homeschool situations are just fine, in general, “[Students //who are homeschooled] are not getting kind of the rapid instructional experience () they would get /in school.”

King also said that [part of the school experience] is [learning how to deal with and build relationships with peers and teachers]—implying that homeschoolers don’t get this kind of experience.

Now, before I go on, in the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you that my wife and I homeschool our three daughters.

To be specific, we’re part of a community of homeschooling families /with a hybrid model // that shares resources and that journeys together. We think () our daughters are receiving a first-rate education. I say that not just so you know () I’ve got a horse in the race, but because my wife and I have personal experience. We know this world. We live in it.

* disclosure; the action of making new or secret information known.

But back to the Secretary’s comments. It’s not clear [what he meant by “rapid instructional experience],” but that can mean a sort of checklist approach—plowing through the material, cramming for standardized tests, and hitting every mandated topic. In that sense, he’s right. Many homeschoolers don’t get “rapid instruction” of this sort, but that’s not really education in the first place.

* plow through; to finish doing something that takes a long time and is difficult or boring

But [what has me most concerned /about the Secretary’s remarks] is the classic “we know better than you” attitude

/so endemic among governmental elites—whether it’s telling us [what kind of healthcare () we need, or how to teach our young ones /about the most intimate of human relations.

* classic; Of a well-known type; typical:

Let me be clear: The federal government’s ever-growing reach /into our children’s education is a bi-partisan effort.

The Department of Education was established by Jimmy Carter. George W. Bush signed the disastrous “No Child Left Behind” initiative into law. And Common Core, which many argue will leave kids unprepared for college, has both Republican and Democratic support.

* which many argue will leave kids unprepared for college

 => many argue (that) (Common Core=which) will leave kids unprepared for college

 =>many argue that Common Core will leave kids unprepared for college

복문에서 종절의 주어를 관계사로 대체하여 앞으로 내보내고 접속사 that 을 생략한 경우임

But if the federal government really does know best, how is it, as Lindsey Burke of The Daily Signal notes, that “just one-third of all eighth-graders in public schools can read proficiently”? How is it that “Roughly two out of 10 students

don’t graduate high school at all, [and]the United States ranks in the middle of the pack on international assessments?”

And while we’re at it, can we address this idea that homeschooled children don’t socialize well? That’s just nonsense. Some struggle, of course, but so do some public schoolers. And what does it mean for a child to be normally socialized anyway? If it’s activities, homeschooling author Joe Kelly observed recently that "Many home-schoolers play on athletic teams…” And “they're also interactive / with students of different ages… having more opportunity /to get out into the world and engage with adults and teens alike.”

* "to be at it" essentially means "to be doing it". to be trying/attempting (to do something)

Now, I’m not trying to hammer public education. I grew up in Northern Virginia, home of some of the finest public school systems /in the country //that turn out [highly educated, well prepared young people]. And Colorado Springs, where I live now, is full of great teachers, and innovative charter schools.

*turn out; somehow to end in a particular way, such as well, badly, all right, etc.

But none of that changes the statistics. According to the National Home Education Research Institute, homeschoolers typically “score 15 to 30 percentile points /above public-school students /on standardized academic achievement tests.”

And they “score above average /on achievement tests /regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income.”

Homeschoolers are, according to U.S. News “ripe for college.” They receive an education tailored /to their needs. And you know what? They’re well-socialized, too

Now am I saying () you should homeschool your kids? Not necessarily. [What I am saying] is that you—not the Secretary of Education, the federal government, or anyone else—know [what’s best for your children and your family].

Further Reading and Information

Homeschooling, the Feds, and You: Who Knows Best?

We live /in a nation //where we are free to tailor our children's education /to their specific needs, whether that involves public, private, charter, or home schooling. Let's be proactive /in protecting and championing that freedom. For more information on homeschooling statistics, check out the links below.

Resources

Home-Schooled Teens Ripe for College
Kelsey Sheehy | USNews.com | June 1, 2012

Research Facts On Homeschooling
Brian D. Ray, Ph.D. | NHERI | March 23, 2016

What Obama’s Education Secretary Got Wrong About Homeschoolers
Lindsey Burke / The Daily Signal | September 21, 2016

Comments:

It's shameful for the head of the Department of Education to be so ignorant of what's happening in education. "Rapid instructional experience"? One of my sons is very adept at math; we've gone through [as many as three lessons] /in half an hour /when I can see () he's got the concept down. That's simply not possible in a public school setting.

Does homeschooling match the wide range of opportunities //that our best schools and best teachers offer? No. But only
a few kids get the "best" anyway. And we have freedom /to tailor our education /to our children. With over 3% of the school-age population now homeschooled, there is an amazing variety of both materials and programs available. We attend a monthly program put on by a nature center specifically for homeschoolers, as well as a weekly cooperative academic plus sports program. Our state allows homeschoolers to participate in public school sports /at no charge (I'm paying several thousand dollars /in school taxes anyway). And we're active in Scouts and other programs that aren't specifically for homeschoolers, but provide social and enrichment opportunities.

The best predictor of student success is parental involvement. Can parents be any more involved than when homeschooling? It shouldn't be a surprise /that homeschoolers typify the Lake Wobegon effect ("all the children are above average"). OK, not everyone is above average, but the average homeschooler substantially exceeds the average public school student.
 If you meet a first grade boy //who's a fluent reader, odds are high () he's homeschooled.

I'm not trying to denigrate public school teachers. I could never handle a class of 25, and [those //who can effectively teach a full class of varying aptitudes and attitudes have my admiration. But you can't give the same attention to 25 /that you can to 1, and for those parents //who can devote the time and resources, homeschooling is a great choice academically, as well as offering the option to integrate faith, to limit unhealthy influences, and to tailor a program to a child's unique interests and abilities.

Posted By: Kelvin Smith on October 03, 2016 11:14 AM