Friday, August 11, 2006

Why We Decided to Homeschool - The Politically Correct Version

As regular readers know, we were given information this week about Chance - a 3 and a half year old little boy whom we're interested in adopting. We've been working on this adopting process for a little over a year and a half now.

Chance's case worker came up with a new question for us. As relayed through our case worker, Barbara, Chance's case worker wants to know, "What was our thinking when we decided to homeschool?"

Now, we get this "Why homeschool" question all the time, of course, but this was the first time it came from someone associated with the adoption process. Adoption case workers are, generally speaking, very much pro-school. Education, intervention, special services and so on.

We have many, many reasons for homeschooling. Even with a "special needs child", which every child adopted from foster care over the age of three is considered to be, there are many good reasons for homeschooling. Simple avoiding the stigma of being in a special needs class room is a good start. Of course, there is also the fact that learning can be tailored to the child's particular interests and learning style. You homeschoolers know the benefits - this is just preaching to the choir.

What I needed, however, was a politically correct version of why we chose to homeschool. Something that wouldn't put off a person who wears school colored eye glasses. And I needed to come up with this statement quickly, as I was on my way to speak to Barbara when I got her message with this question from my cell phone.

I drafted out a basic plan in my head in the few minutes I had before arriving at her office. I'd already made the decision to not try to explain unschooling to social services in general. When I got there, I was ready. Luckily, Davan, my 8 year old, was home with friends, so I was able to use these few minutes without interruption.

"When Davan was 2 or 3 years old, I started noticing a lot of talk about homeschooling in various early childhood support groups in which I was a member. While I hadn't every thought of homeschoooling before, I started to see why one might choose to do it.

"I started researching homeschooling and different learning styles - reading a ton of books on the subjects. The more I learned, the more I felt the homeschooling was the best way for me to help Davan learn. I could address her particular style of learning much more than it would be addressed in a large classroom of 30 or so kids."

Here Barbara kind of nodded her head and repeated some of this back to me, as she was trying to remember in order to pass my answers on to Chance's case worker. Emboldened, I went on, "Once we started homeschooling, we discovered many other great things about it. Davan is able to run and play when she's in the mood to do so. Being able to be active when in the mood (and not just at recess) means that she's better able to sit and concentrate on bookwork type activities.

"We also like the fact that our family rhythms tend to stay more even keeled than if she were going to school most of the year, but with a long summer break. The consistency is good for Davan."

Barbara, remembering other conversations, helpfully added, "And you can pick up and travel with Anthony (my husband) when he travels for work without having to remove Davan from school. Same with skiing and such."

"Exactly! We just work out school work around these activities." No need to mention the distinct lack of school work that our very articulate daughter does.

Even though I'd already addressed the socialization question with Barbara, I felt this was a good time to mention it again, as this is always such a concern for non-homeschoolers. I continued, "Once I'd decided that we were going to go the homeschooling route, I started reaching out to the homeschooling community to find a social circle for Davan and myself. I wanted her to have a group that she'd see regularly and be involved with those kids.

"In fact, knowing that we'll probably adopt a child younger than Davan, I've just joined a homeschooling group with mostly younger children. The homeschooling families that we currently spend most of our time with all have kids older than Davan. I wanted to have a group in place from which our new child could find age mates and friends."

Barbara seemed impressed with all of this, but still asked if Davan had ever spent time in a class room situation or was that a complete unknown? I explained that Davan has taken many classes, mostly art, gymnastics and dance, so she's been in group learning situations. However, she never has had a sittting at desks sort of experience, so that is somewhat of an unknown. I explained that I felt like Davan would have had a hard time with sitting as desks when she was younger, but I felt she could do it now, if she needed to. Even though I have to wonder what's the point of sitting as desks with a room of age mates while an adult lectures you unless you're truly interested in the material being presented?

So, there it is - the politically correct, but still positive, reason for homeschooling. I just hope Barbara remembers what I said enough to pass it on without muddling it.

14 comments:

  1. It sounded great to me. Hope she can remember it for more than 10 minutes. Maybe you better write it up in case you're asked again? I can't imagine anyone thinking school would be better for any kid... but especially not one who's been harmed by life before rescue.

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  2. Anonymous8:36 AM

    Nice Work!

    We had a similar situation - explaining home education to our social working during our homestudy. (After he shared that he just shipped off his youngest to a university so she could learn about real life experiences!)

    Blessings,
    Mrs. L

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  3. Anonymous11:08 AM

    I used to work as a registrar in a graduate school located near DC. It has now been accepted as unquestionably true that homeschooled students now reaching graduate school - are in most cases at the top of their classes in all categories INCLUDING "socialization" and "leadership". Admissions officers see this too - time after time, the top candidates tend to be homeschooled rather than products of Politically Correct public (i.e. state) schools and curricula.

    Hopefully one day the social workers will get a clue.

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  4. Good explanation!

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  5. Why didn't you tell her the main reason most people homeschool, to keep their kids ignorant of great scientists like Darwin and their profound theories. The other benefit is that you can keep them isolated from all those immoral non-Christians.

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  6. Brian,

    I don't know you at all, but I would like to assume that you are speaking tongue in cheek here.

    The fact is that, if you are not, indeed, speaking tongue in cheek, you are showing your incredible ignorance. I wouldn't think that is the side of you that you'd like to show on a public forum. Unless, of course, it's the only side you have, at least in regards to homeschooling. If so, you should think about reading up some more on homeschoolers and their reasons before shooting your mouth off in ignorance.

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  7. My curiosity piqued, I went over to Mr. Macker's blog to attempt to ascertain if his remark is tongue-in-cheek or not.

    Given the evidence, it's hard to say. He's an obviously well-read libertarian, at least in economic theory and its related fields. I didn't notice, for example, that Jane Austen figured prominently in his reading list, but maybe I missed it.

    He has a good critique of Intelligent Design theory, but it wouldn't be hard to counter it were one so inclined. I'm not, being more likely to let the argument ripen and see what fruit develops eventually -- if ever.

    Perhaps he was tongue in cheek, given his philosophical leanings. And perhaps he was merely ignorant, given his suspicions re religious speculation.

    His blog isn't active. Last update seems to be from Feb. 2006.

    When we home-schooled, we had to listen to the tired old arguments about socialization and endure the suspicions that we were wild-eyed, snake-handling religious extremists. Parents today are more fortunate: you have groups of like-minded families to turn to...

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  8. Yeah, that was sort of tongue in cheek but there certainly is a grain of truth in it. There are certainly more people homeschooling because they are fundamentalist Christians who are anti-evolution than because they are libertarians. If only because there are way more fundamentalist christians than there are libertarians.

    In fact, I'd say you'd have to be ignorant not to know that concerns about morality is one of the main reasons for homeschooling. If you don't think the google searches were enough evidence to support my "grain of truth" then how about this survey.
    "The next two reasons for homeschooling most frequently cited as applicable were to provide religious or moral instruction (72 percent)"

    A subtaintial portion, around 30%, cite morals and religion as their primary reason. I wonder how many of those who gave "Can give a better education at home" really meant that they would not be teaching evolution at home.

    The only problem I have with homeschooling and using tax dollars to do so is that it might fracture society. For instance, people could brainwash their kids with religious ideology will tend to cause enclaves of intolerant subcultures. I do think 9 hours of rote memorization of the Koran every day certainly counts as child abuse and is likely to cause the children raised to be inappropriately adapted to a liberal culture such as our own.

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  9. Sigh. One case doesn't a whole movement make. There are people who send their kids to school who do abusive things to them in their after school hours, as well. In fact, if we're talking percentages, a greater percentage of kids in public schools are abused than kids who are homeschooled.

    Additionally, I'd agree that instilling morals (such as thou shall not bully) would be a reason why I homeschooled. This does not mean that I want to save my children from "immoral non-Christians" by any stretch of the imagination.

    While there are homeschoolers who do so for religious reasons, there are also many who have other reasons. Assuming that my family is one of the ones who have religious reasons for homeschooling is not well thought out.

    Where are you getting this tax dollar thing? Homeschoolers are not tax dollar supported. Something a libertarian should appreciate.

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  10. Hey, wait a minute. I made half a million dollars last year, all tax free, just for homeschooling. I have two children. So I figure, if I have like six more, I can retire.

    Where do these idiots crawl out from???

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  11. Anonymous3:43 AM

    Funded by tax dollars? - NOT!

    Have you read any statistics lately? How about that colleges - even the ivy league schools - are regularly RECRUITING homeschoolers because of their extremely high performance levels entering college. There is a significant percentage of homeschoolers who actually have an associates degree before or near their high school graduation.


    I was at a meeting last night and the homeschool liason from the county said that the standardized test scores (statewide) of homeschoolers are consistently the highest scores they receive, with the exception of the ones I think she called "truancy homeschoolers" (former public school kids who had missed 10 or more classroom days in the month before they left to "become homeschooled").

    I had my kids in public school until 4 years ago.

    I found that "dumbing down" is alive and well in the public schools.

    I found that the lose morals and high rate of sexually promiscuous young people is staggering (pregnant kids at 12 and 13!!!).

    . . .the unruly classrooms,=. . . the bullying. . . the lowering of educational standards. . . the "teaching to the tests" instead of giving the kids a good education. . .the increase in the drug and weapons in the schools necessitating an increase in security officers on campus, metal detectors and regular locker searches . . . and the list goes on and on.


    Why would I want to subject my kids to all this? Just because someone lists moral and/or religious reasons to homeschool doesn't make us all "religious fanatics", but people who genuinely want the best for our kids.

    We want to bring the up with good morals and a strong Christian upbringing. They will grow up to be good, productive members of society.

    If you look at public schools today, isn't it horrific to think that these may be the future leaders of this country?

    We are standing up to make a difference in our families and in our communities.

    So Brian. . .please do a little more research and before you spout off a few platitudes about something you obviously don't fully understand, please take the time to REALLY research the issue - you'll find a much different situation than the one you presented.

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  12. Anonymous4:01 AM

    Brian -

    I just read the article you mentioned when you said "For instance, people could brainwash their kids with religious ideology will tend to cause enclaves of intolerant subcultures. I do think 9 hours of rote memorization of the Koran every day certainly counts as child abuse and is likely to cause the children raised to be inappropriately adapted to a liberal culture such as our own.".

    That was not a story about homeschooling at all but about an actual school in NYC that is apparently not teaching other subjects.

    I think that no matter what manner our children are educated in that we, as parents, have the responsibility to bring up our children in the best way we know how. I feel that we should not only think about the present, but about the future of our children and do what we feel is right. For a large and growing number of people, this means homeschooling.

    There are currently about 50,000 registered homeschoolers - and that number doesn't include the families who are in a 600 (umbrella) school, are in a private homeschool, or are not registered and are just standing on their constitutional rights.

    If public schools were so great, people wouldn't be leaving them in droves.

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  13. Actually, I was referring to tax dollars with regard to the notion of school vouchers. We are covering a broad topic here when we talk about Libertarian reasons for being against public schools.

    The idea that Libertarians have is that we can all just go our merry way with regard to education and that we will retain a cohesive society. I'm not sure that is true.

    All three of those ideas homeschooling, vouchers, and doing away with public schools are open to the same criticisms.

    You act like there isn't as substantial number of people attracted to these ideas because the are evolutionary ignoramouses but the fact is that it's true.

    There are legitamate reasons for wanting to homeschool and for getting rid of public schools. The problem is that it's not all peaches and cream. You are trading one set of problems for another if you are not careful. I don't think homeschoolers should be allowed to shelter their children like they do in madrassas. Christians have had a history of this also. Demonizing, literally, non-Christians, and doing so via their religious education.

    I've read your literature in the past and I know the issues. I just see additional pitfalls you guys don't seem to. I also think I have the right to prevent you from teaching your children to hate me for who I am. Doing so endangers me in the same way storing explosives next to my house does. Thus I see a role for oversight of what both private schools and homeschoolers do.

    All you're showing me is that you can't take a joke. A joke with a substantial grain of truth as I have documented. LOTS of people don't want public education to include teaching the Theory of Natural Selection. Most of them would prefer to remove it from public schools and as an alternative the ability to extract their kids from such teaching via home schooling or private school.

    That was not a story about homeschooling at all but about an actual school in NYC that is apparently not teaching other subjects.
    Don't you think I know that. What's the difference. What prevents a homeschooler from doing the same. Nothing, of course.

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  14. Brain,

    Once again, I have to take exception to your classification of homeschoolers as religious fanatics. While there might be those who are, they are not the overwhelming majority of homeschoolers. My family is not Christian. Yet, I would still classify one of our reasons for homeschooling as "moral".

    Children whose parents are intollerant are very likely to become intollerant themselves, regardless of if they are homeschooled or not.

    I associate with a wide varity of homeschoolers - some who are Christian, some who are not. Some Christians are tollerant of others, some are not. Some non-Christians are tollerant of Christians, some are not. This is the same of families with children in school.

    If you want to attack Christanity, that's your call. If you want to attack homeschooling because of it's association with Christianity, then you're off base.

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