kuro5hin.org || How Home-Schooling Harms the Nation

[mmotyka at lsil.com]

David Honig <honig at sprynet.com> :
>At 09:13 AM 8/29/01 -0500, Jim Choate wrote:
>>http://www.Kuro5hin.org/story/2001/8/28/1868/27867
>
>     I've been reading the cover article in Time magazine about home
>     schooling, and it makes me wonder. One of the primary questions the
>     article poses is this: "Home schooling may turn out better students, but
>     does it create better citizens?" Also present is the accusation that home
>     schooling threatens the current public education system:
>
>          "Home schooling is a social threat to public education," says
>          Chris Lubienski, who teaches at Iowa State University's
>          college of education. "It is taking some of the most affluent
>          and articulate parents out of the system. These are the
>          parents who know how to get things done with
>          administrators."
>
I think he's probably wrong here - I would guess that the most affluent
and articulate parents send their kids to private schools because
they're too busy keeping the lifestyle financed to run a school or
realize that they would probably suck at it. If I win the Lotto I'll
consider it. I'll risk $1 today.

>
>Funny that, a State employee putting home education down.
>
Funny that, the only people I've ever met who were home schooling their
kids were fundamentalist christians who objected to all kinds of
perceived immorality and wrong teaching like sex ed and evolution. In my
estimation they were poorly equipped to give their children a good
education. I have no doubt that there are many exceptions to what I've
seen but those who will do a really fine job of educating their children
are probably in the minority of homeschoolers.

>In any case, the notion that parents should sacrifice their children
>for the good of society is abhorrent.
>
You mean like when we send young males to war so the ones who stay home
will have less competition?

Keep an open mind about the home schooling/private schooling vs. public
schooling discussion.

One facet that I see is that fundamentalists via a strong influence on
the republican party are trying to divert public funds to religious
organizations. My reading of the 1st is that the state may not establish
a religion. Giving money to a religious organization is tantamount to
establishment. My reading of the 1st also leads me to the conclusion
that the tax-exempt status of the churches is wrong. They should pay
their fair share of the fucking property taxes like every other victim.

Another facet is that the well-to-do are attempting to remove their
funds from the systems so they can use those funds to educate their
children as they choose. A voucher system would surely benefit me
financially. This is a reasonable desire but it will have a negative
effect on the public school systems and a subsequent negative effect on
the society as a whole. I know the masses are a bit thick but do you
want them to be even thicker? And not all bright people come from
priviledged backgrounds. Do you want to limit the opportunities for some
of the brightest kids in the country before they've even had a chance?
I'm not saying that it (vouchers or other defunding) should be ruled out
but you should at least think about the implications a bit. 

Aimee style question : 

  How many of you were home schooled?
  How many went to private schools?
  How many went to public schools?

I would guess roughly 1% 9% 90%

I wish there were more ( and better ) educational choices and that those
choices were reflected reasonably in the financial systems but every
proposal I've seen so far sucks moose bladder through a hairy straw.

Mike