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Dispelling Some Homeschooling Myths, by Lori R.

Posted By James Wesley Rawles On In Frugal Living,Home Schooling | Comments Disabled

The Boston Tea Party was a terrorist act—or so it is characterized in the 6th grade curriculum widely used in my beloved state of Texas.  The Pledge of Allegiance—in Arabic?   The national anthem—well, some schools have banned it for being “too offensive…”   At least the flag is still there—oh, wait, that’s the Mexican flag…Speaking of flags, let’s design a flag—for a new Socialist country.  Why is patriotism under attack in America’s public school system?

Better yet, why are kids under attack in America’s public school system?  Hugs are banned as a form of sexual harassment, yet condoms and STD screenings are offered at middle schools and high schools.  Sex acts go unnoticed in the classroom, worse yet predators posing as teachers go unnoticed in the classroom.  School shootings, kids bullied to death, mandatory GPS trackers on school kids, children medicated at younger and younger ages on psychotropic drugs, unfit union teachers who can’t be fired, teachers who refuse to take tests because they don’t measure anything, school officials changing student standardized test answers, and the latest trend—kids being suspended, some even arrested, for brandishing Lego guns, toy guns, bubble guns, drawings of guns, screen saver guns, imaginary guns—really!?  These are just a few of the headlines making news lately, and if that’s not enough to make you want to homeschool, I don’t know what is.  So as a homeschooling mom to a 9 year old who dang sure knows a terrorist from a patriot, I thought I would share my 2 cents on the subject and dispel some myths:

It has become the norm for American children to attend public school, as their parents did, and as their grandparents did.  But it wasn’t always so.  Before there were government schools, there were homeschools and homeschool co-ops held in little one-roomed schoolhouses funded and controlled not by the government, but by the parents.  And those primitive, humble homeschools produced many of our most cherished American icons and heroes, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, Stonewall Jackson, George Washington Carver, Eli Whitney, Clara Barton, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, Thomas Paine, Frank Lloyd Wright, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, Robert E. Lee, Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, and  Mark Twain.

But then in the late 19th century, the idea of forced mass education was introduced, and families were told to sacrifice personal liberty for the “good” of the children—sounds like similar arguments being made in favor of gun control today.  In “Why Schools Don’t Educate,” John Taylor Gatto, award winning public school teacher and critic of compulsory education, describes the creation of government schools in America:  “Our form of compulsory schooling is an invention of the state of Massachusetts around 1850.  It was resisted—sometimes with guns—by an estimated eighty percent of the Massachusetts population, the last outpost in Barnstable on Cape Cod not surrendering its children until 1880’s when the area was seized by militia and children marched to school under guard.”   From that point forward, literacy rates dropped in the state, and have not since recovered.

So began a new era in American history. And I wonder, how would our Founding Fathers and iconic American heroes have fared in today’s government school system.  How would the world have fared?  Would Abe Lincoln be told to put away those silly books—they aren’t on this year’s required reading list?  Would the Wright brothers be told to stop fiddling with that machine so they could finish their standardized testing?  Would George Patton or Robert E. Lee be told to quit playing hero, as it violates the school’s policy on imaginary fighting?

So many of the people who shaped the world were home-educated, and I wonder to what extent their success was shaped by freedom to explore their curiosities and talents and passions.
But such freedom is no longer the norm, even here in “the land of the free.”   Now, we have been conditioned to forfeit our freedom and our individual choice, and to hand over more and more of our parental responsibility to the government school system.   We have been conditioned to believe we are not capable of educating our own kids, and that our kids are not capable of thinking for themselves.  Today, the government education authority, strangers to our children, decide when our children go to school, what they learn, when they learn it, the time allotted to learn it, how they can prove they have learned it, what school they will attend, in which classroom they will sit, which teachers and subjects they will be assigned, when to eat, sometimes what to eat and whether they can even speak during lunch, when they can use the bathroom, what they can wear, and in many cases what to think and believe.  After all, between a 7-hour school day, extra-curricular activities and homework, school kids spend more time with their teachers than their parents.  School has become the pseudo-parent—sometimes out of necessity, but many times out of convenience—a one-stop shop for raising our children—for education, transportation, day care, meals, health care, sex education, mental health services and counseling, exercise, extra-curricular activities and even socialization.

But more and more families are pushing back, seeking alternate forms of education for their kids.  According to the US Department of Education, there are now well over 2 million homeschooled kids nationwide, an increase of over 35% in just 4 years.   But it is amazing how little the average person knows about homeschooling.  Let’s examine the myths…

Myth:  “Isn’t it illegal to homeschool?”  No…I’m not a criminal!  Actually homeschooling is legal in all 50 states in some form—but beware that each state has its own education laws and regulations.  The good news is that almost half of our United States are very homeschool-friendly.   Those with virtually no regulation include AK, TX, CT, NJ, ID, OK, MO, IL, IN, and MI. The states that only require notification to the school district of the intent to homeschool include CA, AZ, NV, NM, UT, MT, WY, NB, KS, WS, KY, MS, AL, DE, as well as Washington, D.C.  The remaining states have some hoops to jump through with various regulations ranging from home visits to standardized testing to time tracking to curriculum approval. For a complete listing of state homeschooling laws visit www.hslda.org/laws/summary_of_laws [1].  Vote with your feet!

For those parents that are concerned about drawing suspicion from nosy neighbors or authorities that confuse homeschooling with truancy, some good advice can be found at www.hsc.org/how-can-homeschoolers-avoid-truancy-officers-or-cps.html [2].    Even here in homeschool-friendly Texas, I tend to keep a low profile during school hours.  I avoid taking my son on non-school related errands until after 3 PM just to avoid comments such as “you don’t look sick—why aren’t you in school?”  It has also been my experience that families that homeschool from the beginning don’t face as much harassment from the school district as families who withdraw their child, and thus the school’s source of funding.

For peace of mind, consider joining the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (www.hslda.org).  For $115 per year, members receive legal advice, court representation, advocacy, conflict resolution, as well as perks such as member discounts, homeschooling advice, and a magazine.

Myth:  “Homeschooled kids do not get enough socialization.”  Since when is it the government’s job to provide my kid with friends?  And since when does going to public school guarantee popularity?  We have all known kids that that are lonely, shy, or friendless despite being in a classroom full of other kids day after day, year after year.

There is actually very little socialization occurring at today’s government schools, unless by socialization you mean “indoctrination” or “institutionalization.”  Recess is becoming a thing of the past, and even lunch period has become a no talking zone in my local school district, with “silent lunch” in effect.  The fact is that today’s schools have very little resemblance to the schooldays you may reminisce about.

But homeschooling is whatever you make it to be.  The social opportunities are out there through co-ops, churches, extra-curricular activities, you just have to be motivated enough to get your child involved.   How do you find other homeschooled kids?  When you are out and about during the day and see other school-aged kids, chances are they are homeschooled—introduce yourself and don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Search Google or Yahoo Groups for homeschool groups in your area, and if you don’t find one, start one.  Ask your local library or teacher supply store if they know of other homeschooling families.  Book sales and churches are another good place to start.  As you become involved in extra-curricular activities like scouting or sports, ask around—there are probably other homeschooled kids there, too.  Soon enough your calendar will be full of play dates and field trips and park days.  Good thing  our school day is half the length of the public school day and we don’t have homework—now we actually have much more time to socialize with friends and family—a perfect segue into the next myth…

Myth:  “I do not have time to homeschool.”   The public school day may last 7 hours, but since when was the government efficient?  “We’re not trying to do ‘school at home.”  We are trying to do home school.  These are two entirely different propositions.  We’re not trying to replicate the time, style or content of the classroom.  Rather we are trying to cultivate a lifestyle of learning.”—Steve and Jane Lambert

Homeschooling doesn’t have to take all day.  Here’s why:

With that being said, I spend about 4 hours per day homeschooling my son, as well as a few hours each weekend preparing for the coming week.  We spend about 2 hours in the morning with lessons in civics, math and geography.  After a lunch break, we spend another 2 hours or so on reading, writing, spelling, grammar and history.  Science happens all the time.   In addition to those hours, we have been active with a homeschool group which offers weekly social activities, and my son is always enrolled in at least one extra curricular activity, such as swimming lessons, day camps, zoo classes or Tae Kwon Do.  When I’m not feeling well my son is allowed to use educational software on the computer, but I prefer old-fashioned pencil and paper work.

Myth:  “I am not a teacher, therefore I am not qualified to homeschool my kids.”    “There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.” –Mahatma Gandhi

Legally speaking most parents are qualified to homeschool.  According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, “forty-one states do not require homeschool parents to meet any specific teacher qualifications.  The other nine states require only a high school diploma or GED and include GA, NC, ND, NM, OH, PA, SC, TN and WV.”  For more information visit www.hslda.org/laws/summary_of_laws [1].

For skeptics who believe that parents aren’t qualified teachers—if graduating from the government school system renders people incapable of teaching their own children, what does that say about the system?  I graduated from high school with honors, went on to earn my Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree, yet, until recently, I couldn’t name all the presidents or states, I couldn’t have told you anything about the War of 1812 other than it had something to do with the year 1812…My tests scores did not reflect my mastery of each subject or lack thereof, but rather my mastery of taking tests!  A decent short term memory was enough to get me a seat in the National Honor Society.  So the bottom line is even though I don’t have a degree in public education, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t do any worse.

As a homeschooling parent I know what my son has learned, I know his strengths and struggles–I have been there each step of the way.  In contrast, a friend of mine doesn’t know whether her child has learned the states or where he is on a map because she leaves it to the school to teach him those things.  It’s as if it is none of her business.    Educating my son is my #1 business, and through research I have learned that there is no “one size fits all” method of education.  Children have different learning styles, different strengths and weakness, and there is only so much a classroom environment can do to accommodate a room full of individuals.  But homeschooling can be adapted to the individual child, and  who knows that child better than his or her own parents?  Parents are always their children’s first teachers, and homeschooling is just an extension of that.  Homeschooling allows us as parents to provide consistency, rather than changing teachers from year to year or class to class.  And for those subjects that we struggle to teach or that our kids struggle to learn, we can always do a little homework or ask for help.

Myth:  “We can’t afford to live on one income.”  Or, more eloquently stated, “We didn’t have the luxury for her not to work.”–President Barrack Obama…OK, first of all, not all homeschooling families have a full-time, stay-at-home parent/teacher.  Some families have one parent that works part time or from home.  Other families have two parents that work opposite shifts so that someone is always home with the children. Second of all, being a stay-at-home mom is not a luxury—it is a sacrifice.  We chose to sacrifice my career, half of our family income, and most of our luxuries so that I could stay home with my son, so that I could provide him with a home education and avoid government schools, and so that we could move to a country “retreat” full time and raise a few homestead animals.  It’s not that we can afford to do this, it is that we can not afford not to.   There is a huge difference.

The bottom line is that while it is true that you can’t maintain a two income lifestyle on one income, there are ways you can make one income work.  What would you be willing to give up?

We have gotten our monthly budget down to $2100 per month for our family of 3.  Notice what is not in our budget: 

How’s that for luxury, folks?  I think Michelle just might have me beat.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Myth:  “Public school is free–we can’t afford to homeschool.”  According to the Census Bureau, on average it costs American taxpayers over $10,000 to send one child to public school for one year.  What a rip off!  Homeschooling families pay those public education taxes even though their children do not attend public school.  They must then purchase their own homeschool materials and supplies out of pocket, which are not tax deductible.  Luckily, unless you run your homeschool like a bloated bureaucracy, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  Here’s the nitty gritty:

Low Cost Resources

Plan ahead.  Do not wait until the last minute.  I have been stockpiling school books and supplies since my son was an infant, and it is amazing how quickly they have come in handy.

Myth:  “Homeschoolers are white, right-wing, religious extremists.”  Heck they’re probably a bunch of preppers, too!  The demographics of the homeschooling population is ever changing, as are the reasons for homeschooling, which do include religion and politics, but also concerns over school safety and security, overcrowding, bullying, privacy, poor school performance, and just your basic freedom of choice.  Across the country, you can find homeschool groups geared toward children with special needs, only children, secular families, teens, Native American families wishing to preserve their culture, Muslim families—and yes, even Christians and preppers!  Concern about the government school system is universal.

Myth:  Homeschooling is a cover for parents that are too lazy to take their kids to school.  There may be a few bad apples in the barrel, but homeschools must be doing something right.   Homeschooled kids continue to outperform their public school peers.  And according to a report by US News, “students coming from a homeschool graduated college at a higher rate than their peers and earned higher grade point averages along the way.”  Homeschooled children have also fared well in academic competitions.  According to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, “although homeschoolers make up approximately 2% of the US school-age population, they made up 12 % of the 251 National Spelling Bee finalists, and 5% of the 55 National Geography Bee finalists.  Three of the past seven spelling bee winners have been homeschooled.  Last year’s homeschooled winner of the geography bee was 10 years old, the youngest in that event’s history.”

Conclusion

So if it is cheaper, more efficient and more effective to homeschool our kids, what is the purpose of government schools?   A chilling quote from John Gatto:  “Divide children by subject, by age-grading, by constant rankings on tests, and by many other more subtle means and it was unlikely that the ignorant mass of mankind, separated in childhood, would ever reintegrate into a dangerous whole…Mandatory education serves children only incidentally; its real purpose is to turn them into servants.  If David Farragut could take command of a captured British warship as a preteen, if Thomas Edison could publish a broadsheet at the age of twelve, if Ben Franklin could apprentice himself to a printer at the same age, there’s no telling what your own kids could do.  After a long life, and thirty years in the public school trenches, I’ve concluded that genius is as common as dirt.  We suppress our genius only because we haven’t yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women.  The solution, I think, is simple and glorious.  Let them manage themselves.”