“Let’s not create a generation of socially compromised children who are able to read, but unable to distinguish what is worth reading, as GM Trevelyan once observed.”

I think you will find a fair number of these children already in the public schools, except that many of them don’t read well, much less read for pleasure.Many of them are not only socially compromised ,but downright disrespectful and rude.Our years of dealing with the Cahokia schools proved that.There will not be a one-size-fits-all answer because there are too many variables,and many parents have neither the time nor the desire,even if they have the ability, to teach their children beyond the minimum .There are certainly schools that are doing their jobs, but many others are not reaching expectations,much less exceeding them.Family situations ,including financial status, have an impact on a child’s ability and motivation to learn, and even an exceptional teacher would have a difficult time teaching an unwilling student.On the other hand, there are people who are so motivated to learn and excel that they will,regardless of other factors.Most students fall between these extremes, but many homeschooled kids seem to retain the desire to learn because they have not yet been bored out of their minds waiting for the class to catch up,or stressed beyond bearing from hours of homework after all the hours spent in class. Many homeschoolers are able to cover their core subjects in the time it takes other kids to finish their homework, and then have time to do electives or hobbies.Many public school districts actively court homeschoolers for online academies to get them back on the rolls so they collect money for educating them.

“certain kids who are home-schooled lack the confidence of self that comes from day-to-day interaction with their own kind, their own age group. And while home-schooled kids may have acquired a unique ability to score well on standardized tests, SOMETIMES (and frequently) I find that they lack a blending ability–skills learned through experience (both successes and failures) to problem-solve and compromise.”

Are you saying this doesn’t happen in public schools?Just how many homeschooled kids do you know well?Our neighbors were a little skeptical when we moved to our current home, but they have changed their opinion after getting to know us.Many others I talk to say they wish they had the time or ability to do the same.I went to public school, I was painfully shy,I was teased(not in a nice way) frequently because I wore glasses and always did well(top of the class)on tests and classwork, so I was left with painful nicknames until high school.I don’t think kids have gotten any kinder in the intervening years.Obviously, I’ve gotten over the shyness,LOL.

G.G.I.C
because you blog doesen’t make you less shy I consider myself quite reserved but I can post the most outrageous comments see you can’t see me,I got picked on too its part of life its called learnig to cope!

Bean,
Your point is…?

I got picked on too its part of life its called learnig to cope.

My point. How the hell could you miss it?

Bean, your statements are beyond childish and apparently you have no ability to state a point or debate facts. I would call that a waste of time. Apparently you are a government school issue. If you want to stop embarrassing yourself then perhaps you should try reading and doing more research, because you haven’t been doing any yet.

The point of this is to say that virtual schools aren’t for everyone. Home schooling isn’t for everyone as you can see demonstrated by Bean. Although it may have helped Bean. So much of it depends on the home and the dedication of the parents involved. Honestly, most parents just dump their kids into a school and hope for the best.

This “socialization” thing is what really scares me. That is the Karl Marx theory. To even believe that you have to attend a school every day to be socialized is absolute silliness. As some have said on here there are some terrible memories from school. There are also good ones too. However, to put everyone in the same category is mindless.

My points were never to put a different spin on education and get away from this “in the box” deal that all kids must attend school to be educated and socialized. Our daughter is extremely independent and gets along with everyone. Instead of making fun of it why is it so difficult for so many of you to be happy for her?

I want all kids to do well. Stop thinking that there is only one way. Scary!

Ditto.

Bean,

You might want to invest in a book called “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves” to help you with your punctuation.My daughter quite enjoyed it.

Hey green who’s picking on who now? Feels good don’t it hypocrite…..

Some of us may be blessed with kids who are self-motivated, charming, even intelligent. Others of us are not.

The charming, self-driven, intelligent kids among us can learn anywhere. Those who are not so charming and intelligent rely on others to make them intelligent, to give them opportunities to become charming, and to give them goals to work toward so they can achieve some level of achievement.

Most of our kids are NOT self-motivated and charming, and fewer numbers of them are intelligent.

On-line/home based educational experiences are probably just the thing for the already clever, the already intelligent/driven kids who can walk into a room and fit in with the crowd immediately. BUT NOT SO FOR OTHERS. They need a structure that “forces” them to fit in. Otherwise, they become hermits. And often they stay that way until they too find something that they can contribute to or participate in. That’s where public and private schools can stand out. They have these opportunities sitting around on shelves!

That’s about it in a nutshell, Superdave and GGIC!

superdave said….
We don’t worry about teachers infecting our child with theories of man-made global warming, anti conservative rhetoric, or many other subjects that so many of these teachers tend to brainwash children with.

Scarriest comment yet.