Quote Originally Posted by Slim View Post
Your statement both sells homeschool parents short, and idealizes teachers. A mistake on both ends. If you are an average person, then you should probably send your kids to public school. The parents of the homeschooled kids I work with are far above average.

Several states have the same program for homeschooled students. In fact, per capita, homeschooled students have a higher acceptance rate and generally carry a heavier course load both in terms of number of hours and academic challenge.
Well, if it is a debate not directed at anyone, as per your response to olstyn, then is it not appropriate to show statistics that prove homeschooled students have higher acceptance rates and carry a larger course load? *I* know this is not the case in my state because, as I said, I have taught at the University level: Homeschoolers have a very difficult time getting into colleges and universities because of different laws regarding GED or if they can get a HS diploma. However, I will agree that the ones that do make it often do take a higher course load because they have to in order to catch up with the requirements and often require extra hours of instructor assistance (which instructors are never paid enough for) because they simply need the help and are used to one on one help. From what I have personally seen, many end up in the local community college, not that there is anything wrong with that - great way to start to save money normally, but they spend twice as long there basically re-doing high school. It is very hard and very sad to see.

Homeschooling can be very hard on the students for many of the reasons others have said above and it makes me sad for the students that really could do so much better in public school. Whatever tradeoff is being used as the reason for taking the child of school, IMHExperience is not worth the potential loss of the whole public adventure.

What I don't understand is how my comment "idealizes" teachers if I stated that many of them are burnt out and worthless?

And for my source, you seem to be beating around the bush - I have admitted several times to being on contract a few times teaching at a University level. I taught Engineering (Undergraduate and Graduate levels) and I also volunteer for a local high school for handicapped students, where we do everything in our power so we can to get those students into "regular" classrooms.