Conversation with my wife

[budney]

I don't understand this need of some homeschoolers to bash other schools...

Most of us became home-schoolers precisely because of our complaints against the government school system. So "bashing other schools" is intrinsic to why we do what we do.

...but is it necessary to defacate on the choices that other parents make.

That's "defecate," and the period should be a question mark.

OK, I'm not trying to be a jerk. It's just that when home-schooling versus government schooling comes up, how can you pass over grammar and spelling?

--Len.

 

[SteveS]

That's "defecate," and the period should be a question mark.

OK, I'm not trying to be a jerk. It's just that when home-schooling versus government schooling comes up, how can you pass over grammar and spelling?

Well, you are doing a pretty good job. I apologize for my hasty post and it was certainly not my attempt to prove your point. While my grammar and spelling is usually good, I admit that this post was made in haste.

It was not my intention to start a debate, but rather to point out that there are misperceptions on both sides (in terms of socialization and indoctrination). I wish you all the best. It sounds like you are doing a great job.

 

[SteveS]

It is like saying not all reporters, newscaster, etc, in the mainstream media are liberals, but most are, and the influence they exert is overwhelming. I went through public school back in the 70s and I remember very well the fad teaching experiments we were made to endure, as well as the overall liberal attitudes displayed by most of my teachers. It hasn't gotten any better, and in a lot of cases it has gotten a lot worse.

There is statistical data to suggest a left leaning media. As for schools, I am sure there is some overall left leaning, but I would guess it would depend on the composition of the community. A "liberal" program that is tried in an urban district may not receive such a warm welcome in a rural school.

FWIW, I attended a mostly rural school in the 70's and 80's. My teachers were either good at keeping their politics to themselves or were very conservative. Consequently, I was pretty surprised when I got to college. I also remember when it was possible to bring a gun to school to go hunting after. This was stopped thanks to the legislature. I can think of a few schools now that would probably be ok with it, if it were legal.

 

[ftierson]

There are statistical data supporting more than just a left-leaning media...

How about a left fallen-over media...?

And a left fallen-over public school system to match...

Forrest

 

[FourNineFoxtrot]

I knew some home-schooled kids growing up. Many were "normal", i.e, indistinguishable from public schooled kids, and some were not. I think home schooling can be a valid educational choice, but I think that choice makes other avenues of social interaction for the kids all-important. Also, I think it's easier for products of public school to identify with their age group... basically, it's a shared experience even when you didn't share it. There's always common ground to find there, be it "Yeah, football was great" or "Man, I remember all those days smoking joints behind the gym", high school experiences have become archetypal and universally recognizable.

Personally, I value my own public school experience. Not for what I learned academically, although I did learn (mostly by supplementing my own education wherever I could), and not solely for the social interaction, although that helped. Public school taught me many, many invaluable lessons about the nature of bureaucracy, the nature of authority, and the nature of government. I almost see public school as a crash-course in cynicism, and a valuable one at that.

 

[Caimlas]

Not all public schools are socialist indoctrination camps. Not all public school kids are ignorant. Not all teachers are lefty brainwashers.

Not all Steve, but most.

Yep. Also, on the flip side, I did know of a family or two of home schoolers which was positively weird, and fit the "stay outside of society almost completely for religious reasons" and/or fit the "not educating for excellence" stereotype of home schoolers. It takes all kinds - no system is perfect, certainly. I can say that I would certainly prefer living next to a home-schooled misfit to a public-schooled misfit: there are a lot more of the public school misfits, and they tend to be criminally inclined.

But when looking at a sample of products from each group, it's pretty evident that (on a whole) home schooling tends to result in a better American.