Presidential candidate Rick Santorum has gone on record calling public school settings "anachronistic", and advocating for parents to take the responsibility of educating their own children. One columnist yesterday took issue with that stand.
"How nice for Santorum that he is in a financial position that he and his wife can stay home long enough to educate their children in the manner they choose.
. . .
How nice for Santorum’s children that they have parents who understand the importance of education and have the wherewithal to ensure that they, too, are schooled."
Idealistic visions fall short when reality steps up to bat. There are indeed some parents who don't have the time, the desire, nor the wherewithal to take on the enormous task of homeschooling their young ones. There is no "one size fits all" formula when talking about the diverse needs and personalities of children and the people in their homes.
In light of the week, January 20-26, 2012 being School Choice Week, citizens are encouraged to look at all the options for education that are available to them. Arizona families have a wide range of school choices, which broadens the marketplace, and hopefully allows the best modalities and methods to rise to the top. Taking a look at the numbers for this state gives some insight into choices that parents have made based on their assessment of what fits best with their needs and resources.
Arizona statistics by type of school for 2010-2011
- School aged children in the state: 1.1 million[1]
- Number of students in traditional public schools: 617,000[2]
- Number of students in public charter schools: 396,000[3]
- Number of students in private schools: 54,084 [5]
- Number of students in private schoolshomeschooling: 31,345 [6]
As with most states, Arizona homeschoolers represent a very small portion of the total at about 3% of the school aged children in the state. Even if it were plausible for the majority of parents to teach their children at home, it would take a massive change in paradigm and the monumental job of dismantling the governmental systems in the education business.
What are your thoughts? Is homeschooling for everyone as Rick Santorum says? Is it a good idea to have as many school choice options as Arizona does? Is public schooling outdated? What are pros and cons of the various types of schooling? Why do you think some educational venues are growing while others are declining?
Please leave your comments below and encourage your friends to share their ideas.
[3] Exact count or estimate was not found for charter schools, so the other numbers were subtracted from the total school aged children. Some numbers have been rounded as estimates so the totals won't be precise.
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