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Holding homeschoolers to higher standards?
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Over at Salon.com, there is a series of articles on homeschooling. Written by a father who gives his happy account of homeschooling five-year old twins, they are an interesting look at one family's entrance into the world of homeschooling. What is truly astonishing is how derogatory some of the comments have been about homeschooling. The anger and hypocrisy found in some of the comments caused me to pick up my pen (ie: keyboard) and offer my own two cents about some of these thoughts.
There is a belief that homeschoolers are somehow to blame for the problems in the school systems. People commented that homeschoolers are ignoring the needs of the community by choosing to homeschool. Although homeschooling is popular, it is only practiced by a tiny percentage of the population; estimates put it at less than three percent. So how could homeschoolers be responsible for the problems currently facing schools?
On a similar note, how many people live in a particular area so that their kids can attend a certain school? For some families, that is the main factor in deciding where to live. Aren't these people equally responsible for helping, or hurting, the educational system? These families are pinpointing the place in which their children will be educated. Some may be searching for diversity in thought and deed, but many are opting for what is familiar and comfortable. Aren't they also responsible for making the schools better? If so, shouldn't they feel obliged to purchase a home regardless of the reputation of the local schools? Why is it acceptable to research school districts, test scores, etc before choosing a new neighborhood, but not acceptable to homeschool? Both decisions result in a school environment that is greatly influenced by the parents. Choosing a private school falls along the same lines. Many presidential families, including the Obamas, made the decision to opt out of local public education in favor of a private school. Are the Obamas guilty of abandoning the needs of the local school system in favor of what is best for their daughters?
Another line of thought concerns "diversity." Many commented that homeschoolers seem to lead sheltered lives, and have little interaction with the world. School children, by comparison, were portrayed as spending their days in the company of a wide variety of people, always expanding their horizons and enriching their social skills. Homeschoolers live and play and learn in the same communities as the children who attend local schools, so how is it possible that their lives are any less diverse? I know of ZERO homeschoolers who spend their days at home, chained to a table. Rather than spending their days with the same children, homeschoolers encounter people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs as they learn and grow. School children may be in a building with five hundred, or two thousand people, but for the most part they sit with, eat with, and play with, the same kids every day. Cheerleaders eat lunch with cheerleaders, band kids sit on the bus together, kids who like to read join book clubs; cliques are commonplace in schools. Not a bad thing per se, but not a guarantee of diversity, either.
The next point that surfaced frequently was that by choosing to homeschool, one parent (usually the mother) has to "give up" a career to be with her children. Many people said how unfair this is to women, asking them lose their career in order to pursue educational goals for their children. In the same breath, these people suggested that if these mothers are truly concerned about the schools, they should keep their kids in school and be more active at the school in a volunteer capacity. Pray tell, when would these moms go and help at the school? During the day, no doubt? It begs the question, how could a mom help at school on a regular basis if she were also working full-time outside of the home? How many companies would allow a mom to take time off, every week, to help at school? So, according to these people, it would be acceptable for a mom to give up a job/career, so that she could stay at home and be a school volunteer. Why then is it not acceptable for a mom to stay at home and be a homeschooler?
It was surprising to see how many teachers were commenting on the articles. Sadly, most of them had nothing but negative comments. I understand their concern over having homeschoolers in their classrooms who were "behind" in some format; no doubt that is frustrating (but for the most part it appears that homeschoolers tend to be ahead of their school peers). What struck me was their apparent unwillingness to help the homeschoolers who might be struggling. It is not uncommon for school children to need help in a particular subject. Some children need IEPs in order to get back on track. Some children will be behind because they are new to the school, or because they suffered with a long illness. If all of these children are entitled to extra help, why would it be any different for a homeschooler who returned to school? Aren't homeschooled children deserving of the best education the school could offer? Are they less than worthy because they were homeschooled?
Finally, it was extremely disheartening to see so many people vociferously criticizing anyone who chose homeschooling for religious reasons. People were mocked for devotion to their religion, called zealots (and worse) and practically denounced as unthinking. These harsh judgments were leveled simply due to religious beliefs. Forgive me for asking, but wasn't America founded, in part, due to a belief in the importance of freedom of religion? Have we come so far as a nation that now we can afford to ridicule and dismiss people because of the strength of their religious convictions? If, as a country, we want to encourage respect for all people, regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, background, etc, then doesn't it follow that we should also respect those for whom religion forms a belief for their entire way of life? Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is without value for someone else. And, it is the people with these deep religious beliefs who have paved the way for many rights we enjoy in this country.
Why do people feel the need to attack homeschoolers in this fashion? I wish I had the answer. Homeschool, public school, private school or boarding school, all are extremely viable ways of educating children. If we want our children to have the ability to live and work with people from all walks of life, then we need to practice respect for the different educational choices made by each family.
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