Vered Said,

I agree. The way to improve the public school system is NOT to give up on it.

SUE Said,

Luckily the public schools where I live are great. People who choose to homeschool have every right to do so. But I think the kids really miss out on the whole “social” aspect if they are homeschooled. Which I feel is just as important too. Just my opinion. Thanks for stopping by my blog & commenting.

Jen Said,

I have written at least a couple of entries on wanting to homeshool our child. From the ministries that we do in different public schools across our land, there is really no way I can allow our son to go to any of those. I’m sure you know what I mean — If public schools can be bad there in America, I cannot emphasize enough how worse ours are. If there are better ones, they remain to be seen.

The free education that public schools here in the Philippines provide, especially that of the elementary level, is pathetic. Sorry for generalizing this. It boils down to corruption in the land, I’m afraid. I mean if the government officials will just shape up and focus on the quality of the education they provide those kids and keep the funds coming where it should, good teachers do not need to get out of the country to earn decently.

Thanks Chris for the blog visit and for leaving your two cents worth. Appreciate it.

Dette Said,

Ditto. As parents, it’s our job to get involved. So many parents put it all on the teachers, and when their child doesn’t do well in school, they look to blame the educators.

If we care enough about the future of our children, of our “tomorrow,” we’ll get involved.

Damnit. That other volunteer position I was contemplating on earlier this morning? lol - I guess I just made the decision on it.

Oh - to be able to balance it all.

Chris Austria Said,

@Jen–This is why I think Public Education is so important, we need the citizenry to be well educated so that they can hold public officials accountable. It’s the people that will make this happen and not the government.

@Dette–We can get involve in so many ways especially in education, like being part of the school board or just voting on local elections, which is where policy and money allocations really happen.

BJ Said,

Gahhh!!!!!!!!!!! If you home school CJ, It would be useless for me to teach him how to beat up other kids! gah! arggggggggg

Kelly@SHE-POWER Said,

Chris

I read a lot about home schooling on the internet and I am intrigued as to what makes Americans do this. I have seen some blogs from UK families but most are from the USA and since this is a relatively alien concept here in Australia I’ve been wondering why so many kids are home schooled in the USA. Can you fill me in? I really am interested in these kind of cultural differences.

Here in Australia it’s more the public and private divide. Higher incomes from dual working families want the best for their kid and commit $10-$20K a year to push their child into the elite. Public education funding has taken a battering over the past 10 years with our ex shitty government, but overall I still feel our public school are good and the final years results don’t indicate paying through the nose will necessarily pay off. But still many people like the prestige here or they think a catholic school for example will teach their kid values. Personally, I have always thought that was my job as the parent.

Looking forward to your reply.

Kelly

Bill Filanno Said,

I think that the best thing people can do is to support whatever school (public, private, seperate, or home) that their childen are attending.

Parents simply need to be invovled in the school that their children are going to. On a larger scale, parents need to be involved in the lives of their children.

modernmariaclara Said,

Chris, thanks for dropping by my site, HotMomma. I also anticipate a lot of excitement maintaining my blog, Pinoy Around the World, since there is a wealth of stories about the adventures and misadventures of Filipino migrants anywhere in the world. Can’t wait to share them with my readers.

By the way, this is a nice blog you got here.

Chris Austria Said,

@Bill Filano–I agree with you that parents do need to be involved in the lives of their children. In general, the students who usually do well in school, academically and socially are the ones withvery involved parents, i.e. they attend parent teacher conferences and communicate with their child’s teachers.

@Kelly–Private schools are great if you can afford it. But what about those people who can’t, which is the majority of the people in the world. And you are absolutely right that a private education doesn’t necessarily pay off.

It’s frustrating that peole don’t realize that in order to have a sophisticated citizenry, we need good public education. This has been proven throughout history around the world. Freedom, democracy, and justice go hand in hand with good public education because public education ensures that the overwhelming majority of people will receive the education they need to question their leaders and to improve their society.

If public education continues to take huge cuts in funding, then criminality, inequality, and injustice will definitely increase.

Something to think about…Why weren’t the slaves in the US taught how to read? Why are the ruling elite in the third world countries like the Philippines inadequetly fund their schools? In general, why do women in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia receive sub-standard education than men do? The simple answer to these questions is SUBJUGATION or control.

Alik Levin | Practice This Said,

Me and my wife are worried a lot by the school our daughter goes. All despite our neighborhood is one of the highest demand. I am seriously thinking to give up on my position and dedicating myself to personally taking care of my child. I just cannot see right now the other way around…..

Shilpan | successsoul.com Said,

Chris,

One thing is for sure that for our future generations to remain competitive in this global economy, a radical change in the public school system is inevitable. As you’ve said, our country’s influence in the world will largely be shaped by the future of our public school system.

Thanks for sharing this important topic.

Shilpan

Kyddryn Said,

Some, but not all, of the reasons I am home schooling: Bullying. Drugs. Revisionist history. Teaching with a political bent. Theft. Sex. Cliques. Gangs. A lack of mores. “Dumbing down” classes to fit the lowest common denominator. Forcing children to learn a give topic at a given time rather than harnessing their natural tendency to learn. Forcing children to speed up or slow down their process so that no one feels left out. A lack or squandering of resources. Lack of discipline. Rewarding students who cheat while punishing teachers who frown upon and act on that cheating. A focus on sports rather than education. The banning of all things spiritual. The loss of arts programs. Teachers sleeping with students. Over crowded classrooms. A focus on learning by rote, without actually learning what anything means. Putting greater emphasis on social issues than on educational issues. Forcing children to fir into a single mold without respecting their individuality, their creativity, their strengths. School lunches. Threats of violence. Teacher’s unions that are more focused on protecting teachers than in supporting the actual education of the students (or in protecting students from abusive teachers). The lack of basic respect for an individual and the mandate that children be homogenized, even as they form exclusive social groups. Cutting classic novels like “The Old Man and the Sea” from reading lists because they are too hard. Taking school supplies from one child and giving them to another because “…it’s not fair that one child has crayons when another doesn’t…”(since when is life fair, and why should a child be the one forced to remedy this??). Being told by a teacher in a public school that she would home school her own children if she could, because the whole system is breaking down at an alarming rate and she hates it with a purple passion but can’t get out.

No, not all schools have all or any of these problems. I have friends who are teachers, and I adore them and find their strength and integrity to be unimpeachable. I would give my son’s education over to them in a heartbeat, if I could afford to send him to private school or hire them on as tutors. I certainly don’t relish the inevitable questioning of my ability as a parent to teach my son, although I was a teacher myself for a short while. I don’t relish the constant scrutiny, the ascribing of home schooling to every one of his little peccadilloes, or answering the seemingly endless (and often rude) questions about my religious or social reasoning for the decision. I don’t actually enjoy the presumption that I am crazy, a zealot, a conspiracy nut, or any of the other negative stereotypes of home schooling families. I don’t enjoy answering the constant accusations that I am depriving my son of something that only a government institution can provide (although no one can answer what that “something” is when I ask about it) or that I’m making him a social misfit because he doesn’t get to socialize with other kids.

In public school he would be considered of kindergarten age and taught on that level. At home, he’s doing grade one level work in reading, grade two in mathematics, he understands a smattering of Spanish (I’m learning that as we go) and Sign Language (also learning as we go) and he views everyone as a potential friend. He can use the computer with confidence, although I won’t let him near the Internet for fear he’ll reprogram the whole bloody thing. He’s not afraid to wear what he wants, doesn’t worry what anyone else thinks of his clothing, his hair, his favorite games, foods, or toys. He plays as easily with the two-year-old child as he does with the fourteen-year-old, with no distinction or ageism on his part. A friend is a friend. He isn’t shy of his elders, and he is careful and inclusive of those junior to him.

No, he’s not perfect - he has a temper that is astonishing, and he’s prone to flying off the handle when he’s stymied. He’s five, and he acts his age, which means lots of hugs, kisses, cuddles, and learning.

It wasn’t an easy decision, to home school him. It means I don’t have any time that is “mine”. I write late at night, because days are his. I have to factor him into all of my plans, including doctor’s appointments and social events. Cleaning house, doing laundry, and running errands are done around him and his education.

On the other hand, I can take him with me when I travel with my band, showing him the countryside and using it as an opportunity to teach. He will know the USA in a way many children won’t - by experiencing it first hand. We aren’t tethered by a timetable, forced to keep up when something’s difficult or slow down when it’s easy. We can spend an entire day at the nature center or the museum, exploring them fully, without worrying about a schedule.

I’ve been in the public school system, and I won’t put him through it. Honestly, there are so many things going wrong that I don’t know if they can be fixed. Certainly, nothing’s been done to patch the gaping holes in the system. I’ve seen parents get involved and get ground down by bureaucracy and apathy. I don’t have the strength to take on that system and attempt to foment change, so I will do what I can to teach my child at home - teach him not only what’s in the books, but also to think for himself, to form opinions based on something more than “Think this way because I said so!”, to create, to look at the world around him and see the richness, the diversity, the wonder of it.

I got long winded, and I could go on…but I think I ought to stop. I agree that we have a responsibility to more than our own “house”, in the end. I would say, though, that when someone sets their own home alight, I have less duty to help douse it than I do to keep it from spreading. We’re not all insular, either - many of us pool resources, have play groups for our kids, plan field trips with each other, and try to help each other out when help is wanted or needed. I have no fear that, should the need arise, I would be left on my own to put out the fire.

And now (yes, I started a sentence with “and”. So shoot me.) I need to work on the Evil Genius’ writing - in that, he is on par with his age group…which means he has the hand writing of a deranged lunatic with palsy and no sense of perspective. Thanks for the thought provoking, and I hope that I haven’t offended!

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

Chris Austria Said,

@Kyddryn–First, thank you for your comment. The passion that you have shown here is exactly what we need to fix our educational system. Yes, for some home schooling is the only alternative and they should have this choice. But, in order for our society to progress, we must fix our public schools and the only way to do this if everyone is on the same page. What’s happening right now is that there is so much inequity in public schools. Suburban schools are better because they more funding and better community support. Inner city schools are failing because of lack of resources and an apathetic community.

What we don’t realize is that students who fail in the inner city schools do affect our state and our country as a whole.

Education gets a lot of air play during election but afterwards, it usually gets buried in the background because we in general do not make enough noise. We see the American Educational crisis as a community issue and not a national issue.

Wouldn’t be better if we fix our educational system so that we have more options? Look at this way, if our public school system is awesome, then you will not have to make a difficult decision of either home schooling your child or sending him to public school.

Yes, the problem is huge and seem insurmountable, but we must not give up!

Lorie Said,

Every parent should have the choice to homeschool, private school, or public school.

Just b/c a parent chooses homeschool or private school it doesn’t mean we have thrown in the towel and given up entirely on the public school system. I have homeschooled for 17 years — yet, I also had a child in the public school system during this time. I’m open to what I as a parent believe is the best choice for my child.

The fact that my tax dollars still go to the public school — whether or not I choose homeschool or send my child to a private school means I am still a part of the public school system and it’s possibility for improvement.

Lorie

Pinay Jade Said,

I have experienced both private and public school in th Philippines. And the latter is really pathetic, teachers sometimes don’t even show up. A lot of change must take place in the Philippines and the public school system should be one of their top priorities.