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| No | 48% | 308 votes | Total: 639 votes | |
| Yes | 52% | 331 votes |
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I wonder what frame of mind a parent in when he/she make a decision to keep his/her child away from a certified professional teacher and deprive his/ her child from an environment that is conducive to learning?
I wonder what makes a parent believe that he/she is capable of performing all the duties a teacher has learned through years of trainning. I feel as if the parent may be implying that the 4 years (plus 18 months for a Masters Degree) of college classes and trainning, to become certified teacher, have little impact on whether the child is learning the necessary materials and skills learned in school?
How would a parent, who chooses to homeschool, understand what his/her child needs to know for his/her grade level without knowing the GLCE's? (Grade Level Content Expectations).
Each grade level has very specific content expectataions and a teacher has to understand what the expectations are, and be able use various methods and strategies to teach using the content guidelines as well as designing a curriculum to meet each of the expectations for the state in which the child resides.
What about designing a curriculum which include the mandated state benchmarks? How would a parent even have the knowledge to design a curriculum? How would a parent understand what units are taught in the classroom, and how the lessons in the units are to be presented to his/her child? How would a parent decide what grade level the child needs to be placed at, and the child's capability of retaining information at that grade level? How will the parent compile the materials needed (assessments, grade level textbooks, data...) to teach and improve a lesson to challenge his/her child? How is a parent going to educate himself/herself on the various teaching methods to deliver the instruction in order for the child to make progress?
Does a parent, without a certified teaching degree, understand each child may have a unique learning style? A child may be only to retain information if the teacher is using techniques learned for teaching material to his/her own unique learning style? Is a parent qualified to teach to that unique learning style? Has a parent thought about what tools he/she intend to use to measure the child's progress?
Has a parent thought about what types of strategies he/she is going to use to aid him/her in making a decision to move the child to a more challenging subject? How is a parent going to get his/her continuous professional development to keep up with the state enforced changes made to the curriculum? Has a parent considered the lack of socialization the child might experiance due to isolating the child from other students his/her own age?
I wonder if a parent, who chooses to homeschool, ever considered that a certified teacher is highly qualified with the necessary knowledge, experience and skills to teach the student at his/her grade level? A highly qualified teacher not only has the knowledge to educate students, but also has an ability to manage a classroom of 27-30 students while dealing with behavior issues, parental issues and school related issues. I don't believe a parent, who does not hold a certified teaching degree, should even entertain the thought of homeschooling.
Learn more about this author, Carrie Suchy.
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Yes
Can't. Shouldn't. Don't.
These are words that most teachers inspire their students not to believe. They are certainly words I learned to overcome in school, and I learned them from my parents, who taught me, my sisters and my brother at home. Neither of my parents have teaching degrees, although they both graduated from college.
Now, don't get me wrong-I am not a complete fanatical homeschooling advocate. This is a choice that is not for everyone. Personally, I may or may not homeschool my children, based on what kind of education is available wherever my family is living when I have school-aged kids. I DO think that a college degree of some sort would help, and surely a teaching degree would fall under that category. I am only cautioning you of the dangerous implications when a society starts to use words like "can't" or "shouldn't" when it concerns children, parents and education, and I have three reasons for this argument.
1. Did you know that Thomas Edison, Mozart, Queen Elizabeth, Douglas MacArthur, Ansel Adams, Florence Nightingale, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Rembrandt, Agatha Christie, Peter Jennings, Serena Williams, Winston Churchill, Lewis and Clark were all homeschooled? And not all of their parents had degrees (in teaching or otherwise)?
Did you know that at least seven US presidents, including Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, also never graduated from college?
Each of these individuals, and many, many more were taught at home by parents or tutors, for individual and personal reasons.Think for a moment where we might be if they had not been allowed the chance to learn in this format. Think also how far these people went (or continue to go) in their lives, regardless of whether or not their parents had college degrees.
2. Statistics show that homeschooled children are excelling more than lagging behind.
According to a 2004 article from the Home School Legal Defense Association, one study of 5,402 homeschooled students "demonstrated that homeschoolers, on the average, out-performed their counterparts in the public schools by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects." This study was confirmed by following studies of larger groups. (The complete legal research supplement can be found here: http://www.hslda.org /docs/nche/000010/20 0410250.asp)
And this is only one resource - individual states, individuals and organizations have been conducting consistently positive research for years, which is widely available in many mediums.
In 2003, I wrote an article for my college alumni magazine, interviewing professors and students about how the transition from home school to college was going. I found the results mostly positive as well, with the main concern coming from a student who wished he'd been more prepared for collegiate athletics - a commentary not on his parents' teaching skills, but on extracurricular activities. (This full article can be viewed at http://www.anderson. edu/signatures/sprin g03/valley/valley1.h tml.)
3. Now in its second and third generations, homeschooling has a stronger foundation and more resources to help parents than ever before.
A simple Google search brings up over 2 million results, varying widely from the traditional Conservative Christian suppliers to more neutral, non-religious and non-commercial resources. Much of it is free, and some is even accredited. Parents can choose between literally teaching their children in a classroom setting, to forming co-ops with other like-minded parents, to enrolling their children in internet or video courses. Homeschooling has become incredibly user-friendly, giving parents the options to be hands-off on particular subjects or to be hands-on with everything. Some public and private schools are even encouraging homeschooled students to attend part time or certain classes and activities they might miss out on at home.
And all of this can be done - surprise! - without a college degree.
On a final note, let me share that I am glad my parents homeschooled me. Certainly, there are things I may have done differently if I had been in their shoes, but overall, my education was solid, thorough, and full of love and encouragement. I did not struggle in college and continue to love learning. You'd have to ask my friends if my social skills are lacking, but I feel pretty confident in that area as well. I will continue to applaud and advocate for parents who make the brave choice to homeschool, and it is my hope that they will never be told that they "shouldn't" be allowed to do just that.
Learn more about this author, Maryann Koopman.
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