Massive Surge In Home Schooling- Up 61.8% in 10 Years

[billisonboard]

May 29, 2015 16:21:30 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

...

Is it correct that there is no type of homeschooling diploma? ...

I went to a home school graduation party and the parents presented a diploma that they had printed on their computer. They both had signed it.

[mroped]

I believe that generaly they get a GED but there is a National Homeschoolers something that does or use to do the homeschooling through mail and at the end they would give you a HS Diploma. At least that's what the kid that worked for me did so it might have changed.

One of the parents in this area that homeschools posted on Facebook a while back an article about Universities actively seeking out homeschoolers for enrollment.
On the list there were names such as Harvard, Duke, Princeton and USMA-West Point.

One of the kids that I know just got into a private U localy in an arts&music program at the end of 11th grade. She was also offered a big chunk of money as scholarship.

There might be some bias against GED because the "common" misunderstanding of homeschooling in itself. Many believe that is all about the kids getting up whenever they want and teaching them basic reading and arithmetic and that's that.

[sam]

According to a couple folks I know that home school, they are up by a certain time, have a couple hours of school work, hour or two lunch/play break, then a couple hours of school in the afternoon. A lot depends on what grade they are in too. Kindergartners are roughly an hour a day, then it increases by grade.

Mroped, you mentioned many believe it's about kids getting up when ever they want. I've talked with some that don't have a set time for getting up, doing school work, or really any set schedule for school at all. Some days they do school work and some days they don't. I've witnessed some very sloppy home schooling routines and I really feel sorry for those kids later in life.

[mroped]

Nobody said that homeschooling is "the best thing for everybody" 
everyone has a different way of educating I guess. 
That with the kids studying/ schooling very litle is up to the parents or whomever is in charge with their education.
There is also a very interesting way of educating: unschooling which is to some extent " let the kid decide!" And apparently quite successful. Don't know enough about it but is out there.

[Deleted]

Ok then   My thoughts.

Why do people homeschool?  Generally the reasons fall under the following: Faith, Educational Philosophy, Family and Flexibility.

Faith: People want to be able to incorporate their religion into their children's education and not have their children exposed to ideas that run counter to their religion. 

Educational Philosophy: People believe in educational methods/motivations/timelines/etc. which are different than those employed by the schools locally available.

Family: People want a lifestyle that centers around family rather than school.

Flexibility: People want choice and freedom from the schedule, scope and sequence and priorities of the school system.

How does this manifest in our decision to homeschool? Well, Faith was least of these for me. I do differ significantly in Educational Philosophy from what I see going on in my local schools. I taught special education for eight years. And I think that if people could have just loosened up and let kids develop at their own paces, we'd have a whole lot fewer kids, particularly boys, identified as 'disabled'. But rather than look at and identify the environment as dysfunctional, we focus on the kid. Anyway, I could write volumes on choice, child centered learning, yada, yada, but suffice to say I believe in an education different from the one currently being emphasized in our public schools. So, family... we did have a private school we liked. We just weren't willing to take on the long hours of work we both would have had to do in order to pay the tuition and live in a neighborhood easily accessible to the school. Also, flexibility goes hand in hand here. Husband works summers, often has time off in the winter. We like to travel in October and April. We like being up later and getting up later. We like to take classes on Sundays and in the summer if and do Math at 10 at night if the mood strikes.

Why do I think there has been a surge in homeschooling?

I don't think the surge is coming from traditional homeschooling groups. I think there will always been the hippie homeschoolers, and the conservative evangelical homeschoolers. I think the surge is in a new area and is happening for a convergence of reasons.

Pendulums tend to swing. Women today have the choice to be anything they want to be... but I think we've peeked in terms of how many women want to be part of the workforce while their children are at home. I'm not saying it will go down significantly in numbers, but I think there are more than a few who are deciding that they don't have to 'have it all'. HOWEVER they are NOT forgoing an education. I don't think there has been a time when there has been such a significant subgroup of stay at home, well educated, parents. (And while I've said mothers, the growing acceptance of SAHF is also adding to this trend). These parents are much more comfortable saying, 'I can do that', when it comes to educating their own children.

Homeschooling is also growing because it is not a fringe, unknown anymore. The climate is much more supportive than it used to be. Just a few decades ago, homeschooling wasn't even legal in all states. Now we have a lot of legislation supporting home education. (depending on your state, this does vary significantly by state).  There are groups, conventions, advocacy organizations, not to mention all of the online support available. There is vast quantities of curriculum available by piece or whole. Every major park/company/etc. has homeschool days and or offers field trips, etc. Homeschool kids play on your sports teams, go to your scout meetings, show up in movies,  ie. its much easier to do something when there is general acceptance. People see it happening, and consider it an option where in earlier decades it was just not a part of the mainstream.

I do think the question on whether or not school quality specifically leads to more homeschooling is a local one. While even good districts have homeschoolers, their reasons for doing so generally aren't the quality of the schools, but other reasons. In poor school districts, homeschools are more likely to point to the quality of the schools as their reason for homeschooling.

[Deleted]

Diplomas are going to be decided by state regulation.

PA has been one of the only states to have certified homeschool diploma programs. ie. You do the required credits, and they issue you a diploma. Different programs have had different levels of rigor in terms of what they consider 'credit' for a subject.

Recent legislation has made that pretty much unnecessary however, as now a parent issued diploma is considered by the state sufficient. (and on FAFSA to my understanding it always was sufficient).

I never was going to do a diploma program. My kids will transition to some kind of higher ed I'm sure at some point. It is actually not a terribly difficult process.

[Deleted]

We don't really have a set 'routine' ... figuring out how, when and where we will accomplish the tasks that need accomplishing is part of life.

[weltschmerz]

Pendulums tend to swing. Women today have the choice to be anything they want to be... but I think we've peeked in terms of how many women want to be part of the workforce while their children are at home. I'm not saying it will go down significantly in numbers, but I think there are more than a few who are deciding that they don't have to 'have it all'. HOWEVER they are NOT forgoing an education. I don't think there has been a time when there has been such a significant subgroup of stay at home, well educated, parents. (And while I've said mothers, the growing acceptance of SAHF is also adding to this trend). These parents are much more comfortable saying, 'I can do that', when it comes to educating their own children.

I'm not so sure it peaked...not here, anyway. I don't know a single family which homeschools.

Homeschooling in my province is the purview of weird religious sects.

Every mother I know, works. We do get a year off in maternity leave to spend with our infants, however.

[Deleted]

Looks like 2% in Canada and growing annually. www.hslda.ca/research

[weltschmerz]

May 29, 2015 21:13:51 GMT -5 oped said:

Looks like 2% in Canada and growing annually. www.hslda.ca/research

I'm in Quebec, which is very, very different from the rest of Canada.

[Deleted]

Quick search says that it's legal, you don't even have to tell school, but if you do, Quebec schools are notorious for threatening homeschoolers. So might be more doing it 'underground'? Also, yes, if it's less accepted it might be less likely, as I stated before, it's growing acceptance in US helps spur numbers.

[weltschmerz]

May 29, 2015 21:29:28 GMT -5 oped said:

Quick search says that it's legal, you don't even have to tell school, but if you do, Quebec schools are notorious for threatening homeschoolers. So more might be more doing it 'underground'? Also, yes, if it's less accepted it might be less likely, as I stayed before, it's growing acceptance in US helps spur numbers.

I never said it was illegal, but it's looked at with suspicion.

Authorities will investigate and the Quebec school curriculum must be adhered to. None of this "creationism as science", like in Alberta, would be accepted.

[zibazinski]

I'd do it now until 6th grade. In the school my kids went to that's when classes began being segregated based on your intelligence/desire to learn. K-5 was a waste for both of my kids academically. I started to see that but by the time I did, too many years were wasted for them. I probably would have bit the bullet and done private school for them because I did work though.

[Deleted]

I actually think middle school can be some of the worst years to be in school... Middle school age kids should not be socializing each other, in my opinion. It will depend some on the school though.

[zibazinski]

True. It is pretty much like Lord of the Flies but it's reality.

[bean29]

May 27, 2015 17:07:59 GMT -5 mroped said:

My wife in fact DID quit her job to raise the kids and homeschool them. And she's not a helicopter either.
We just felt that the public school system is getting bogged down by so many rules and regulations that was hard for a teacher to in fact teach anything. DW used to teach special Ed.

tommorow in fact we have an ART DAY at our place and about 50-70 kids will be here over a two days period. And their group is one of the smaller ones. There are some groups arround here that are much larger. Most of them are organized arround some faith.

Contrary to many believes, the homeschooled kids have plenty of interaction with their peers so there is no awkwardness or anything. 
We tought our son might have a problem because he was shy but he was that way just arround adults but not arround those of his or closer to his age. Now at 16 there is none of that.
And no, we are not that selective with what we teach them: politics and religion are getting fair shares in their education with no preference or partiality of any kind. We teach them to make their own decisions, to think through, for themselves. We keep telling them that if they let someone else making decisions for them in anything then that makes them sheep that follows.
Ofcourse their education has a scientific basis. Again religion we teach them all so they can make an informed decision at any time they wish.
So far, our son is an atheist and our daughter believes from all things in reincarnation.

My cousin who homeschooled was the same, had an education degree, loved kids and learning and they did do a lot of group activities just as OPED does. I am leery of home schooling b/c while it empowers your family to the best possible education, it would also allow for the worst most nightmarish situations and no education going on. I also am against religious choice schools b/c they allow complete control of the environment with no outside monitors or testing.

Public $$ should only fund public education.

[zibazinski]

Most states require a yearly exam for homeschoolers. If your child doesn't pass, no more home schooling. We ended up with kids in public school whose parents must have thought it was a "lark" with zero accountability. 

[Deleted]

May 30, 2015 16:12:37 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Most states require a yearly exam for homeschoolers. If your child doesn't pass, no more home schooling. We ended up with kids in public school whose parents must have thought it was a "lark" with zero accountability. 

That's really not true in any way that I know of. PA, a 'red' regulation state, requires testing in 3rd, 5th and 8th grades, that's it. And your scores don't make you inelligible to homeschool... I mean, public schools don't have all kids 'passing' those tests every year. You need to show progress. That's all.

Most states have much less regulation than PA. I have been a fan of our regulations, which I have never found onerous. I am not really find of recent legislative changes.

[happyhoix]

May 29, 2015 20:04:08 GMT -5 oped said:

We don't really have a set 'routine' ... figuring out how, when and where we will accomplish the tasks that need accomplishing is part of life.

Well, actually, many of us do have a set routine. Where I work, you need to be at work by a certain time, and you get so many minutes off for lunch. One of the other managers here oversees the packaging floor, with about 150 line operators, and she said she can always pick out the home schooled kids because they want to show up when they show up in the morning, and take as much time as they want for lunch, and don't understand when they can't take off half a day when they want.

That's with the kids first coming out into the job market - after a while, they adjust. One of her biggest problem employees, as far as understanding that he had to meet a schedule, ended up leaving hear to enlist in the military - I'm sure he understands all about meeting a schedule now.

 

[Deleted]

My kid has no problem waking up on days he works. If that is the kind of job he chooses, then he understands the responsibilities that come with it. He also understands a job like that is a choice. There are a lot of ways to live life. 9-5 (etc) is only one of them. 

I agree that choosing to live under someone else's schedule, once you've had the freedom of completing work when it's most expedient and efficient for you can be a difficult choice. It's one I'm currently contemplating as well. I don't agree that the only/best way you instill the need to be time reponsible is to enforce an external schedule for 12+ years. 

It's great that your manager sees so many homeschooled kids. Interesting that they are the only ones with those issues. We've employed a few people with time issues, none of them homeschooled. 

[happyhoix]

May 29, 2015 20:03:03 GMT -5 oped said:

Diplomas are going to be decided by state regulation.

PA has been one of the only states to have certified homeschool diploma programs. ie. You do the required credits, and they issue you a diploma. Different programs have had different levels of rigor in terms of what they consider 'credit' for a subject.

Recent legislation has made that pretty much unnecessary however, as now a parent issued diploma is considered by the state sufficient. (and on FAFSA to my understanding it always was sufficient).

I never was going to do a diploma program. My kids will transition to some kind of higher ed I'm sure at some point. It is actually not a terribly difficult process.

The article I was reading was written by a woman who was raised in one of the Quiverful type fundamentalist homes and I'm guessing her home schooling was not geared much towards academic success, which is why she had to take the GED test in order to prove she had a basic education.

If your religion thinks your only point of existence is to marry and have a bunch of kids, no doubt your level of education isn't considered very important. If she'd had a better home school environment probably she wouldn't have had to do the GED test, I'm guessing.

The way you describe your homeschooling experience sounds like a great learning environment. If I had training to be a teacher, if I'd had more than one kid, if I had any patience at all, that sounds like it would have been good for DS.

[Deleted]

Your state makes a difference too. PA has always been a high regulation state. We've had diploma programs for homeschoolers and now a parent diploma is considered the same as a public school one. 

I was at a conference once for homeschooling high school. The keynote wasn't from the state. She went on and on about how to get a kid intro college, CLEP exams, AP tests, etc, other ways to prove your kids had the academic skills. 

Afterwards,  all the college recruiters there, to a one they said she was nuts and it just isn't that hard and they accept homeschoolers all the time... And these weren't all fundamentalist christian colleges, they were normal universities. 

This is has been confirmed with my own and friends experiences. Dual enrolling son at two local universities was so easy I thought it had to be a mistake. Many of the kids take dual enroll classes once they hit high school. One 16 yr old I've evalled is starting full time in the fall at local university, never had to even SAT, just wrote extra essays.

But I think having the regulation framework in PA helps the process. 

[happyhoix]

Jun 1, 2015 7:27:42 GMT -5 oped said:

My kid has no problem waking up on days he works. If that is the kind of job he chooses, then he understands the responsibilities that come with it. He also understands a job like that is a choice. There are a lot of ways to live life. 9-5 (etc) is only one of them. 

I agree that choosing to live under someone else's schedule, once you've had the freedom of completing work when it's most expedient and efficient for you can be a difficult choice. It's one I'm currently contemplating as well. I don't agree that the only/best way you instill the need to be time reponsible is to enforce an external schedule for 12+ years. 

It's great that your manager sees so many homeschooled kids. Interesting that they are the only ones with those issues. We've employed a few people with time issues, none of them homeschooled. 

My managers hasn't seen a lot of homeschooled kids, but she noticed that, with all the homeschooled kids, they have to learn that they can't work when they want to, they have to work on a schedule.

The bulk of the kids she sees come from public schools, and the difference with them is they understand there are rules, and a schedule, and you don't get to pick when you work. However, that doesn't mean she doesn't have problems with some of them being chronically late or absent - as I'm sure they were chronically late or absent when they attending school, too. She has had to terminate some of them for chronic tardiness, I don't believe she ever had to terminate any of the kids coming from a home school environment for chronic tardiness, they caught on to the concept.

[formerroomate99]

Really? Science textbooks? Sorry, but if it includes creationism, then it's not science. Not even close.

This is what passes for science in homeschools? 

The origin of life on this planet is a rather tiny part of what science is.  It doesn't really affect your understanding of chemistry, physics, photosynthesis, etc. 

On the other end of the spectrum, I know people who were taught in school that the Piltdown man was proof of evolution (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piltdown_Man), decades after it was proven to be a hoax.  That little inaccuracy didn't stop them from learning about science. 

[EVT1]

Are you saying that a little creationism won't hurt?

Evolution is a fact- and other than a small group of evangelicals- it is not and never has been in conflict with the theory of creation.

The thing that bothers me the most about religion is that so many parents want to inflict their views on their children rather than let them come to their own conclusions. It is anti-intellectual. It does more harm than good.  It is exactly the same as racism- it is a learned behavior from inadequate parents.

[weltschmerz]

Jun 1, 2015 23:59:48 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Really? Science textbooks? Sorry, but if it includes creationism, then it's not science. Not even close.

This is what passes for science in homeschools? 

The origin of life on this planet is a rather tiny part of what science is.  It doesn't really affect your understanding of chemistry, physics, photosynthesis, etc. 

On the other end of the spectrum, I know people who were taught in school that the Piltdown man was proof of evolution (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piltdown_Man), decades after it was proven to be a hoax.  That little inaccuracy didn't stop them from learning about science. 

Magic and superstition has no place in science books. None.

[djAdvocate]

my son just came home with his report card.  he got all A's and one B+, but was awarded a 4.0, since several of his grades were beyond 100%.

he says he'll do better next year. 

[Deleted]

I hate grades.


As for science curriculum from a religious bent, science is one of the places I found it more difficult to find curriculum. Not early on, Real Science by Gravitas, Vancleave, etc. tons of experiment books.

But older kids? We used Bob Jones Life science. It wasn't bad in many aspects, but we had to do so much redacting. It was a great point of discussion for us at first, but ultimately just annoying.

When it came to high school one option was buy 'real' curriculum used in public schools... Biology cost me a couple hundred dollars till all was said and done.

[djAdvocate]

i'd prefer that we teach science in science classes, myself.

[Deleted]

Jun 2, 2015 10:44:15 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

i'd prefer that we teach science in science classes, myself.

I'm not sure what you mean? You mean not teach religion? I agree!