Sunday, September 19, 2010

I wonder if she claims her kids attend private school too?

Patricia Baker said...
Sorry, but I find you to be a little self-righteous. I send my kids to public school and I homeschool.

I may choose to take advantage of the wonderful teachers and staff at my local (and, by the way, quite wonderful) public school. I may choose to allow the boys to experience the opportunities our public school offers.

But, make no mistake about it ... around here the responsibility for my children's education starts and ends at home. That makes me a homeschooler.

They continue to learn as much (or more) from me in our every day activities and in our excursions as they do at school. That makes me a homeschooler.

I take sole responsibility for their school successes and failures. That makes me a homeschooler.

I sometimes question the motives or methods of those of you who choose to un-school. I would never say you aren't a homeschooler.

I might wonder why you participate in co-op if you are "home"schooling your children. But I would never stoop so low as to question what you call yourself.

If you want those of us who choose to send our children down a different path to respect your choice, maybe you should start respecting ours.

My Response ................

Patricia Baker, I respect your choice to send your child to PUBLIC SCHOOL and applaud you for being an involved parent.But you are not a homeschooler. You have no say in what textbooks your child uses, you do not grade his/her school papers, come up with lesson plans, keep transcripts, and meet the legal requirements for homeschooling in your state.

Frankly I am perplexed by PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENTS who insist they are homeschoolers. Ms Baker, do you claim you send your child to private school too?

Wanting to be clear on what homeschooling is in order to safe guard our freedom to homeschool from government intervention is in no way disrespecting your decision to send your child to PUBLIC SCHOOL. Homeschooling is an educational choice, just like sending your child to private or public school.  You choose the public school option which is fine, but you are NOT A HOMESCHOOL PARENT or a PRIVATE SCHOOL PARENT.

7 comments:

  1. I don't get it either. How can someone take full responsibility for his/her child's success in an environment that is under the control of someone else? The school may indeed offer a good education, but the mom has only very limited say over it.

    I do some of the maintenance tasks on my car myself but that doesn't make me a mechanic.

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  2. I can't understand when people say that. I've heard that spiel before too.

    A flip side is the at home moms who don't work a job who say "I'm a working mom too". No, you do not juggle a job outside home for pay and forced to keep a schedule putting work as a top priority for your time. As an at home mom I know I put effort and time into raising my kids but I'm not a working mom in the sense that the phrase working mom means I hold a job from a third party that pays me money.

    Anyhow I'm rambling. Good response.

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  3. Patricia,

    The responsibilities that you cite make you a PARENT, not a homeschooler.

    As a former teacher, I expected no less from any of the parents of students in my class. In return, I relieved them of many other responsibilities that you have abdicated to the public school. A homeschooler has taken on those responsibilities in addition to those that you mentioned.

    In my opinion, there is one difference between a successful public school and a failing public school. In the successful one most of the parents are, like you, fulfilling their end of the bargain. In the unsuccessful one they are not.

    I would congratulate you for your thoughtful parenting, but you seem to be patting yourself on the back enough for the both of us.

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  4. Wow! That's a first. I've seen lots of parents get defensive about their schooling choices (public in particular) but never one that actually tried to claim they were a homeschooler too. My, my, my.

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  5. I am shaking my head in disbelief. We took on our homeschool adventure last school year. My girls were in 5th and 7th. Trust me, you are NOT homeschooling. I did all the things you mention, was on the PTA, room mother, and I was NOT homeschooling. Totally different ballgame!

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