[Vision2020] homeschooling

[Art Deco]

Keely,

I also respect the desire of parents to home school their children with two caveats:

1.    The parents have the necessary knowledge to do so, and
2.    The children are tested to ensure they are learning.

There is little doubt that some parents do a fine job of home schooling.  Some do not.  Unfortunately, there is currently no way to test the distribution of effectiveness of overall home schooling versus the public education system.  Such a method could be useful and instructive to both parties.

I know from first hand experience in Boundary County that some parents do not have the adequate knowledge to teach certain subjects.  For example, one set of parents did not know the correct multiplication tables and not only taught the wrong ones to their passel of kids but also taught them that electronic calculators were wrong on this point when they disagreed with the parents.  There were some home schooling parents who could hardly read.

Hence, my opinion is that both the home schooling parents and the home schooled children need to be tested regularly.  The parents need to be tested to determine if they have the minimal knowledge necessary in certain subject areas at given grade levels and the children need to be tested to see if they are learning at a standard which would be acceptable/passable/adequate in the public school system.

Those families who repeatedly fail these tests should then be required to enroll their children in public or private schools until both parents and children can pass the requisite tests.


Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "keely emerinemix" <kjajmix1 at msn.com>
To: <mushroom at moscow.com>; <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 5:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] homeschooling


> Just adding to Don's post --
> 
> In Idaho, truancy laws apply only to those kids who are registered in public 
> schools.  If a child isn't registered, there is technically no truancy -- no 
> matter what does or doesn't happen by way of home education.  As Don said, 
> you can choose to not have your kids enrolled in school and you don't have 
> to offer an education plan or submit to testing.  Without enrollment, no one 
> can accuse your child of truancy.
> 
> The majority of homeschooling parents I know do a good job in making sure 
> their kids are educated, and I have a lot of respect for them.  It's the 
> folks who "no-school" their kids I have disdain for -- "homeschooling" is 
> about education, not just keeping the kids at home and away from public 
> school.
> 
> keely
> 
> 
> From: Don Coombs <mushroom at moscow.com>
> Reply-To: mushroom at moscow.com
> To: vision2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] homeschooling
> Date: Sun, 08 Jan 2006 17:01:01 -0800
> 
>  Pat Kraut wrote:
>>I believe you will find there are lots of laws on this subject and several 
>>groups who monitor homeschoolers.
>>
> 
> Hi Pat--
> 
> I believe you haven't even looked, because in Idaho there are NO laws on 
> this subject and no required monitoring of homeschooling.
> 
> In Idaho, you don't even have to tell the state that you ARE homeschooling. 
> If you don't want your child in the public school, you just take him or her 
> out.
> 
> Don Coombs
> 
> I'm not saying other states don't have laws and requirements; I'm saying 
> Idaho doesn't.
> 
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