Homeschooling = right wing?

lol...

Main reasons I have come across for home schooling

one or both parents were at one time teachers... they know what the schools are like from the inside....

religious reasons: either they want to protect their kids from the world or they want a truly religious based education and cant afford private school

the parents disagree with common teaching methods and think they can do it better

so no I dont see it as right wing

I worked for a while in the library of a VERY conservative town. And holy cow, there were communities of homeschoolers. It's huge out there.

Everyone has reasons for homeschooling. Some are more anti-establishment, and tend to be more liberal, but I've seen more and more really conservative Christian families pulling their kids out of school and homeschooling them. I don't really know why they do it. But most likely different reasons than Liberals do...

Amanda

Less Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
and more Social Engineering in the public schools perhaps?

I did not long ago see a chart with just that info on it ... but here is a new wrinkle or twist ... In my state the state will give parents a state okay ed curriculum and testing as they see fit .. so now kids can get the same lack luster education at home as in the public school system in many areas

My sister and her partner are hippies, the kids even wear home made tie-died clothing

They are home schooling, not doing a good job but still....

My nephew did go to school for a week, she pulled him out because he was put in time out, she prefers no discipline so decided to home school.

ahh yes ... promises the old way to get people to follow your ideas

I had several friends who were home schooled for at least part of their educations... Only one did not make it when she tried to enter regular private school... her mom was the I can do better .. well I guess it was fine as long as she did not have her tested ... Poor girl at the end of 8th grade tested out in fourth... The others all had a parent with some schooling in schooling

I was mostly homeschooled (my parents' reasons were a combination of crappy public schools in our area and, in my mom's case, religious reasons; also, my dad cut classes in high school to go to the library and I was just about ready to follow his example in sixth grade), went to college to be a teacher, met ed majors (I had a few awesome classmates, but some of them...I'll get back to this in a minute), got a teaching job after college, and became disillusioned all over again from the other side of the desk.

I'm less conservative for my parents but am adamant about homeschooling being an available option unless the state can demonstrate that a particular family is abusing that right, because I know what's out there as teachers go. I had some classmates as an ed major that...ugh. Argh. I had classmates that proudly announced in a math methods class that they didn't understand algebra (not high-level algebra, either...just basic use of variables stuff...x+3=5 and the like). I had classmates that pronounced "archive" to rhyme with "chive" as in the herb. I had classmates that couldn't write a coherent sentence with subject-verb agreement. Those were in junior and senior classes, so they didn't have the excuse of being freshmen; as a freshman, I had classmates who "passed" the Foundations of Elementary Math class (basically, Arithmetic Rehashed) with a D. I had classmates in grad school that had to have petition letters written because they were well below the undergrad B average to get in, and I had classmates in grad school who thought that being at a sports-oriented university was great because they didn't have to be surrounded by "idiots who run around saying 'I like m-m-m-math.' " I would not want most of my classmates to be in charge of teaching my (hypothetical) kids. I don't know if I would choose to homeschool--it would depend on the rest of the situation--but I definitely want it to be an option.

A lot of right wing people believe that the education system is brainwashing their kids and giving them incorrect information as facts..
It's also the idea itself of the government being in control of education doesn't appeal to many conservatives, they believe they should have full control of what happens to their kids, and I have to admit the schools a lot of times like to control kids' lives even beyond the classroom which I really dislike too.
I don't know, I am not conservative but I listen to some conservative talk shows on the radio since I live in the US south, I can't escape it, and this is just what I've heard people give as reasons for homeschooling.

You can't possibly be that hard up for a decent radio station in Atlanta can you? Even though country music and gospel stations probably account for 2/3 of the stations in Knoxville, I'm still able to find 5 or 6 decent stations that play music I like.

As for homeschooling, my impressions have been that the parents fall into two disparate groups. The first doesn't think the public school system doesn't give their kids a proper education, so the parents do it themselves because they think they can give their kids a better education. The second group home schools because they don't want their kids exposed to things like evolution, acceptance of homosexuals, sex education, Harry Potter, Spongebob Squarepants, etc. From the people I've met, the latter group seems to outnumber the former by quite a bit.

The education level of the first group is probably better than the average public education student by quite a bit. For the second group, I imagine there is a wide variation in the education received from abysmal to really good. As for political leanings, I would imagine that the parents of the first group are, if anything, probably a little more liberal than average. The second group tends to be very conservative.

WOW! That poor child. No offense but I think your sister and her partner are doing your nephew a HUGE disservice. I feel sorry for any child who receives no discipline. To me that is the same as saying, they really don't care much for their children. Love, IMO, means discipline done with love.

That, also, sounds logical.

Well the church we are members of (evangelical free) has a LOT of homeschooled kids in there. I believe a lot of homeschooled kids now are from more conservative families.

Looking back, if I could have afforded to do so, I think I would have homeschooled my son - I am so afraid of sending kids to today's public schools for what is being taught in there and what will be taught in the near future that I'm glad we have no school-age children.

I wish I could have been homeschooled or atleast class sizes in my school were smaller. I had a hard time in math, science, and english classes. I needed a lot of individual explanations and help but wasnt able to get the help I needed because teachers spent all their time with the honor roll students and the students whose parents were big influences in the district. I did and still do love my school its one of the best in Pa and the whole reason my parents moved us to the town we lived in. But there were people that were paying extra to have their kids go to that school district and people that were moving into the area for the school so our class sizes just kept getting bigger and bigger till it got to the point where extra desks needed brought in constantly to make room for new students. I hated it the only class I did good in was WAHG (World American History and Geography) and the teacher I had was the best teacher ever and made time before and after school for any student that asked for help or that he felt needed the extra assistance in his class. He even went as far as to broaden assignments to help the students. Like if one had big problems getting their point across in essays there was other options for the assignment like presentations and stuff like that. It was amazing I had that teacher for all three classes that I needed to take and would go back again in a heartbeat!!
One thing I wish I could have changed too in school was that the class before I graduated had a certain amt of credits needed then the requirement changed for my class and was changed again for the class behind mine. What ended up happening because of the credit changes was about 30 people in my class were unable to walk in graduation and had to take summer school classes because the administration messed up and was going by the wrong credit amt (the one for the class behind us which required about 5 more credits) I was one of those students who was robbed of the chance to dress in cap and gown and walk across the stage with my class and receive my diploma. I did get my diploma the following year because I had a meeting with the new principal and superintedent about what happened and showed them my transcript and the payments and grades from summer school. I was offered the chance to walk with that years class and my mom was reimbursed for summer school classes that I had to take but in no way shape or form did that take away the humiliation I felt when my mom got that phone call saying that I couldnt walk or the pain I felt for a year knowing that my friends and classmates knew what happened and felt sorry for me even though I KNEW I had enough credits and noone cared enough to listen!!!! From all that happening I can see why people would homeschool their kids. But I dont think they should do it if they are going to put the time effort and care into teaching their kids everything they possibly can so they can go out into the world and go to college and still feel like they are on everyone elses level education wsise.

While I agree on principle, some kids turn out with a huge independent streak as they get old enough to think those things through. By the time I was even close to the high school years, I rode my bike to the library a lot and all my parents had to do for me was buy a book now and then. (Granted, I had to take an Algebra 2 equivalent class in college because neither of them understood algebra enough to explain the bits I didn't get on my own right away, so that slowed things down some in math class...but I started college early because I was far ahead overall, and knocked Math 95 out in 10 weeks with an A, so I think it worked out OK on average.)

My husband being a retired schoolteacher, I have to say I am not in favor of homeschooling. I believe schoolteachers should have that calling on their life, and they are special. They spend years being educated to qualify for the position.

Having said that, I do know plenty of young mothers who homeschool. My son's three girls by his first marriage were being homeschooled by their mother. The oldest decided she wanted to live with her father two years ago. When he enrolled her in the local high school, she did not have any social skills. She was so far behind academically he had to spend time and money to enroll her in Sylvan Learning Center to catch her up where she was supposed to be. She is now on course and will graduate high school this spring. He continues to be concerned about his other two girls who are not interacting with other young people and are still being homeschooled by their mother.

I have known people who homeschooled for many different reasons. Generally, it was for religious reasons, but I've seen others.

The only real thing lacking in home schooling is social contact, and while that's important, it's not enough of a reason to abandon the idea.

I've also noticed that pretty continually, the winners in the national spelling bee and other educational competitions have been homeschooled.

I still think the ideal school would be a one-room schoolhouse, maybe not with 8 grades (as the school was where I started), but with at least 4 grades. The constant re-exposure to learned skills is something that is irreplaceable in educational proficiency.

I've been a high-school teacher, and I have to say that while I know many of those who dislike home schooling, it's usually for financial and not educational reasons.

The lack of social skills is a common argument against home schooling, and the point is usually made by teachers, or former teachers - at least that's been my experience.

But - I think socialization is less of an issue than we are sometimes led to believe.

I wonder if it doesn't have more to do with the individual child and his/her circumstances, than with "homeschooling".

Socialization is just as possible with homeschooling as it is with any other form of education.

There are clubs to join - such as Westernaires, or group lessons that specialize in languages, sciences, or math, as well as many other opportunities for children to be in social situations.

I speak from experience - I have 8 grandchildren - all being home schooled.

I was in a 4 grade room for a year and I can say I learned a lot that year... I was in 5th grade and we had 5 - 8th all in one room with one teacher ... lol.. I moved schools and found out I learned most of 6th and 7th grade that year

Social skills depend on the parents , around here most home schooled kids spend more time with peers in clubs and outings than with actual books .

I went through public school myself... but my parents were the same as yours... public school, Mom had some college, Dad in the Navy back in WWII... I have some social skills, but those were learned after I hit adulthood... I was painfully shy until I grew up... my parents are nearly hermit-like... I still have issues... I don't always know how to act in some situations... parents have a profound impact on their kids...

Of course, as I was discussing with a friend earlier today, not everything is 'nurture' my sister is adopted, and she's the wild child of the family... our parents had little to no effect on her... I did learn a lot at home, but was never officially homeschooled... my parents did a better job than the schools did... our district was rather cruddy.

A.

I was home schooled for just high-school. Like any other home schooled kid through I high-school I got my GED like the rest. My families reasons for pulling me out had a lot to do with security and not much else. I had been going to public schools all my life and as used it. Now most of my families professions are actually teachers. My grandparents are retired high-school/college professor for instance. My mom had taught K-8 and now is a college professor. The list goes on, there is at least 7 teachers in my extended family.

My family for the most part is against home schooling. However, they felt that the high school simply could not provide security for me so they pulled me out.

I don't home schooling is right wing, or left wing, or anything really. There are many reasons people do it and they don't all lean the same way.

I homeschooled my two youngest for a while, during my return to my hippie days. The middle girl because while she had made A's and B's through six years of school she was reading on a first grade level. The youngest simply because I was so fed up with the restrictive BS that had nothing to do with learning and everything to do with conformity. My friend was homeschooling her sons then too, and even in the early 90's it was nearly impossible to find a pre made, state approved curriculum that wasn't ultra conservative.

I think its fairly equal on the spectrum as to who homeschools, like many said above, there are lots of reasons to homeschool and can fall on both left and right sides.

However, I read the highlighted sentence a little differently to you in that they were saying that the people who attended were the right wing homeschoolers - people exactly like Palin rather than a cross section of the community, especially the really right who don't trust the schools to teach as they wish

This is a big part of why I would consider homeschooling if I had kids; I found out all over again, from the other side of the big desk, that schools are in some ways a-intellectual if not actually anti-intellectual. So much of what goes on during a school day has more to do with the comfort level of someone on the teacher-administrator-politician food chain than with learning.

For example...state standards. The fact is, if you want good percentages (necessary for political palatability of the system) out of a class of 20-30 (necessary for the district's budgetary comfort) that spends in the neighborhood of 45 minutes a day on the subject (tradition based on what "educational leadership" found convenient 100 years ago), you have to set the state standards at what a kid with an IQ of 85 or 90 (lower end of average) can do after seeing it done 1-2 times and sometimes getting 2 minutes of help (help for more than 5 minutes is reserved for kids with special needs). This pretty much guarantees that kids with an IQ of 110 of above (25% of the human population; 5-8 kids in a typical class) will be either bored or, if they have a teacher who is pretty good at "differentiating instruction," occupied with busywork that doesn't accelerate their progress (giving them tomorrow's lesson too is not a good plan because then they'll just be even more bored tomorrow); the same thing will happen, though less consistently, to the 95-and-above crowd.

The fact is, after 13 years of schooling designed with political expediency (which is anti-challenge because challenge lowers test scores) in mind, most graduates have been challenged less than they could have been, and most graduates are less intellectually skilled than they could be. This is not teacher-slamming (at least 95% of teachers are knocking themselves out to make the best of it for the kids); it's closer to politician-slamming, but it's really more like "let's face it, the system needs a redesign."

And, yes, as I said before, some of my ed major classmates are another part of the reason I'd consider homeschooling if I had kids. But here's the kicker...the ones who I would let teach my hypothetical kids either got above average amounts of home teaching (whether by means of homeschooling or the involved parent effect creating a mini-school-after-school) or went to other than public schools. The ones who I wouldn't let teach my hypothetical kids are the ones whose parents let the public schools do all the work.

This has been a test of the holy crap it's 1 AM emergency late night ramble system.