After seeing this article shared by two separate people on FB yesterday, along with hearing grumblings from many about public education, it had me thinking. Reading the comments from readers of the aforementioned article really shows the opinion to be split between the value of public education vs. the value of home schooling. I know many people believe the education system here in the U.S. is crumbling. Many believe it's a product of watered down curriculum in favor of standardized tests. Others believe it's a lack of competency among the faculty. Some even blame teacher unions. Whatever the case may be, it seems that many (including my parents and my sister) are writing off public education. That last point is ironic as well since my dad was a public educator for 32 years and my sister taught biology for 8 years (she teaches a little on the side now at a local CC). I'm curious what everyone's thoughts are on this. Is homeschooling a better option? If so, what is broken NOW that wasn't when you went to school? I think it's safe to assume, many of the proponents of home schooling are not a product of said system. So, what changed? Looking back at your education, do you feel it was wasted? Would you have been better suited to an education at home? For those who are still pro public education, what are your views? Do you still feel public education to be a strong option for children in the U.S.? As a side note, you read the article I linked to, the idea of "unschooling" is a bit more extreme than most who home school. Curious to hear your thoughts as I'm often unsure if those who are the most vocal are truly in the minority or the majority with regard to this issue.
I've never met a homeschooled kid that wasn't weird. So... As for private vs public, I guess that just depends on the area. Luckily, we have decent public schools around here, so my kids will probably go to public. And the school a kid attends doesn't have that much to do with a kids overall success in life anyways, the home environment is much more important.
traditional public is good in many areas but if your school district is all in for the new common core get your kids out ASAP and do private or home school.. That being said many private schools have adopted common core as well so do your research...
Public education in MN is among the best in the country. No, I would never consider home schooling a kid.
A lot more then just the curriculum. 1. Common Core is a Federal Takeover of Education The ultimate goal of Common Core is to have every school district follow the same national standards. This is a failed educational approach that will undermine educational quality and choice. States and local communities better know how to design standards based on their students and parents’ needs than Washington bureaucrats. 2. Common Core is Bad for Parents Parents will not have a say in their child’s education under Common Core. They will not be able to suggest changes to their local school’s standards or enroll their child in another public school with better standards. Common Core would limit parental choice and shut their voices out of their child’s education. 3. Common Core is Bad for Teachers Teachers would have little control over their classrooms under Common Core. They will be forced to comply with standards decided upon by federal bureaucrat. This leaves little to no room for teachers to innovate to meet the unique needs of their students. 4. Common Core is Bad for Taxpayers Common Core has a hefty price tag that will be paid by taxpayers in states. Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction estimates that Common Core will cost the state $300 million. California Department of Education estimates it will cost $759 million to implement the nationalized standards. Common Core will cost taxpayers a lot of money while not improving education quality. 5. Common Core is Bad for Students Common Core is a one-size-fits-all education policy that assumes every students learns exactly the same. A top down and centrally controlled standards will hurt students’ creativity and learning. Good education policy realizes that all students have different learning styles, preferences, and paces. 6. Common Core Violates Privacy The Race to the Top Grants associated with Common Core violates privacy by “data mining” information about students that will follow them the rest of their lives. The information collected is more than just test scores and academic progress. Common Core will track information on religious practices, political beliefs, “sex behaviors and attitudes”, and more. 7. Common Core Resembles Failed No Child Left Behind Program A main criticism of the failed No Child Left Behind program is that teachers “teach the test.” This means that students are memorizing rather than learning and critical thinking about information. Common Core would resemble No Child Left Behind by requiring students to take national standardized tests to measure their progress. 8. Common Core is Unconstitutional The federal government should not control education. Since education is not specifically listed in the Constitution, the authority over education should be left up to the states and the people. This allows localities from New York City to rural Alabama to design unique curriculums that are best for their students. 9. Common Core Will Require Some States to Move Backwards Some states have advanced standards that are designed with students and parents in mind. Sandra Stotsky, a professor at the University of Arkansas, who served on the committee to validate Common Core standards said, “The standards dumb American education down by about two grades worth.” Some states would have to move their standards backwards to comply with Common Core standards. 10. Common Core Is a Failed Education Approach Washington has tried one-size-fits-all education approaches time and time again. Centralized education programs have not worked and will never work. The quality of education has only declined over the past few decades. The solution is to get the federal government out of the education business.
Everyone's got a different opinion on weird but I'm going to agree there. Although I graduated with a kid that was homeschooled up until I think 9th grade. He fit in very well and was in the top 3 in our class at graduation. Plus he was hilarious.
yeah I'm not reading the copy and paste from some angry mom website well...I did read it, and the majority of it was blatantly wrong
This is all right wing BS, lol Your first point is wrong and it get worse the rest of the way down Common core is a state run, your state can choose to adopt the standards or not. The one thing wrong with Common Core is the name, but it shows how ignorant we are about education in this country and why we are so far behind. Keep the same standards as CC and change the name and people will love it, cough cough Indiana
I think the biggest problem and failure for CC is that the implementation was bad. In some cases, really bad. And most of the teachers have no idea how to teach these new techniques properly. And the parents see these new thought processes and freak out. I've seen my nieces and nephews CC homework and I like the approach.
I don't find enough detail in the link to enable me to form an opinion or comment. they claim the boys only spend a couple hours a month studying academic type subjects. But one has to ask what other activities do they engage in that would involve learning skills like reading and math. I knew how to read and write and do simple math before I started school. So did my husband. Our daughters are also quite proficient at reading, writing, and basic math, learned at home. And we didn't have any formal "school" type sessions. I think at least one parent would have to be home all of the time and a rural environment would be a necessity. Kids roaming the streets in an urban/suburban setting just wouldn't be right. It strikes me as a kind of hippy, back to nature, reject the modern lifestyle thing. That has its merits, but it would be impossible for any great number of us to pull this off. I get really bored with the constant criticism of schools and teachers. Sure, some teachers are losers, but some are pretty darn good. Teachers can't follow you home and make you do your homework or study for tests. The problem is mostly parents who aren't doing their jobs. I did my homework and got good grades or my mother would lay a belt a few times across my little tail. She made it clear to me that our people do well in school and I was not going to be an exception. Some of my teachers would recommend books and topics to study to me. And we would discuss them after school or over lunch. My high school is considered a failing school by the state standards, but I got a full scholarship to college. I didn't hang out behind the school smoking weed or at the mall trying to impress some worthless boys with no future. Instead, I studied and learned.
Hooker my wife uses the CC standards for her class, and she has had some amazing results. Once you get through the lies and BS it is a step in the right direction. Testing is a little much for me, but nothing is perfect. My son in the third grade is excelling at math. CC does not equal curriculum, your school is free to use any curriculum they want, home school are free to use any curriculum they want, private schools are free to use any curriculum they want. I've done Private and Public, you know what we Home school are kid every night.
I meant CC was just another curriculum. I know that the state and districts can choose to not use CC or not. Our local school board just had a meeting about it this week actually. And the FB moms are always complaining about it because they don't understand little Johnny's homework. So obviously it must be evil.
My daughter is in 5th grade, from preschool onward we chose to enroll her in a private catholic school. It's a little expensive but we feel it's worth it. Today she has 9 people in her class with a teacher and teachers aid. During teacher conferences it was amazing how much her teacher knew about her and her schoolwork without having to reference any notes.
