Why every liberal millennial.......

[GHOSTofWENDELL]

It always rich when people know the problems with today's kids has to be the school! I'll teach them myself, who could do it better?!?! Lmao

 

[Dustin the wind]

It always rich when people know the problems with today's kids has to be the school! I'll teach them myself, who could do it better?!?! Lmao

My wife is a doctor with more school under her belt than any teacher and was a magnificent student. My strengths are pretty much anything non-science/math related as she has that covered. I think we can manage to work out some good curriculums. You just keep on trusting those public indoctrination programs

 

[GHOSTofWENDELL]

Lmao dude. I get on this forum every couple weeks and browse some of these threads. By the looks of your constant actively you probably have your degree in "forum know-it-alls" and plenty of spare time on your hands. So at least your kids can become experts in that.

 

[Austin_Smedley]

Good read.

 

[Dustin the wind]

Lmao dude. I get on this forum every couple weeks and browse some of these threads. By the looks of your constant actively you probably have your degree in "forum know-it-alls" and plenty of spare time on your hands. So at least your kids can become experts in that.

Round of applause and congratulations!

You just described every active member of Rokslide.

Here you go

 

[Newtosavage]

My wife is a doctor with more school under her belt than any teacher and was a magnificent student. My strengths are pretty much anything non-science/math related as she has that covered. I think we can manage to work out some good curriculums. You just keep on trusting those public indoctrination programs

It's never about the instruction that home schoolers can/will receive - if they have well educated parents (not all of them do unfortunately). In my experience - which is less than some but more than most - it's about social skills. I have yet to meet the home school kid that had what I would consider "normal" social skills, because frankly there is no way for them to get "normal" interactions with normal kids who aren't also being hovered over by their helicopter parents.

It's not really about the education. That's always been more up to the child anyway, public, private or home school.

But hey, there are enough home-school parents and associations out there now that they can all get together and badmouth the public school "indoctrination" system at the same time, and feel like they are getting a better social experience.

Yup, just went over in my mind the 2 dozen or so home school kids I worked with - on the average of 3 years each - and can't think of one that wouldn't stand out immediately as obviously home schooled due to their poor communication skills, socially immature and/or anti-social demeanor.

If you have answers to those things, then that's great! Then you can work on the answer for them as to why you got to have a prom and they didn't, why you got to play team sports and they didn't, why you don't have trouble relating to normal people, but they do, etc.

Half the home school kids I've worked with as their coach, have ended up on medication or counseling or both. That's no exaggeration and I'm relating to you my own experience. Years before I started coaching home schoolers, I had actually talked to my wife (who has a masters in science education and has taught all the sciences at a public HS and is the science dept. chair now) about home-schooling our kids. We both agreed that while they could get a great education at home, they also needed the social education that public school offers. Like I said, it sounds great at first, until and unless you later realize there is more to growing up than education. Looking back, we made the right choice and asking our kids, they would tell you the same. They now have more college degrees than my wife and I combined and aren't done yet. But more importantly, they had a well rounded childhood experience and can relate to the people around them in the workplace.

I wanted to be a home-school advocate for years. But then I worked with a few dozen home school students and their families and realized how much better off they would have been in the public school system.

I never had issues with my public school kids or their parents. The kids were coachable and the parents respected their coaches and held their kids accountable. I had quite a different experience trying to coach the home schoolers. The kids were often not coachable and didn't want to do the hard things, and the parents wouldn't hold them accountable and often blamed the coaches (a self-fulfilling loop process btw).

Again, just speaking from my 15 years experience here in a sport that has an almost equal share now of public and home school youth.

 

[Newtosavage]

Having said all that, there are exceptions to every rule and you guys might just be exceptional. You could overcome the social adjustment issues and have perfectly normal kids who go on to be perfectly well adjusted and successful.

Getting into how people choose to raise their kids is a non-starter on forums and in real life. Everyone will tell you they know what's best for their kid, so there really isn't any point in arguing it anyway.

Like I said, I wish you and your kids the best man. I really do. God bless.

 

[Mosster47]

That's awesome! Good for you. I hope you get everything you want out of it and the kids do too.

For 15 years, I coached a sport that was and still is very popular among home school families. Out of the literally dozens of home schooled kids I know personally, I've seen a few that turned out okay and didn't resent their parent's decision 10 years down the road. So I'd say you have a chance. I mean, parents today know so much more about what's better for their kids than anyone else does. Just ask 'em!

BTW, I don't coach that sport anymore because I refuse to work with home school parents anymore. I am a literal (not self-proclaimed) expert in that particular field, but every home school parent I worked with somehow knew more than I did about what I was coaching. Even with zero experience. It was incredible how much they knew. Just ask em!

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things from your posts above, so I'm sure you'll do fine.

I coached varsity football for 18 years and have been coaching youth soccer for five years now.

As time went on the homeschool kids don't stand out as much because people are just less social than they used to be no matter the age group. The anti-bullying thing has gained some real traction as well so the regular kids aren't nearly as mean as they used to be. It used to be pretty brutal.

Don't get me wrong, the home school kids still stand out like a green hat with an orange bill socially, but it's not as extreme as it used to be. Back in the mid-2000s it was like having an alien on your roster.

If they're not getting into sales or PR it probably doesn't matter too much in the professional world. I have to admit I really enjoyed being home with my sons during this last school year. I wouldn't want it to be a forever thing as it would have too much of a negative affect on my career. They are proposing doing a staggered home/classroom schedule here for the upcoming school year and I'm all for it.

 

[Newtosavage]

I coached varsity football for 18 years and have been coaching youth soccer for five years now.

As time went on the homeschool kids don't stand out as much because people are just less social than they used to be no matter the age group. The anti-bullying thing has gained some real traction as well so the regular kids aren't nearly as mean as they used to be. It used to be pretty brutal.

Don't get me wrong, the home school kids still stand out like a green hat with an orange bill socially, but it's not as extreme as it used to be. Back in the mid-2000s it was like having an alien on your roster.

If they're not getting into sales or PR it probably doesn't matter too much in the professional world. I have to admit I really enjoyed being home with my sons during this last school year. I wouldn't want it to be a forever thing as it would have too much of a negative affect on my career. They are proposing doing a staggered home/classroom schedule here for the upcoming school year and I'm all for it.

Kids certainly are a whole lot nicer today than they used to be. It was brutal 30 years ago compared to today. But there are still stark differences between public school kids who are still pushed by a team sport coach and are accountable to teammates, or tasked with a classroom assignment and are accountable to classmates, or who experienced significant social life events like prom or graduation or school dances or band or whatever, and home school kids who lack those experiences.

You are right though. If they don't go into PR or sales or public-facing careers, it probably won't matter. Most all the home schoolers I know who went on to successful college careers, studied science or math. It's where they felt comfortable and for that reason, it's where they excelled. They will likely find like-minded folks in those career fields, and do just fine.

Man, I really didn't mean for this to get sucked into a home school thread. Sorry about that.

 

[Dustin the wind]

It's never about the instruction that home schoolers can/will receive - if they have well educated parents (not all of them do unfortunately). In my experience - which is less than some but more than most - it's about social skills. I have yet to meet the home school kid that had what I would consider "normal" social skills, because frankly there is no way for them to get "normal" interactions with normal kids who aren't also being hovered over by their helicopter parents.

It's not really about the education. That's always been more up to the child anyway, public, private or home school.

But hey, there are enough home-school parents and associations out there now that they can all get together and badmouth the public school "indoctrination" system at the same time, and feel like they are getting a better social experience.

Yup, just went over in my mind the 2 dozen or so home school kids I worked with - on the average of 3 years each - and can't think of one that wouldn't stand out immediately as obviously home schooled due to their poor communication skills, socially immature and/or anti-social demeanor.

If you have answers to those things, then that's great! Then you can work on the answer for them as to why you got to have a prom and they didn't, why you got to play team sports and they didn't, why you don't have trouble relating to normal people, but they do, etc.

Half the home school kids I've worked with as their coach, have ended up on medication or counseling or both. That's no exaggeration and I'm relating to you my own experience. Years before I started coaching home schoolers, I had actually talked to my wife (who has a masters in science education and has taught all the sciences at a public HS and is the science dept. chair now) about home-schooling our kids. We both agreed that while they could get a great education at home, they also needed the social education that public school offers. Like I said, it sounds great at first, until and unless you later realize there is more to growing up than education. Looking back, we made the right choice and asking our kids, they would tell you the same. They now have more college degrees than my wife and I combined and aren't done yet. But more importantly, they had a well rounded childhood experience and can relate to the people around them in the workplace.

I wanted to be a home-school advocate for years. But then I worked with a few dozen home school students and their families and realized how much better off they would have been in the public school system.

I never had issues with my public school kids or their parents. The kids were coachable and the parents respected their coaches and held their kids accountable. I had quite a different experience trying to coach the home schoolers. The kids were often not coachable and didn't want to do the hard things, and the parents wouldn't hold them accountable and often blamed the coaches (a self-fulfilling loop process btw).

Again, just speaking from my 15 years experience here in a sport that has an almost equal share now of public and home school youth.

I’ve been around many religious zealots and I know the type of children you describe. I don’t want to sugar coat it but I think my wife and I are very very different than your average homeschool parents and exceptional in many regards. I don’t want to limit my child's social interactions from other children, just from the type of k-12 dimwits that taught us and told us to get our parents to vote a certain way, or that we needed to stop cutting down trees, global warming, take your pick. If I didn’t have awesome parents setting me straight every day I don’t know where I’d be, possibly protesting in downtown Portland looking for my next rock to smoke.

When did it change that homeschool kids could not participate in public sports? They did when I was in school. Yes you are right, there are like minded communities where home school kids can interact, you know basically like the old days.

There may be a day when we decide to go public, but I doubt it will be during their most formative years early on.

 

[Capman]

Great read!

Everyone needs social interaction though. It's unfair to limit a child's reality to just one place.

 

[Newtosavage]

Great read!

Everyone needs social interaction though. It's unfair to limit a child's reality to just one place.

Or just one type of person.

 

[Newtosavage]

I’ve been around many religious zealots and I know the type of children you describe. I don’t want to sugar coat it but I think my wife and I are very very different than your average homeschool parents and exceptional in many regards. I don’t want to limit my child's social interactions from other children, just from the type of k-12 dimwits that taught us and told us to get our parents to vote a certain way, or that we needed to stop cutting down trees, global warming, take your pick. If I didn’t have awesome parents setting me straight every day I don’t know where I’d be, possibly protesting in downtown Portland looking for my next rock to smoke.

When did it change that homeschool kids could not participate in public sports? They did when I was in school. Yes you are right, there are like minded communities where home school kids can interact, you know basically like the old days.

There may be a day when we decide to go public, but I doubt it will be during their most formative years early on.

We have a very popular faith-based school in our small community. It's K-8. Many of my friends send their kids there. They like to boast that a high % of the valedictorians and saluditorians from the local HS come from that school, and I suppose that's true. However, there is always a division in the kids in the HS between those who came up through the public school, and those who came up through that K-8 private school. My wife sees it very clearly. I suppose that's as much because of the friendships formed very early by kids in either school. But the idea that the private school kids are better students, better people or even more faithful, just doesn't hold water in reality.

We wanted our kids in public schools even though we could have afforded to send them to the private school (or home schooled them for that matter). We wanted our kids to sit beside kids whose families couldn't afford that private school. We wanted them to work through problems in class with kids that didn't look like them or even talk like them. We even wanted them to learn to question their "bosses" (teachers), because that's what real life after high school is like. We don't get to pick and choose who we work with or even who we live next to 99.99% of the time. The lessons learned early in life, as children, often are the ones that stay with us the longest.

Finally, we wanted our kids to grow up as part of the community and understand what that's like. Our kids ranged fairly widely from non-social introvert to very social extrovert. But they all appreciate the fact that they have childhood friends of every color and financial background, and they made most of those friends in public school.

I'm not saying our choices were the best, or even the best for our kids, because we only get one chance with each kid. But that was the reasoning we used and they all turned out pretty darn well.

 

[Dustin the wind]

We have a very popular faith-based school in our small community. It's K-8. Many of my friends send their kids there. They like to boast that a high % of the valedictorians and saluditorians from the local HS come from that school, and I suppose that's true. However, there is always a division in the kids in the HS between those who came up through the public school, and those who came up through that K-8 private school. My wife sees it very clearly. I suppose that's as much because of the friendships formed very early by kids in either school. But the idea that the private school kids are better students, better people or even more faithful, just doesn't hold water in reality.

We wanted our kids in public schools even though we could have afforded to send them to the private school (or home schooled them for that matter). We wanted our kids to sit beside kids whose families couldn't afford that private school. We wanted them to work through problems in class with kids that didn't look like them or even talk like them. We even wanted them to learn to question their "bosses" (teachers), because that's what real life after high school is like. We don't get to pick and choose who we work with or even who we live next to 99.99% of the time. The lessons learned early in life, as children, often are the ones that stay with us the longest.

Finally, we wanted our kids to grow up as part of the community and understand what that's like. Our kids ranged fairly widely from non-social introvert to very social extrovert. But they all appreciate the fact that they have childhood friends of every color and financial background, and they made most of those friends in public school.

I'm not saying our choices were the best, or even the best for our kids, because we only get one chance with each kid. But that was the reasoning we used and they all turned out pretty darn well.

Valid points throughout. The most mature kids I have met didn’t come from public schools unfortunately. What you describe is a well rounded individual with strong critical thinking skills. While i’m sure your kids are great, public school kids I meet are quite the opposite, not all, but a larger share than private or homeschool.

In public school what I witness are many children confused about their identity in every form of the word. I see classroom sizes too big to accommodate each individual child to learn the way that’s best for them. I see teachers making excuses and blaming everything on budgets. I see horribly stagnant learning guidelines and standards far below most countries public systems. I see young boys put down over and over and preference given to anyone that is not a white male or white period.

I could go on and on but I think you got the notion. While I think all your points about social interaction is very valid, as a parent that cares deeply about my children being normal in that sense, I am willing to go to great lengths to make sure they are not sheltered and socially retarded because of it.

Personally all my best friends came from sports, before school was even in session.

 

[Newtosavage]

Valid points throughout. The most mature kids I have met didn’t come from public schools unfortunately. What you describe is a well rounded individual with strong critical thinking skills. While i’m sure your kids are great, public school kids I meet are quite the opposite, not all, but a larger share than private or homeschool.

In public school what I witness are many children confused about their identity in every form of the word. I see classroom sizes too big to accommodate each individual child to learn the way that’s best for them. I see teachers making excuses and blaming everything on budgets. I see horribly stagnant learning guidelines and standards far below most countries public systems. I see young boys put down over and over and preference given to anyone that is not a white male or white period.

I could go on and on but I think you got the notion. While I think all your points about social interaction is very valid, as a parent that cares deeply about my children being normal in that sense, I am willing to go to great lengths to make sure they are not sheltered and socially retarded because of it.

Personally all my best friends came from sports, before school was even in session.

Wow, you see these things in Idaho? I'm in a small town in a rural county in TX and while I hear some folks complaining about some of those things in the big city, we don't really have them here. As I said, my wife has been a HS teacher for over a decade. The budget issues are real. I have receipts for the things she and I have bought for her classroom, and her students. They aren't excuses. But we shouldn't have to pay for them out of our household budget. But we do because these kids belong to this community and so do we. And that's how we roll. We are about supporting the community, even though we aren't "from here" and we are constantly reminded of that in this small town. Still, the value of supporting our community trumps our otherwise selfish desires to ditch all the other kids and just take care of our own. Every time I see a capable, educated set of parents make that choice, it pains me because they are robbing their own community, and our greater community at large, of their participation. And that's partly why this nation is going through what it is - because people are more concerned about themselves and "their own" than they are about their community, their county, their state or their country even though they may say otherwise. Public schools these days need educated, capable parents to stay with them and fight to improve conditions for the teachers and ALL the students. Not just pull out and - in some cases - toss a match in the barrel on their way out the door.

 

[Dustin the wind]

Wow, you see these things in Idaho? I'm in a small town in a rural county in TX and while I hear some folks complaining about some of those things in the big city, we don't really have them here. As I said, my wife has been a HS teacher for over a decade. The budget issues are real. I have receipts for the things she and I have bought for her classroom, and her students. They aren't excuses. But we shouldn't have to pay for them out of our household budget. But we do because these kids belong to this community and so do we. And that's how we roll. We are about supporting the community, even though we aren't "from here" and we are constantly reminded of that in this small town. Still, the value of supporting our community trumps our otherwise selfish desires to ditch all the other kids and just take care of our own. Every time I see a capable, educated set of parents make that choice, it pains me because they are robbing their own community, and our greater community at large, of their participation. And that's partly why this nation is going through what it is - because people are more concerned about themselves and "their own" than they are about their community, their county, their state or their country even though they may say otherwise. Public schools these days need educated, capable parents to stay with them and fight to improve conditions for the teachers and ALL the students. Not just pull out and - in some cases - toss a match in the barrel on their way out the door.

It looks like I struck a nerve there with your wife being a teacher and all. It really just comes down to the fact that my wife and I don’t trust the most precious thing in our lives to not be negatively influenced by a group of people who I would barely know. I don’t subscribe to the ‘It takes a community’ method. It takes a family, community takes a backseat to family always.

Last time I checked capable parents don’t make the rules in a school system, maybe in yours they do a 180 on anything you’re concerned about. We are coming from totally opposite sides of the tracks here. You’re involved deeply in your local teaching community so you have more say than most.

I just moved to a bigger town in MT so no longer in ID which makes me even more against the idea of public school. I’m originally from Oregon, try telling me any public school there is worth a shit, maybe in eastern OR somewhere.

I don’t really see how i’m robbIng the community of anything. We will still most likely have to pay into public schools wherever we are. My kids not sharing their culture with the school or something? Parent teacher conferences? I think they’ll manage just fine, maybe they’ll even be much better off without this know it all dad lambasting them repeatedly. So in all reality i’m doing the school a big favor. My wife is worse than me btw, they want no part of the 3rd world Filipino anger coming from her.

 

[Dustin the wind]

Wow, you see these things in Idaho? I'm in a small town in a rural county in TX and while I hear some folks complaining about some of those things in the big city, we don't really have them here. As I said, my wife has been a HS teacher for over a decade. The budget issues are real. I have receipts for the things she and I have bought for her classroom, and her students. They aren't excuses. But we shouldn't have to pay for them out of our household budget. But we do because these kids belong to this community and so do we. And that's how we roll. We are about supporting the community, even though we aren't "from here" and we are constantly reminded of that in this small town. Still, the value of supporting our community trumps our otherwise selfish desires to ditch all the other kids and just take care of our own. Every time I see a capable, educated set of parents make that choice, it pains me because they are robbing their own community, and our greater community at large, of their participation. And that's partly why this nation is going through what it is - because people are more concerned about themselves and "their own" than they are about their community, their county, their state or their country even though they may say otherwise. Public schools these days need educated, capable parents to stay with them and fight to improve conditions for the teachers and ALL the students. Not just pull out and - in some cases - toss a match in the barrel on their way out the door.

These two brothers look like homeschooling really messed them up. They’ll probably never find a girlfriends or stable careers. Poor kids.

 

[CorbLand]

I manage a couple federal grants that provide funding to low income schools for additional support for students. It’s amazing what schools need and can’t afford. Simple things,a 25 dollar rock set for a geology class, paper for a tutor center, supplies for after school programs, etc. Not saying that schools are the best at spending money and that there isn’t money to be found but budget restraints are a real thing for them.

I can say this too. Someone from the community that cares about the education system in their area can make a difference. One of the schools I work with had a guy come and work there to run our grant. He would drive the students on his own dime to take the ACT, go tour a college they wanted to go to, you name it he would do it. In the two years he was there, they saw a 400% increase in graduation rates. Literally they went from graduating 10 kids out of about 60 to 40 out of 60. He quit, back to 10 the next year.

I have a very jaded opinion of the public education system from working with it but I can’t say that homeschooling is always the best option. While you may be educated and your wife is obviously highly educated it doesn’t mean that you can effectively teach your kids concepts. I am very good at math but cant teach my wife how to do math for her program. I have seen a lot of homeschooled kids. Some do well, the majority suffer socially. If your going to homeschool them, make sure that you have them in some form of extracurricular activities that they can get some social interaction with different people. Also, make sure that you are willing to get them the support they need if they are struggling.

That last one is a major thing I think has changed. Everyone acts like you should send your kid to school and they learn everything. My brother struggled to read, so my mom read with him every night. I struggled with math in my junior high/high school time. My mom made sure that I had a tutor or was able to stay after and get help.

Home schooling can be effective but you have to stay dedicated as parents/teachers. My mother in law “home schooled” her kids. One of the five has a high school diploma. One of the four, has a GED. My cousin home schools her kids, they are smart kids, well beyond what they should be for their age. Just stay dedicated and make sure that you are providing your kids with the balance they need. Education isn’t everything but it’s hell a ******* important.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dustin the wind]

I manage a couple federal grants that provide funding to low income schools for additional support for students. It’s amazing what schools need and can’t afford. Simple things,a 25 dollar rock set for a geology class, paper for a tutor center, supplies for after school programs, etc. Not saying that schools are the best at spending money and that there isn’t money to be found but budget restraints are a real thing for them.

I can say this too. Someone from the community that cares about the education system in their area can make a difference. One of the schools I work with had a guy come and work there to run our grant. He would drive the students on his own dime to take the ACT, go tour a college they wanted to go to, you name it he would do it. In the two years he was there, they saw a 400% increase in graduation rates. Literally they went from graduating 10 kids out of about 60 to 40 out of 60. He quit, back to 10 the next year.

I have a very jaded opinion of the public education system from working with it but I can’t say that homeschooling is always the best option. While you may be educated and your wife is obviously highly educated it doesn’t mean that you can effectively teach your kids concepts. I am very good at math but cant teach my wife how to do math for her program. I have seen a lot of homeschooled kids. Some do well, the majority suffer socially. If your going to homeschool them, make sure that you have them in some form of extracurricular activities that they can get some social interaction with different people. Also, make sure that you are willing to get them the support they need if they are struggling.

That last one is a major thing I think has changed. Everyone acts like you should send your kid to school and they learn everything. My brother struggled to read, so my mom read with him every night. I struggled with math in my junior high/high school time. My mom made sure that I had a tutor or was able to stay after and get help.

Home schooling can be effective but you have to stay dedicated as parents/teachers. My mother in law “home schooled” her kids. One of the five has a high school diploma. One of the four, has a GED. My cousin home schools her kids, they are smart kids, well beyond what they should be for their age. Just stay dedicated and make sure that you are providing your kids with the balance they need. Education isn’t everything but it’s hell a ******* important.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I fully understand the dedication it takes. I don’t just say this lightly or as something I don’t plan on putting 100% of my effort into. Not fully illiterate with math and sciences either. I will probably only need her higher education the last couple years of high school age.

I just know that generalized learning for every individual does not always foster unique thought. Or giving everyone a trophy. I saw kids fall behind frequently as we all probably have. I saw a lot of teachers never have time for the quiet kids. I saw many kids act out and get pulled out of class because the kid was frustrated with the teachers learning style.

It seems every person in this thread has or had top notch no issue angels of children in school, as i’m sure they were themselves. I don’t think I learned much of anything in high school, our class did have a record drop out rate though.

 

[Marbles]

Home schooling can have good results and bad, depends on many factors. Public school can also have good results or bad, also depends on many factors. I have seen the good and bad results of both. For some of those results, it would not have mattered one hill of beans which schooling method was used. For others it made all the difference.

I can say, I'm glad I was home schooled. This is for many reasons, but the most trivial is that I always have fun telling people that I was home schooled, but still attended special ed classes at a public school, and that I'm a home school, high school drop out. I mean, what more would you expect from an Ozark hillbilly who grew up in poverty?

That always gets a better reaction than telling people I enlisted in the Navy at 17 with a GED and 16 college credits.

As for social skills, I know plenty of people who went to public school and are still socially awkward. But hey, my life is destroyed because I did not go to prom. That night would have defined me, made me complete, and given me purpose; but instead I'm just a sad shell of a person. Now I have to go perform my daily prom morning ritual of rending cloths and rolling in ashes. Thankfully the homeless shelter gives out free cloths as it would get quite expensive otherwise.