Guest Post by Becky

Making the Decision to Homeschool, Part I:

Just so you know, I’m not afraid of the act of homeschooling. I find most of my trepidation comes from the inherent fear of how the world around me will react to me for choosing a path so different from the one everyone else has chosen. I’ve already dipped my toe in, tested the waters and came back with a few piranha bites. Boy oh boy, do people have opinions about homeschooling! And since you’re here at this site reading this post – I don’t have to defend any of it to you’all.

What I will get on my soapbox and defend is this – I know with every fiber of my being that American schools are systematically stripping children of their love of learning…as they fill in the school year with benchmarks and focused lessons and department (if not state-wide and soon to be nation-wide) testing – and do all of this as they strip the schools of their arts, music and physical education programs. The level of redundancy is ridiculous, the actual time spent learning (average of 10 minutes to every hour) is a staggering waste of time and the narrow focus on scores and rankings is astounding – and defeating.

In addition to this, the social implications of sending your children into the mosh pit/lion’s den that is public education is to send your child into an environment where the greater percentage of kids are exposed prematurely to drugs, sex and rock&roll. Now don’t get me wrong, all of us need a little bit of the sex and rock&roll in our lives (and if ben&jerry’s can be considered a drug, that as well) – but at an appropriate age and within the appropriate constructs of monogamy and whatnot. Listen, I subbed for a number of years and was initially shocked when kindergarten students told me they were tired because they stayed up all night watching horror movies and eating their boy weight in cheetos. But the shock quickly wore off when I realized a majority of my students were living lives with very few boundaries and very little constructive parenting. It sad, but even our kindergartners aren’t safe from the slew of permissive parenting running rampant across the land.

And yes, I recognize that many live in areas where going to public school is like going to private school because of parental demographics and local income levels – but for me, this is not the case. I live in a town where 50% of the population has been and will continue to be below the poverty line. And while I love the diversity and small farming town feel of my little burb…it leaves a lot to be desired…

Sum Total: The public education system and American parents are not producing capable world citizens. It doesn’t mean a few aren’t eeking out, but for the most part the percentages are shifting in favor of my belief…that the current education model paired with permissive parenting is creating entitled ignorant brats who know very little about the world around and feel very little responsibility to better said world.

Next Time…The Things I Want my Kids to Learn and Why I Completely Disregard the Value of the Modern Liberal Arts Education.

Note from me: I actually love public education. I think our country provides some of the best free education available in the world. There are parts of it with which I disagree, but on the whole I am a huge fan and supporter. However, it is fun to see why other people homeschool and share opinions. Expect more from Becky. You can read more about her here. Also, watch for my guest post about public school myths. I'll link it here when it is posted.