A Public Educaution

The Issue:
Since having children, my perspective has drastically changed on many different issues. One of the those looming issues is the education system. My twins are now four and the school question has hit me like a broken record. It has arisen in various configurations, but free of phrasing, at its root, its the same question: When are you going to put your kids in school? The haughty inquisitions have pushed their way in from family, friends and customers with looks of genuine concern that my twins are not yet in Pre-K. For all those in question, the honest answer is that I 100% do not believe in concept of Pre-K for my kids. [I want to make it a point here that I am not advocating the elimination of Pre-K altogether... There are many children who greatly benefit from these programs on many levels and in many different circumstances.] I am now fortunate enough to stay home with my children, working outside of the home only about 15 hours a week. Through attentive surveillance of my children's educational needs, I have found that everything they need to learn can not only be accomplished at home, but proves to be enhanced in an "at home" environment. Upon hearing this, the naysayers cry, "But Socialization! You can't get that at home - how will they ever make friends and learn how to become socially stable?"

There are copious reasons and supportive arguments on why I believe homeschooling is far and away superior to public or private education. The first and most prominent argument is the failing structure of school systems (public or private). Don't let the generality of this statement derail your certainty in my logic here - I will respectively break it down...

(1) Individual Attention & Teacher Tenure -
I don't think there would be much dispute that a situation which contains one teacher to roughly 20-25 students does not foster individual student attention. I do acknowledge that individual attention is not always needed and individual thought and processing is a highly beneficial and needed intelligence. But what happens when your child isn't the star student, doesn't understand directions well or learns in a different manner than material is taught? Children are fragile pupils, if they do not understand a topic or are made to feel inferior or incompetent by classmates or teachers, they may be permanently turned off to a particular area of focus. I think we can all look back on our own classroom experiences and agree that there were instances that we felt dumb or frustrated because we didn't understand something. For some of us the recollections may be faint; but for others, it has manifested into a current reality which was deeply rooted in these painstaking memories.

While no teacher is able to stretch themselves broad enough to lend assistance to every student when they require it, there are indisputably teachers who are more conscious, flexible and sensitive to individual student needs. The quality of our local educators has greatly deteriorated in a large part because of teacher tenure policies. Taken from teacherunionexposed.com, "Originally, tenure was a due process guarantee, something intended to work as a check against administrators capriciously firing teachers and replacing them with friends or family members. It was also designed to protect teachers who took political stands the community might disagree with. Tenure as we understand it today was first seen at the university level, where professors would work for years and publish many pieces of inspired academic work before being awarded what amounted to a job for life...In most states, teachers are awarded tenure after only a few years, at which time they become almost impossible to fire. The main function of these laws is to help bad teachers keep their jobs."

The fact is, that there are many educators who are failing our children everyday; and not just failing our children, but failing the future of society as a whole. Why are there no consistent standards, evaluations... overall scrutinies that these educators are held to? According to teacherunionexposed.com,  "A study conducted by Public Agenda in 2003 polled 1,345 schoolteachers on a variety of education issues, including the role that tenure played in their schools. When asked 'does tenure mean that a teacher has worked hard and proved themselves to be very good at what they do?' 58 percent of the teachers polled answered that no, tenure 'does not necessarily' mean that. In a related question, 78 percent said a few (or more) teachers in their schools 'fail to do a good job and are simply going through the motions.'"

While many educators justly have the best intentions for their students, I argue that no one has more genuine interest in the academic, social and emotional success and stability of your child than you.

(2) Standardized Testing & Grading-
Through my own research, I was unexpectedly surprised to discover that public school curricula and student performance standards do not stem from the federal government but from state and local municipalities. While there are no overriding national standards that each state must follow, there is no lack of suggestion through federal dollars and programs - while total federal spending only accounts for roughly 8-10 percent of K-12 education expenditures, federal funding can manipulatively exert a great amount of influence.

While curricula can differ slightly among states, the enforcement of standardized testing as a measure of student achievement does not. At its best, standardized testing provides a warped sense of accountability, an enraging disproportionate measure of a students knowledge and/or success. "Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. According to late education researcher Gerald W. Bracey, PhD, qualities that standardized tests cannot measure include "creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, endurance, reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, civic-mindedness, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, sense of beauty, sense of wonder, honesty, integrity." [Valerie Strauss, "The Myths of Standardized Testing,” Washington Post, Apr. 15, 2011]

Standardized tests impose not only accountability on the students but perhaps even more so on the educators who must administer particular pieces of knowledge in a method by which the majority of the students will understand, retain and be able to recall when asked on a test. "Teaching to the test" is replacing good teaching practices with "drill n' kill" rote learning. A five-year University of Maryland study completed in 2007 found "the pressure teachers were feeling to 'teach to the test'" since NCLB was leading to "declines in teaching higher-order thinking, in the amount of time spent on complex assignments, and in the actual amount of high cognitive content in the curriculum." [Bruce Jacobs, "No Child Left Behind's Emphasis on 'Teaching to the Test' Undermines Quality Teaching,” Endeavors, Dec. 2007]

Another way public schools measure the success and worth of our children is through a grading scale.  Seemingly conducive, evaluating children with grade marks can be destructive to a child's self-esteem as well as a child's inherent interest to learn. I find it disheartening that no matter how much effort a child expends throughout the learning process that they are ultimately assessed (in most cases solely) on retention. Receiving a "grade" for everything in school implies that learning is merely a format to rate one's value. It does not encourage learning for learning's sake, it does not promote genuine interest and excitement in subject matter and it does not push children to work or study harder. Quite honestly I feel that it is emotional manipulation - one can justly feel smart if able to achieve an A, feel pretty good about themselves with a B, be disappointed in themselves with a C, feel completely discouraged with a D and feel like an utter failure with an F. Luckily, as a school-aged child I fell into the "Smart A" category, but I cannot imagine what it must have felt like to be a C, D or F.


(3) Physical & Mental Safety -
Through countless national news stories of vicious bullying, weapon infiltrations and fatal shootings, I think all parents are would be foolish not to question the physical and mental safety of their children in school. It is downright depressing to see how monstrous children can be. One of the reasons I do not want to enroll my twins in pre-k or daycare or whatever you choose to call it, is so they don't pick up on the bad behaviors of other kids. I don't want them coming home with disrespectful attitudes, raunchy language or abusive out-lashes. While this is a fear of mine, I reassuringly know that my children have behavior bases built in love, respect and forgiveness which have been instilled at home.


With these flaws identified, there are also specific benefits that I find to homeschooling...

(1) Family Bonding - I feel like family bonding in today's society has become nothing more than an afterthought. It comes second to our careers, school, activities, sports, favorite tv shows... you name it. I think the most family bonding time families get is at the dinner table, if they are fortunate enough to experience it there! Society has moved away from family focus to individual focus. Somewhere the paradigm has sadly shifted to "me". What will benefit me most, what do I need, how can I get ahead? In this new "me" culture, we don't even know how to experience real emotion. Instead of unloading our innermost thoughts, fears, desires and flaws to those who we care about and care about us most, we post daily or even hourly status' to spew to the world that which we cannot even share with our own parents or brothers or sisters. And for what? So someone will feel sorry for us? So someone will give us a like - pay us some attention? Where are the families? My family is right here. Every single day I wake up with my kids, eat breakfast, play, nap, watch tv, argue, yell, hug, kiss, cuddle.... the list goes on and on. Not everyday is easy - you noted the argue and yell in there right?! But it's all a part of life, it's all a part of the innermost functioning's of a healthy family. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for having my family - I wish I could say the same for the majority.

(2) Limitless Education - Homeschooling provides a limitless education. There are no overhead restrictions on how much time can be spent on a particular topic, no mandates on what to teach and when to teach it... It's really a beautiful thing because you are able to facilitate learning for your children when they are ready and interested in learning it! Right now my boys very interested in outer space and the solar system. So I am able guide them to books to suffice their thirst for knowledge on that particular subject. I am not sure exactly how long they will be fascinated by the topic, but I know that they are genuinely hungry for the knowledge! A limitless education also means that my children are not confined to classroom curriculum (math, science, english) - we can go on field trips any day of the week, we can learn about the parts of a car while getting the oil changed and tires rotated... they can learn how to fold laundry and personal hygiene. I can teach them religious/spiritual beliefs, I can teach them how to cook, ride a bike, tie their shoes... I can teach them what it means to be accountable and responsible for their own choices. The possibilities of what a child can learn are essentially endless and what's even more miraculous is that our children are learning even when we are not actively teaching.

(3) Strong Sense of Community - Homeschooling builds a strong sense of community in children. Homeschooling families seek out other families who share the same beliefs. Homeschooling parents are more likely to seek out extracurricular activities to meet the social needs of their children as well as their own social needs. They go on more field trips, are a part of more groups, clubs and community organizations because frankly they have the time. Homeschooling families build their lives around activities that adhere to their core beliefs - fundraisers, charity events, etc. According to Home Schooling and the Question of Socialization by Richard G. Medlin, "Home-schooled children are taking part in the daily routines of their communities. They are certainly not isolated; in fact, they associate with--and feel close to--all sorts of people." He continues, "Home schooling parents can take much of the credit for this. For, with their children's long-term social development in mind, they actively encourage their children to take advantage of social opportunities outside the family. Home-schooled children are acquiring the rules of behavior and systems of beliefs and attitudes they need. They have good self-esteem and are likely to display fewer behavior problems than do other children. They may be more socially mature and have better leadership skills than other children as well. And they appear to be functioning effectively as members of adult society."


The Reality:
I readily admit that I have done quite a bit of finger pointing in the previous section - and as famous Louis Nizer quotes states, "When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself", so here is my dose of reality!

The homeschool decision really is quite simple for me, hands down I would homeschool my children. The reality however is never so easy. The reality is that being with your kids 24-7 is an extremely challenging task. It is nearly impossible to always do, and say and be the ideal mother. There are many days when my patience is lacking, when I am tired and unambitious and when I frankly just want to lock myself in a room and just have silence, utter silence. Homeschooling is probably literally the most challenging task any parent could attempt. You must stay patient (with your children and yourself) focused, creative, inspired, interesting... you must adhere to a schedule and pre-plan events and outings - attend play dates and homeschool meetings - and on top of all this, you must still be a parent and carry the load of all the corresponding responsibilities.

The reality is that homeschooling still is not a widely accepted practice and there are people in my life who will not understand, appreciate or approve of such a decision. The naysayers will pick apart every shred of fully justified reasoning you have until you start to question yourself and your core ideals. The reality is that every second of everyday self-doubt can eat away at you and you can become your own worst enemy instead of advocate. 

The Reflection:
So in reflection, the decision on whether to homeschool my kids has been an ongoing thought process. There are many days where I wonder if I will really have the energy to accomplish all that my children deserve - whether or not I will be able to teach them or facilitate all the knowledge that they will need to learn in their childhood years. I wonder if I have the perseverance and dedication to establish a healthy schedule and provide ample opportunities for socialization. Through introspection I have come to realize that it is simply human nature follow in tradition, to stick to what is easy and to not make waves where the water is calm. 

In reflection, I wonder how many of us even question today's education system? If something feels normal does that mean it is the best path for us? If something is easier, does that mean it is right? Are we too comfortable in our comfort? Many parents can argue that school is the best place for their children and it very well maybe... Maybe parents are content letting other people raise their kids; maybe parents have been captured by the "me" culture and cannot see past their own needs to provide for the needs that their children desperately crave. Maybe parents have not even recognized that there are alternatives at their fingertips; or maybe their own insecurities are paralyzing them from pursuing these alternatives.

In reflection, believe in your children and believe in yourself. Where there is a will, there is a way. Don't blindly follow a path just because your neighbor or best friend or parents did - evaluate your own core beliefs and decide whether you and your family are really living by them. If not, maybe it is time for a change. Our kids need us more than ever - and the solution, folks, begins at home.