Hey I just found this article about homeschooling that made me so mad! You can read it http://www.nea.org/espcolumns/dv040220.html
I was surprised that NEA would allow a lightweight, with no obvious pertinent credentials, address (so poorly) an issue (that more and more people are choosing homeschooling over public schools) that obviously has them worried. While irritating, it was also illuminating (to echo Randa’s comment) that NEA would fail to have a more reasoned and compelling argument against homeschooling. I mean, they’re an educated bunch, right? Maybe this was the best they could do. 
The “right” person for the right job is all a matter of perspective to me. Who knows my child’s learning style and strengths/weakenesses better than me? I am a trained professional when it comes to my own child. Not to mention that many of us are using curriculums that are written by “trained professionals” in those areas. We are the experts that can best know how to present the information we are given to our own children.
What do you think? Am I right to be mad about this?
3 responses so far ↓
1 Mike R. // Oct 9, 2007 at 5:24 pm
My wife and I are the parents of a gifted (99.9th percentile) six-year-old and are very frustrated with the inflexibility of the administration at her public school. It is obvious to us that an exceptional child needs exceptions to the ordinary curriculum in order for him or her to be educated rather than just marking time in school. We have seriously considered homeschooling our child in order to to gain the flexibility to meet our child’s needs.
However, at this time, we have not chosen to homeschool our child. Why not? After all, my wife and I are quite intelligent. I am an expert in teaching adults, with many years of experience. Both my wife and I excelled in school. So why have we chosen not to homeschool at this time? For two main reasons.
The first reason is that we recognize that we cannot give our child the breadth or depth of education by homeschooling that would be available through public or private school. Given our own blind spots, we also recognize that it might be difficult for us to recognize precisely where our own knowledge is inadequate. We see a great deal of advantage in allowing those with specialized subject knowledge to educate our child.
The second reason is that we are not professional educators of children. Like most parents, we may recognize when something different needs to be done, but may not be acquainted with or skilled in whatever it is that is needed. In some respects it is like our expert knowledge of our child’s normal health. We can tell, probably before anyone else, when our child is not well. However, we do not always know what to do to help our child. We recognize the problem, but rely on the expertise, training, and experience of a doctor to fix it. Similarly, we have chosen to rely on professional educators to educate our child.
2 Kristen // Oct 9, 2007 at 5:44 pm
“Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.”
Um. Custodian? As in… janitor? How is this person even remotely qualified to pontificate like that?
3 delrond // Oct 10, 2007 at 8:46 am
This article cracked me up. I thought it was hilarious. It was not very well written as far as words not did it sound like the person was very well educated who wrote it. It is posted on the NEA’s website so that tells me everything right there anyway. No offense to any teachers at all. My offense is at the NEA. I have done a lot of reading where they are concerned and I take nothing they have to say as important where my children are concerned.
It is not education that makes you a great educator. It is the love for my child and no one loves them as much as I do. I am the best teacher for my child and I do not need a degree for that. Does not mean I do not ask teachers for help with some things. I think other educators or homeschoolers have more insight than I do and I do ask for help where needed.
Then there is the S word again. OMG please tell me a homeschooler that is not socialized? The only diff with homeschooling is that I get to choose who my child is socializing with, whereas if they are at school , I have no choice.
Dont get angry over things like thise. Just know some people are ignorant with certain subjects.
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