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Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

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Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#631

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“I’ll intentionally disadvantage my kids in the name of the ideal of egalitarianism” said basically no parent ever.

I only exist as an educated person who can make a middle class income and live a normal life because of public education. My single mother is an experienced and gifted teacher, but would not have had the time to educate me. We could never have afforded to send me to any private school. My only chance for a normal life and education was public school. A huge amount of americans are poor in time and money. The only opt…

> All the wealthy families sending their kids to private schools or homeschooling and removing their property taxes from the public school system.

How exactly does that work?

We homeschool and I pay property taxes that fund our local school just like everyone else in town. I pay for services that I don't use and can be used for other children if the powers that be decide to allocate it that way.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#633

Earlier quoted context omitted.

// other aspects of homeschooling were just a fig leaf over a whole lot of religious indoctrination I was raised totally secular but I now understand that religion is about fundamentally aligning yourself to the highest aspirations ("what kind of man does G-d want me to be?") and even w/o actual faith, I am starting to think that's preferable to the current mode of "anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like an…

As someone who was raised in religious communities, that "higher aspirations" is only the position "in principle" in reality working with people in the religious community was just scams and moral self justification of despicable behavior hidden behind soft language and terrible behavior. So much contention, so much gossip, so much backbiting behavior and hidden evils against children so that communities wouldn't "lo…

I’ve seen far more contention, gossip, and backbiting behavior in secular groups, saying this as someone who didn’t go back to religion until only a few years ago. Let’s not pretend that being secular somehow makes you levitate or something. Check out the “new atheists” and their démise.

The funny part is that everyone is talking about this sort of inherent internal moral guidance, which flies in the face of the modern scientific thought.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#634

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Public schools don't have some inalienable right to that money either -- they are entrusted with the money by popular vote. If we want that to continue, then there needs to be very broad consensus that the things teachers are teaching are the right things, or at least not the wrong things.

What other institutions do people try to claw back money from when people decide they can do a better job?

Why are you assuming everyone pays into the system? In fact ide argue the people trying to claw back the money for a better outcome are the people actually paying into the system and the people that aren't are the ones causing the system to degrade.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#635
I'm probably way too late for this comment to not get buried, but in my experience 99% of homeschooled or "unschooled" kids growing up in the US around me had parents who were obsessed with avoiding secular education on things in basic biology (evolution) or history (slavery), OR had parents in the 90th+ percentile for household income and/or focus on education and STEM stuff (e.g. one parent took a part-time job teaching them at home to give them way-above-average skills compared to their peers entering HS or College). In all cases, the "better" outcomes were situational and largely correlated with income and access to opportunity rather than a homeschooling model actually being proven to be better.

AFAIK, most academic outcomes for home-schooled kids are actually worse when adjusted for income. This is at least true for private school vs. public school (https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/private-school...) but I suspect home school data is much more sparse

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#636
post #515

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was raised very Catholic (and decided by my early teens that I didn't believe in any of it), and I completely disagree with your conclusion. Organized religion (at least Christianity) absolutely is about deep fear. "Do this or you'll go to hell!" "Believe this or you'll go to hell!" Repeat ad infinitum. I won't deny that some churches (as in, specific people, not the system as a whole) can do good in the world; one…

Well I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school all the way up and through high school, decided I was a hardcore atheist around 8th grade (long since pure agnostic btw), butted heads and debated constantly in Theology class, and I disagree with you. Very few of my Catholic friends and family seem to be motivated by fear, and even at my most annoying and confrontational no one ever tried to “scare” me back into…

"Catholic Guilt" is a stereotype for a reason. The scare is: a) not going to church and being a social outcast, b) duty to go to church, to pray every day, or go to hell.

Is not limited to Catholicism but religion in general, but the stereotype is there for a reason. Maybe the teachings? Maybe anecdotally your group were outliers?

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#637
post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>it is possible to have plenty of "socialization" with other kids. I agree. Public school is not a great place for socialization, and it's not hard to create something better. Nothing socializes kids like sitting next to each other motionless in silence for several hours lol

I went to a violent high school. There were shootings and stabbings. Socialization is overrated.

sir this is a thread about privilege

that possibility isn’t even in the range here

the choices are good school district, decent private school, or a home school concept

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#638
post #515

Earlier quoted context omitted.

// other aspects of homeschooling were just a fig leaf over a whole lot of religious indoctrination I was raised totally secular but I now understand that religion is about fundamentally aligning yourself to the highest aspirations ("what kind of man does G-d want me to be?") and even w/o actual faith, I am starting to think that's preferable to the current mode of "anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like an…

I was raised very Catholic (and decided by my early teens that I didn't believe in any of it), and I completely disagree with your conclusion. Organized religion (at least Christianity) absolutely is about deep fear. "Do this or you'll go to hell!" "Believe this or you'll go to hell!" Repeat ad infinitum. I won't deny that some churches (as in, specific people, not the system as a whole) can do good in the world; one…

> But overall, religion is about control (for the religious leadership, and politicians who use religion to gain power), and about belonging and feeling less lost and alone (for practicioners) in an uncertain world.

Can I ask an earnest question, out of curiosity? What do you think is the role of government in people's lives? Do you believe we should have UBI?

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#639

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The local public school program that he would be in is overwhelmed. Pay more taxes. Solve the problem for all people who run into it, not just the ones who can afford it.

We already pay more per student than literally any other socialist country. More so in the "bad schools". Money isn't the problem, it's "da culture".

What do you mean by “da culture”

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#640

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a huge spectrum, but back when we homeschooled (my wife wasn't yet comfortable sending the kids back to the classroom in 2021) we did a few events where local homeschool kids got together for various activities. Tree identification/nature trail at the park, visits to historic sites, stuff like that. Of the parents I met there was some variety, but 9 times out of 10 it seemed like they were mostly doing it be…

// other aspects of homeschooling were just a fig leaf over a whole lot of religious indoctrination I was raised totally secular but I now understand that religion is about fundamentally aligning yourself to the highest aspirations ("what kind of man does G-d want me to be?") and even w/o actual faith, I am starting to think that's preferable to the current mode of "anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like an…

>"what kind of man does G-d want me to be?"

I just remember how religious people fought against gay marriage as if it would ban straight marriages.

God seems to want those people be hateful people.

>anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like and there's no judgement of any of your actions.

First of all, there is judgement as soon as you actions hurt others. Beside that you can be and feel like you want.

And I remember questions like "What stops atheists from murdering people or raping kids?"

Sorry, but if the only things that prevents you from being a bad person is that you are being watched over by a higher being, then you are still a bad person.

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