Here is a great article on the differences between public school and home school when it comes to teaching history… and other things.
The article makes several valid points, and I encourage you to read it.
Parents aren’t specialists in the areas that high school teachers are, and so theoretically they can’t teach as well, according to critics of home schooling. The article points out that frequently the teachers of many subjects aren’t specialists, but are simply moved into a particular course because of the needs of the school, regardless of their own preparation. And I know that does happen, because I’ve seen it and experienced it myself.
But, bluntly, the fact is that too many teachers can’t teach effectively in the area that is their purported specialty. And their school systems usually can’t get rid of them, even if they want to. The only way to fire a teacher, short of criminal acts on the part of the teacher, seems to be when the state is broke, and can claim “financial exigencies.”
I have known some great public school teachers. I know some now. But I’ve also known some pretty bad ones. They are all still teaching, as far as I know.
Public school has become a giant political correctness factory in too many places. It virtually always indoctrinates in a left-leaning direction, sometimes radically so. If your child is assigned to an incompetent teacher, or simply a doctrinaire leftist one, there is not much you can do about it, all too often. I’ve tried. And failed.
Some of our kids have had some decent teachers in the public schools. But they are swimming against the tide, and there is no way for even a competent teacher to avoid the political correctness that masquerades as “critical thinking” in the schools.
And there is no way for even a good teacher to do much about all the social/political nonsense and experimentation that goes on in the schools today, that wouldn’t have been tolerated 30 years ago, because much of it is mandated by the state.
That’s why we are a home-schooling family.
March 10th, 2010 11:20 am
There are a couple of other ways to get rid of teachers. Have them pray. Have them teach students “One nation under God”. Have them teach about Creationism (see expelled), Have them teach the religious historical heritage of our nation. All of these will get them a pink slip.
March 10th, 2010 12:43 pm
Actually, in my little public school district there are many Christian teachers and classified staff. The radio in the Jr. Hi. office plays a Christian radio station softly all day; teachers and staff have ocassional prayer meetings for the school district; the choir director at the high school read the Christmas story from Luke to his classes. We are not on the frontlines here, there are liberals all around, but Christians really can make a mark when they are of a mind to. And all our schools in the district begin with the “one nation under God” flag salute. Y’all come on ‘a my town! We’re not giving up the ship yet!!
March 10th, 2010 12:48 pm
The ACLU just hasn’t discovered you yet. Maybe God has blinded their eyes so they won’t.
March 10th, 2010 12:51 pm
Tonedeaf – I am really pleased to hear that! Thank you for sharing.
March 10th, 2010 1:26 pm
Meanwhile, homeschooling families must still pay taxes for schools they do not use and for teachers that are failing their students.
March 10th, 2010 3:03 pm
I’m a huge proponent of homeschooling. Just want to make that clear. And yes, Harmonic, they haven’t found us yet. Thus, my tag.
March 10th, 2010 5:50 pm
To those of you who homeschool, I salute you. In our daughter’s district, it’s definitely a crap shooting affair to find a decent school. When you do find one, it may change radically when the principal leaves (or a host of other reasons)… We have found that she can benefit from certain niche programs and clubs, such as history bowl. She recently competed and did pretty well with her team. But I do not care for the texts they currently use for history. Everything is referred to as ‘BCE’ or ‘CE’. We wouldn’t want to offend any atheists out there in suggesting that Christ actually played a role in the dating of history….. ‘BC’ or ‘AD’ anyone?
March 10th, 2010 6:06 pm
Maybe one reason that public schools have become such a liberal mess is that very few Christians run for school boards. In fact, though the original purpose of public education in this country was to teach children to read so that they could read the Bible – an early textbook, Christians quickly abandoned the ownership of schools. I wonder why? I remember when I was growing up in the 1950′ and 60’s that many Christians were opposed to involvement in any form of public life. Politics was considered ‘dirty business’ and a Christian wouldn’t want to soil their hands with it. It was in the late ’70’s when suddenly the church looked at the culture and said, “what happened?” We live in this wonderful country ‘by the people’ where Christians could have huge influence but for some reason have chosen not to. Kind of late, huh?
March 10th, 2010 6:10 pm
Homeschooling can be tough on the kids. They can’t hide anything from their parents and corporal punishment can be dished out by both Teacher and Principal. 🙂
May 24th, 2010 2:54 pm
Home Schooling is also nice since you got to always see your kids.;’.
July 22nd, 2010 6:09 pm
i was home schooled too but i would still prefer regular schools..*,
July 23rd, 2010 7:37 am
What do you mean by “regular school”?
September 9th, 2010 3:45 am
i was home schooled and it is quite satisfactory when providing basic education~:*