article about homeschooling
Backstrom kelli
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/kelly_flynn/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news-0/1050243775111240.xml
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[email protected]
I tried the link it did not work so here it is shame on her!
Public schools can't be beat
FLINT JOURNAL COLUMN
GENESEE COUNTY
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Sunday, April 13, 2003
By Kelly Flynn
JOURNAL COLUMNIST
The public school system takes a lot of bashing at the hands of the media and
politicians. Some of it's justified. Most of it's not. And having taught
there for almost 20 years, I'm certainly aware of its strengths and
weaknesses.
But when it comes to a well-rounded education that prepares students for the
world of work and for functioning in a global society, the public school
system can't be beat. They take everyone. Blind, deaf, learning disabled,
mentally impaired or non-English speaking, public schools take them all and
provide the services they need. And in my experience, that's exactly what
some parents don't like about the public school system.
Still, I believe that parents should have choices when it comes to educating
their children. Charter schools and parochial schools are great options.
The educational choice that confounds me, though, is home schooling. Why
would parents choose to isolate their children from a rich and varied
learning environment? Why would parents choose to pull their children out of
the real world and shelter them from the very society that they will
ultimately have to live and work in?
It's perplexing.
In extenuating circumstances home schooling is the only viable alternative,
such as in the case of a long-term illness. I'm not talking about those
situations. But many times in my career I observed parents choosing to home
school to keep their child away from a certain "element" in the public school
system that they deemed to be unsavory, to isolate their kids in what seemed
to me to be an unhealthy way.
School is more than just academics, and parents do kids a disservice when
they try to protect their kids from the real world. Wouldn't it be more
logical to teach them to function effectively in it?
To me, the most compelling reason for sending a child to a public school is
because the public school environment reflects the real world: competition,
teamwork, cooperation and simply interacting with a wide variety of people
are part of the experience, as they are in society.
The social setting in a school is ripe with learning experiences. People from
all walks of life go to public schools: rich, poor, smart, dumb, bullies,
sissies, all cultures and ethnicities. And guess what? When kids grow up they
are going to have to work with people from all walks of life: rich, poor,
smart, dumb, bullies, sissies, and all cultures and ethnicities.
Even with the help of home schooling organizations, home-schooled children
are often shortchanged. The worst public school has more to offer in the way
of resources than most parents can offer at home, such as science labs,
technology, foreign language, theater, large and varied curriculums,
textbooks, a variety of multi-media lesson support, clubs and sports.
The teaching staff in a public school can be colorful, too. A variety of
teaching and evaluation styles forces a student to grow as a learner.
Teachers are even trained to teach to multiple intelligences. How many
parents can say the same?
Although I have a teaching certificate, I know that I couldn't come close to
giving my children the education they could get in a public school. I
couldn't possibly offer the depth and breadth of education that I know my
colleagues offer every day.
Sure, I could go to the home-schooling store and buy a book on say, history,
and I could read the chapters and assign the accompanying assignments. I
could check the answers using the answer key. We could even take a trip to
Greenfield Village. But could I offer the same depth of understanding as
someone who chose to teach history because of a passion for it, someone who
is an expert in the field?
Of course not. I would be a weak substitute, and I know it.
Parents who home-school their children have their reasons, of course. But the
effects of what these students are missing remain to be seen.
All in all, a public education is the best deal around. It's a great training
ground for the real world and, even better, it's free.
***
The Flint Journal
200 East First Street
Flint, Michigan 48502-1925
phone 810.766.6100
How to Submit Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor should include your full name, address and phone
number.
Shorter is better. If you're referring to a story or another letter, please
include the headline and date of publication.
E-mail your letters to the editor to letters@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Public schools can't be beat
FLINT JOURNAL COLUMN
GENESEE COUNTY
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Sunday, April 13, 2003
By Kelly Flynn
JOURNAL COLUMNIST
The public school system takes a lot of bashing at the hands of the media and
politicians. Some of it's justified. Most of it's not. And having taught
there for almost 20 years, I'm certainly aware of its strengths and
weaknesses.
But when it comes to a well-rounded education that prepares students for the
world of work and for functioning in a global society, the public school
system can't be beat. They take everyone. Blind, deaf, learning disabled,
mentally impaired or non-English speaking, public schools take them all and
provide the services they need. And in my experience, that's exactly what
some parents don't like about the public school system.
Still, I believe that parents should have choices when it comes to educating
their children. Charter schools and parochial schools are great options.
The educational choice that confounds me, though, is home schooling. Why
would parents choose to isolate their children from a rich and varied
learning environment? Why would parents choose to pull their children out of
the real world and shelter them from the very society that they will
ultimately have to live and work in?
It's perplexing.
In extenuating circumstances home schooling is the only viable alternative,
such as in the case of a long-term illness. I'm not talking about those
situations. But many times in my career I observed parents choosing to home
school to keep their child away from a certain "element" in the public school
system that they deemed to be unsavory, to isolate their kids in what seemed
to me to be an unhealthy way.
School is more than just academics, and parents do kids a disservice when
they try to protect their kids from the real world. Wouldn't it be more
logical to teach them to function effectively in it?
To me, the most compelling reason for sending a child to a public school is
because the public school environment reflects the real world: competition,
teamwork, cooperation and simply interacting with a wide variety of people
are part of the experience, as they are in society.
The social setting in a school is ripe with learning experiences. People from
all walks of life go to public schools: rich, poor, smart, dumb, bullies,
sissies, all cultures and ethnicities. And guess what? When kids grow up they
are going to have to work with people from all walks of life: rich, poor,
smart, dumb, bullies, sissies, and all cultures and ethnicities.
Even with the help of home schooling organizations, home-schooled children
are often shortchanged. The worst public school has more to offer in the way
of resources than most parents can offer at home, such as science labs,
technology, foreign language, theater, large and varied curriculums,
textbooks, a variety of multi-media lesson support, clubs and sports.
The teaching staff in a public school can be colorful, too. A variety of
teaching and evaluation styles forces a student to grow as a learner.
Teachers are even trained to teach to multiple intelligences. How many
parents can say the same?
Although I have a teaching certificate, I know that I couldn't come close to
giving my children the education they could get in a public school. I
couldn't possibly offer the depth and breadth of education that I know my
colleagues offer every day.
Sure, I could go to the home-schooling store and buy a book on say, history,
and I could read the chapters and assign the accompanying assignments. I
could check the answers using the answer key. We could even take a trip to
Greenfield Village. But could I offer the same depth of understanding as
someone who chose to teach history because of a passion for it, someone who
is an expert in the field?
Of course not. I would be a weak substitute, and I know it.
Parents who home-school their children have their reasons, of course. But the
effects of what these students are missing remain to be seen.
All in all, a public education is the best deal around. It's a great training
ground for the real world and, even better, it's free.
***
The Flint Journal
200 East First Street
Flint, Michigan 48502-1925
phone 810.766.6100
How to Submit Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor should include your full name, address and phone
number.
Shorter is better. If you're referring to a story or another letter, please
include the headline and date of publication.
E-mail your letters to the editor to letters@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
kbolden
Did you read her column from the week before? Basically said that all the legislation to improve the schools was a waste of time, because the kids who fail in school are kids who are poor, or kids whose parents don't give a rat's behind anyway (or both). And the teachers don't need any outside experts because they already know everything.
I sent her feedback, I couldn't help myself <g>.
Why is it that teachers say on the one hand that home influence is so profound, NOTHING a teacher can do will overcome it ... and then say on the other hand, that a parent can't possibly teach their own children anything?
Burns my butt every time.
Kay
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I sent her feedback, I couldn't help myself <g>.
Why is it that teachers say on the one hand that home influence is so profound, NOTHING a teacher can do will overcome it ... and then say on the other hand, that a parent can't possibly teach their own children anything?
Burns my butt every time.
Kay
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Heidi
Are they still coming OUT with this stuff? sheesh. You'd think "time
will tell" would mean something. He sounds like he's basing his
opinions about homeschooling on the O'Keefes or something. I'd say my
kids are much better socialized, with less academic training, than
any of their gov't schooled friends. Oh, it's a she. Well, shame on
her, is right. Public school is an inhumane, machine-oriented system
that creates automans without the capacity to think for themselves,
beyond their next purchase, and even then, that purchase comes from
external suggestion, much more than need.
grrrrrr...
HeidiC
will tell" would mean something. He sounds like he's basing his
opinions about homeschooling on the O'Keefes or something. I'd say my
kids are much better socialized, with less academic training, than
any of their gov't schooled friends. Oh, it's a she. Well, shame on
her, is right. Public school is an inhumane, machine-oriented system
that creates automans without the capacity to think for themselves,
beyond their next purchase, and even then, that purchase comes from
external suggestion, much more than need.
grrrrrr...
HeidiC
--- In [email protected], HMSL2@a... wrote:
> I tried the link it did not work so here it is shame on her!
>
> Public schools can't be beat
>
> FLINT JOURNAL COLUMN
>
> GENESEE COUNTY
>
> THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
>
> Sunday, April 13, 2003
>
> By Kelly Flynn
> JOURNAL COLUMNIST
>
>
> The public school system takes a lot of bashing at the hands of the
media and
>
> politicians. Some of it's justified. Most of it's not. And having
taught
> there for almost 20 years, I'm certainly aware of its strengths and
> weaknesses.
>
>
> But when it comes to a well-rounded education that prepares
students for the
> world of work and for functioning in a global society, the public
school
> system can't be beat.
Backstrom kelli
I just found her arguement to be terribly inaccurate and ill researched which is always a pet peeve of mine. I can't stand when people just make assumptions about topics such as this. I wrote her a little note myself:) Kelli
kbolden <kbolden@...> wrote:Did you read her column from the week before? Basically said that all the legislation to improve the schools was a waste of time, because the kids who fail in school are kids who are poor, or kids whose parents don't give a rat's behind anyway (or both). And the teachers don't need any outside experts because they already know everything.
I sent her feedback, I couldn't help myself <g>.
Why is it that teachers say on the one hand that home influence is so profound, NOTHING a teacher can do will overcome it ... and then say on the other hand, that a parent can't possibly teach their own children anything?
Burns my butt every time.
Kay
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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kbolden <kbolden@...> wrote:Did you read her column from the week before? Basically said that all the legislation to improve the schools was a waste of time, because the kids who fail in school are kids who are poor, or kids whose parents don't give a rat's behind anyway (or both). And the teachers don't need any outside experts because they already know everything.
I sent her feedback, I couldn't help myself <g>.
Why is it that teachers say on the one hand that home influence is so profound, NOTHING a teacher can do will overcome it ... and then say on the other hand, that a parent can't possibly teach their own children anything?
Burns my butt every time.
Kay
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~
If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list, please email the moderator, Joyce Fetteroll (fetteroll@...), or the list owner, Helen Hegener (HEM-Editor@...).
To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or address an email to:
[email protected]
Visit the Unschooling website: http://www.unschooling.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
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