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While it's not easy, you don't necessarily have to live on one income to homeschool. I work from home, for example. It takes a ton of juggling, but my kids are at ages where they're mostly independent in their schoolwork, and I can arrange my schedule to take advantage of whatever social/extra opportunities come up. There are quite a few moms in my homeschool group who work part-time, and at least one who works fulltime in the evenings while her husband works fulltime during the daytime hours.
It appears that a really small percentage (3.4%) of American kids are homeschooled, just wanted to hear from homeschoolers why they may think that is?
Thanks.
Maybe the answer is simply that most Americans are satisfied with their local public schools, especially since the quality/reputation of the local school district is a major determinant of where people with children buy or rent homes.
Maybe the answer is simply that most Americans are satisfied with their local public schools, especially since the quality/reputation of the local school district is a major determinant of where people with children buy or rent homes.
Most Americans (particularly the 99% that don't live in the top-rated public school districts) find the public school system and their own public schools wanting, the homeschooling population is increasing exponentially and the percentage has doubled in just the past decade or so, so I doubt your explanation.
My answer to the OP is that any change or movement, especially as radical a one as homeschooling, has to go through certain phases before it can dominate; first, people have to be aware that a practice exists before they start doing it themselves, and must believe they can do it (legally, practically, etc). Most people were ignorant of its existence until well into the 2000's, and most have yet to be convinced that it is an option for their situation. Experience, which comes primarily from the passage of time, is also necessary, because a practice can only dominate when it is refined, when support exists, when resources exist, and there are many readily-available successful examples of people in all walks of life doing the practice. Even after all this is already in place, defection to a new practice (barring a cataclysm) only ever occurs at a certain rate, so more time is required before the practice becomes dominant.
Multiple generations passed between the widespread introduction of public schools and high schools and when they became the norm for their age group. Centuries passed between the widespread introduction of colleges and when they became commonplace for young adults (even today only 39% of those aged 25-34 have an associates degree or higher). At current rates of growth the majority of children will be homeschooled by the middle of this century, give or take a few decades, only two generations after its widespread introduction, so it's currently proceeding as fast or faster than any other major change in educational practice ever has.
Whether it will proceed at that pace or decelerate is a good question; there are arguments that growth may even accelerate in the next few decades, and there is in any case a natural ceiling that homeschooling will eventually hit (though my belief is that ceiling can't be much lower than 50% or much higher than 80%). A fascinating trend emerging in parallel is schools that replicate an upper-class homeschooling model as closely as possible, such as the Avenues school in NYC, so where that ceiling ends up will depend greatly on whether the average school is like Avenues (a lower ceiling) or like today's public schools (a higher ceiling).
It appears that a really small percentage (3.4%) of American kids are homeschooled, just wanted to hear from homeschoolers why they may think that is?
Thanks.
^^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patricius Maximus
Most Americans (particularly the 99% that don't live in the top-rated public school districts) find the public school system and their own public schools wanting, the homeschooling population is increasing exponentially and the percentage has doubled in just the past decade or so, so I doubt your explanation.
Sez you. Prove it with real stats that show that "most Americans ... find the public school system and their own public schools wanting".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patricius Maximus
My answer to the OP is that any change or movement, especially as radical a one as homeschooling, has to go through certain phases before it can dominate; first, people have to be aware that a practice exists before they start doing it themselves, and must believe they can do it (legally, practically, etc). Most people were ignorant of its existence until well into the 2000's, and most have yet to be convinced that it is an option for their situation. Experience, which comes primarily from the passage of time, is also necessary, because a practice can only dominate when it is refined, when support exists, when resources exist, and there are many readily-available successful examples of people in all walks of life doing the practice. Even after all this is already in place, defection to a new practice (barring a cataclysm) only ever occurs at a certain rate, so more time is required before the practice becomes dominant.
Multiple generations passed between the widespread introduction of public schools and high schools and when they became the norm for their age group. Centuries passed between the widespread introduction of colleges and when they became commonplace for young adults (even today only 39% of those aged 25-34 have an associates degree or higher). At current rates of growth the majority of children will be homeschooled by the middle of this century, give or take a few decades, only two generations after its widespread introduction, so it's currently proceeding as fast or faster than any other major change in educational practice ever has.
Whether it will proceed at that pace or decelerate is a good question; there are arguments that growth may even accelerate in the next few decades, and there is in any case a natural ceiling that homeschooling will eventually hit (though my belief is that ceiling can't be much lower than 50% or much higher than 80%). A fascinating trend emerging in parallel is schools that replicate an upper-class homeschooling model as closely as possible, such as the Avenues school in NYC, so where that ceiling ends up will depend greatly on whether the average school is like Avenues (a lower ceiling) or like today's public schools (a higher ceiling).
This is total nonsense. "Homeschooling" has never worked as a successful substitute for public education for the general populace of any country. Ever.
IDK, but I think homeschooling would be easier during the early grades. Then as you get into more advanced subject material, around 6th-7th grade, that could be really tough for the average parent to pull off.
Also, a LOT of people live in areas where the schooling is quite good, so parents don't feel the need to homeschool.
Personally, I've found it easier to homeschool my kid now that he's in high school and doing stuff like Chemistry, Ancient History and Trig.
I don't "teach" this stuff out of my head. I'm more of a facilitator, or tutor, at this point. And, because he's older and more self-driven, I'm headed out the door to work today.
This is total nonsense. "Homeschooling" has never worked as a successful substitute for public education for the general populace of any country. Ever.
What do you think went on before mandatory schooling?
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