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I have a family member ( extended family member) that home school her children. She is a HS dropout and her kids are so far behind their peers that they will never be able to go on to HS.They are years behind. How can this be allowed?
Depends on what state she lives in, I think. Most states have mandatory competency levels that have to be met, grade by grade. It's reportable to the local school district, I think. If the kids don't meet the minimum requirements, they have to be enrolled in a legitimate school, either private or public, but it must be an accredited school.
When people ask me about home schooling here in Idaho, I point them to Idaho Virtual Academy which is top-notch. The kids enrolled consistently out-perform the public schools across the state...which, I agree, isn't saying much considering this is Idaho. But. They score well against the best in the rest of the nation, too, and it is structured like the Montessory Method schools combined with the gifted/talented programs. Home schooling in this case is superior to public school, though I do think that things might get a bit dicey when it comes to lab classes like chemistry and physics.
I homeschool and it does depend what state you are in. Whatever the state says she has to do. Each state is different. I would think if she isn;'t registered as a home school and her state says she has to then I would think her kids are not in school. In that case she could be in trouble.
Well. I agree that it does depend on the state in part, but I don't know of any states that require kids to be above or even at "grade level."
Grade level is an arbitrary thing set by curriculum companies. What kids do in one grade with one curriculum might not match what they're doing/learning in another curriculum. Most homeschoolers see past the arbitrary lines and teach to their children's interests and abilities. For example, my 7 year old would be in 2nd grade if he went to school. He's finishing up his 1st grade math curriculum (so in theory he'd be behind), but he has a mathematical mind and can figure out problems above what he's actually doing. He did not learn to read until he was 6 1/2, but now he's a strong reader. He can also tell you a LOT about castles and volcanoes, and we're currently studying the Civil War. I don't know what 1st and 2nd graders are doing in science in the public schools, so he may be ahead in that respect. I honestly don't worry about it. And I hope that my extended family does not either... it's really none of their business. There's no reason for him to "keep up" with the mediocrity expected in public school, nor to compete with those students. We don't do busy work, for the most part, so he probably is "behind" on memorizing arcane facts. That's okay by me!
Remember that in a class of 30 kids, 10 will be "ahead," 10 will be "average," and 10 will be "behind." That's the law of averages. Just because your family member homeschools, it does not mean that her kids have to be ahead or average. True, most homeschoolers are ahead of or on par with their schooled peers... but that does not mean that all are, or that all are ahead in EVERYTHING. Chances are, even if those kids went to school, they might not be on grade level either. There are remedial classes in every grade.
Unless they live with you, you may not know how the kids are doing. I know that my kids don't like being quizzed about whether they can read or on the facts that they know, and they just roll their eyes and clam up when interrogated by well meaning family members or friends. If that sort of thing is the basis of your assessment that they are behind, then I'm afraid it might not be accurate.
If she is not following the state's laws, if any, then as a concerned family member, you might suggest that she do so. Some states require testing, some require a portfolio review, others have no notification or assessment requirements. If she is following the laws, or if her state has no laws, then there's really nothing that you can or should do about it... parents are allowed to educate their children how they see fit, for the most part.
I have a family member ( extended family member) that home school her children. She is a HS dropout and her kids are so far behind their peers that they will never be able to go on to HS.They are years behind. How can this be allowed?
How are you qualified to judge what your extended family member is or isn't teaching her children? What makes you so convinced that they are so far behind their peers that they won't be able to go to highschool? Do you even have children of your own?
Every child learns at their own pace. That is one fo the problems in public schools and with NCLB. You can't force a child to learn information before they are ready, so public schools are forced to teach to the lowest common denominator. In my experience, homeschooling is the only setting where there ARE no children left behind!
And, being a high school dropout has no bearing on ability to teach his/her own children. There are many life lessons that one acquires outside of high school, so if that is where you think that the bulk of education happens, that is pretty sad. If you were my family member I would tell you to mind your own business or just avoid contact with you altogether.
How are you qualified to judge what your extended family member is or isn't teaching her children? What makes you so convinced that they are so far behind their peers that they won't be able to go to highschool? Do you even have children of your own?
Every child learns at their own pace. That is one fo the problems in public schools and with NCLB. You can't force a child to learn information before they are ready, so public schools are forced to teach to the lowest common denominator. In my experience, homeschooling is the only setting where there ARE no children left behind!
And, being a high school dropout has no bearing on ability to teach his/her own children. There are many life lessons that one acquires outside of high school, so if that is where you think that the bulk of education happens, that is pretty sad. If you were my family member I would tell you to mind your own business or just avoid contact with you altogether.
So why are you attacking me? You assume that I am just talking out of my butt? I never said homeschooling is bad if your children's education is your first priority, but when a 12 year old can't tell you where on the map Canada is located at, or read secound grade English, thats a problem.
And this is not just one child, this is all 6 of them. Not all people that homeschooling are qualified to do so. I am sorry to say that. This is one of them and if you actually knew the situation you wouldn't be so quick attacking me.
How long has your family member been homeschooling? She must be familiar with requirements by the state. Parents of homeschooled children answer only to the state they live in, not the school district as posted by someone else. There are even a handful of states that require nothing from the parent as accountability; and there are states that make a parent jump through hoops to homeschool.
There was a mother who homeschooled her children in this state, but did not follow what was required during the year, and was put in prison because of it. That's a little extreme, but that's how seriously they take it.
Unfortunately, schools themselves send children from one grade to the next without competency in anything. It's pretty easy to get away with minimal course of study, homeschool or otherwise, but homeschooling offers the opportunity to excell in areas where the strengths are.
Hopefully your family member will use this time to help her kids be stars.
This is common sense talking--> If you have not graduated from High school how on earth can you possibly teach your children classes you yourself never took? If you did eventually learn the material you should have gone to adult school to at least get a GED or whatever.
You stated the kids would eventually be going to public High school? Whats the point of homeschooling then? My cousins were homeschooled their WHOLE lives. I thought that was the point of it. To give your kid that attention they need until they graduate.
If a mother is lying about her kids abilities and scores (and there ARE parents who do that sort of thing) then the state has no way of knowing how well the kids are really doing.
There really should be some consistancy in this country on homeschooling. Just the standards, whether you go to a local school for testing to send in to the gov't or whatever. There should be clear rules and guidelines set up. There have a been a number of kids taken out of school and "homeschooled" when really they were just being abused by parents who didnt want the authorities to know. I think oversight would be good for this area.
Any child getting a diploma in my state must pass these tests for english and math, but do homeschooled kids need to pass as well? Anyone?
No, Taboo, a homeschooled child would not need to pass school tests to "graduate," because they are not graduating from anything.
People bring their babies home from the hospital and abuse them too. Would you advocate government officials checking in on babies weekly? All babies and children who are too young to go to school? My guess would be no. Why would you think that should change when the hcild turns 5 years old? Homeschooling and child abuse have nothing to do with one another.
Going to the local school for testing on information that is, to many homeschoolers (note that I did not say ALL homeschoolers), useless and trivial, does not make sense. The local school district does not own children. Homeschooled children do not participate in their programs, so why would they be tested on those programs?
And while many homeschooling families choose to homeschool throughout, others do not... some only do it for a year, others do it for all of elementary school and then send their kids to middle school, others send the kids to high school... it varies.
About the high school dropout... there are many, many things from high school that I've forgotten. I don't remember how to figure out trigonometric equations, I don't remember the formulas that I memorized in physics, I could not begin to tell you the plot themes from The Great Gatsby or expound on the symbolism from The Old Man and the Sea. So I probably would do no better in a 12th grade high school classroom than a high school dropout at this point, and I took all Honors and Advanced Placement classes! Memorizing the material for a test when you're 15 does not make you "qualified" to teach it when you're 40. Being a parent who wants the best for their child does, though, as does learning it right along with them if necessary. And realize that none of the things I mentioned impact my life in any way... not reading certain literature selections and not memorizing formulas will NOT hold them back, for the most part.
And realize that none of the things I mentioned impact my life in any way... not reading certain literature selections and not memorizing formulas will NOT hold them back, for the most part.
I think the OP is concerned with the ABILITY to read at all, not necessarily being Literary in the sense you are speaking of.
In Oklahoma there is only one requirement to homeschool your children. You must give written notice to the Superintendent of Schools in your district.
You don't HAVE to teach them anything. They are not tested, monitored, or anything like that. Good Luck!!!!!!!!
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