My husband and I have been discussing and researching public school, private school, and homeschool since the day our baby girl was born in 2009. When we finally made up our minds to to homeschool I knew we would receive our fair share of ridiculous questions and crazy opinions from well meaning strangers about homeschoolers.I was, however, not prepared for the ignorance on behalf of the school system.
In most states, Tennessee included, once your child becomes of school age (and every year following) you have to go to your school system's main office and fill out an intent to homeschool form, as well as provided documentation of your highest level of education. So that is what I did. I went to the main office and told the receptionist that I was there to complete an intent to homeschool. She handed me the form and I handed her my proof of education. I had completed the form in about a minute, handed it back to the receptionist, and headed for the door to leave, that is when I heard "Mrs. Reynolds, may I speak with you?" I spun around to see a particularly grouchy woman staring at me. "Sure" I replied. She proceeded to inform me that it was her job to "educate" me on my choice but what she really meant that it was her job to shove her ignorant and misinformed beliefs down my throat very aggressively.
As soon as we sat down she look me straight in the eyes and said, "I can't believe you are planning on homeschooling, how dare you condemn your child to failure." I simply replied with a dumbfounded "ummmm..." and ask her to please elaborate, which she was more than happy to do. "How dare you think you are qualified to provide your child with an education. You do know that she will never be able to graduate and will have to get her GED, which means they will never get accepted to college, or be successful. Not to mention the social aspect, your daughter won't have any friends or be able to play sports. Are you that religious or do you just hate teachers?" I was dumbstruck... her attack and spewing of ignorance seemed to last forever but finally it was my turn to speak. "Mrs. So-and-So you seem to be a little uneducated about homeschooling. Let me start by saying even though families do homeschool for religious purposes that is not one of the reasons we have chosen to do so. I do not hate teachers and am in fact a licensed teacher, I do however have a huge issue with our current educational system.. I think that I am more than qualified to provided my child with a proper education especially since the state of Tennessee believes that I am qualified to provide students k-6 with one. I am also well aware that my daughter will not be allowed to receive a diploma in this state, which is part of a policy set in place to deter parents from homeschooling. GED's however are accepted by colleges and universities. Speaking of college are you aware that Ivy leagues actively recruit homeschool students? They do this because studies have shown that homeschool students are doing better academically when compared to their peers. They also tend to be better independent workers and self motivators. As for sports and extracurricular activities my child will be able to take classes in pretty much anything her little heart desires and in most states once they reach high school age homeschool students are permitted to try out and play for their high school. Thank you for your misguided concern regarding my child's education and future but as her mother I think I know what is the right decision for her and our family." With that I headed back towards the door, with one hand on the handle, I turned to Mrs. So-and-So and with a smile said, " I look forward to next summer when I see you again . Oh and I will be filling out two intents to homeschool that day." With that I was gone and our adventure officially began.
I know that homeschooling is not for everybody but please don't be like Mrs. So-and-So. Please don't spew ignorance. I have included a few common myths about homeschoolers that have been debunked to hopefully shine new light on homeschooling.
Myth #1- Your child won't be accepted to college.
FALSE- Homeschoolers have the same opportunity to go to college as any other student. In fact homeschoolers are in demand, the high achievement levels or homeschoolers has caught the eye of colleges and recruiters across the nation especially at some of the top schools. We are talking the Ivy Leagues people. That's right you can homeschool and your child can still go to Harvard.
Myth #2 - Homeschoolers are not as smart as their peers.
FALSE- On average homeschoolers perform better on standardized tests then 80% of their peers.
Myth #3- Homeschoolers are socially awkward
Even though this is probably the most common myth it is FALSE! On average homeschoolers have better social skills since they spend time surrounded by a diverse group of people from adults, to their peers, and younger children. They also spend more time out in the real world interacting with a diverse population. Plus they don't have homework so homeschoolers can spend their free time doing dance, cheer, gymnastics, music, theater, Martial Arts, or volunteering as well as countless other extracurriculars. And let's be real the typical school day is not designed for socializing, children are not allowed to talk with their peers except for during recess and lunch which for most children is 20 minutes to 1 hour per day.
But don't just take my word for it, after all knowledge is power...
