Comments on: Teen’s success story debunks homeschool myth

By: Northern Homeschooler

Northern Homeschooler — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 22:13:33 +0000

I agree Samantha.
I get sick of sterotypes and people quizzing my kids.
You dont see them quiz public school kids.
I love that each homeschool is unique. We dont need cookie cutter education.

By: Samantha Peachey

Samantha Peachey — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 11:03:32 +0000

Well said, Wife, Mother, Teacher, Advisor… I see where Noah is trying to overcome the stigma. I guess homeschoolers could become their own minority group and cry victim, but Noah and many others just look at it as another obstacle to overcome and move on. I think my first reaction was to encourage homeschoolers to just live their lives and the results will be seen, as you have said “it usually only takes one interaction”. I guess I just get weary of the stereotypes that are put on homeschoolers. Thanks for your comment

By: Wife, Mother, Teacher, Advisor, etc.

Wife, Mother, Teacher, Advisor, etc. — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 23:50:07 +0000

It’s interesting to me that homeschooling is so controversial. All school choice options produce motivated kids, unmotivated kids, happy kids, strange kids, sad kids, athletic kids, artistic kids, druggie kids, etc. Some kids rebel against good involved parents, and some kids rise above the consequences of bad parents. However, the way kids turn out depends largely on what the parents emphasize as important in life and how involved they were in their kids’ lives. Most homeschooled kids I know are motivated and succeeding in life. Most parents who homeschool that I know care deeply about giving their kids the tools to succeed. My husband and I were public school graduates and knew what that involved. We decided to try homeschooling 17 years ago and haven’t looked back. Our kids are pursuing a nursing career, a public policy career, an engineering career, and a physical therapy career. All of our kids would agree that the ridiculous “homeschool kid” stigmas are annoying to have to overcome, though it usually only takes one interaction. It gives them experience in dealing with stereotypes and broad generalizations that are often unfounded. Look at the unfortunate title of this article. I think some of Noah’s points in the article were a response to those stigmas. As a side note, Noah is a wonderful example to everyone around him. He would NOT say that he is one of the rare few who narrowly escaped the oppression of homeschooling, but instead one of many homeschool graduates who were thankful for their homeschooling experience and who turned out to be great contributors to our society. He rents a house, which my father owns, and which he shares with two other stellar homeschool graduates. It’s time to move on from this stereotype.

By: Bobo Smithson

Bobo Smithson — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 23:29:33 +0000

In reply to Educator.

You are very normal. You paint the broad brush based on your experiences. Have you read the statistics on children/teens in public/state institutional schools and the associated rates of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, teen/out-of-wedlock pregnancy, low voting, incarceration, bullying, violence, depression, suicide, peer-dependency, and sexual and psychological abuse by teachers and other school personnel? And you are concerned about a few homeschool kids being different from the norm? Here is a review of peer-reviewed research on the overall positive outcomes of homeschooling compared to institutional state/public schooling: “A systematic review of the empirical research on selected aspects of homeschooling as a school choice” by B.D. Ray, Journal of School Choice, 2017, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15582159.2017.1395638

By: That90sKid

That90sKid — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 23:10:21 +0000

As someone who grew up partially homeschooled and partially private schooled, it definitely was a drag, in some respects. I didn’t always get the social interaction I wanted.

However, in retrospect, acing the ACTs first try and starting college at 15 pretty much rocked, though – even then. That was why my parents chose that path, and it worked.

My younger siblings were only ever homeschooled and, I’ll be honest, they used to have that sort of weird, homeschool-ish vibe. However, my parents simply made a note of it and put them in programs like 4H and the Boy Scouts. By the time they started college (also at 15) they were perfectly comfortable.

It all comes down to the parents and their commitment to make sure their kids are ready for the world. I feel my parents pushed academics too hard but they came from an era (and area of the country) where you really had to go to college to “make it anywhere.” So, they prepped us the best way they knew how.

But, honestly, if we had lived somewhere that they liked the schools and had sent us to them, it wouldn’t have gone much differently. My mother would have been that mom that graded her kids homework before the teacher ever saw it (she did when I was in private school) and, though we might have started college later, I would bet the outcome would have been the same.

By: Angela

Angela — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 21:25:30 +0000

In reply to Educator. This is a very interesting observation being that I gave my children the choice based on going to school with judgmental people such as your self or not. One chose public school and one chooses home school. Parading around church on Sunday and subject to chores all day? What? This is the kind of uneducated conversation that happens when you are against something and unwilling to learn about it. I think that each parent and child have the right to choose what they want and it is not anyone's business other than the state.

By: Mild Hippie Homeschooler

Mild Hippie Homeschooler — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 20:10:42 +0000

Homeschooling is great.
Unique to each family and every year can be different.
The comment about homeschoolers paraded around is obviously by a public school teacher who thinks all kids need to be in public school.
Blah!
Grammer….how many of us public school graduates or even us college grads have perfect grammer.
You know how many high school grads who can’t type ? My brainy cousins with masters degrees cant type. They said teach your kids to type. One of them is a PUBLIC SCHOOL teacher who jokes about hours of hunt and peck.
Homeschoolers do not need to be regulated.
The school that suck our tax $ should be.

By: Samantha Peachey

Samantha Peachey — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 13:17:11 +0000

Educator… I am amazed at your lopsided thoughts on this. Do you not believe what Noah is doing? It seems as though you choose to believe that there are kids that are withdrawn, paraded around on Sundays, blah blah blah, and take that as the norm. But you choose to disbelieve that Noah could be doing all that he says. I think you choose NOT to see the wonderful things in the Homeschooling movement. There are already regulations and oversight and they are held to the standard. We could go back and forth on WAY too many public school children using improper grammar, act socially stunted and blah blah blah. I am not blinded to the downside of either homeschooling or public schooling. It is unfortunate that you cannot be a help to Noah in communication, instead you want to defend and push your agenda. I have had many conversations about parents wanting to make the right decision on their children’s education. I always encourage them to look into each possibility an weigh the pros and cons. Decide what is best for you and your children. It is comments like yours that make it harder than ever for good people to make intelligent decisions about THEIR lives.

By: Educator

Educator — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 04:45:19 +0000

Regulate homeschool and ensure there is oversight in each state. While Noah may be hitting the pavement everyday, or so he says, many other homeschool kids, teens, and, even young adults are in lockdown, paraded around for church on Sunday and subject to chores all day for the rest of the week instead of being properly educated in academics. I have seen WAY too many homeschoolers use improper grammar, act socially stunted, be severely delayed in all forms of development and show other unhealthy signs of enmeshment. It’s very concerning. I remember seeing a homeschooler join public school. The public school kids were so welcoming. The homeschooled child was wary and very withdrawn and shy and that is most likely because she knew how her old homeschool group would have treated a public school kid and it wasn’t very kind. I was very proud of the public school kids and the kindness and inclusiveness shown toward one who was raised in a very closed environment. It spoke volumes.

By: Samantha Peachey

Samantha Peachey — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 14:52:32 +0000

Noah, I understand your desire to put homeschooling in a favorable light and your effort is seen in this article. I have found that it is better not to try and put the oppositions argument out there. The “whittling sticks” comment can leave those who are not as driven as you, judged as slackers or incompetent. My son, loves people and would not ever start a business as you have. He would rather put in a hard days work, like his dad, then come home and love on his family. So to him “whittling sticks” sounds like a plan.
Also a parents efforts will not make a child be successful or unsuccessful, it depends on the personality, drive, talents and interests of the child. It sounds as though your view is that if everyone is not your type of success, then they don’t want to succeed, parents and children. I don’t think this is what you mean, but it comes across that way. I would suggest that you consider what worked for you, share your journey and not necessarily defend those that are “off” because it allows for the arguments to continue. I am so pleased with your journey and wish you the BEST!