For us, homeschool is the gift that has kept on giving. Not only do we alleviate many of the public school problems mentioned in this thread, we've also avoided many of the potential pitfalls of homeschooling. The HS Co-ops have been awesome and offer access to science labs and other classes best taught in a group setting, sports, and even social events like dances, etc. There are also consortiums that band together to protect homeschool rights like the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Faith-based curriculums have strengthened our kids' faith in Creation and God's Word.

On a personal level, it has been extremely convenient for our family and enabled opportunities not available in public school. We have lived on three continents and homeschool has enabled our kids to take advantage of those places.

When living in the DC area, you study American History in conjunction with field trips to Mount Vernon, the White House, the Capitol, the Smithsonian, and Arlington National Cemetery.

When in Europe, you study World or European History in conjunction with trips to the Eagle's Nest, the Berlin Wall, the Tower of London, the trenches of Verdun, the Devil Dog fountain at Belleau Wood, the beaches of Normandy, Mont Saint-Michel, and the Coliseum in Rome.

When in Asia, you take them to the Korean DMZ and allow them to stand in North Korea. In Vietnam, you take them to see where their grandfathers lived and fought during the war.

We move A LOT for work, and homeschool has enabled us to pick homes based on the best locations, not where the "best schools" are. When I'm gone on extended business trips and I get to come home for a little time off, everything can stop and we can go on a family vacation at a time of our choosing. We're not beholden to any public school calendar.

All-in-all, homeschool has been a blessing to our family and the lifestyle we live. It's not for everyone, but it is for us, and we couldn't imagine doing it any other way.

Sounds like some of y’all have some pretty unique lives that contribute significantly to pros and cons of homeschooling. Some of y’all do a fine job I’m sure, and some of what is being referred to as home school isn’t really what I think of as homeschool, but I assure you there are plenty of homeschool kids out there that are getting a completely different existence than what is being discussed here.

The only thing I get defensive about is the continued propagation of homeschooling myths... "Oh, your kids will be maladjusted, socially awkward, etc, etc." Those things are very possible if you keep your kids sheltered and never let them out of the house, etc. And of course, there are those parents who abused the system to the detriment of their kids. But those are generally the exceptions and not the rule. We have nothing against public school per se, but we have not been excited about the trends we've seen there over the last 20 years or so. It ain't hard to find everything in public school that people worry about in homeschool. Having said that, I'm not against public school and I know it still produces a lot a really good kids.

At the end of the day, I really think it comes down to parental involvement. Today, too many parents are allowing public school to raise their kids, and that's a recipe for disaster.

Yep, there are THOSE homeschoolers that you’ve met that were obvious to you. What percentage of public schoolers are weird? Back when I was in school every homeschooler I knew was weird. Not the case anymore. Our problem was that after a few years of homeschooling we tried public school but our kids were so far ahead that we had to pull them out. Takes my kids about 2 hours a day on average to accomplish what they do in public school. Then it’s off to sports, work, chores, fishing and hunting. My 13 year old son can walk up to an adult and make a business deal and if they weren’t looking at him, would think they were dealing with another adult.

As homeschoolers, we know the “obvious” homeschoolers you mention…… those are not the majority anymore.

Oh, and I’m an ex public school coach/teacher. I’d take our homeschool athletes and parents any day over what I dealt with in public school.

You'd think paying taxes to support schools would be one of the (few) categories of tax spending every sane person could agree on, but I guess not?

But please keep public schooling, we love the parks, lakes, activities all to ourselves all week.


Okay, I’m done. I know better to get into the homeschool/public school debate.

Therein lies the issue and main reason why taxes are theft.


That's why several people described what home schooling is versus what others think it is. The whole point in posting the truth is not defensive based, it's merely corrective to those who have misconceptions.


My wife of nearly 27 years and I both graduated from a great public school system (ranked in the top 20 in Texas and the top 5%) where we received an excellent education. This is how we know how bad most public schools are now. I make a good wage and my wife stays home to take care of house and kids like a traditional family and I would have to suffer to pay the mortgage or the property taxes on the house I grew up in and the district it feeds. It's more than private school tuition.

I wouldn't do private school. It's too much for too little. Invest that money and give it to the kid when they turn thirty to help buy a house.

I wouldn't homeschool either, unless I was in a terrible school district. Kids need to mix it up with others.

The best thing to do in my opinion, if possible, is to get them into a good school district. There are a lot of terrible schools out there where learning isn't the primary goal. I've been to a terrible and a good school, and the atmosphere and level of education were totally different.

I got into an argument with the principal at my girlfriend's son's Elementary School and pulled him out and homeschooled him myself for 2 years prior to his mother and I splitting up. He was doing first year college math when all of his peers were just getting into Middle School. Once his mom and I broke up he went back to public school in Plano and he was so far ahead of his classmates that his mom decided to send him to live with his father in Iceland where they let kids work at their own pace and there is no set date for graduation, they simply have to show Proficiency in the curriculum and test test test. The public school curriculum is centered around the dumbest kid in the class and everyone else gets dragged down by that person. He had his associates degree a month or two after he turned 16. My wife didn't attend regular Public School and she walked across the stage and got her associate's degree on her 17th birthday and later that afternoon walked across another stage and got her high school diploma. The United States had a greater rate of literacy, and a greater proficiency in mathematic, writing and grammar prior to Public Schools being established.

See, this is the propagated myth... that kids in public school "mix it up with others" and that kids in homeschool do not. Neither are universal truths. Most homeschool kids mix it up plenty with lots of other kids. Do they have a 5A-sized school exposure like I did? Probably not, but that's not disadvantageous.

But the continued pontification of these myths that simply aren't true damages our family freedoms and ultimately hurts the kids.

The point isn't what's best, but more so what's best for each kid and each family. As such, I've known some families who send some of their kids to public school, while homeschooling others.

This 100%
Most of the THF are living in the top 10% in life. The other 90% live very different. Have seen hundreds of parents pull their kids out of school out of anger when their kids were in the wrong. I would guess very few actually graduated. I have seen a parent pull his very obese child out of school because they asked him to walk around the gym while all the other kids ran during P.E.
My own niece pulled her kids out of school because she got mad at the school. Worst decision ever. slept till noon in pajamas all day did the minimum required.
If done right the kids can play sports do lots of other activities with other home schoolers and excel but sadly most do enough to just get by.

A bit over the top, and dramatic.

One of our good friends homeschools, and my BIL’s wife(former teacher) homeschools. No social issues. Most of them are using a home school program with other kids. My nephew graduates this year and had already been pre-accepted into Mays business school on Scholarship, also eagle scout.

All of the above kids are in sports. Soccer, Dance, Swimming etc. This is TX, select sports out perform High school.

Im a big fan of the private system due to mandated parent accountability, but the Home schooling programming system makes sense

Totally agree.

My two went to private and Christian schools until college. Both received excellent educations. It took a commitment on our part and theirs but was worth the effort. One is a PHD, the other married a doctor but is equipped to earn a living if needed.

We paid school taxes in addition to tuition the entire time. I’m now retired and continue to pay school taxes even though neither of them ever spent a single day in a public school.

Maybe you'd understand better if uninformed folks persistently tried to impeach the way you raise and educate your kids.

99% of us are disgusted with our govt. Do yall think the public school system is much different? Lowest common denominators, zero competition, with guaranteed tax $$ isn't exactly the recipe for an elite education.
This is why they are all against vouchers....public schools will actually have to compete like the rest of us private peasants.

Again over the top, and dramatic.

Not try to tell anyone how to raise there kids. They are your kids do what you will with them.

Technology has empowered a huge swing of advancements in education. Look at college, what class do you actually have to be on campus for? essentially just labs.

Ive never been a home schooling fan, But the home schooling options today are so much further advanced, You even have hybrid and co-ops options etc.

After dealing with public school BS recently In a top rated district, I have a renewed interest in putting at least one of my kids in Private.

same troll s as always. He is defending individual parent choice, Only one that gave a mandate is you.

I was homeschooled, I was around groups of 20-25 kids weekly, park and PE stuff.
It really all boils down to the parents and how involved they want the kids in the group stuff.

nailed it.

I’m not wanting to argue what’s best, homeschool or public school, bc I know both can be very good and very bad. And there is no need arguing with someone that has no experience whatsoever in the subject. But what is interesting to me is the lack of knowledge of the people that say that homeschoolers are not “socialized” or don’t have opportunities, sports, and other things they think kids only get from public school. This is not the 1800s. These people would be blown away to see the atmosphere at one of our homeschool volleyball games. Yes, it’s a small gym and not a 5a multimillion dollar facility , but we’ll have 100 students in the stands going crazy. No different than a highly supported public school game. We regularly play and beat up to 4a schools. We play and beat top 10 ranked 1a and 2a schools. We’ve had up to 3 girls in one graduating class go on to play college. There are endless opportunities for socialization and interaction when you are not sitting in a desk in a classroom for 8 hours a day/5 days a week. I’m just glad we still live in a state that allows families to decide what is best for their situation and kids. When my wife suggested we homeschool, I thought the same way as other people that have only been exposed to public school or a few “different” homeschoolers. Once we decided to homeschool I was introduced to a whole world out there that I didn’t know even existed.

Oh, and our football team has lost one game in 2 years against other public and private schools.

Lol, how so? I'll wait.......

So if education is something that "need to be done as a group", how about the non-property owners (renters / leasers) start paying school taxes.
Maybe school taxes should be treated as a consumption tax, those that use pay - those that don't aren't taxed.