Saturday, July 28, 2007
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Roger Weddle
Weddle, of Roanoke, works for Carilion, helps his wife in home educating their three children and is a University of Virginia graduate student.
Your July 6 editorial "Home schoolers as members of the club" came to a practical and well-thought-out conclusion. The idea that home-educated children should be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities offered by public schools has resonated with some home school families for years, although it is not certain that most home- education families will be interested in public school extracurriculars.
According to a 2003 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education), 85 percent of home schooled students were being home educated, in part, because of parents' concerns about the environment at schools, including safety, drugs and "negative peer pressure." This was a shift from the 1999 study by the same agency that found the majority of home school parents did so in the hope of providing a better education for their children.
Whether this change in attitude was the result of the school shooting in Columbine, Colo., a new breed of home schooling family or a combination of both is unclear. It is clear that many home school families have concerns about safety and "negative influences" often found in schools.
The old worn-out adage that home-educated students suffer from lack of socialization just does not hold water. On the contrary, home-educated students have been found to be just as active, if not more so, than their public- and private-educated counterparts. The idea that good socialization can be learned in a classroom of peers is somewhat of an oxymoron.
Many would argue that instruction and learning should be the purpose of public education and not socialization. Socialization is often best developed in an environment where students learn to relate to individuals of different ages, including adults who have developed their own social skills.
Home-educated students come from stable families, with nearly 81 percent having both parents at home compared with 69.5 percent of public schooled students. Sixty-two percent come from families with three or more children compared with 43.6 percent of public school students. More than 54 percent have a stay-at-home parent. Compare that with the less than 20 percent of public school students who have a stay-at-home parent who is not in the work force.
Extracurricular activities, caring families and extra siblings all help home-educated students to be well socialized. Don't take my word for it. See what college admission personnel from Harvard University, University of North Carolina, Stanford University, University of Montana, University of Delaware, Penn State, Boston University and Brown University have to say at www.hslda.org and search "Homeschooled students excel in college."
Readers must wonder if home school families pay taxes and if the public school system is truly interested in "diversity" and the well-being of every child, why not include home-educated children in extracurricular activities in public schools?
The main reason is the attitude of the National Education Association, one of the most powerful unions in the country. The NEA resolution B-75 states that " ... home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience."
"The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools."
Strange attitude for an organization that is supposedly vested in the well-being of all children.
It is not my desire to make this a "home school vs. public school" lecture. It is my desire to demonstrate that home education is a viable option for those willing to make the commitment.
I challenge public school teachers to look at the resolutions of their national association. If The Roanoke Times can come to a reasonable conclusion concerning home-educated students, it is time the NEA changed its attitudes toward home education.
