This is not a tirade against the public school system so if you’re looking for something to bash public schools you’ve come to the wrong place. However, this is about one sadly researched article ironically entitled “Homeschooling Researched” by Katie Criss. In it, Miss Criss explains why she is against homeschooling with her research. On a side note, I contemplated not responding to this. After all, I’m not obligated to read, comment on, or even think about poor arguments or badly written essays. Then I thought about parents who were on the fence about homeschooling, I thought about the poor “research” that went into the article. . .and well, sometimes as homeschoolers we are responsible to be advocates and point out faulty or an altogether lack of thinking.
Homeschooling Families Afraid of Violence?
Miss Criss first points out that most homeschooling families, according to her research, don’t send their children to public school because they’re afraid of violence. Note that there is no link to support where she found this research. Nor does it appear that she conducted the research herself with at least 30 valid samples (30 being the number of samples needed to draw a “valid” conclusion as defined by the scientific community). She must’ve missed that day in public school where they teach about noting your sources.
Consequently she has drawn a ridiculous conclusion: that most homeschooling families homeschool to avoid the violence in schools. According to the National Home Education Research Institute this isn’t even among the top three reasons that people homeschool. Teaching a particular set of values, creating an academically stronger environment and being able to tailor an education program to a specific child top the list. When violence finally is mentioned, it’s mentioned in the context of avoiding various things including drugs, inappropriate and skewed sexuality, and other undesirable behaviors. For those who are challenged when reading research it breaks down like this. . .there are a small percentage of people who homeschool to protect their children from evil vices. . .of that small percentage, there is a percentage of people particularly concerned about violence. But frankly, out of the many, many homeschooling families I know, keeping our children in a protective bubble does not even encroach on the reasons we homeschool–although preserving their innocence is an added side benefit.
Miss Criss goes on to make it out as if many homeschooling families deliberately homeschool their children to hide abuse. . .etc. That home is a much more violent place than school. She concludes with the notion that we need to “support” our ‘notorious and prestigious’ public education institutions.
A Newsflash for Miss Criss
Bad parenting exists. It’s horrible that child abuse happens and I would prevent every case if I could. If I thought that having even more regulations placed on my already restricted rights as a homeschooler would prevent other children from suffering abuse–I have to admit I’d be for them. But it won’t. Abuse goes undetected, unreported, and kids slip through the cracks all the time regardless of where their educated. Our social services is overburdened and over worked and sometimes, the system breaks. Yes, it’s tragic. But I fail to see how barking up an empty tree will help the hundreds of thousands of children who are abused every year. A social worker coming to my home will prevent her from actually helping a child who’s really abused.
And here’s a newsflash–homeschoolers do support public schools. It’s called taxes. But I can agree that we as a society should do everything we can to support children getting the best education possible. In our case, that means homeschooling.
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