>  You got that right girl, as far as you go, but good
 > parenting does include the best possible education.  If the parents do not
 > encourage the child to  get as good an education as possible, then they, 
the
 > parent(s) are being negligent in their duties as a parent.  Home
 > schooling is great for those who are physically or mentally disabled to a 
point
 > where attendance in a classroom envrironment would be more disrupting to
 > the students as a whole  than good for the child.
Not necessarily. (You're not going to be a very popular person in this area, 
btw.) I am an elementary school educator myself, though I am not currently 
working in my field, and am giving serious consideration to pulling my kids 
OUT of the public schools. I wanted to do it during summer, but finances did 
not allow us to do that - so my goal is by Christmas now.
Now, as an educator I'm sure you are asking "why"? Simple...I've been around 
the system long enough to know that I could do a MUCH better job of educating 
my kids. My kids are stuck in classes with 31 other kids. The system does not 
give the teacher full autonomy to teach "just" reading, writing, math....she 
has to find time in the day for so many programs that *used* to be the 
parents' responsibility, that the time for academics is suffering. The 
behavior of kids in school is horrible. The teacher spends what little time 
she has disciplining kids who would have never have been tolerated 25 years 
ago in a classroom. I'm also not happy with the textbooks used in the public 
school classrooms.
 >  parents who do not attend Parent Teachers Meetings,
Not this one. I've been to everything except the one night when I had to work 
- and hubby went instead.
As for socialization, most of it is negative that I've seen. I'm not thrilled 
with it. Besides, most homeschoolers get involved in a homeschool support 
group with park days, field trips, an dother "schoolish" activities.
                                 -donna
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