*        My name is James Donald Prior 1, Esquire.  I am currently in the
  *process of writing my thesis for my Doctorate in Education.  I will tell 
you
  *this about homeschooling and then let it go at that.
 Hello Mr. Esquire   (grin)
JP*        Homeschooling is fairly new in our society after a long hyatis due 
t
  *the laws.  Then, when money for funding schools, hiring teachers, etc. 
began
  *to dry up due to irresponsible legislation concerning the Property taxes 
(in
  *most states) that supported the schools, the states began to go easy on 
he
  *laws concerning the requirement of a child to be educated.  And instead of
  *leaving it up to the professional educators, they let the parents begin to
  *teach their children.
   Sorry..homeschooling was the norm before the almighty state decided
 that it new better than parents what children need.
   Has NOTHING to do with funds available.
JP*        This is all fine and good if the one conducting the homeschooling 
is
  *well educated and able to do a good job.  However, in over 85% of the 
cases,
  *children are taught at home due to economical concerns that have nothing 
o
  *do with the education of the child.
JP*        Homeschooling, in my opinion should be restricted to only those 
chil
  *ren who are physically unable to attend either a public or a private 
chool
  *that is scrutinized by the state or the church.  If you think that 
eaching
  *your child at home will be easier, you are gravely mistaken.  In most 
cases,
  *before you can homeschool, you must be tested and prove yourself 
roficient
  *in several areas.......the three R's to begin with....and as the child
  *gets older, the going gets rougher.
   Please, cite you sources.  Homeschooled children (as a general rule)
 score higher on standardized achievement tests.  They are more
 independent, less subject to peer pressure, learn better on their own.
 Colleges and Universities are *courting* homeschoolers, and there are
 hundreds of colleges/universities which have admitted homeschooled
 kids (Harvard, U of Mich, Hillsdale to name just 3)
 hat actual research have you done into homeschooling or are you just
 spouting the "party line" of "professional educators" (who cannot
 possibly now the 30 kids in a classroom as well as do their parents) ?
   I suggest you begin with reading John Holt's books, contact the
 Homeschool  Legal Defense Association and the National Home Education
 Research Institute.  You can then move on to many other authors.
JP*        Here is something else to consider, the hyperactivity in your 
hild
  *is probably just his normal growing or aging trends.  This could also be
  *pointing to his being what is termed these days as an "exceptional" child,
  *meaning that he is so progressed that he has become bored with what he is
  *allowed to do, and has his energy pent up until it explodes.
 And he has probably been "labeled" ADD by a "teacher" who really
 doesn't understand that small children are not made to sit at a desk
 all day long, and that each child is an individual not a lemming.
JP*        Another consideration for your child that must be taken into con-
  *sideration is this.  Of all high school graduates, only a little more than
  *15% will go on to higher education.  Of those who have been homeschooled 
t
  *all, for any period of time from 1 year thru highschool, less than 1/10th 
of
  *1% go on to higher education.  That should tell you something about home-
  *schooling in general.
 Cite your sources for this, please.
JP*        I would only advise you to seriously think of the future of the
  *child...not just his tomorrow, but his next year, next decade and the rest
  *of his life......remember, he has to support himself when you are gone, 
nd
  *as a parent you have been charged to provide the best possible education
  *possible for him so that he will be able to support himself in the future.
 Many homeschooled teens are running their own businesses, going to
 community colleges early and then transferring to other institutions.
 (Grace Lewellyn, _The Teenage Liberation Handbook_ and _Real Lives_)
 Contrary to the attitude you emit, children educated at home
 *are not* stuck in a little cubbyhole all day long; they are out and
 about in the world, unsegregated due to age or ability.
 please, what makes a "professional educator" more capable
 of facilitating my child's learning better than myself, other
 than crowd control classes?
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