HOMESCHOOL STEREOTYPES
I met a senior citizen today yesterday who was only vaguely aware of homeschooling. She asked where my kids attended school, so I gave the standard answer. What followed was a brief exchange that obviously upset her. She asked if we had to follow the state guidelines and if we had to get approval from the local school board and about them inspecting us and testing the kids. I explained that none of that was required. She then branched off into Lydia’s qualifications. Is she a professional teacher? Finally, she got around to the “S” word, concerned that the kids were bing locked away from society.
She was very nice about all of this and obviously concerned about the kids. I just found it a bit interesting that it seemed so dated. We’ve only been home educating for seven years, but these kinds of questions were old news then.
12 Responses to “HOMESCHOOL STEREOTYPES”
![]() Comment by Alasandra April 24th, 2008 at 7:15 am |
The largest majority of people seem to hang on to outdated stereotypes of homeschoolers. I am lucky down here that so many people are angry with the school board about the mandatory uniform issue and saw first hand that they really don’t care about what is best for the students or what their parents want that homeschooling has a LOT OF SUPPORT. I am more likely to hear ” I wish I could homeschool” then criticism from the residents of Jackson County. Funnily enough the city schools are uniform free and seem to be doing a great job, so if I do hear criticism it is usually from someone in those school districts. Once they learn we are in the Jackson County School district they laugh and say “I understand why you homeschool”. |
![]() Comment by Nance Confer April 24th, 2008 at 8:44 am |
The FCAT is our “out” here. So many parents are disgusted with it that, if you’re not in the mood to go through the usual steps, you can just cut to “well, the way the FCAT has changed everything. . .” and you’re done. Nance |
![]() Comment by Andrea April 24th, 2008 at 8:56 am |
I get a lot of the same – especially about follow up and monitoring by the state. “well, obviously, your kida are fine and you know what you’re doing, but what abut slack parents?” also, most objections are screeched to a halt when people actually talk to the kids. because whatever it is I’m doing is working, you know? |
![]() Comment by don April 24th, 2008 at 9:06 am |
In general, I’ve found senior citizens to be more accepting of homeschooling than our own contemporaries. I’ve just assumed that it’s because just a couple generations ago, formal schooling was a lot less pervasive than today. Many people in my grandparents’ generation only went to school through maybe 7th or 8th grade, and much of their real education came outside of school. I think that maybe a lot of them recognize that education is more than sitting in a classroom. |
![]() Comment by COD April 24th, 2008 at 9:06 am |
That seems like an odd question for a senior citizen to ask. I can another parent looking for common ground by asking that question, but why would a senior care? Odd.. I find that avoiding people helps minimize these confrontations 🙂 |
![]() Comment by Daryl Cobranchi April 24th, 2008 at 9:16 am |
Avoiding her (and the question) would have been difficult, as she was sitting in the passenger seat of my car. 🙂 |
![]() Comment by JJ Ross April 24th, 2008 at 9:38 am |
So it IS a socialization issue! Daryl needs remediation concerning who he lets into his car . . . |
![]() Comment by Weaver April 24th, 2008 at 9:47 am |
I just had the same conversation with someone a couple of months ago. She asked what tests the kids had to take for the state and I replied that in Wisconsin they are not required, so we don’t test. She went off! I tried to calmly explain that I know the kids are learning because I am with them every day. Her reply? “Well… I guess if you want them to be stupid, that’s the way to go, huh?” Yeah. She’s the local yarn store owner who no longer gets my weekly yarn purchase and wonders why. I went back to the COD way of avoiding people 🙂 |
![]() Comment by Rose Godfrey April 24th, 2008 at 11:06 am |
Isn’t it odd that people will worry that our kids are not socializing while we are hanging out with those same people? Maybe if we pointed out that our kids don’t seem the worse for spending time in their company they will get it. |
![]() Comment by NMcV April 24th, 2008 at 12:26 pm |
I still get those kind of questions here in New Jersey, where homeschoolers have been reg-free and out in the open for decades. Most people have *heard* of home education, they just don’t know much about it. Since non-public schools aren’t run by the State, I just point out that our kids are on a par with the kids who go to St. Mary’s or Moorestown Friends. I can see the mental wheels turning as they do the comparison and decide that we’re OK after all. |
![]() Comment by Dawn April 24th, 2008 at 1:21 pm |
“So it IS a socialization issue! Daryl needs remediation concerning who he lets into his car . . .” Or an eject button. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found that usefull! |
![]() Comment by Jeanne April 24th, 2008 at 3:47 pm |
I have found a good way of disarming all but the most rabid anti-homeschooling questioners. I put on my interested “I-care-about-your-point-of-view” face and say, “So you’re well satisfied that the testing/socialization/state guidelines/certifications/whatever that is(are) in place for public school systems creates outstanding results for children and for society.” Usually they stutter a minute and start talking about how “well, there ARE problems in public schools.” Gives the whole conversation perspective and more often than not, the questioner concedes that they don’t blame me for trying “something else.” I’m often given the chance to explain how “accountability models” of education interrupt potential-based models of education like homeschooling or some other aspect of how different home education is from school. It’s that old “seek first to understand, then to be understood” effect, and it often really works. |