To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool...?

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“Homeschooling is legally permitted in all fifty states, but laws and regulations vary from state to state. In Ohio, homeschooling is governed by the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), Chapter 3301-34. All homeschooling families should be familiar with the full text of this regulation” (OHEN, n.d.). 

Do you agree that the legal requirements provide the right focus and level of regulation? Why or why not?

In this section, we will first cover some of the Ohio laws and regulations regarding homeschooling.  Providing this information will give the reader a better idea of how Ohio handles this topic.  After that section, we will discuss my opinions on the legal requirements for homeschooling in Ohio. 

Ohio Laws and Regulations Regarding Homeschooling

Main parts of Ohio 3301-34-03 Notification:

“(A) A parent who elects to provide home education shall supply the following information to the superintendent: (1) School year for which notification is made; (2) Name of parent, address, and telephone number (telephone number optional); (3) Name, address, and telephone number (telephone number optional) of person(s) who will be teaching the child the subjects set forth in paragraph (A)(5) of this rule, if other than the parent; (4) Full name and birth date of child to be educated at home; (5) Assurance that home education will include the following, except that home education shall not be required to include any concept, topic, or practice that is in conflict with the sincerely held religious beliefs of the parent:

(a) Language, reading, spelling, and writing:(b) Geography, history of the United States and Ohio; and national, state, and local government;(c) Mathematics;(d) Science;(e) Health;(f) Physical education;(g) Fine arts, including music; and(h) First aid, safety, and fire prevention.

(6) Brief outline of the intended curriculum for the current year. Such outline is for informational purposes only.

(7) List of textbooks, correspondence courses, commercial curricula, or other basic teaching materials that the parent intends to use for home education. Such list is for informational purposes only.

(8) Assurance that the child will be provided a minimum of nine hundred hours of home education each school year.

(9) Assurance that the home teacher has one of the following qualifications:

a) A high school diploma; or (b) The certificate of high school equivalence; or (c) Standardized test scores that demonstrate high school equivalence; or (d) Other equivalent credential found appropriate by the superintendent; or (e) Lacking the above, the home teacher must work under the direction of a person holding a baccalaureate degree from a recognized college until the child’s or children’s test results demonstrate reasonable proficiency or until the home teacher obtains a high school diploma or the certificate of high school equivalence”  (LA Writer Ohio Laws and Rules, 2010). 

My opinion and do I agree that the legal requirements of homeschooling provide the right focus and level of regulation? Why or why not?

In the past, I have been advised not to write in first person.  However, given the requirement to provide my opinion, I believe writing in first person is appropriate in this situation.

I do not believe that the legal requirements of homeschooling provide the right focus and or level of regulation.  As mentioned earlier, Ohio requires 900 hours of home education each year.  The parent is required to cover every subject, including physical education and music, during the year.    A parent simply as to provide a “brief outline of the intended curriculum for the current year, for informational purposes only, and give assurance that the child will be provided a minimum of nine hundred hours of home education each school year” (LA Writer Ohio Laws and Rules, 2010). 

Now, I am a single Mother of a nine year old and a six year old.  I struggle to help my daughter get her fourth grade homework done every evening.  We have to do a lot of research, and honestly, I learned a lot in college that is helping me guide her.  A high school education is fine, but the amount of work you might have to do to refresh your mind on the current subjects would take time.  I think it would be very difficult to manage 900 hours a year with my daughter, make sure my son gets the attention he needs, and cover all of the subjects, thoroughly, including how to climb quickly up and down a frayed rope. 

I use a little humor here, but I believe it would be difficult to keep that level of focus to ensure that your child received the education that they deserve.  No matter how good you are.  The level of regulation, in Ohio, should be stricter.  Ohio is trusting that parents will give the child 900 hours each year.  Ohio just wants the parents to reassure that they have a curriculum (but it can be brief) for the year, and that the parent has one of the qualifications required. 

I know that there are some children who, for a variety of reasons, should be home schooled and their parents are very serious about it.  However, what about the parents that might be homeschooling for other reasons, and are they serious about the work that goes into homeschooling a child?  Of course, in Ohio, the districts and superintendents are required to have specific reports sent to them on the progress of the child being home schooled.  They can also request conferences with the parents of the child.  I do like the fact that the parents are required to have the child take a standardized test each year.    I believe that, whether you are homeschooling or sending your child to school, every child has the right to receive a solid and thorough education.  If you are not doing the job correctly teaching at home or you are a teacher who is not providing the right guidance at school then it must change.  

What is the impact, if any, of homeschooling on public schools in your area?

The impact of homeschooling on public schools in Ohio presents itself in a few different ways.  The first is the ability for colleges or universities to get graduation information on home schooled students.  “In Ohio, students that are home-educated do not receive diplomas that are endorsed by Ohio’s State Board of Education.  Therefore, colleges, universities, and prospective employers have discretion regarding the acceptance of graduation credentials for students that were home-educated through high school graduation.  The Ohio Department of Education does not have access to student-level information or data regarding the graduation status of individual students” (ODE, 2010).

Enrolling a previously home-educated student into school in Ohio can also present challenges.  “If a parent that has been home-educating a child decides to enroll the child into public school, the local district superintendent will determine the appropriate grade level placement of the child and will evaluate which credits may be applied toward the district's requirements for graduation” (ODE, 2010). 

“A study done by the Ohio Department of Education found that the high level of academic of home schooled students was based on a higher commitment to their own education. Dr. Lawrence Rudner found that home schooled children scored significantly higher on standardized tests than their counterparts in either private or public school settings. Children are able to do this well in homeschool because they work at their own pace” (Griffith, 2010).

What is your overall view of homeschooling?

My overall view of homeschooling is that every child deserves a solid and thorough education at every level.  If you are, a parent who can commit the time needed to educate yourself on the subjects and home-education laws in your state and commit the time to your child then do it.  However, I think some states should have stricter laws and regulations for homeschooling.  I feel that they should provide testing, more frequently, than check-ups once a year.  If we do not want “any child left behind”, then we owe it to them to make sure that their parents are doing what they told the state board of education they would do for their child.  If the parent is not performing, then that child deserves a better opportunity for education in a private or public school. Parents who homeschool, in some states, must be held more accountable.   I feel the same way about teachers in our school districts.  My child deserves the best education possible.  If a teacher is not performing the job they were hired to do, then maybe they should not have it anymore. 

The last piece of my opinion, I will mention about homeschooling, is the social aspect.  I feel that homeschooled children miss out on opportunities to meet people, develop their own social skills, experience the diversity of personalities in life, the ability to learn how to work as a team, and generally how to socially interact with children of their own age.  I have experienced it, first hand, in my own neighborhood.  Of course, it could be their ages or maturity, but I will explain my experience anyway.  I have witnessed five children, who are homeschooled in my neighborhood; grow up over the last eight years.  I have seen them interacted with my children and other children in the neighborhood on many occasions.  All of the kids were good kids, but the difference in social interaction between the homeschooled children and the children who attended public school was amazingly different.  Of course, the public school kids had their issues too, but the homeschooled children had the most trouble sharing, accepting more than two friends playing together, had lower levels of patience and respect for their peers, and they typically started fights when they did not get their way.  They also had a lack of boundaries and respect for other adults and parents in the neighborhood.  They are all smart kids, but will they eventually learn how to handle themselves in the “real” world? Will they be behind socially when and if they do attend school, college, or get a job?  I do not know.  I read an article from a homeschooling website that said, “As a college professor, it has become very obvious to me which of my students were homeschooled and which went to high school with their peers. Granted, many of my homeschooled students had great academic skills and were very good students, however most of them also had terrible social skills. They did not work well in team situations, they had difficulty in finding and keeping friends, and they were just socially off a bit. I asked my students if they ever had opportunities to go on field trips and social events and they told me they did, but I guess it was the lack of constant social stimuli that impacted their people skills” (Homeschooler, 2010).

I just think that it is important whether homeschooling or attending a public or private school, that a child gets a full education.  I also think it is important for them to become involved in an activity that will strengthen their “real world” skills.  Street smarts and book smarts are equally important in our world today.  

What are the advantages and disadvantages of homeschools?

Homeschooling tends to be a hot topic, and there are several opinions around it. 

The advantages of homeschooling:

·        “Educational Freedom- Most homeschooled students have the choice to study and learn what they want, when they want, for as long as they want” (Shaw, 2010).

·        “Religious Freedom- Many families feel their religious and spiritual beliefs are an important part of who they are. Homeschooling provides the opportunity for parents to incorporate their beliefs into their daily lives” (Shaw, 2010). 

·        “No Busywork- Homeschooled children can accomplish in a few hours what takes a typical classroom a week or more to cover” (Shaw, 2010). 

·        “Physical Freedom- After the initial shock of leaving the school system has passed parents who homeschool say they experience a real sense of freedom. With their lives no longer revolving around school hours, homework, and the school calendar, these families plan off-season vacations, visit parks and museums during the week, and live their lives according to what works for them” (Shaw, 2010). 

The disadvantages of homeschooling:

·        “Time Restraints- There's no way around it: learning outside of a school environment can consume a lot of mom or dad's time” (Shaw, 2010). 

·        “Homeschooling requires dedication – but not to workbooks and curriculum. Homeschooling can involve these things, but the dedication has to be towards being a good person, being open minded, and to being involved with the family. It also requires parents to be dedicated to understanding their children” (Takahashi, 2006).

·        “Homeschoolers have increased chance of making themselves sick with worry, with fear and with guilt. One of the biggest cons of homeschooling is the time it takes to learn to live as a homeschooler without these hovering over us” (Takahashi, 2006). 

·        “Homeschoolers have to stand up, alone, and do what they have to do even though others around them are doing something different. Homeschoolers have to be OK with not conforming, and know themselves well enough to be able to walk into a situation and know they are the only ones there who homeschool, and will probably be questioned, talked about or even confronted” (Takahashi, 2006). 

·        “Homeschooled children do not have a lot of opportunities to bond and develop friendships with peers. For many families, this really is not a problem and is supplemented by taking the kids out to play in the park, attend lessons in ballet, jazz, etc. However it takes a lot of effort on the part of parents to insure that their kids have these opportunities” (Home Schooling Today, 2010).

References

Griffith, D. (2010). It is about the children. Ezine@rticles. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com

Home Schooling Today. (2010). The pros and cons of homeschooling. Homeschoolingtoday.com. Retrieved from http://www.home-schooling-today.com

Homeschooler. (2010). Homeschooling pros & cons? Homeschooler. Retrieved from http://www.homeschooling-answers.com

LAWriter Ohio Laws and Rules. (2010). Chapter 3301-34 Excuses from compulsory attendance for home education. Ohio Administrative Code. Retrieved from http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/3301-34

OHEN. (n.d.). What are the legal requirements for homeschooling? Ohio Home Educators. www.ohiohomeeducators.net

Ohio Department of Education. (2010). Home education. Ohio.gov. Retrieved from http://www.ode.state.oh.us

Shaw, I. (2010). The pros and cons of homeschooling. Family Education. Retrieved from http://school.familyeducation.com

Takahashi, T. (2006). The real cons of homeschooling. Just Enough, and Nothing More. Retrieved from http://justenough.wordpress.com