How to Solve the Problem of Public Schools

If your local public schools are the pits and you cannot afford to shell out for a private education, home schooling may be the answer. There are an estimated 1.5 million students receiving home educations, and the number is believed to be growing about 10 percent annually. Supporters say home-schooled children are more motivated, self-confident, and well-rounded than their public school counterparts. They do better on standardized tests too: A 1999 University of Maryland analysis of over 12,000 cases showed home-schooled students scored between the 70th and 80th percentile nationally.

The home schooling movement, started by educational reformer John Holt in the 1970s, is based upon his idea that children learn individually, not in groups. Proponents say very bright children profit from home schooling because it enables them to learn their lessons at an accelerated pace and move on to other subjects. The benefit from home schooling increases the longer the child is taught at home. By eighth grade, students home schooled since kindergarten score as well as high school seniors on achievement tests.

Although home schooling is frequently associated with conservative Christians, parental motives are not necessarily religious. Some parents believe they can provide a better education at home. Others just want to spend more time with their children. An overriding theme, however, is that unwholesome behavior flourishes at schools. Home schooling is used by many parents to impart their children with a greater sense of morals and ethics-more Leave it to Beaver and less Married with Children.

Home schooling is legal throughout the United States, although the state laws governing it vary tremendously. A handful of states require no notification or monitoring of any kind, while others require a mountain of paperwork. More typical state laws require parents to notify authorities of their intent to home school, submit a lesson plan, and file periodic reports on their children's education. Some states also require standardized testing of home school students. But no state requires parents to have teaching certificates. You can review your state's laws at the Home School Legal Defense Association Website, www.hslda.org.

Like the name implies, children are taught by parents in their own homes. School hours are whenever mom (or dad) says they are. Limited distractions (no fire drills or milk fights in the cafeteria) mean the school day can end hours before the public schools let out. Parents establish the curricula and purchase textbooks, either from specialty home school publishers or from standard textbook purveyors. Online courses are also available (sample lesson: "Sloths are very strange mammals"). Numerous free resources are available through home schooling organizations and the public library. Educational materials can cost over $1,600 per year, but most parents spend $600 or less.

Arguably one of the greatest benefits of home schooling is that you can accomplish what a decade of educational reform could not-wipe out 50 years of bad educational ideas and replace them with the basics. No more "new" math, "creative" spelling, or revisionist history.

Some home school parents advocate natural learning, or so-called unschooling. No formalized lessons or homework, just casual tutelage from a grown-up. "The world is your classroom"-a kid's dream. Supporters claim natural learning is more interesting for children and therefore holds their attention longer. But even among ardent home schoolers natural learning is controversial. One man's unschooling is another man's truancy. Experts caution that for home schooling to work, parents must commit themselves to educating their children and not get caught up in being free spirits. Besides having infectious enthusiasm for schoolwork, you have to be highly disciplined. Home schooling is a major time commitment that only increases with the number of children you have. In desperation, some time-cramped parents have concocted lessons for road trips and called them "carschooling." Sure. Twenty questions, name the capitals, "Billy keeps touching me!" "I have to go to the bathroom... ." Sounds like a rich educational experience.

From an economic standpoint, the obvious drawback to home schooling is somebody has to stay home with the juvenescent wonders. And that somebody-usually mom-is not likely to find time to earn a living; over three-fourths of home school mothers do not work.

Critics say the biggest problem with home schooling is the lack of social opportunity, that isolated students will have trouble interacting with others as adults due to their sheltered existence. Hogwash, counter home school advocates. The average home-schooled student has numerous outside interests and activities. In many areas, a well-established network of home-schooled families offers ample social opportunities for children. Home school children also have more time for socializing because they watch a lot less television. There is ample evidence that colleges take home schoolers seriously. Every Ivy League school has admitted home-schooled students. Although they lack grades and class ranks, their higher test scores, superlative essays, and impactful letters of recommendation are well received. Furthermore, greater freedom to engage in extracurricular activities improves home schoolers' "portfolios" so they appear more well-rounded than other applicants. Some parents try to have it both ways by home schooling their children from kindergarten through eighth grade, then enrolling them in the local high school.

Before you get too serious about home schooling, though, you need to answer this threshold question: Do you really want to see your little darlings 16 hours a day?