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4 Top Homeschooling Performance Indicators
By Linda Dobson

"Homeschooling parents are tremendously courageous and should be commended for being exceptional parents."
I know I say this a lot, but I have to: homeschooling friends are awesome! Yesterday, when I saw an article that looked promising, I put a link to it on Parent at the Helm’s Facebook page. I explained I couldn’t read it right away, then requested others share their thoughts in the meantime.
As some already know, trying to get a group of homeschooling parents to agree on something is like herding cats — good luck to you! And so I was a bit surprised that all who read and reported back either liked – or loved! – the article. I figured such a rare article should receive greater attention in the homeschooling community.
In Praise of Homeschooling
The article, “In Praise of Homeschools,” was written by Aaron Smith, who has an MBA from Texas A&M University and resides in Houston, Texas. (That’s not important, just interesting. [g])
The opening paragraph:
The most admirable group of entrepreneurs is perhaps the least appreciated. Homeschool parents, or parentrepreneurs, are not waiting for politicians and technocrats to fix broken systems of education. Rather, they are eschewing the status quo and finding innovative ways to advance the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth of their children. Unlike their counterparts in the public sector, parentrepreneurs have achieved astounding results with humble budgets.
(Aaron quickly pulls in our homeschooling readers very smoothly, doesn’t he?) Aaron then notes the National Education Association’s “mud slinging” against homeschooling families; its annual resolution against homeschooling that has gone on every since homeschooling became a blip on the union’s radar.
The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress.
There’s a bit of political talk that could possibly offend some readers. I say possibly because I admit to being a bit out of touch with such things. I make a point of daily reading articles by those with whom I agree, and an even larger stack of articles by those with whom I disagree. I’m happy to report that the practice appears to have toughened me up considerably, as well as helped me acquire a greater appreciation of Voltaire’s “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Aaron quickly moves on to “an objective look at four key performance indicators illuminates the truth and leads to an obvious conclusion: homeschooling parents should be praised for their noble work.” I’m providing just a taste written about each performance indicator and encourage you to read all the points made about homeschooling in the original article.
Homeschooling Performance Indicator #1: Academics
“Government schools cannot differentiate instruction as homeschools do. At best, a highly effective teacher might have the capacity to place students in small groups based on achievement level, disregarding their interests altogether. It is therefore evident that even an average parent is likely more effective than a great teacher; she does not have to worry about classroom management, arbitrary timelines, and restrictive curricula — her energy is focused on what’s best for an individual child.”
Homeschooling Performance Indicator #2: Socialization
“The socialization myth should be exposed for what it is: a narrow-minded fear that homeschoolers will grow to be socially awkward adults. With the current state of government education, is this really what homeschool opponents should be worried about? Just imagine a society where cocktail goers have more to discuss than weather, shopping, and reality television! (On second thought, this is precisely what the establishment should fear.)”
Homeschooling Performance Indicator #3: Finances
“While not every family can afford homeschooling, this illustrates that it’s within the grasp of many — if not most — Americans. Some may need to go without expensive vacations while others may need to make more substantive cutbacks, but the potential returns are incalculable. With the number of homeschools growing exponentially, it is evident that an increasing number of parents are recognizing the tangibility of this opportunity.
“It is worth mentioning that homeschooling parents save taxpayers an estimated $16 billion annually. With budget crises rampant throughout the public sector you would think our beloved officials would encourage homeschooling as the fruitful endeavor it is — but this could ultimately serve to diminish the influence of homeschool opponents.”
Homeschooling Performance Indicator #4: Values
“Government schools, to at least some extent, obstruct parents’ ability to shape their children’s values. Much to the chagrin of libertarian parents, for example, their child might have a Marxist economics teacher. Similarly, a conservative parent might be upset to learn that his or her child’s instructor is teaching “safe sex” in lieu of abstinence. Regardless of a parent’s political stripe or value system, government schools will ultimately stain the canvass on which they are painting.
“Homeschooling parents recognize this problem and, as a whole, refuse to allow their child’s primary role models to be chosen by bureaucratic fiat. In fact, 36 percent cite religious or moral instruction as the most important reason for homeschooling, while 21 percent are primarily driven by concerns about the school environment.”
See also ” Why You should Say Yes If Your Child Asks to Be Homeschooled“
Concluding 4 Top Performance Indicators of Homeschooling
“Homeschools are an inspiring example of how entrepreneurism can overcome government incompetence. Homeschool opponents are threatened by the success of parentrepreneurs and try to use regulations and fear mongering to maintain their virtual monopoly over the minds and pocketbooks of Americans — these efforts are unjustified and deplorable. Homeschooling parents are tremendously courageous and should be commended for being exceptional parents.”
Friends, this might be a good one to print out and keep on hand in case you run into future criticism of your homeschooling efforts. In the meantime, I commend you for being exceptional parents!