Big problem. They’re doing too well. Cassandra Stevenson of Connecticut has just started college. She’s 15. Her sister, Samantha, is 19 and has a master’s degree in astrophysics. “Homeschooling is more like college than a public or a private school is,” says Cassandra. “You learn what you want to learn and what you need to learn. The curriculum is fitted to you.” That’s exceptional. But your average homeschooler still does pretty well.
A National Home Education Research Institute study found that the typical homeschooler’s academic achievement easily tops that of the typical public-school student. The Institute estimates that as many as 2.2 million children now benefit from homeschooling.
See the problem? Robert Rader does. He’s the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. Call it Status Quo United for short. Rader agrees that “parents have the right to educate their children at home.” On the other hand, he worries that “children don’t always get the rigorous structure and up-to-date educational techniques, which are applied in public schools.” Uh, hello. It’s that so-called “rigorous structure” that parents and kids are escaping from!
Mr. Rader doesn’t seem to realize that he and other educators might learn from the homeschoolers if effective education is really their goal. If you want process, call Mr. Rader. He’ll process your kids for you. If you want results well, a great many families have figured out how to get those . . . at home. Mine too.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.