Not to be disrespectful to public school teachers but...?

Question

I was hoping to get some teachers input on this subject. Why are practially all of the teachers in the public school system that I have personally spoken with so hostile when they find out I homeschool my children? I am collage educated and my children are passing tests 2 grades ahead of where they would be in public school. I am also a part of several moms groups where our children are extremely socially active. Is it just insecurity or what... You thoughts please....

Answer 1

Teachers don't get the respect or appreciation that they deserve. People see them as over paid baby-sitters who get weeks of holidays every year. Of course their jobs are often hard and involve a lot of work, and are very important. However, some teachers feel insecure and bitter about other people's attitudes towards their occupation. They console themselves by thinking "I went to university and studied to do this. I have a skill that most people don't have, and if it weren't for teachers like me, their children wouldn't have any kind of education at all." And then they meet someone like you, who hasn't (I presume) studied to be a teacher, successfully schooling children at home. So that makes them feel like anyone can do their job, weather they are qualified to or not. They can't handle that, so they try to convince you, themselves and everyone else that homeschooled kids get an inferior education to other kids.

Private school teachers MAY be more educated, and less insecure about their career choice. This could make them a little less hostile towards you. But I attended a public school for several years myself, and I had some of my best teachers there, so I'm not saying that teachers at public schools are not as good as private school teachers.

Answer 2

Many teachers in the public school system haven't kept up with current practices in homeschooling, and so they don't know how successful it can be. However, are you talking with them in an aggressive manner or just sharing information back and forth? What are other moms in your groups finding about this teacher attitude, which seems to be a problem for you? What do they do that you don't--or don't do, that you do?

Incidentally, if you're college educated, but don't proofread your writing that's going to be read by others, that may, to a teacher, be a red flag that the kids aren't getting some of what they need.

Home school can certainly work, but it does take a great deal of discipline on part of both parents, and the children themselves. I think by the time kids get to high school or even slightly before, though, that the challenges in the curriculum today are so great that most parents have difficulty keeping up with what the kids need to know - especially in math and science.

Remember also that a teacher in the school system has literally put much of his or her life and career into training and into the public school system. He or she may be defensive about that or oblivious to current trends.

If it works for your kids, and for you, and for the other mothers whom you know who are homeschooling, just don't get into conversations like this with public school teachers. It's too emotional a subject...

Answer 3

They think that they know better than you. They secretly fear that if more people did as you do, they wouldn't be needed any more, and would have to do something else for a living.  They think that you are a hillbilly.

Answer 4

I am a former homeschool mom who HSed from 1988 to 2005, and I tend to agree with Nasrul.  They feel threatened -- whether it's because they personally believe HSing is bad, because their union or administrators are telling them this, because they look at the efforts you are spending on your own children and wish that all the parents in their classroom would spend the same time with their child's classroom (which I have been told several times), or whatever.

Maybe they have even seen formerly-homeschooled kids going into public school and doing miserably, which I have also had teachers tell me -- to which I normally reply something like, "But those are homeschool failures, and not only can you not judge the entire homeschooling community by homeschooling failures, but you can no more say homeschooling is awful because of homeschool failures than you can say that public schooling is awful because of public school failures, and don't tell me you have never seen any."  LOL

Answer 5

You are putting them out of a job

Answer 6

Because most homeschooled children are extremely isolated and only have contact with their own family.

Answer 7

On the job market it is harder to find jobs, as soon as you say "home school" it is not considered the same as a public education. (good, bad, or otherwise)Also, even if your child socializes with groups, it is not the same as dealing with a hundred other kids on a daily basis leading to lack of street sense and being a bit naieve. One of my daughters best friends was home schooled and she was miles behind socially. My daughter took her with to places when in high school and her friend was somewhat embarassing because she acted more like a 13 year old around others her age at 17. Her sense of what might be dangerous seemed off to, she was too trusting which could put her at risk. Intelligence wise, she was very "book" smart.

Answer 8

I personally do not care if you homeschool your children or not. It has no bearing or effect on me whatsoever. Even the parents who homeschool in my town have no effect on me. There will always be parents who want to send their kids to public school (Like myself) and those who cannot homeschool, so I will have a job somewhere. I hear about homeschool parents who say that teachers are hostile about this, but I have never known any that have been. All of the ones that i talk to don't really care if a parent takes their kid out to homeschool. The big problem that we have is when they take the child out for a year and then send them back and the student hasn't learned anything or wasn't taught anything. Then, the parent wants to blame it on the teacher. I had a student this year who was 'homeschooled' the year before. When the student entered my class, he was 2 years behind. I have no problem with parents who decide to homeschool, but keep them out, don't send them back the next year.