To ALL homeschool critics?

Question

Can ANY of you give me an actual study or statistic that shows or suggests that homeschooled kids have a HARDER TIME THAN PUBLICLY EDUCATED KIDS in the areas of

*Academics

*Adjusting to social environments

*going on to college/the workforce

*etc.

I mean, we homeschoolers can and DO present facts/stats all day long that show that homeschooled children excel in all of these areas despite what the stereotypes may have you believe, yet again and again the same "blah, blah, homeschooled kids need certified teachers to do well, blah, blah, have a hard time in social situations, blah, blah" comes up.

I'm just wondering where THOSE facts are coming from, because I've certainly never come across THAT set of statistics.

Answer 1

You know, what trinity posted can be seen as a humourous dib at public schools!!!! It was originally written by a superintendent who wanted to criminalize homeschooling and thought that those reasons would prove public schools' worth. However, all of those reasons are justifiable reasons TO homeschool.

To PD: you really ought to go a step further in finding out facts. You have first of all NOT provided the stats and studies done. The boy who was homeschooled had been KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL sometime ago--he had issues long before he homeschooled. And most homeschoolers are NOT fanatical Christians. SHOW the stats that prove it.

ADDED:

To mama_paj: Trinity is a well-known ANTI-homeschooler. She usually includes some sort of insult against parents/homeschoolers and is always negative. What she posted was NOT meant tongue-in-cheek--it came from a memo that a California superintendent of schools sent out to teachers, as part of her attempt to discourage and criminalize homeschooling. Trinity must share the same point of view as the superintendent to not see how all those supposed plusses for the public school system are really negatives.

ADDED: mama_paj, thanks for the clarification. Some more searching didn't produce an actual memo, so now I understand that it was Scott Ott poking fun at Joanne Mendoza. But that Trinity believes it's some sort of proof that homeschooling is bad is really, really sad!

Answer 2

I do homeschooling but its all online. And all of my teachers are certified. There are real teachers. I can call them or email them its my choice. Its all based on the persons personality. Don't let what people say get to you. I went to public school from Preschool - Freshman year. Now I do the online school. And I prefer it. All my friends laugh at me and call me crazy because I wanted to try it. But I still get interaction with people all the time!

I will chat away about nothing for hours on end. So I will do good later on. Because I will have good social skills, All I have to say is.

s***w THOSE IDIOTIC PEOPLE WHO THINK I WON'T HAVE A GOOD CHANCE. =)

Also my mom and dad didn't even want me to do the homeschooling thing I wanted to!

They both work too. So they don't really do my school only if I have a question like if it was homework!

Answer 3

You're going to get a lot more "blah blah"...just to warn you. And I imagine most of the critics who answer will tell you they know homeschoolers first hand who are like this... Or something like "my mother's sister's daughter's friend's cousin is homeschooled" and say how antisocial the kid is... Also, lots of critics confuse being antisocial with simply being more mature and on a higher academic/developmental level than one's peers...so OF COURSE you wouldn't fit in with the cookie-cutter public school kid your age. People are going to come on here now and probably tell you that their neighbor homeschools her kids and they never leave the house... But do they stay home every day 24/7 to spy on their neighbor and observe every detail of their neighbors'  lives? I doubt it. It's all a bunch of ignorant, uninformed misconceptions. If I were you I'd pay no mind to the answers critics give here. They have no experience, and obviously no knowledge of what they are talking about... or else they'd know better.

"Well, a homeschool kid went on a killing spree..."

If that's all you people have to back up your misconceptions about homeschooling... Well that must mean public school REALLY messus kids up, considering the number of public schoolers that go on shooting sprees in their schools or later in life.

***UPDATE*** I just read Trinity's ubsurd answer...which was basically a bunch of questions, so I thought I'd answer those as well. Here 'goes...

"Most parents were educated in the underfunded public school system, and so are not smart enough to homeschool their own children. " Well if they're so horribly impaired that they can't follow a simple homeschool curriculum guide, use an answer key, and learn alongside their child (like my mother is doing with me in my French class) then why are they allowed to even raise children? The hardest thing teachers really need to learn in college is how to handle an eclectic group of 30 some-odd kids, and teach to the tune of a standardized test.  Obviously unnecessary for a homeschool parent, and usually by the time the highschool subjects are reached, the kid is working independently and seeking help from MANY resources, not just mom and dad.

"Children who receive one-on-one homeschooling will learn more than others, giving them an unfair advantage in the marketplace. This is undemocratic." It isn't unfair if EVERYONE is allowed to homeschool if they choose to. Are you saying that school is designed to "dumb down" the kids that are smarter than their peers...so that their peers wont have to work harder to keep up in the real world? Parents, do you want your kids in a system like this? I think THAT is undemocratic.  

"How can children learn to defend themselves unless they have to fight off bullies on a daily basis?" By developing a strong sense of self-worth... and therefore being able to walk away from a fight without batting an eye, making the bully's efforts entirely futile. This is something homeschooling is great for.  

"Ridicule from other children is important to the socialization process." Why? So kids can learn to ridicule other kids who don't deserve it? And did it ever occur to anyone that homeschoolers see other kids/teens/toddlers/adults/seniors CONSTANTLY on a DAILY BASIS? People who just may decide to ridicule them? School and home aren't the only two places in the world...  

"Children in public schools can get more practice "Just Saying No" to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol." Homeschoolers learn the same things from their parents, DARE programs, and other adult role models. Again, school and home aren't the only two places in the world. Anywhere where there are other kids/teens (and homeschoolers see plenty of them) they're going to have to deal with some degree of peer pressure. I bet the reason it doesn't seem like it is because HSers don't give in to it as often as PSers seem to.  

"Fluorescent lighting may have significant health benefits." Fluorescent lighting is said to reduce your energy level, and can sometimes limit vision... Sunlight is much better, but in school you don't get nearly enough time to be outside in the open air.  

"Publicly asking permission to go to the bathroom teaches young people their place in society." Young people should realize their worth and importance in society early. You can know you're worth something and still respect those who deserve it. Young people can't learn to be adults if they are forced to be dependent on someone for something they are fully capable of doing themselves... If it is necessary for a student to ask permission (and with 30 some-odd kids to keep track of, I can see how it would be) then the student should be able to do so privately and with dignity... Or maybe not ask at all, but sign out before leaving. Parents, again, is this who you want in charge of your kids?

"The fashion industry depends upon the peer pressure that only public schools can generate." So our children are advertising tools? I thought we went to school to learn, not to advertise.  

"Public schools foster cultural literacy, passing on important traditions like the singing of "Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg..."" Because that's a REAL important one... Kids can learn that on the playground, from their sports team mates or dance partners or fellow club members. Again, SCHOOL AND HOME ARE NOT THE ONLY TWO PLACES IN THE WORLD. And personally I think as a teacher you should realize there is more to culture than "jingle bells, batman smells"  

"Homeschooled children may not learn important office career skills,like how to sit still for six hours straight." Homeschoolers aren't being conditioned for menial labor like pushing paper. Homeschoolers tend to know where they're going in life, and develop the skills they'll need to meet their goals. If a homeschooler desires to work in an office pushing paper all day long, that person will have the self-motivation to achieve that. But they wont have it forced on them from an early age. You may find HSers working in the ER, the fire department, the research labs, computer science labs. They may be the ones developing the educational software you use in your classroom right now! They may be pharmicests, electritions, architects, pilots, restaurant managers, chefs, engineers, marine biologists, physicists, psychologists, teachers outside the public schools, writers, photojournalists, news anchors, astronomers, the sky is the limit. And the reason for that is because they aren't being conditioned from age 5 to fit a cookie-cutter standard for society's workforce.

Lots of grasping at straws going on here. This is interesting.

Answer 4

I am so proud. A friend of mine recently stood up to some people who were giving the same tired line about socialization.

..and as far as the comment about religious fanatics:

Are you saying that because those beliefs do not match your own, citizens should not be allowed to teach those beliefs to their own children? Do you really think it is the job of the state to "save" these children from their parents influence? That idea is more than a little frightening.

I'm a homeschooler. I do not share the religious beliefs you write about. I'll disagree openly with most of what the far right has to say, but I'll defend to my death their right to say it. That is how this country is supposed to work. We each raise our families as our own conscience dictates. To take away anyone's right to do so threatens everyone's right to do so.

EDIT: Anyone else noticing a strange lack of critics on this answer? Where are all the haters? Shouldn't they be here with volumes of research to back up their critiques?

EDIT: Mamma PJ has made some excelent points. Why all the thumbs down? What she says about school prayer is entirely factual. She is not bashing and a risk of teaching religion as science is that a child will not be able to excell in scientific fields.

EDIT: YSN, who said you could not be a Christian and a doctor?

Answer 5

well, a home schooled kid just went on a killing spree in colorado a couple days ago

with few exceptions home schooled children are almost always parented by fanatical christians - who teach their children a right wing version of pseudoscience instead of the real thing - putting them at a serious disadvantage for certain careers - ie becoming a doctor. I'm sure homeschooling can be done effectively - but too often it is little more than religious brainwashing

Answer 6

Dont listen to the critic's,they are mindless wonders anyway.I know of several families that homeschool,and they're children ARE better in education and are FINE socially! Keep homeschooling,it's the right thing to do!

Answer 7

here you go:

October 05, 2007

Why Public Schooling Is Better Than Homeschooling ~ Scott Ott

1. Most parents were educated in the underfunded public school system, and so are not smart enough to homeschool their own children.

2. Children who receive one-on-one homeschooling will learn more than others, giving them an unfair advantage in the marketplace. This is undemocratic.

3. How can children learn to defend themselves unless they have to fight off bullies on a daily basis?

4. Ridicule from other children is important to the socialization process.

5. Children in public schools can get more practice "Just Saying No" to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.

6. Fluorescent lighting may have significant health benefits.

7. Publicly asking permission to go to the bathroom teaches young people their place in society.

8. The fashion industry depends upon the peer pressure that only public schools can generate.

9. Public schools foster cultural literacy, passing on important traditions like the singing of "Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg..."

10. Homeschooled children may not learn important office career skills,like how to sit still for six hours straight.

Answer 8

We need no more studies, or statistics to prove the obvious.

Home schooling has proved to be a very viable alternative to any form of conventional schooling, both public, and private.

To PD; wow you give assuming a new definition.

To Trinity, you have just made our point.

Since your post argues that public schooled parents are not qualified to teach their children at home, it simply admits that the public schools did/do a poor job of preparing their students, because if they did/do a good job, anyone educated in, and graduated from the public school should be more than qualified to teach their own, wouldn't you agree?

On the other hand you have just given everyone who reads your post 10 very good reasons why they should home school their children.

Thanks:-)

Answer 9

Wow, PD, are you ever wrong.

Homeschoolers are from all walks of life - Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, Atheist, Agnostic...and they don't all learn the same things.  That's kind of the point of having them be homeschooled...they have an education that is specifically tailored to their needs.

Mama_Pajama_1...many homeschoolers don't teach our kids that evolution is wrong, or nonexistent.  My son is planning to be a doctor, and he studies evolution right alongside creation.  He studies both in-depth, reviews the evidence, and makes his own choices as to which he thinks makes the most sense.  He also sees the difference between micro-evolution (adaptation, etc.) and macro-evolution.  He completely believes in micro-evolution and really enjoys studying genetics and such.  While he doesn't personally believe in macro-evolution, he understands the theories and reasoning behind it (on a higher-than-age-appropriate level), and can discuss it with pretty much anyone.

<<Edit...gee, it's always nice to be judged by someone who's never met me, or my son.  Thanks for that.  I gave a nutshell version of what we do, as I didn't feel it necessary to go into everything.  Apparently you felt I needed to.  Gosh, sorry.

He's in 5th grade, by the way, and takes 2-3 science courses at a time.  He also does outside research on his own in several scientific fields, including biology, geology, astronomy, and physics.  He hasn't gotten to high school bio yet, only being 10, but he is 2-4 years above grade level in both science and math.  He'll start bio in a couple of years, we'll tackle that then.  When he hits the high school years, he'll be taking college courses through concurrent enrollment at a university in town, where he'll get both views taught by professors.

He has had a chance to discuss his views with degreed scientists in many different fields, however, and while they sometimes agreed to disagree, many of them were impressed with how well-spoken and informed he was.  I'm sorry that his education at age 10 isn't good enough for you, though.

Thank you for the site, by the way.  I checked it out and it's very interesting and well put together.  As he studies and compares both sides openly, he'll find it interesting as well.  I do appreciate it.

And I never said "all homeschoolers" either...I said many.  Maybe you could read my response a bit closer?>>

When people teach creation vs. evolution, it's almost always macro-evolution that they are refuting...which, by the way, has very little to no solid evidence.  It's origin science, not applied, practical science.  Micro-evolution has been observed and proven, macro-evolution has not.

Trinity...for once, I love your response :-)  Giggle!  I gave you a thumbs-up.

Answer 10

They won't answer your question with the facts because there is absolutely no serious research which even suggests what they contend.

But, I am sure, they won't let the truth stop them.

*** UPDATE:  Well, I guess at least 2 people so far have been unable to find any real evidence!  :-0

*** UPDATE: PD - I guess I had better tell our family physician, our dentist and our vet that they must either forget their faith or give up their professions.  Our doctor by the way is very active in the Doctors without Borders program / organization, has adopted many children from 3rd world countries, and helped us make our decision to homeschool!

*** UPDATE: Mama_P...  What is up with the rant about science and First Amendment law?  Seems like an intentional redirect of the argument and you provide no research to back up your contentions.  Allow me to help you out!  Numerous studies show that homeschooled students score well above public school counterparts in math and science on standardized achievement tests such as the SAT (see link below). So, regardless of your *personal* opinion, data proves you wrong.

On the religion in schools issue... First, it has absolutely nothing to do with the question.  Second, I provide a link to the American Athiest site which details the Supreme Court decisions effecting this very issue and if you read through the material you should note that even this athiest organization expresses concern that the series of school prayer decisions may have the unintended effect of essentially establishing a "religion of secularism" in public schools.

On the evolution issue: You state that no serious scientific debate about evolution has taken place in some 60 years.  That seems rather contrary to the scientific method.  Perhaps some debate should be allowed.  Moreover, if you look up the definition of scientific hypothesis and scientific theory and give honest consideration to which definition best fits evolution you will conclude that evolution is much closer to being a hypothesis and not a theory.  If I had access to a variety of public school science textbooks I am confident that I could show you that evolution is being taught as neither hypothesis nor theory but as fact.  Just the fact that proponents will not allow opposing view points supports this view.  I will provide these factual details to back up my point.  In 2005, the U. S. Supreme court disallowed the following from public school textbooks: A notice that stated that "evolution is a theory and not a fact and the evidence should be carefully studied and considered. "

The reason cited by the U. S. Court: First Amendment.  Can anyone say "religion of secularism" or how about "intellectual dishonesty" or how about "blatantly contrary to scientific ideals?"

Give us research to support your positions!

Answer 11

There are no facts to back up their claim. I am sure they are trying hard to find them though. Maybe that will let them see the facts for themselves and be better informed.

The Colorado shooter, from what I understand, was thrown out of school. He was also 24 doing on line school, I believe that is different from the approach most home school families take.

The reason that media focuses on this is because its different. No other reason. I have never heard them say about the countless public school students that commit crimes, "Oh, and he was in the subculture of public school!"

Added:

Can it be! Trinity actually has posted a response FOR home schooling! I wonder if she realized at the top of that article she found it said this:

Here is a funny "top ten list" about homeschooling and public school. Scott Ott wrote it for his SATIRE weblog ScrappleFace.com

LOL

Answer 12

I love home schooling!

The critics simply don't have the facts to back up their opinions.

In response to one answer I am a public school mom with little education after high school I still do a better job than a teacher who has to control 30 hellions and still try to teach! I feel for the teachers in our school system!

Abeka beats the pants off of any public school program! It makes public schooled kids look down right dumb when you compare the two.

Home schoolers do better in college simply because they all ready know how to work by themselves. They don't need any one holding their hands to finish the assignment.

As far as religion is concerned a lot of home schooled parents feel as I do. Education teaches ALL SIDES not just one. For instance a lot of us may teach Creation but to balance it we will teach Evolution. Now we can't help but tell our kids what we believe is true but at least they are given both sides and then can take what they learn and make their own choices. In public school simply saying the "Creation" word is like cursing. Teachers act like your stupid to believe in it. They refuse to teach it because it borders on religion and faith. You can't do that in a public school because we kicked GOD out!  You can pray because it's against the law. They teach the kids that they are nothing more than animals and then complain that they act like animals. We can't have things both ways. What we get in public school is evolution indoctrination! It's not taught as a theory as it should be but as a fact. It simply isn't a fact. We can't prove it we weren't there in the beginning to see it. I am a Christian far right wing I am not. I believe in education not indoctrination. If the schools believed in education they would teach all sides as a viable theory and no side as a fact.

Edit: obviously mama below me doesn't like my answer. Let me clarify for her. I did not say that I don't understand biology or any of the other bs she assumes about me. I was simply trying to make this statement: If we truly want to EDUCATE our children public schooled or not then they MUST be GIVEN ALL SIDES!!!

Prayer in public schools at least in my area of Louisiana has been completely wiped out at least in public! Never did they pray before a game while I was in school. That was 10 years ago!

No its not out completely and never will be! You will always have kids praying "Please God help me pass this test!" But I was speaking about the references to GOD in the classroom. I was trying to say that teachers are afraid to teach Creation or Intelligent Design because they don't want to get in trouble for preaching to a class. I'm all for Science education and I agree that schools are seriously lacking in it. But it needs to be an education!

Another example not dealing with science is literature. Give a child a novel to read and then ask their opinion. If it differs from yours is it wrong? Not necessarily. Everyone gets something different from a well written novel. But if the text book says it is this way and there is no other way then is the teacher going to say that the child is correct? Not likely. Science is the most controversial part in education because it changes so fast and  the texts are rarely up to date. Look in text books and you may find things that were proven wrong many years ago. Things like human embryos have gill slits. This was proven wrong in 1921 by Professor Walter Garstang but you can still find it in some text books. I for one love science. I find it fascinating. I don't believe I said evolution was wrong I did say that it is a theory. I never said Creation or Intelligent Design are wrong I did say it should be taught as a theory. I used the word Creation because it is basically the same theory as Intelligent Design.

As for my Grammar pardon me I'm teaching second grade and my public school English was not taught very well. For English as well as most things I am learning all over with my daughter. Hopefully we will both be much better with our grammar  when she graduates. Until then I guess I'll just stick to Home Schooling and learning what I wasn't taught in public school!

Answer 13

In my humble opinion..based on many factors...

A homeschool is as good as it's teachers. (sometimes they're a collective effort of mothers and other adult resources)

A public school is as good as it's teachers.

I do not see an inherent superiority or inferiority in either SYSTEM.

Living in Arkansas, most homeschool children that I see only appear to be lacking in science literacy as so many here take their children out of school for fear of "evilution" being taught. An irrational fear that understanding biologic processes will undermine faith in God based on their own ignorance of Biology inspires this.

Others take their children out of public school because so many public schools are LACKING in basic education INCLUDING science literacy.

My child is in public school, but I also supplement his education where I see it lacking ( and it is usually in the areas of science literacy, literature and history so far. I am NO fan of the NO child left behind act because the teaching now focuses on learning how to pass that test and answer in a manner that will score high rather than focus on developing actual learning skills and a knowledge base.

I try to stay involved with the community to help foster improved public education. The education of children is important for everyone, even if you don't have any. They're the generation that will one day be caring for you in your old age in hospitals and nursing homes. If they lack basic science literacy what kind of physicians and nurses will our next generation bring?

I have little in the way of statistics of comparison of success rates because I haven't looked. I think that homeschools can be excellent for many children and many families.

I can also see that like a bad public school, they have potential, depending on what is taught and who is doing the teaching.. The same potential to turn out the kind of social misfits with substandard education that the good homeschool teachers think come out of public education.

I can see the advantages and disadvantages of both.

EDIT: As I was typing, apparently a home school teacher who fits one of the descriptions of the type that does contribute to lowered science literacy. If she claims to be able to "teach" evolution at the same time she calls it an alternative to creationism? That inherently implies a very basic lack of understanding of scientific method and terminology. The many other grammatical errors along with that..reveal the downside possible in homeschooling. I don't claim to be an expert or degreed professional educator but I can recognize a very poor teacher from their own lack of basic knowledge in a few particular subjects.

I am also someone who believes in God. And as a Registered Nurse, I can tell you that if someone claims to be in a healthcare profession and they do not understand the basic processes at work in evolution, they're incapable of processing many aspects of modern medicine and genetics. There would be no concern at all over the possibility of a bird flu pandemic unless evolution were real.

If a homeschool teacher believes that one must give up faith in God to accept modern scientific theories that are USED to enable discovery for treatments and prevention of genetic disease then they simply reveal a lack of science literacy that I was referring to earlier. My personal opinion is that we need more people of faith to actually LEARN what Biology teaches through understanding evolutionary processes. Do you only want people who don't share your faith values to be discovering how to do things through application of evolutionary process such as CLONING? The scientists who discovered how to do this credit application of their understanding of processes at work in evolution with their discovery. Evolution doesn't require faith to see at work and it doesn't threaten faith in an Omnipotent Creator...it only threatens a self-concept.

I apologise for this soapbox here but science literacy I believe is so important in this technologic age..because what you don't know CAN be used against you. Genetic testing (made possible by understanding evolution) may one day deny you insurance.

It is also revealing of ignorance about the laws of the United States ( how can you be an effective teacher of our government in this instance) to falsely state that God has been taken out of schools and children cannot pray in public school!

ONLY teacher guided class prayer has been removed..thus ensuring that the CIVIL rights of ALL parents of any belief can have their right to raise their child in the faith of their choice without having either government or other individuals interfere. You protect your own right when you honor the same civil rights of others.

Most public schools across the south even ignore much of that ..and have prayers before every football game and graduation ( it is that way here in Arkansas..in 40 years I've never seen one without a prayer to Jesus opening the ceremony in my county)

The only thing that law is supposed to prevent is people IMPOSING through coercion or an us and them attitude..

Would any of you like it if a teacher led your child in a prayer that was not in accordance with your beliefs? There is no one size fits all prayer and by teaching your child to respect the rights of all..they learn that their rights are protected as well.

I already said..a school is as good as the teacher.

Last edit: I do have contact with homeschool parents and children as I said I supplement my son's education and we have participated in some homeschool forums and gatherings. Overall I found the children to be on an equal level with public school children in every area except science..but here..even public schools are lacking in that area so it was really low for the homeschoolers.

Recently a local Science Magnet school is trying an experiment by inviting home schoolers to use their science labs on Saturdays. I'm hoping that it will help. :)

EDIT..Thanks Glee..

I also want to note that it's almost scary how many of you did not GET Trinity's sarcastic post that SUPPORTS HOME SCHOOLING in a tongue in cheek manner. I thought it was very clever.

EDIT again..to hsmomluv Two things..I clearly did not say all homeschool parents do anything. I hope you read my answer again more carefully, please.

Also:

If your son wants to be a physician and understand evolution you are definitely NOT preparing him based on what you illustrated in your address to me. When biologists use the terms microevolution and macroevolution, they don’t use them in the same way as creationists in ontological debate attempt , and because of misconceptions arising from this, the terms have gained disfavor with many. Macroevolution is simply microevolution over extended periods of time leading to speciation. Some instances of macroevolution HAVE been observed in human lifetimes. ( A simple quick "Google" of " observed instances of speciation" gave examples in the first link that popped up and there were hundreds more!  http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-spec...  It is patently false to claim that there is no evidence to support speciation. The processes at work in both micro and macroevolution are exactly the same. I don't wish to go into a high school biology lecutre here, but I do wish you to understand that as one whose faith in an Omnipotent Creator is not threatened by understanding of Biology and evolutionary process that affects every living species, I clearly also see that you do NOT understand the theory of evolution...and if you do not grasp the basic concepts you are ill prepared to teach it adequately.

If your son is to prepare for a medical education I have a great link ( I'm also a Registered Nurse btw ) that is an award winning science site.. http://www.actionbioscience.org/

Perhaps other home school parents may find this useful. :)

Shalom

The JOKE may be on glurpy, Trinity and any of you who did not recognize that list as satire then..because SCOTT OTT is a POLITICAL SATIRIST.. and that above piece of SATIRE is found in his book Axis of Weasels! ( scary thing is I also discovered that Rush Limbaugh endorses this guy!)

EDIT ..I now see someone else discovered that the author wasn't a superintendent of schools. I had not seen this piece before I read it here, but I simply used a search engine for the author's name once I was told it was written by a "superintendent"..I could not believe that as it clearly read AS satire. I guess this will hopefully inspire some to study satire. :)

And my LAST EDIT to renee..You may not have said that you do not have understanding of biology but what you keep repeating to me clearly shows you do not comprehend scientific method or basic biology. "Intelligent Design" and "Creationism" are not science since both ideas cannot be applied to the steps of scientific method. This is why they have failed repeatedly to be shown to fit science curriculums in schools in the courts...they are not science. They may be taught as a philosophic or religious "alternative" to accepting scientific theory..but there is no "other side" to Biology. Niether ID or Creationism are theories..they do not fit the definition of the word theory as used in science..it does not mean conjecture as the word sometimes means in common vernacular)

And you prove ignorance of the law with what you state. Prayer is NOT illegal in Louisiana. I have relatives in schools in Louisiana. It is as I clearly stated and you can read on the state and federal statues..organized prayer is prohibited to be led by teachers..pamphlets that proselytize may not be distributed..but children can even have Christian CLUBS that meet every day after school or before school to pray if they want.

These issues are not debatable. There has been no debate over the reality of evolution being factual in the scientific community for more than 60 years. This is no different than the medieval church railing against Copernicus for his assertion that the earth revolved around the sun rather than vice versa as the Bible indicated.

Some of you responding here..I sincerely believe ARE hindering your children's education. For other homeschooled children..and some that I know..their parents work very hard to provide them with in-depth teaching and encourage their children to independent study and exploration. Knowledge is power and I am always thrilled when I see my son even move beyond into new knowledge and begin to teach ME!

Shalom

Answer 14

Honestly, I just wanted to comment to Trinity's response, I have seen this on homeschool lists as a response to why people should homeschool, lol.  Most homeschoolers consider that list to be such a joke!

Answer 15

BRAVO!  The "teachers" today are mostly under or uneducated themselves.  Home schooling is the future.

Get the book "The dumming down of our children", it will point out how incompetent the so-called public education sysytem is.