Poll: Feelings about High School

Thus proving that home-schooler parents aren't so great at taking constructive criticism/observations either. Dan isn't asserting anything as absurd as having studied "over one million home schoolers", nor has he claimed to study anyone's daughter in particular.

He's attesting to personal experiences with an oft discussed demographic here, and as such, his observations have value. If either of the dissenting posters can claim to speak for the individuals he knows on a more authoratative basis, let's hear it.

 

What is Unschooling?

 

Lets add some research into the discussion of socialization of home schooled children.

"In 2003, the Home School Legal Defense Association commissioned the largest research survey to date of adults who were home educated. Conducted by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, the study surveyed over 7,300 adults who were homeschooled. Over 5,000 of these had been home educated at least seven years, and the statistics in this synopsis are based on their responses."

Involved in their communities

Homeschool graduates are active and involved in their communities. Seventy-one percent participate in an ongoing community service activity (e.g., coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association), compared to 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages (Table 2). Eighty-eight percent of the homeschool graduates surveyed were members of an organization (e.g., such as a community group, church or synagogue, union, homeschool group, or professional organization), compared to 50% of U.S. adults.

Civic affairs: engaged citizens

Only 4.2% of the homeschool graduates surveyed consider politics and government too complicated to understand, compared to 35% of U.S. adults (Table 2). This may account for why homeschool graduates work for candidates, contribute to campaigns, and vote in much higher percentages than the general population of the United States (Figures 2 through 7). For example, 76% of homeschool graduates surveyed between the ages of 18–24 voted within the last five years, compared to only 29% of the relevant U.S. population (Figure 7).

Enjoying life

Taking all things into consideration, 59% of the subjects reported that they were “very happy” with life, with another 39% declaring that they were “pretty happy” (Figure 8). Life is exciting for most (73%, Figure 9). When compared to the general population of the United States, homeschool graduates are just more content.

Conclusion

The results of Dr. Ray’s cutting-edge research defuse long-held false criticisms of homeschooling and seem to indicate that homeschooling produces successful adults who are actively involved in their communities and who continue to value education for themselves and their children."

http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/default.asp

My opinion is that both home schooled and non-home schooled children
can grow to be social and productive members of society. Homeschooling is not without problems. I read articles about government trying to force parents to return their children to public schools or dampen the growth of homeschooling as a form of education.

"Many trends for any number of things begins in California, then spreads across this country like the Santa Ana winds spread wildfires. This year, a landmark case relating to home schooling was filed in the courts. A California court of Appeals wanted home schooling outlawed. However, it was defeated on the grounds that parents have a Constitutional Right to teach their own children."

http://www.octogenariansblog.com/are-your-children-being-educated-or-indoctrinated-home-schooling-vs-tax-supported-schools/

 

"unschoolers believe that the use of standard curricula and conventional grading methods, as well as other features of traditional schooling, are counterproductive to the goal of maximizing the education of each child. Instead, unschoolers typically allow children to learn through their natural life experiences, including game play, household responsibilities, and social interaction.

The term "unschooling" refers to a range of educational philosophies and practices that differ markedly from conventional schooling; while often considered to be a subset of homeschooling, unschoolers may be philosophically as estranged from most homeschoolers as they are from the advocates of conventional schooling."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling

 

I absolutely hated highschool. Some of the worst years of my life.

Actually, I think that my highschool was pretty good. Academically it was very strong and I recall most of my teachers as competent, humane and dedicated.

I just hated my adolescent years. I didn't get along well with the other kids and felt totally alienated from just about everyone and everything.

Again, none of that was really the school's fault and homeschooling (something that I take a rather dim view of) wouldn't have improved things.

 

I was just about to say that. LOL.

Thank you.

And thank you again.

I thought it was implied that I meant "most that I've met." Not "most in the world."

Some of them were high achievers (like graduating "high school" and associates degree on the same day).

Sure, the self-report study says they're happy and employed, but what do their co-workers say about them? LOL.

 

>>


I'm sure someone can figure out how many homeschoolers there are- and then come up with some number that represents "most," but I hadn't noticed that he was constructively criticizing me. I just asked a question about his data pool, I wasn't defended homeschooling.

 

I wish I could do it all over again!

 

My high school is today listed among the top 20 high schools in the country academically. However, I remember high school as a time of absolute misery and torture, a place where I was attacked and molested more than once in the boy's locker room. Things got so bad for me that I took to carrying a homemade weapon to school for self-defense. My three semesters of high school were three semesters too much. It was not an environment conducive to learning. I would have preferred homeschooling myself if it had been offered. Furthermore, I am quite certain to this day that had I continued in high school until the end, I would have ended up in jail for having hurt someone in defending myself, and my life would have been very different than it is now. For me, bailing from high school into the university in 10th grade was not an issue of being cool, it was an matter of survival!

On the other hand, I had participated in a John Hopkins summer math program called SMPY when I was growing up. That was really great. I probably have to credit that program for not letting me completely drop out altogether and becoming an antisocial mess.

Because I've always thought that the thing missing from high school was training kids in self-defense, I ended up making sure that my daughter was trained in a grappling martial art from an early age. By the time she was in high school, she was nationally-ranked in her sport. After "chiropractically" adjusting a few boys in 9th grade, she was pretty much left alone (at least physically) for the rest of high school. Now she's fending for herself in a military college where only 7% of the students are girls.

The funny thing is that she attended the same high school as I did 20+ years before! I sometimes think that the missing ingredient in my case must have been that my parents never believed in martial arts training of young kids! But high schools are battlefields as we are often reminded quite shockingly in the news!

 

I like that. "chiropractically" adjusted some boys. That's too cool. There's nothing bad about taking care of yourself.

 

I never attended High School. I was a screwed up mess that eventually found my way in life. Matter of fact, I ended up being ahead of most people in many categories due to not attending school after the first two weeks of 8th grade. All of my severe family problems made me feel as though I was living years ahead of my peers.

I ended up attending CC at the age of 15. Too bad I didn't finish it then, but it contributed to me growing up and finding my way.

Now I find myself a mature student years later thoroughly enjoying my education. Learning is a life-long process. Some people do it differently and at different times. In the end if one has good character they will figure it all out.

 

HS was pretty bad, but middle school was actually worse. I actually took a knife to middle school daily (even after being expelled for it once).

I attended HS in the post-columbine wasteland that it has been for about 10 years now. If you get beat up, your only hope is if someone important sees it because you WILL get expelled if you are seen defending yourself. Most of the minor "kids will be kids" things that I hear my friends (30s+) talk fondly about are greatly discouraged and kids/teens are openly seen as nothing more than dangerous criminals.

I had some good times in high school but the bad outweighed it. About half the problem has to do with Oklahoma's terrible child welfare system (they run on the "keep the family together at the detriment of the child" principle). The other half is people who forgot what it was to be like to be a teenager -- ie "when I was a kid, I smoked cigarettes, got Cs and played minor pranks, but all that stuff creates terrorists nowadays." Tongue firmly in cheek, of course, but that's almost the mentality. And this was not a large school or in a big city, and we had a very good athletic program (and Reagan-era textbooks to go along with it).

 

I would have quit too. But I did not really find out till last summer, which was just after I graduated

 

High school...ha. I was the kid that every teacher hates - the one with ability and no drive. I made a royal mess of what high school could have been: it took the Army to make me see that the intellectual low road leads nowhere.

My poor performance in high school has been the driving factor to graduate from every college endeavor with highest honors.

 

The first two years of HS sucked for me (9th and 10th grade). I went from a tiny Catholic school to what I thought was a huge public school (about 95 kids in my graduating class). I didn't like it.

Things clicked in 11th grade, found lots of friends, made honor roll, played lots of sports, lettered in baseball, also played town team and legion ball in summer, was in class play. Some of the best years of my life. In my entire class there were only 2 kids I did not like. Ours was a great class...no cliques.

 

Some of the best years of my life. In my entire class there were only 2 kids I did not like. Ours was a great class...no cliques.>>



Pssstt....if you don't see a clique, it's because you are standing IN it.

 

673 (or thereabouts) in my graduating class. High school was the worst and the best. My senior year was one of the best years of my life....

 

Well Jennifer, that might be true. But my class really was kind of unique for some reason. You'd see all different kinds of combination of kids hanging out in school and out, fighting was with the folks in nearby towns. I actually had friends in the prior and subsequent class tell me how down to earth the class of 75 was. I really shouldn't speak for the gals side of things though....

 

It was ok. By junior year I was ready for it to be done and over. I felt the same way about college. Three years is enough!