One other thing. If the rise in parents choosing to homeschool their children isn't a loud cry to the politicians governing the standard of education offered to our children, maybe no one is even listening.

I have many friends and family members who are teachers and I know the work that goes on behind. However, not all teachers are worth their weight in salt.

While I agree that we should raise our voices against the educational system and try to bring about reform, I am not about to sacrifice my children, their sense of self, and their education to a lousy system. By the time reform can be brought about my children will have gone through a system that does not work. This, I am not willing to do.

I also believe that I am the best person to teach my children in the sanctity of our home. It is a safe environment for them to learn. They learn at their own pace and they are able to make some decisions as to what they learn. Hence to use the jargon of the day, they are empowered. They want to learn, even if it happens in a non-traditional manner.

I am, however, fed up with teachers who come down on we homeschoolers for doing what we believe is the best thing for our children. I do not question your choices, kindly show me the same respect.

After reading your response to the article, "Help! I can't take it anymore!", I felt that the subtitle, "How to lighten the load and prevent burnout" was a more appropriate title for the article that Mrs. Hernandez wrote. Also, while reading your response, I feel that it may be helpful for you to take her advise. You sound just as stressed as some of us do at times. Also, many homeschool moms have full or part time jobs and can relate to job burnout as well as teacher burnout. You are obviously suffering from both and I am glad that my child is not subjected to attitudes such as yours. I have been homeschooling my daughter for two years now. The reasons that I pulled her from public school are listed below.

1. She was spending 7 hours a day in public school and still brought home 2-3 hours of homework every night (in the second grade).
2. She was being exposed to "negative socialization" as I have so appropriately labeled it. Her attitude was terrible and she was bringing home words that I didn't learn until I was in high school.
3. She was being exposed to sexual misconduct (in the second grade) which was addressed to the school officials on more than one occasion with nothing being done about it.
4. She cried before going to school almost every morning and was obviously suffering from needless anxiety and stresses that a second grader need not have to deal with.
5. She was failing math.
6. Reading comprehension was below grade level.

My daughter is now in the 4th grade and we are nearing the end of our second year teaching at home. Her attitude has greatly improved. Stress level is down. We finish our lessons in 3-4 hours a day. Instead of being exposed to the negative aspects of socialization she is surrounded by a loving environment with respect, morals and values as our focus along with, of course, prayer and our Lord. Math grades are at grade level. I just had her reading tested and she is reading on the 8th grade level. Way to go homeschooler!!! You should really think twice before pounding the homeschool moms. I am sure that most of us tried to change things before electing to take the measures that we did. I may not know what your teaching environment is all about but I do know mine and I am thankful that we have been given the chance to learn at home. One last thing.....Comments made by people like you are what gives me the encouragement to continue teaching my child at home. So thanks again to a stressed out public school teacher for snapping me back to reality and reminding me that making lesson plans, teaching, being the taxi, the mom, the housekeeper, the wife and the cook is not so bad after all. I will include you in my prayer tonight.

Sincerely,
S. Taylor

.........that is what I would tell this person. ;)

WOW, big difference, I'm sad to say! My oldest lasted 1 year and 2 months in the public schools. The straw that broke the camel's back was when I was sitting with my son around a table full of his middle school teachers, and the school "PSYCHOLOGIST" getting in his face and telling him what a rotten kid he was...

Well, my son was angry, depressed...I have holes in my wall from where he's kicked them in. As soon as I pulled him out I realized the problem, in such a short amount of time he was completely DUMBED DOWN. It was as if he just shut his brain down and was on auto pilot. A kid who could read before kindergarten and had an insatiable appetite for learning, lost all desire to even live.

I'm happy to say that my son is getting back on track. He does not loathe math anymore (he was doing 3rd grade work in 1st grade). I have been warned by our local support group that it may take up to 2 years to undo what the PS has done to him...I only pray it happens that fast. He no longer talks about killing himself and hits himself in the head screaming "I'm stupid!".

I found the article quite helpful, I even started using some of the suggestions this morning! But with the exception of a very few, you can't tell me that teachers care more about our kids than we do...although the system is in the process of making parents believe that they are incapable of raising their own children

I fear that the situation is only going to get worse, as the caring parents pull their kids out, you're going to be left with the kids whose parents could care less if their children get an education or not. And another trend that I noticed is that when a job opened up for a teacher on the military post, the PS teacher would drop everything and run for the job. I wonder why?

Keep fighting the fight!

Congratulations to PS teachers for 'keeping on' and congratulations to home educators for 'keeping on'. It is wise to know your curriculum and goals and to be firm in the education style/format/route you have chosen, rather than being tossed about in the winds/whims of change according to some 'harebrain' schemes 'for the good of the school'

Ultimately, we are on the lookout 'for the good of our children' and I challenge all parents to do this and be satisfied with their choice.
heather