2nd... Overcrowding is only ONE of MANY reasons parents pull their kids out of schools. Sometimes their are doctrinal conflicts. Sometimes it's because the best person to teach that particular child at the given time is a parent... and sometimes, it's because we have a few fleeting moments with our children let alone the time they will be gone if we send them off to school. Am I wrong, or do we have kids because we want them?

3rd... Why do public school teachers feel that they are a better selection to teach our children? I constantly am groaned at because I am not sending my children to public school. Somehow I am doing the school and my children a disservice. No one can love my children more than I can, and currently I am the best teacher for my children. I think public schools should consider that us parents might just want to share time and love of learning with our kids and stop taking it personally. Who says that they have a corner on that market?

Wanda Husted

This teacher's response is typical of the thinking in the "system". It is interesting to know that the majority of public school teachers choose other options for their own children, as do school board members and elected officials. But, how dare we want the best for our children. After all, only public school teachers know what is best. Wrong!!! Teachers work from 8:30/8:45 - 2:45/3:00, while our children are on buses until 6 pm and then have homework to do. When they get to school, their teacher is out of the classroom more than they are in the classroom. Additionally, they have all these holidays, professional development days, planning days and two two-week breaks per year. They are off in the summer and often have standing summer jobs over above the annual teacher's salary. I work for a $15 hourly rate for delivery hours only with no benefits. They work for a minimum of $30,000 (1st year - no experience) with unbelievable benefits and perks. I know for a fact that I have more knowledge and class management experience than several of the long-term teachers I work along side of every day.

The lack of organization, the waste and the "we know more than you do attitude" in the school system is appalling. I am often called to teach classes for a teacher who wants a day off - no one knows how to reach them, where they were in the instruction, where the supplies are located or any of many other common sense approaches to class management.

As a community activist who has chaired the Board for two major juvenile justice alternative education programs, I have in-depth interaction with the school system and know the budgets they receive from the Federal and State governments. I also know how they scramble to hold onto every Federal dollar by giving out grants to totally unqualified programs rather than have the money return to the common pot. There is plenty of money for public schooling, if we had systems that were properly managed. Further, teachers who are not competent (and there are many) should not remain in the system. Parents have almost no say about the education and treatment of their children, but you can bet the teacher's union will be there prepared to maintain control of all situations, including the money. This teacher voices the "another world" "out of touch with reality" thinking that is rampant in most school systems. I am amazed at how little commons sense and work ethic resides with those who are degreed educators and who are suppose to be role models for our children. I find this person's letter offensive, since it your hard earned money he/she lives off of and you still have to educate your own child. Of course you're tired. Your doing their job and yours.

For my money, we need to shutdown the entire public system and re-work it from top to bottom. If small or corporate businesses were run like most classrooms and most school systems, this countries whole economy would breakdown. If hear a lot about the our problem children who are turned-off, tuned-out and disgusted -- try sitting in their classrooms for a few years - you'd be the same way. What we have here is a failed system that needs remodeling. Blow this off to more the usual whining and keep homeschooling.
RLS

True class sizes may have a lot to do with the quality of education, but as a homeschool parent, a member of the armed forces and an occasional grade school tutor, I've seen a lot of the good and the bad. My children have had wonderful teachers who didn't whine about class sizes, but made each student feel wanted, and my youngest son had a teacher that for whatever reason decided that he was unteachable and all but abandoned him, thus giving me and my spouse good reason to pull him out and teach him ourselves.

Please don't climb on the ever present soapbox about low wages and no respect, because that won't wash with me anymore. You and I get the same average wage, yet I have to be ready to go to war on a moments notice. I'm all for increases in wages for educators, but only for those that produce results. Over the past 5-10 years I have become frustrated with the educational process. Why is there no respect in the classrooms, it's because parents who wish to speak with the teachers, and other members of the education process are blown off. and teachers and faculty refuse to be take charge or go so far over board that it becomes a dangerous joke. Not only was my husband and I unable to get the school system here to listen to us, but they had no problem whatsoever with us pulling our kids out of school. So please explain to me why I should be more sympathetic.

I agree whole heartedly that the entire community has to work hard to improve the process but it will never happen while everyone is moaning and groaning about what's broke. I pulled my sons out when it became evident that my sons were no longer students but monetary trophies. As far as raising my voice to gov't I feel that homeschooling is a voice and a very loud one at that. Just in my "neighborhood" alone are approximately 300 homeschooled kids.
Before you get back up offer me and everyone else a positive solution then we will gladly listen to you.
As for a quick side note my brother-in-law is a high school teacher and a good one at that.

Homeschooling and burnt out? Yes, I am. If my child was in public school I would be burnt out. I would be up at 6am and putting my child on the bus. (We all know how much they learn in that 45 minutes!) I would be enduring the hour of homework that is assigned to the first grader that has already put in an eight hour day. I would be the mother making cookies for the party and going to sell stuff door-to-door with my child.

Instead, we sleep later, put in our school day, do our chores, and play! Then after the bus drops off all of the neighborhood children to their homes, the children eventually work their way to our house. Why? Because the children are wise. They enjoy being active. They enjoy learning. They enjoy experimenting. They recognize a secure environment. And the parents? Well, the parents are busy living their own lives. The parents are the missing ingredient. They just don't realize how much they are missing.

Please don't ask homeschoolers to fight for all of the children. We can't force parents to care and neither can you.