Rebecca H. Davis, Ph.D. and homeschool mom, wrote the following letter to the editor of the Charlotte Creative Loafing in response to Ms. Cotton Quinn's article, "Homeschool Horror." It is published here with permission from Rebecca H. Davis, Ph.D.
Dear Editor:
I am writing to inquire whether it is your policy to allow gross stereotypes to be perpetuated in your paper or if the “Homeschool Horror” article was an aberration. As a homeschooler who fits not one single word of the description of homeschoolers offered by Quinn Cotton, I was more than a little bit offended to be compared to a Stepford wife and an Islamic terrorist.
In the social sciences, there is a methodological problem referred to as the “small N” problem. In a nutshell, this phrase refers to the pitfalls of drawing conclusions or making generalizations based on an inadequate sample size. Quinn Cotton’s descriptions of the universe of homeschoolers, based on limited observations of a handful of homeschool families, amply illustrate the many reasons that any student instructed in the basic principles of social science research is cautioned to remember that conclusions based on a narrow sample size should be treated as tenuous, speculative, and meritorious of further research and validation.
Of course, suggesting that Cotton’s piece commits a research error mistakenly suggests that Cotton’s work was research or reflected research. There are far too many inaccuracies, misstatements and opinions masquerading as facts for the piece to even merit the label of informed opinion.
Plain and simple, Cotton’s piece was bigotry. Shame on you and your paper for allowing Cotton’s expression of bigotry. How many other groups in our society is it acceptable to slander the way Cotton slanders homeschoolers?
Homeschoolers are a diverse group of people. Research shows that as the numbers of homeschoolers have grown, the population of homeschoolers has become increasing similar to the population at large. Many homeschoolers do not homeschool for religious reasons. I don’t homeschool my children for religious reasons. I’m not even a religious person.
People homeschool for a variety of reasons. These include:
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Health reasons: Some parents I know have pulled their children out of the public school system because their children were sick all the time while in public school. Some of these children are medically fragile.
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Inferior public school systems: Many people who homeschool choose to do so because their school systems are weak. I write to you from South Carolina which consistently ranks as one of the nation’s weakest public school systems. When I made the decision to homeschool my children, my father applauded and said that he was certain that I couldn’t do worse than the state of South Carolina.
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Giftedness: Many people who homeschool have gifted children that are not adequately challenged by the public school system. My own 6th grade son is doing Algebra I at home this year. If he were in public school, he wouldn’t have this option. I remember asking my daughter’s first grade teacher what she would do to challenge my daughter who was already reading well at the beginning of the school year. She looked at me blankly and explained that all the children performed the same assignments at the same pace.
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Special needs: While many public school systems strive to serve the needs of special needs kids, many fall short. Talk to parents who have sat through Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) conferences. Almost all of them are frustrated with these meetings which far too often end up being adversarial. Many parents of special needs children will tell you that their school systems just are not sufficiently committed to the best interest of their children. My oldest child has been diagnosed with a mild version of Asperger’s Syndrome (a mild, high-functioning form of autism). One of the many books I’ve read about Asperger’s Syndrome is Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success. While the book is focused on strategies for mainstreaming Asperger’s teens, my conclusion after reading it was do not put my Asperger’s teen into the public school system because even when there is a genuine effort to include the Asperger’s child, it’s just simply not going to work.
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Family commitment: Quinn Cotton may feel that it is unnatural for moms and teens to be together, but many homeschoolers argue the other way around — that it is unnatural for families to be pulled apart, separated for long stretches of the day. Many people homeschool because they want their family unit to be strong and they believe that togetherness is key to realizing that goal.
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Peer pressure: Do I really need to say anything about this? Who doesn’t lament peer pressure? Many homeschoolers don’t like the values prevalent in the public school system and don’t want their children exposed to them all day long, every day.
