In Ky it's an end run against science and evolution being taught. Keep them stupid and obedient. At least in this area.

I think most people who insist on home schooling their kids are in no way qualified to teach anyone anything. I think it also does a huge disservice to the kids it terms of social development and learning how to navigate around people who don't think like you.

I used to teach home school P.E. at the YMCA and most of the children were from a church that decided to home school them. They were so sheltered and acted like everyone owed them! They also acted like animals that were finally unleashed when their parents would drop them off! It was crazy!

I used to work in child protective services, and because of that, I am somewhat biased against homeschooling - it can frequently be a way for abuse to go undetected. I also ran into a few occasions with parents of teenagers claiming to be homeschooling, but they were really just trying to avoid truancy charges. In one of those cases, the grandmother who was supposedly homeschooling her grandson had a 7th grade education, and the grandson was supposed to be a sophomore in high school ‍ That said, I have run into some situations where homeschooling was legitimately the best option for a family, such as severe bullying, or special education needs not being met in the local school system.

I have a friend who home schooled her kids and also sent them to public schools. She is not religious. Her oldest declared at the age of 5 he was no longer going to eat anything with eyeballs. She has NO idea where that came from but had to learn everything thing she could about a vegetarian diet. She works in a clinic lab (I joke about her vampire abilities) so very science based. She did send them to public schools for socialization. Her second was a girl and again a very bright kid, not a vegetarian both did extremely well in school and got scholarship funds for college. Both parents progressive and I enjoy visiting.
Another neighbor home schooled and their kids were fucking creepy!! Parents very religious, survivalist mentality and I just would say hi and go about my business - never visited.
I think the religious folks do it out of control. My friend did it because the local schools were pretty shitty when she did send them to public school the programs had become better, the high school teams were competitive in sports and CWU had advanced programs for the really bright kids.

Unless it is due to special needs bullying etc , I think it shields children from interaction with adults and other children and this can have detrimental results

A significant part of a child's education is learning to play well with others. The interaction with other children in a school setting is paramount to the healthy mental development of a child. Home schooled children often do not develop empathy for others, and a sense of cooperation. They become selfish brats. Humans are social animals....we depend on joint effort with others to excel.

Worked well for me & mine, around 3 years worth, in the early grades. Only others doing it in our rural community were the fundamentalist christians … looking to avoid science, civics, and sex education..

We’d occasionally bump into the christian freaks while out & about, and felt sorry for their strange, cloistered behavior. My kids thrived - still do

Read down (usually post before I read), so let me add some: I took mine out of what the classroom teachers described as ‘a germ factory,’ their schools newest addition, recirculated air, no opening windows and constant sickness. Having raised and cared for mine from birth, they’d not been exposed to the hundreds of viruses out there. Thus, sick all the time..

I’d volunteered from their beginning, was active within district politics, policies, programs and fundraisers. But decided, I’d taught prior to school, let’s try it some more … at least until they graduate to ‘the next building.’ Their Principal cried, a solid guy my same age. Teachers, too, but it seemed a worthwhile project.

School, all year around! Back every Friday for their grade-level dancing, though. Friends spending vacation days at our place in the woods. School work at State Parks, utilizing interpretive centers, then exploring the remainder of the day; hikes, bikes, birding, books & boats!

While researching it, this statement struck me, ‘Where in reality, outside of a school, are young people forced to be around only their own?’ With that, they entered the real world, from shopping - to watching the septic tank pumped. Back at school … they were bored, frustrated, discouraged and depressed.. That was ‘the downside.’

I continued to volunteer within their classes, through HS, that helped. Both, though never encouraged to seek ‘good grades’ - just keep alive the love of learning - remained ‘A Students.’ Both received 2 ‘free’ years of college by maintaining such grades, an eventually graduating. It worked for us, as I eventually became employed within 3 local school districts, due to my work and associations within mine.

But, we were freaks ...who squeaked through. Though worse, the bulk of homeschooled children could as well be described as ‘home indoctrinated’ due to their parents fear of the outside world. Mine learned early to navigate that world, while the religious remain overwhelmed.

It is isolation and protection. Kids are missing skills they need when going to college or start living by themselves. The schooling system is bad here. They leave out a lot of topics that are essential in life. Why do parents think they can do better? I am highly educated and will not pretend to be better. For religions i can understand why they do it. Lots of science will tell them they are wrong. They don't want their kids to hear it. The time to snag them is between 10 and 14. Got this from a vicar who misspoke. I don't understand why you would keep your kids away from growing by experience. Homeschooling is a way to get education even further down. I am from the Netherlands where it sporadically allowed and for a good reason. It it my opinion that homeschooling will be the demise of a sociaty. Especially in these days.

Studies show that no matter the education level of the parents, the kids were several grades ahead of their public school peers.
My siblings and I were home schooled, and I tested at junior college level when I was 13 years old.

Another study showed that in a class of five or less students per teacher, students gained a school grade every two weeks, showing that public school is mostly holding students back in lock-step, for the convenience of parents.

I homeschooled both of mine and they did great. One child very advanced and bored in school, one dyslexic who wasn't receiving the necessary instruction. We were very lucky to find a secular homeschool group to be part of. The majority in AL are very religious. If that had been our only option I don't think we would have continued.

I feel it hurts the childs social skills. Does not allow them to be used to the real world. What home schooling is good for if you live over 30 minutes or more from a school with no transportation.

I've noticed there are an awful lot of religious cultists who 'home-school'.

As a retired educator, I generally oppose home schooling. It does not work well unless the parents (1)are highly intelligent people truly dedicated to the education of their children, (2) also attend to the social development of the children. .

Home schooling is what broke up my marriage, as much as any other factors.
My ex wifes cousin, did quite well with it. She wanted to imitate them. She also wanted to shield our kids from the Big Mean World.

Personal crap aside, my thoughts are to let the schools teach and the parents to be the filters and critique and guide our children through the maze of crap, bad teachers, stupid lessons and inadequate programs. In other words: BE INVOLVED!
My thoughts on Socialization/ Public Schools.: WAY TOO MUCH time , kids' time, resources and MONEY WASTED on school spirit, sports programs and worthless shit that doesn't prepare a kid for the real world.

Homeschooling is not only about religious indoctrination. It is also about fighting group think social and political indoctrination as well.

Some people do not want their children taught all the bad social habits learned in public schools. Plus, public schools do an extremely poor job teaching kids and prepping them for real life in the first place.

If you want smart kids they need to be educated before school even starts, given additional studies on top of school and taught to not fall into social norms found at schools. Homeschooling circumvents all of these. Most people just use schools as day cares.

There is plenty of group think indoctrination and incorrect politics also being taught at schools that can be toxic to young learning minds.

Just like everything... It depends on "the teacher!" I have met some home schooled kids who are smarter than kids 3-4 grade levels above them. I have also met some whose parents were just lazy bums so the kids turned out as trash. I also have one of my customers who home schools her kids at the business she owns. Can you imagine the disconnected interruptions going on all day?

It might be a good fit for some people, due to various circumstances, but when the reason for home-schooling is so that the children aren't exposed to ideas from teachers or peers that might make them question their faith, I don't think it's in the best interest of the child.

I think it's good for kids to learn how to get along with and respect others, form their own opinions with all information available, and learn how to balance traditions with modern adaptations and interpretations, so they can participate in the real world, when they graduate out of their childhood home.

I know of several children that were home schooled. They did very well in the world, but then this happened in Australia. None of them came from religious families. Most went on to university. And all of them were very nice human beings too.

I can only speak to the examples I know in my childhood. In the small town of less than 3500. I grew up knowing three families who home schooled. The first was very religious and by my estimate nit very bright. They homeschooled their children until they were in their late teens. The teens demanded that they go to public school because they met a few neighbours and wanted to socialize.

The two oldest sisters seemed to get by for two years in highschool and were mostly treated well. Though, because of they lack of social experience and the piss poor religious education. Most of their peers thought hey were mentally disabled. Their youngest brother, who was in my age group. He had the hardest time because not only was he disadvantaged socially and scholastically. But he was picked on by several of the bullies in the school. Of course politically the administration didn't actually do anything to the bullies. They only targeted the brother.. because he defended himself in the most violent manner.

Long story short the two sisters graduated highschool (somehow) and then went to college. With in 30 days both were pregnant and dropped out. The brother, he is in jail for grand thieft auto and murder.

The second homeschooled family lived on a boat. They had traveled up and down the west coast for most of their lives. They'd stay in a port for a week, a few months, or even a year or two. I wouldn't say they were religious per say. But, rather embraced the sense of adventure and nomadic life.

The family had twins, a boy and a girl and both were about four years older then me. From what I recall, the were mostly boatschooled and would come to social events like PE and sportsball, theater, and music classes. The sister was amazing at playing instirments. She could play both winds, string and horns with a little piano. Truly gifted, but what always confused me was how she learned to play when they had none on the boat.

The brother was well liked, but had some issues with the small town gossip. It later came out that he was bisexual and it caused him no end of trouble with the small minded headro community.

If I recall correctly the brother died in a car crash while the sister won a scholarship to some music school.

The last home schooled family was three years younger than me. Again a religious family who's father was a preacher no less. The three kids, two boys and one girl. Had been homeschooled since birth and they originally came from a secluded small farm town in Montana. They moved into that dame small town I grew up in and the kids initially for the first year remained home. But as they would venture out and meet other kids in the neighbourhood they eventually pressured their parents to let them go to public school.

They too struggled with social dynamics and even made a huge stink when in any science, math, or social studies classes. It was "wrong", "immoral", etc.

For the most part they went through highschool and passed as acclimated to the social aspects. Though how they graduated I do not know

Tragically the oldest brother died in a car accident and sister got pregnant at 17 and the middle brother went into the family business (he became a priest).

Wish i could have stories of homeschooled folks who were well adjusted, prepared for society, and made a positive impact.

I just didn't see it. The lack of social toughness and general lack of what "the real world" is like showed me that these kids were held back and set up to fail.

You can not combat the face of evil nor its minions if you don't even know what it looks like nor their tricks.

UnLess the teacher has the proper credentials they have no value for teaching. Just what the christians want. Dummy down teachers to poison their children. What child abuse.

More brainwashing.

I view homeschooling like I view plastic surgery. There are serious instances, like social awkwardness or learning disability, where I think it could be beneficial. to choose to homeschool your children and deprive them of the opportunity to expand their social skills and experiences is unfortunate for the child in the long run.

I am not very proud of the fact that I did it with my children. My son and daughter switched to public school in the 3rd and 9th grades respectively and had zero difficulty with the transition, and got A averages. So I don't think I shortchanged them academically. I did it nominally for the typical Christian reasons but the real reason was that my first wife was mentally ill and had certain Notions that were immovable. The kids went to regular school after the divorce when I had sole custody of them.

I don't simplistically buy all the social reasons for public school, that is a mixed bag, and is typically addressed by home schoolers with educational co-ops and hired tutors.

For better or worse, and against my advice, my daughter ended up home schooling her children. She is an unbeliever but the precipitating cause was that she has a son with OCD and the school district was unable (and, really, unwilling) to accommodate him. He has participated in robotics competitions, and tutored in math by a former math professor. So socially he's fine. His younger brother is a social butterfly and went to a fine arts camp this summer, etc. So the social thing is not the big deal you'd think it would be.

Still, I wish she had solved the problem by changing school districts.

My main objection to home schooling is the dual role of parent and teacher. Kids know how to play you two ways instead of just one. It's just too much. And I definitely don't believe, and never did believe, in home schooling children of high school age. Unless you're Einstein -- and arguably not even then -- you can't give your children the well rounded multi-discipline education that a regular school situation can, and you're not giving them the social transition and practice to set them up for college.

All that said, conventional / public schools have their downsides and problems too, and nothing either guarantees success in conventional school, or failure in home school.

The biggest motivation behind home schooling is parents who want to isolate their children from the influence of other cultures, religions, and races.