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10 Reasons to Homeschool
Excerpted from the National Home Education Network's posting (55 Reasons to Homeschool)
http://www.waldsfe.org/Humor/55reasons.htm

1. …Allow children time to learn subjects not usually taught in their school.

2. …Allow children to have time for more in-depth study than what is allowed in school.

3. …Allow children to learn at their own pace, not too slow or too fast. (You don;t have to be concerned about teaching to the average)

4. …Allow children to work at a level that is appropriate to their own developmental stage. Skills and concepts can be introduced at the right time for that child.

5. …Not have to deal with bullying or racially motivated incidents that can hinder the learning process.
(-this is one of the top reasons why many blacks have pulled their kids out of school. I personally know kids who have begged their parents to homeschool them because of bullying. Many of these kids want to stand up for themselves, but they are in schools that have zero tolerance for violence policies. They are in schools where SELF-DEFENSE is frowned upon!) Others are tired of fighting the racial prejudices and inequities. We all know racism is a problem our kids will have to deal with sooner or later, but we have to ask ourselves at what point do we continue to allow this to interfere with getting the critical skills they need RIGHT NOW!

6. …Encourage concentration and focus - which are discouraged in crowded classrooms with too many distractions.

(One of my closest friends took her child out of a school that was one of the "top" academic schools in our communities after her husband visited the school. After sitting in his child's classes for a day he realized how much she WASN'T learning.)

7. …Spend a lot of time out-of-doors. This is healthier than spending most weekdays indoors in a crowded, and often overheated, classroom. (The average person, not to mention child, only spends 30 minutes or less outdoors everyday. WAY less then children of a generation ago. Homeschool kids spend 3 times or more than that outdoors. On warm sunny days, many parents hold class outdoors.)

8. …Time is available for more nonacademic pursuits such as art or music. This leads to a richer, happier life. (Music and fine arts are part of the academic curriculum, not side events.)

9. …College Prep-Children will not feel like passive recipients of subject matter selected by their teachers. They will learn to design their own education and take responsibility for it. (Isn’t this what college students are expected to do.)

10. …Learning can be more efficient since methods can be used that suit a child's particular learning style. (This is one of the best parts. You can tailor each subject to all your kids individual learning styles.)

I realize this is not an option for many households, but it's something to consider. Don;t think because you are a single parent you cannot homeschool. There are single parents who can and do teach their own children. Those who can afford it may hire tutors, those who cannot will often have a grandparent keep kids during the day and they home educate them in the evening. Let's face it, many of you are already spending up to four hours a night helping kids with homework! In that same time frame you could be teaching them, with grandparents taking them to art and music classes during the day. If they are older they could also take courses through online charter schools. (Be advised, many do not consider this true homeschooling since depending on where you live you will still be bound by state mandates.) But it is an option for those who are afraid to tackle it on their own.

If you are considering homeschooling there are a lot of resources. Do a web search of local groups to see if there are any groups in your area. Get to know people who are already doing it. Email friends and family to see if they know any homeschool families you can connect with to get more information.

It was scary at first, but we have never looked back. Yes, it is a financial struggle for most families, but I have not met one family yet who has regretted their decision to homeschool.

Lance Winslow in preparation for a book he is writing stated that the number one reasons for Home Schooling was violence in schools. He stated this fact in an ezine article on http://ezinearticles.com/?Violence-in-Schools;-Number-One-Reason-for-Home-Schooling&id=457852

I'm not sure where he got his facts, so I can't vouch for the validity of this claim, however I do know at least two families in my own circle who pulled their kids out for this very reason. Parents vehemently complained to the school and to the district to no avail. Even after one child was physically threatened with harm before his peers, the school did nothing to punish the child for the ongoing threats and abuse levied at the other. Finally in frustration these parents pulled their child out of school. Sadly, in one of the very same districts, a teen committed suicide just a month later. Reason-the teen had been repeatedly and systematically bullied for years.

Now this same district is trying to push for ANti-bullying laws, when if they had just done their job in the first place their would have been no need to try to use this "advocacy" as a backdoor means to clean up their mess.

Other parents have pulled their children out simply so they won't be exposed to the viloence and threats of gang initiation. While others have complained of "grooming." Grooming is when a person of either the same gender, or even opposite gender, uses various methods to get kids involved in behaviors they normally would not participate in. These "groomers" are usually seniors or recent graduates who hang out at the school and target shy, weak, or otherwise lonely and needy kids. They feign friendship and concern, often showering them with gifts and attention. The kids is exposed and often becomes their next victim. If the kid rejects the attention, they may be stalked, harrassed, or intimidated.

This is bullying to the 9th power! If it works the groomer has a lover, sexual partner, drug partner, or partner in crime.

These are the kinds of things many kids are exposed to today in schools.

Now to be fair, there are many good schools out there, and not all kids are exposed to this sort of thing; so it would be wrong for me to put all schools in this box. Most schools do their best to keep kids safe and out of harms way. Most schools have strict policies against this sort of thing and they enforce them. But if you find out that your child is facing one of the above named potentially dangerous and harmful situations, and no one is listening to you-no one is helping you; THEN I IMPLORE YOU-please consider removing your child from the school and either homeschooling, or having them placed in another school.

Parents today have so many more options than they had in the past, so please do not feel like your only option is to leave your child vulnerable in a failing system.*

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PLEASE NOTE: THE OPINIONS OF THIS BLOGGER ARE NOT INTENED TO REPLACE COMPETENT ADVICE FROM A PHYSICIAN, THERAPIST, OR COUNSELOR. NOR IS IT INTENEDED TO REPLACE LEAGAL ADVICE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, SOCIAL WORKERS, OR ATTORNEYS. IF YOUR CHILD IS IN ONE OF THE ABOVE NAMED, POTENTIALLY HARMFUL SITUATIONS, PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP.
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Lena Arnold is an award winning author and publisher of several books, including “In the Absence of My Father,” “Strong Black Coffee: Poetry and Prose to Enlighten, Encourage, and Entertain Americans of African Descent,” “For This Child We Prayed: Living with the Secret Shame of Infertility;,” dealing with black Christian infertility, and “For This Dream I Prayed: Companion Journal.” She is currently collaborating on a children’s book entitled “Jackie’s’ Way” dealing with childhood anger with nationally renown artist Michael Fields. Lena was endorsed by the late CBS News Correspondent Ed Bradley for “…being a thoughtful writer who goes beyond…”