Parents that home school but can't even spell properly.

[CrazyQT]

I'm all for freedom of choice regarding education. I know a lot of people that home school and their children have done well after graduation.

However, I have a "friend" (a friend of a friend, acquaintance maybe) that has 4 children ranging in age from 7 to 19. Two of them are special needs 9 and 13 yr old, the oldest one is 19 and has "graduated".

She "home schools" her children. They have no structure regarding the time of day they do school work. They live in a 3 bedroom apartment with 4 children, 4 adults 2 dogs, 4 cats, (she currently has "adopted" her best friends son and his pregnant girlfriend so they are living there as well). Their house is a MESS. I am so not one to complain about a messy house but theirs is disgusting.

Putting all of that aside the thing that bothers me the most is that she home schools these children and she can't spell correctly to save her life. Her grammar is horrible. Her punctuation worse.

Her special needs children need way more time and attention than thy are getting now. The 13 year old has RSS and he can barely speak or print. The 7 year old is non verbal save for a few grunts and "words" that only his mother can understand. How is this child ever going to excel when the most important aspect of his learning is being taught by someone that can't spell properly?

Are there not laws to protect these children? Who marks their work? Who makes sure they are doing appropriate curriculum? It's so sad to know that these boys could flourish so much more if they were placed in a regular school with teachers that are qualified to teach them properly.

So frustrating to sit back and watch.

She's in the USA so maybe they have different laws regarding homeschooling than Canada does?

[momof3heathens]

Call family services in her town.

[terry2144]

This would terrible! I agree with momof3heathens. Those kids deserve access to opportunities available to them. I know nothing about home schooling but this seems less than ideal.

[Darth Penguin]

Each state has it's rules, sadly. There are some states with very few requirements at all...including any basic testing requirement.

Homeschool techers need to be very dedicated to teach children who are close to them without either being too strict, too lax or not paying any attention at all. Personally, i'd rather a parent who was intereasted and dynamic about teaching but wasn't too hot on spelling or grammar than one who was going through the motions and had perfect spelling and punctuation.

Sadly it sounds like your friend is neither...

[Darth Penguin]

Call family services in her town.

IT's possible thatthis family ia already know to CPS given she has 2 special needs children. Contrary to popular belief, CPS can't do a lot if the parent doesn't allow access and groups like HSDLA openly support parents' rights rather than the rights of the children.


Homeschoolers Anonymous on HDSLA
Love, joy, feminism on HDSLA

[Midnightly]

i completely understand your frustration.. i knew a mother who homeschooled her daughter(pulled her out half way through the school year) and honestly i think she was doing more harm then good, she was often beyond frazzled, had her hands full with her younger brother constantly needing attention(so she didn't have the time to devote to educating her daughter) also working part time and always trying to find someone to help "be a village" with her children and take them for a few hours because she was constantly overwhelmed

to me school is about soo much more then the text book.. it's about creating an atmosphere of learning,it gets them out of their own little bubble and see the world from other views, it's about social skills that help us through adulthood (waiting your turn, how to deal with confrontation, positives and negatives,being with peers, team building being able to function in a group place without getting distracted...)

children also need the structure that school most often provides.. i have since i lost touch with her.. (she moved away, got deeper into her extremist behavior/opinions and has since deleted her facebook page) last i heard she was considering putting her child back into school and i really hope she did because i think school would be the best thing for her child

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Isn't there rules or guidelines that have to be met?

I don't know hardly anything about home-schooling.... I always assumed there was some on-going supervision??

[Shwa Girl]

OP, I hear your concern. Have seen a similar household very full, busy and unsanitary and wondered about the children's care...

Isn't there rules or guidelines that have to be met?

I don't know hardly anything about home-schooling.... I always assumed there was some on-going supervision??

Yes, there are some rules. OP mentioned that the oldest child graduated. That should mean that he completed the state specific testing for a high school diploma. This is administered at a local school or at a local testing center. This could be used for admission to college or university.

[Darth Penguin]

Yes, there are some rules. OP mentioned that the oldest child graduated. That should mean that he completed the state specific testing for a high school diploma. This is administered at a local school or at a local testing center. This could be used for admission to college or university.

depends on the state.

If you have been following the Alecia Faith Penington saga, Texas state law considers homeschoolin to be private education and doesn't reuire any kind of testing . A graduate diploma of the School of the Dining Room Table can mean that the student has learnt Sweet FA...

[Shwa Girl]

depends on the state.

If you have been following the Alecia Faith Penington saga, Texas state law considers homeschoolin to be private education and doesn't reuire any kind of testing . A graduate diploma of the School of the Dining Room Table can mean that the student has learnt Sweet FA...

I don't know the case. Good to know. I know that if I am an employer and the job requires a high school diploma, I want to see some proof that credits and tests were completed. If I am a college or university admissions officer, I want to see that proof too before admission.

[saveadollardiva]

Personally, I would call child services, these kids need proper schooling, b/c these woman is not giving them what they properly need.

[CrazyQT]

OP, I hear your concern. Have seen a similar household very full, busy and unsanitary and wondered about the children's care...



Yes, there are some rules. OP mentioned that the oldest child graduated. That should mean that he completed the state specific testing for a high school diploma. This is administered at a local school or at a local testing center. This could be used for admission to college or university.

I say he "graduated" because he had photos taken with his girlfriend when she graduated. He borrowed his girlfriends twin sisters gown for the photos. I really don't think he actually graduated on paper.

[couponingtosurvive]

Something about CrazyQT saying "graduated because he had photos taken with his girlfriend when she graduated. He borrowed his girlfriends twin sisters gown for the photos" makes me wonder. Hope he wasn't feeling excluded from a high school graduation ceremony because if he did feel that way... well my heart would break.

[kellyanna_99]

Ick. I know so many who do it well, but a few who do it badly give it a bad name!

I withdrew my son for a year to teach him at home when he was first diagnosed with high functioning autism in JK. The waitlist for therapies was long, and I was not happy with the choices in the public schools for him. I did the therapies privately at home with full immersion in the therapies. I did the academic items, and had him re-assessed at the end of the year to see his progress. It was a long, hard year, but worth it ! He improved enough to re-enter school with and IEP in place for behaviors controls. He attends the same private school as his siblings (poor area school where we live). I say this to say it was hard, and I brought in tutors, therapists of various sorts, etc and it was still hard.

That situation is nuts! That situation in the states with Alecia is insane!

[greeny]

It really doesn't make sense. If your child attends a public school, their teacher has to have a teaching degree from an accredited university as well as a license to teach. Teachers are reviewed on a yearly basis regarding their performance. Why aren't there regulations when it comes to home school? The parent should have to be tested to make sure they are capable of teaching their own children the curriculum mandated by law. Does anyone even check up on home schooled kids to make sure they are actually being taught and actually learning and up to par with kids their age?