Parents Are Taking Control Essay, Research Paper

Parents Are Taking Control Never before in the United States have parents been so disgruntled about their children s education. The main reason behind this massive disruption is that public schools are not living up to parent s standards. Therefore, parents are taking their children s educations and futures into their own hands, and doing so quite efficiently. Many parents are turning to [ an alternative ] means of educating known as home schooling. Home schooling is simply [ education of school- aged children at home rather than at school. ] Parents are choosing home schooling over public because public schools are not meeting their children s academic, individual, and handicap needs. First, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are not meeting student s academic needs. [Parents expect their children will learn to read, write, and acquire basic math skills by the time they graduate.] However, public schools throughout the United States are failing to teach these basic achedemic skills. Recent studies show that [ Of the 2.4 million who graduate, as many as 25% cannot read or write at the eighth grade level or functionally literate, level, according to some estimates. ] This is a tragic statistic for a nation claiming to be so developed. There are more opportunities to education in the United States than any other country in the world, yet evidence shows that the United States ranks [ at the bottom of 19 industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic. ] In addition, students are ranking lower than ever on Academic Achievement Tests (ACT). Children who attend public schools rank in the [ 50th percentile. ] whereas, home schooled children [ typically score at the 65th to 80th percentile . ] To add to these statistics, [ in December 1989, the education press reported the amazing news that children schooled at home seemed to be five or even ten years ahead of their formally trained peers in their ability to think. ] These statistics prove that home schooled children are doing better in math, science, reading and writing, compared to children attending public schools. Secondly, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are no longer taking student s individual needs into consideration. Since students are taught lessons based on an academic calendar year, they are expected to be able to complete specific tasks by the end of that year. When students fail to meet these expectations they are required to repeat the same grade the following school year. For example, at the end of a school year if a student is having difficulties reading but doing well in other subjects he or she will be required to repeat the same grade. If students were properly tutored in the areas they are having difficulties in they would not have to repeat the same grades. Unfortunately public schools do not give special tutoring to students like they once did. Teachers in the public school systems are teaching students as though they are on an assembly line. They no longer work [ one-to-one . ] with them. Unlike public schooling, home schooling allows parents to teach in a style that best fits their children s needs. For example if a child is not prepared to move on to a higher level, the parent can continue with similar lessons until the child understands. Also, children are not held back in the same grade if they are lagging behind in particular subjects. Their parents can move them to the next grade and tutor them in the subjects they are having trouble in. Children who are home schooled also get individual attention from their parents. They do not have to worry about waiting for their teacher to find time to help them. In sum, parents are finding that home schooling meets the individual needs of their children better than public schooling.

Finally, parents of children with physical and mental disabilities are finding that home schooling meets their children s handicap needs better than public schooling. A major downfall of public schooling is that handicapped students are graded in the same style as the rest of the students. In public schools, children with handicaps are still expected to complete all of their assignments in the same given time as other students. Teachers are not taking these children s handicaps into consideration. For example, children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have trouble staying focused and are easily distracted. As a result of constantly being distracted, they are not able to complete their assignments. This type of grading style has become a great concern for parents of handicapped children. Because of situations like this one, parents are making decisions to teach their handicapped children at home. By teaching their children at home they are in an environment that is equipped to aid in their development. For instance, children with ADD [ are in an environment where they cannot be influenced by the action of other children . ] and cannot be easily distracted. In addition, they have special time to complete their assignments. They can also have all of [ their assignments tailored to fit their abilities and needs. ] By home schooling children with learning disabilities are given equal chances of succeeding in their education which they otherwise would not get in public schooling. Public schools may have been the center for learning years ago. However, today they are not meeting children s academic, individual, and handicapped needs. As a result, parents are choosing to educate their children through home schooling. Statistics show that home schooled children are ahead of children who attend public schools by a noticable degree. In addition, Handicapped children are having their needs met better at home more so than in public schools. They are being given an equal chance at succeeding in their education that they otherwise would not have when attending public schools. In summary, parents are choosing home schooling because it currently offers the best solution to their problems facing the public school systems.