Wherein I Declare I Don't Hate Public School

I would like to publicly state that I do not hate public school. I don't hate private school or any forms of traditional education. I do not hate educators, legislators, or anyone for that matter. I am not choosing to homeschool because I can't stand the "system".

I think public education is vitally important, the teachers that dedicate their lives to educating children and giving them the tools they need to be successful for in life are the people to admired and respected. Many successful people have come out of the public education system. I myself was a public school teacher and I know first hand the struggles as well as successes of the system. With this said, the main things I don't like about public education is that almost all of the classroom power has been taken away from teachers. Most decisions in education are made by the government from people who are not educators but rather businessmen who look at the bottom dollar line. I cannot say I am a fan of the Common Core standards although I do feel it is a step in the right direction. However, those things are not the fault of schools. Many of these things will also not change as long as we have free public education and most schools do the very best they can with what they have. Public schools are full of teachers who try their best to teach a classroom of 30 students with vastly different needs. They stretch themselves thin trying to make creative lessons and grade papers for 150 students. They are whole-heartedly dedicated and committed to the education of students.

I'm not choosing to homeschool because I hate the system.
I'm not choosing to homeschool because I had bad teachers.
I'm not choosing to homeschool because I think legislators are evil.

I think public education is full of good people with good intentions trying to make a difference and  succeeding. The times when they don't succeed are (almost always) through no fault of their own.

I also do not think homeschooling is the only way to educate a child. I do not think it is the perfect option. I do, however, feel that the pros outweigh the cons. There are some very positive things about homeschooling that work well for our family.

I do not judge those who send their kids to traditional school. In fact, as I've stated in previous posts, depending on my research, I may decide to send them to a traditional school in their later grades or utilize some of the non-core classes of public education for my kids. I'm am not making a political stance about education and judging or condemning others who choose to send their kids to school or work in education. I am simply a Momma who is making what is, at this time, the best decision for her family. :)



This post brought to you by the awesome public school teachers I had growing up, including: Mrs. Gibbens, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Mills, Mrs. George, Mrs. Burnett, Mr. Mac, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Van, Mr. Edie, Mrs. Wilson, Mr. Woolf (even though he was a principal), and Mrs. Holton (even though she was an Office Lady).