(08-12-2009 09:55 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  imo you can't beat experience. If you have a bad teacher with twenty years in he or she was a bad teacher with 4 years experience.

My First Ex-Wife was a High School English Teacher who then went back to Grad School to become a High School Principal. God she ranted about "incompetent rookie teachers".

(08-12-2009 08:38 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  But in Home Schooling, do you have the same opportunities to compete in these events and can you take on the "best" from Public and Private High Schools in the same contests? Or is it a different division, etc?

Didn't seem to affect this guy:

(08-12-2009 10:53 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  I have kids in high school who cant tell me 7x8 so I know it's the system.

have them watch some football games. how hard is it?

(08-12-2009 10:03 PM)Rebel Wrote:  

(08-12-2009 08:38 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  But in Home Schooling, do you have the same opportunities to compete in these events and can you take on the "best" from Public and Private High Schools in the same contests? Or is it a different division, etc?

Didn't seem to affect this guy:

But he wasn't Home Schooled in High School...

(08-12-2009 05:00 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  I went to Catholic grade school and a public high school. The one thing I see in public schools is a total lack of respect and discipline. In Catholic school there were uniforms, you got out of your chair and stood up when speaking, you didn't speak unless spoken to during class, there was no "we can't do this to the kids because it will hurt their self esteem." When I got into high school I was truly surprised to see how much crap the teachers let the kids get away with - and I graduated in '74. I can only imagine things are worse now.

Edit: Forgot to add that I got better grades in Catholic school even though many of the things covered in high school I had already learned. There was no discipline or urgency to teach the kids.

Too each their own... both of my parents went through the same situation as you... Catholic elementary, public HS. Both think that the public school system is significantly better.

(08-12-2009 10:12 PM)bww Wrote:  

(08-12-2009 10:53 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  I have kids in high school who cant tell me 7x8 so I know it's the system.

have them watch some football games. how hard is it?

The fact that it is simple memorization tells me that they have not worked their entire life. Memorization takes time, nothing more, nothing less.

(08-12-2009 10:16 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  

(08-12-2009 10:03 PM)Rebel Wrote:  

(08-12-2009 08:38 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  But in Home Schooling, do you have the same opportunities to compete in these events and can you take on the "best" from Public and Private High Schools in the same contests? Or is it a different division, etc?

Didn't seem to affect this guy:

But he wasn't Home Schooled in High School...

Yes he was. Florida passed a law that homeschoolers could play on HS teams in their district. He didn't attend Nease HS.

I'm sure Torch is just waiting on my full response to this... :)

I have no problem with a parent wanting to homeschool their kid. There are times that I think it would be the best option. No waiting on the "slow" kids, no busy work that does nothing in terms of helping the kid learn.

That being said, I still believe that public schools are generally better than private schools. More technology and more class options.

The biggest difference between private schools and public schools comes down to parents, IMO. Kids with parents who are involved with their education are going to get a good education, no matter where they go. Kids without interested parents are not necessarily going to work in school. You can throw as much money as you want at the problem, it will never be fixed. That leads to the real question...

What do you do for the kids in the inner cities that have never had anybody show an interest in their education? If they have no fear of being disciplined at home for bad grades or behavior, then why should they work in school?

(08-12-2009 08:38 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  One thing I loved in High School was the extra-curricular competition. I loved playing football, going to the State Latin Contests, going to UIL tournaments, Prep Bowl matches, etc. I usually did pretty well. Part of the fun was "I'm going to beat that SOB from _____ (insert school name) like a red headed step child." It sometimes got pretty personal. and you know who you are going against very well. Funny, I ran into some of these same people I cussed on a daily basis a year or so later in college.

But in Home Schooling, do you have the same opportunities to compete in these events and can you take on the "best" from Public and Private High Schools in the same contests? Or is it a different division, etc?

Depends on the state. You certainly have opportunities. My older son is playing football on the local rec leage this year. Next year he's old enough to play on a homeschool team that competes against parochial schools. Some states have the regulation that a homeschooler participate in their local schools' extracurricular activities. I adamantly agree w/ that since they pay taxes.

My wife has friends in VA who compete on a forensics teams.

My daughter was 2nd in her HS class(big deal). If I had to do it over again...I would work 3 jobs if necessary to afford to send her to private school and get her out of the clutches of the governmental indoctrination centers. End the department of education!!!!!ASAP!!!!!

(08-13-2009 11:06 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  My daughter was 2nd in her HS class(big deal). If I had to do it over again...I would work 3 jobs if necessary to afford to send her to private school and get her out of the clutches of the governmental indoctrination centers. End the department of education!!!!!ASAP!!!!!

But I know that you, as a responsible parent, raised her well, was involved in her education and activities, and told her when the government indoctrination centers were full of it.

(08-13-2009 11:13 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  

(08-13-2009 11:06 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  My daughter was 2nd in her HS class(big deal). If I had to do it over again...I would work 3 jobs if necessary to afford to send her to private school and get her out of the clutches of the governmental indoctrination centers. End the department of education!!!!!ASAP!!!!!

But I know that you, as a responsible parent, raised her well, was involved in her education and activities, and told her when the government indoctrination centers were full of it.

Yes...But the real funny thing is.....She is a Jr. in college working on a teaching degree!!!!...WTF?? Actually she wants to be a archivist in a library...the teaching is the fallback position. I still think she is crazy.

(08-13-2009 11:16 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  I still think she is crazy.

Oh, you had to see this one coming!!!


Apple.... falling.... not far from the tree.

(08-14-2009 07:50 AM)Paul M Wrote:  

(08-13-2009 11:16 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  I still think she is crazy.

Oh, you had to see this one coming!!!


Apple.... falling.... not far from the tree.

Better crazy than boring.

Doesn't anyone watch Schoohouse Rock any more?

Hell, I can sing the multiplication tables.

I grew up in the waning days of their broadcast. I learned the legislative process pretty quickly. Oh yeah, how about counting by 5s.

You can get the whole series on DVD.

It's what my kids watched instead of Barnie.

(08-14-2009 09:36 AM)Smaug Wrote:  You can get the whole series on DVD.

Yeah, I mentioned that to Mach. We have the series. It's a good tool to have available.

I learned a lot from them as a kid. I frequently use interjections for excitment, for emotion.