School Choice

I will always be an advocate for homeschooling; but I believe every parent has the right to choose the best school choice for their family. When public schools were forced to school at home, many chose to call it homeschooling; but this was not homeschooling, and does not compare to homeschooling. Many parents think the coming school year will resemble what they just finished at home; and that is not the case. I have spoken to representatives in the public school system and parents who choose to school at home will be using the K12 online public school program. Because of the progression of public virtual schools, there is a considerable amount of misinformation, so I would like to share the differences between the two. For starters, though learning happens at home, K12 online schools are not homeschools and students who attend are not considered homeschoolers. K12 online school have an established curriculum that is taught by state-certified teachers. Each online school has an administration with a principal and other support staff. Teachers follow a traditional school year. And above all, the K12 online public school program must comply with state mandated testing, attendance, and academic progress requirements. Simply put, it is public school at home. Whereas, parents who choose to homeschool have the freedom to choose their own curriculum and set their own school schedule.

Are parents qualified to teach their children?

This question is usually presented with concern that most parents are not certified teachers. Studies have shown that certification does not correlate to educational results seen in the classroom. In fact, two studies indicated that teacher certification was a negative influence. Studies also show that the educational background of the parent does not appreciably affect the student’s academic accomplishments. Homeschool students graduate with academic excellence and attend colleges and universities, just like those in the K12 online public school; but studies have shown that homeschoolers score higher on standardized achievement tests than their public school counterparts. The major issue that determines the success of a student is the commitment of the teacher to see that the student learns the required subject.  

While it is important to define the difference, most homeschool communities welcome the K12 students to participate in their extra-curricular activities. Parents have the freedom to make their own school choice – public school or homeschool.

If you have any questions about homeschooling, please feel free to reach out to me. You can message me through my Facebook blog page; but if you live in Southeast Texas, I would be glad to meet with you and show you different curriculum options in THE Book Nook and help you begin homeschooling.