When It's Good To Be A Homeschooler

There are times, and many of them, that I question why I home school and still keep on homeschooling. Then something comes along and slaps you in the face and brings you back to reality. Like what is about to happen in our little part of the universe.

Come fall, when many of us are looking forward to the new school supply smell, and you know what I am talking about. Crayons, freshly sharpened pencils, glue, construction paper, and the list goes on. Well for three schools in my county there will be no doors opening next year. I know one of them for sure is an elementary close to where I live. And I do not know what the other two schools are. But suffice it to say things are about to get a whole lot tougher. When my children left the public school system, there were anywhere from 30-35 children per classroom. And this big surge came after so many children were kept back due to the F-Cat.


So now what? How many more portables can a school hold on their grounds. Now the school district is saying that classrooms will not be over-crowded, but I find that hard to believe.


There is to be a town meeting on the 31st. So folks can vent their grievances. But to what end? The article in the newspaper said that the counties mind was not made up as of yet as to how they were going to handle this situation. Again, I find that hard to swallow.


What is our children's education worth. How many cut backs do we need to enforce to get them the education they deserve?


Do we cut out sports? How about all of thee arts? Or how about only cutting the sports that do not offer college scholarships? (That was one suggestion made in an Email form form one parent on how to help with the crisis). Where do you draw the line or even start the line. And who will win or lose in this fight over thee almighty dollar. Children will be made to go to the back of the line, in life is what I am referring to.


It starts with taking away a few of the elective classes, such as art, music. Then we climb to the higher grades and then it is the debate team, chorus, the French Club and so on. But to what end, why cut education. Ahhh, that's right, rt and music and sports is not education in thee eyes of some people. Let me be the first to tell you that that is so far off base, I could not even begin to describe it.


Let me take my cooking class for example. these kids are like little sponges. Whether they are learning and remembering things I have taught them or they are getting it from mom or the Food Network, they are learning something. And all I want is for my children somewhere in their future for something I have taught them to actually click and I think that is all any teacher could ask for. It's when they are cooking dinner for thier friends, wife, parents and they are in the kitchen and they are working with a utensil or some gadget and then the lightbulb goes on, and they say, "Hey, I learned that from The Cooking Lady." That is all I ask.


But so many children will not be able to have a chance to say that, for most more than likely home economics will be axed, so kids won't know the difference between a potato peeler and a cheese slicer.


So when someone asks me why I home school I will just whip out this post I just typed up and let them chew on it for a while.