Home school vs public school

[panfan]

I have two opposing view points based on the fact that I have seen both really good and really bad results come of it. Does anyone think there should be a minimum education required or at least recommended from parents before they can home school? Lets hear it.

[Saggy Aggie]

Do your kids a favor and put them in a decent quality public school.

I dont care how well you think you can teach your kids, you cant do it better or more consistently than a public school. Sure they're not perfect, but I've never seen a homeschooled kid get more than 20 hrs of school a week. Not to mention they dont get to develop natural social skills that other kids do.

Homeschooled kids are almost always socially awkward and weird due to lack of exposure. Sure there are exceptions, but I think that if you put your child in an above average public school, they'll get a solid education and an opportunity to be as socially well rounded as the rest of the kids their age.

[Cam]

I agree with Saggy. Here's what you do (and what I do):
Get the best of both worlds. Let the kid learn at school from a professional, AND get your lazy ass off the couch, turn off the TV, and every once in a while teach your kids something. I'm sure most of ya'll have a brain that's loaded with information. Give whatever knowledge you can give to them. Take them to work. Show them what you do. We will sometimes pick up a book, encyclopedia, Science And Invention Series, (yes I still have those!) world atlas, whatever, and just go over it with them. You can teach your kid as much as you really want to. It's really up to you. Also, sign them up with the Kahn Academy. It's free and loaded with information. Plus it's fun! If you don't already have your kids signed up with Kahn, you're short changing them. https://www.khanacademy.org/about
A person's intelligence should never be measured by their level of education.....my dad finished with a sixth grade education cause grandpa dragged him out of school to go work, but dad was still a wizard at just about anything...he loved math...and he taught himself a lot.....One of my bosses at TI (Jerry Merryman) was the co-inventor of the calculator and at last count had 59 patents to his name or something like that! I don't remember to what level of college he got to, but I do remember him telling me he got bored going to Texas A&M and just wanted to "go to work"!.....Crazy but true...
Read about Jerry Merryman here: http://www.datamath.org/Story/JackKilby.htm

And take me as another example! I majored in "Bad Comedy" and minored in "Lame Limericks".....but I think I came out all right!...It's all good....:vrycnfsd:

....this is all Greendawgs fault!

[panfan]

Here is what sparked my question and BTW - all three of my kids are in public school. A small shop opened up behind my office. I see Mom get there with kids, who stay there all day with her, and Dad (I'm guessing, shows up later in day). Its a retail store, that in the morning as far as I can tell doesn't see much traffic. I thought to myself, that kid should be in school. Now maybe Mom and or Dad are homeschooling kids and doing a wonderful job at it, and maybe they are failing, who knows.

My viewpoints - from a wife teacher who regularly gets new students who were home schooled - and are behind, socially awkward, and generally unable to perform. AND my in laws, who have home schooled all three - who are exceptionally bright, and 2 are done with high school and are enrolled in college, about 1.5 years ahead of their public school counterparts. They are however, socially awkward. I'm just posing the question and soliciting opinions. Thanks to those who have offered theirs.