Positive Article on Homeschooling

[Mom0012]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/07/Report-Growth-in-Homeschooling-Outpacing-Public-Schools

[chiguirre]

It's nice to see a pro-hsing article, but this one is not very serious. I particularly like this quote:

 

Recent studies laud homeschoolers’ academic success, noting their significantly higher ACT-Composite scores as high schoolers and higher grade point averages as college students. Yet surprisingly, the average expenditure for the education of a homeschooled child, per year, is $500 to $600, compared to an average expenditure of $10,000 per child, per year, for public school students.

 

I think they may be forgetting a little something like the lost wages of the SAH parent who homeschools. Yes, some families manage to swing two jobs and hs or would need a SAH parent anyway, but the vast majority of hsers have given up a parent's income to hs. That's a huge opportunity cost and one of the main reasons hsing is not even more popular than it currently is.

[KrissiK]

It's nice to see a pro-hsing article, but this one is not very serious. I particularly like this quote:

 

Recent studies laud homeschoolers’ academic success, noting their significantly higher ACT-Composite scores as high schoolers and higher grade point averages as college students. Yet surprisingly, the average expenditure for the education of a homeschooled child, per year, is $500 to $600, compared to an average expenditure of $10,000 per child, per year, for public school students.

 

I think they may be forgetting a little something like the lost wages of the SAH parent who homeschools. Yes, some families manage to swing two jobs and hs or would need a SAH parent anyway, but the vast majority of hsers have given up a parent's income to hs. That's a huge opportunity cost and one of the main reasons hsing is not even more popular than it currently is.

I mentioned this to my husband. The cost comparison is not true apples to apples. I wonder what the "real monetary cost" of homeschooling would be if you factored in things like teacher's salary, overhead (schools have overhead, electricity, janitorial, lawn-mowing and other maintainance), etc. Now, I'm sure public schools could do a much better job budgeting, but still... you can't compare what a family spends on curriculum to what public schools claim they spend per student because for a family, a lot of other costs of education are hidden in the family budget.

I'm editing this to add, I'm assuming that when a school district says, " it costs x amount to educate a child" they are taking their budget and dividing it among the number of children in the district, and not separating out factors such as overhead.

[kewb]

I did enjoy the article but I think they are way off base on the cost of homeschooling. I could do it for less if I put the curriculum together myself but my time is worth something so I purchase curriculum and supplement as needed. I also have to pay for extracurriculars that would be included if my children attended public school. Plus, the cost of gas. I have to drive everywhere. That alone is a few hundred per year.

[BlessedMom]

Thank you for sharing the link to this article.

[Mom0012]

It's nice to see a pro-hsing article, but this one is not very serious. I particularly like this quote:

 

Recent studies laud homeschoolers’ academic success, noting their significantly higher ACT-Composite scores as high schoolers and higher grade point averages as college students. Yet surprisingly, the average expenditure for the education of a homeschooled child, per year, is $500 to $600, compared to an average expenditure of $10,000 per child, per year, for public school students.

 

I think they may be forgetting a little something like the lost wages of the SAH parent who homeschools. Yes, some families manage to swing two jobs and hs or would need a SAH parent anyway, but the vast majority of hsers have given up a parent's income to hs. That's a huge opportunity cost and one of the main reasons hsing is not even more popular than it currently is.

 

I do spend more than $500, but WAY less than $10,000. I would be a SAHM whether I homeschooled or not and I think that goes for most of the people I know, so that is an interesting perspective for me to hear.

 

Anyway, I just thought it was nice to hear something positive about homeschooling. Thanks for sharing your views.

[Mom0012]

I did enjoy the article but I think they are way off base on the cost of homeschooling. I could do it for less if I put the curriculum together myself but my time is worth something so I purchase curriculum and supplement as needed. I also have to pay for extracurriculars that would be included if my children attended public school. Plus, the cost of gas. I have to drive everywhere. That alone is a few hundred per year.

 

Yes, I probably spent about that when my kids were in elementary, but I spend considerably more now.