There is a resignation letter in an article in the Washington Post from a government school teacher to a high school in Syracuse, New York. The teacher has some interesting things to say about being forced into a corner with respect to how he is required to teach by governmental regulations. It is an interesting letter, not so much because I think it is right on all the particulars, but because he describes exactly how we felt when we pulled our children out of government school to start homeschooling. Here is my favorite quote from the letter:
After writing all of this I realize that I am not leaving my profession, in truth, it has left me. It no longer exists. I feel as though I have played some game halfway through its fourth quarter, a timeout has been called, my teammates’ hands have all been tied, the goal posts moved, all previously scored points and honors expunged and all of the rules altered.
The issue was that the government school teachers taught our kids things we thought were wrong. They were also very inefficient at teaching our kids the things we thought were right. It seems like the chickens are coming home to roost. There are lots more things to say, for instance, about STEM, worldviews, and grading, but I have said those things in many other posts over the years.
Eric
Yes, the train left the station a some time ago. When Audrey went to the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnnati last week, she was struck by how many universities were there this time (since last attending in 2010) pandering to homeschool kids. The universities are literally recruiting homeschool youngsters. Ron Paul was even the keynote speaker at the convention this time and he stole my line, which is that “homeschooling is the revolution of our day.” While I’m not the biggest RP fan, I agree with his position in that the following generation(s) of homeschool kids will be the foundation for the resurgence of American exceptionalism.
Hearing Audrey’s account of her visit, the thought occurred to me, “In the coming years, a new hire employee will judged based upon how he received his schooling and the homeschooler will be given preferential consideration” Why? If homeschoolers are given preferential treatment at the college level now, it is a only matter of time until they are given preferential treatment post universitae (i.e. in the workforce).
Something tells me I’m right and it doesn’t bode well for the government school kids.
My advice to parents: if you want your kid to succeed in the workforce of the future, get him out of government school now. Don’t wait until tomorrow, do it NOW. Soon, it won’t matter if your kid went to Harvard or MIT, if he wasn’t homeschooled, he will be trumped by homeschool kids wherever he goes looking for a job.
All I can say is “ditto.” Now the race is to arrive at that preferential situation before the government outlaws homeschool!