<p>Did anyone who homeschools watch the show?</p>
<p>I missed it. How was it?</p>
<p>I watched it. I kept thinking they would mention homeschooling as an alternative, but they never did.</p>
<p>Yes, I did. I thought it was great! </p>
<p>Was glad to see the state of public education broadcast to the general public. </p>
<p>(I'd heard about such things for years -- read anything by John Taylor Gatto and he'll tell you the same thing John Stossel said -- so it was nothing new to me)</p>
<p>But most Americans haven't considered the ramifications of the public education monopoly.</p>
<p>Kelly</p>
<p>I got a great education in a public high school.</p>
<p>Fooey on them.</p>
<p>Didn't see it, but have read about it.</p>
<p>While I think I would agree with the assessment of public education, I don't think it has anything to do with monopoly status or that more competition would change how it operates. There are countries which have far more education regulation and fewer choices, yet they do better.</p>
<p>I'm reminded of an exchange I had with someone who is homeschooling a teen in a town where the local school is doing incredibly poorly. Her next door neighbor is the school superintendent, who blames competition for the poor results. He claims they would do better, but all the good students go to the military school in town or decide to homeschool. So there is active competition, and it has proved to be an excuse for mediocrity, not a spur to innovation and better results.</p>
<p>Personally, I find Hirsch's analysis, in "The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them," to be more persuasive. He thinks the problem is pedagogical technique and ideology, as originated by the Columbia Teachers College. Diane Ravitch has also done a good job in explaining why modern secondary textbooks are so poor (we used college texts whenever possible so as to avoid the problem). You can read about how constructivist ideology has negatively impacted math learning, to take one example, at <a href="http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com%5B/url%5D">www.mathematicallycorrect.com</a>.</p>
<p>My daughter was struggling in public school just due to the incoherent curriculum, poor texts, and teaching style. The one class where the teacher just TAUGHT the subject was the one she was doing well in. So she went from D's in 7th grade public school, to my homeschooling her for five years, and her current success at an Ivy League college, whose professors, fortunately, know their subjects but haven't taken any education classes. So I cringe when people ask me why I homeschooled her; after all, they tell me, the schools in my county are "so good." If that is good, then heaven help us!</p>
<p>This is not to say that no individuals can get a good education now in public or private schools. Look at the types that post on collegeconfidential! Of course, many successful types are smart enough to learn no matter what and others are lucky enough to happen to get good teachers. Lots of kids get help at home or with tutoring, too, at least in my area, which reputedly has one of the best school systems in the country. But still, an incredible percentage -- can't remember the figure, just that I was amazed -- need to take remedial courses once in college.</p>
<p>My favorite statistic is how a large majority of high school seniors in Dallas couldn't identify the country to the south of the US. But if you see tests of knowledge as to any particular topic, reading ability, whatever, you will see similar results.</p>
<p>Of course, homeschooling isn't for everyone. I think it is an individual assessment taking a number of different factors as to possible schools, the student, and the family. My son was public schooled until 9th grade, and it wasn't working for him either. But what met his needs was a boarding school, where he had small classes and someone other than his mother telling him what he had to do.</p>
<p>I thought I got a good education at my public school. But now, having homeschooled my daughter, I see how much better it could have been. I also was lucky in that I went to school before constructivist ideology had completely taken over. </p>
<p>All of this is my opinion of education generally. I don't want to leave any implication that I think any particular person has not been well-educated!</p>
<p>I saw it. He made some good points.</p>
<p>stossels convicing, but everything he says is filled with propoganda and a completely one-sided issue. he would never show anything good at public schooling as its against his thesis; kinda like michael moore.</p>
<p>anyone remember when he actually had to apologize for something he made a full 60 episode documentary about, when he learned he was completely wrong! (something about plants maybe? i vaguely remember)</p>
<p>Yeah, I'm remembering that too. Maybe it was about organic food? I remember someone had an incorrect documentary about it.</p>
<p>I've read critiques of other of his reports. That's why I never watch him ...</p>