At Odds: Teachers and Homeschooling Parents

by Richele McFarlin | More from this Blogger

13 Aug 2010 07:21 AM

Homeschooling parents and teachers are often pitted against one another either by society or by the individuals themselves. Many teachers take offense that a parent could possibly think she could teach her children better at home. Many homeschoolers take offense that teachers feel they are not qualified to teach their children at home. Let's cut through the thick fog and put an end to individual homeschooling parents and individual teachers fighting over who has the right to education young minds.

Does a degree or the one who gave birth have the right to educate a child? Homeschooling is legal in EVERY state in America. Public schools are offered in every school in America. According to law the parent still retains the right to educate her child even where public schools are offered. That renders this a pointless argument. This is not about rights but feelings and emotions that run high. Teachers are passionate about their career and parents are passionate about their children. Teachers feel their toes are being stepped on when parents begin to take over the business of education in their own home. Parents feel their toes are being stepped on when teachers claim they alone have the qualifications and certifications to teach children. Teachers feel parents are saying a hard earned teaching degree is worthless. Parents feel teachers do not give them enough respect for having the intelligence to teach the three Rs.

STOP!

I did not decide to homeschool because I thought a teaching degree came out of a cereal box. I am not anti-teacher or anti-school. My decision to homeschool had little to do with being at odds with public education. I have a passion and love for education and even more so for my children. Does that give me the right to homeschool? Yes, actually, yes it does. My educational background is not in teaching yet many teachers today have degrees in something other than teaching. In fact, 41% of math teachers to do not hold degrees in math.

Homeschooling parents and teachers should support one another and share a love of education and children together. Each made a life out of instilling a curiosity about the world and a love for learning into young minds. We may not always agree and there are plenty examples of good and bad homeschoolers and teachers but at the core we have the same passion. Together we can make the changes in education that we both want to see. Homeschooling does not always stand in opposition to teachers but a faulty educational system that needs revamping.

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Learn more about Richele McFarlin

Richele is a Christian homeschooling mom to four children, writer and business owner. Her collegiate background is in educational psychology.

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