Instead of standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids?

by Andrea Hermitt | More from this Blogger

06 Dec 2006 09:43 PM

I came across this very angry rant from a public school teacher, (written in 2001), here is an excerpt: "Instead of slagging public schools for these serious problems, then withdrawing children, why not raise loud voices to governments who direly underfunded schools, and seriously underpay teachers? Instead of merely standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids? "

Is slagging an inside word? I have never heard of it before, but I get the point.

Nevertheless, I would like to address his or her questions.

Why not raise loud voices to governments who direly underfunded schools, and seriously underpay teachers?

By homeschooling, I am in a sense raising a loud voice to governments. I am saying I have had enough. I quit! With me and thousands of other parents doing the same, and with the numbers of homeschoolers increasing each year, I am sure that they hear us.

Instead of merely standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids?

That sounds great in theory. I could spend my time advocating for public schools, and perhaps making a difference. However, by the time real change happened, if it happened, my children would be grown, and likely mis-educated. It would be too late for them, but in 20 or so years, I would have made a difference for someone, somewhere. How romantic! Instead, I choose to first educate my own, and then, use free time I have when my kids are in college or grown to work to make a difference in education. If I don't put my kids first, then the next 10 years holds no visible change for anyone.

Picture it this way: If you know that the school bus is going to crash, do you put your kid on the bus, and then try to chase down the bus driver in your car to stop it, or do prevent your kid from getting on the bus, and instead beg the bus driver to take another route? The latter example makes a lot more sense.

Aways remember "You are your child's best advocate."

Learn more about Andrea Hermitt

Andrea Hermitt is a native New Yorker currently residing in GA. She has been married for over 16 years and has two teenage children.

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