Homeschooling is Profiled in Atlanta Special News Program.
Tonight a news program was aired here in Georgia where John Pruitt sat down with a number of homeschooling families and talked about homeschooling. Outside of a story by John Stossell, this was the first positive depiction of homeschooling I had seen in ages.
John Pruitt interviews a black family positively about homeschooling including both parents and the children individually. He asked the kids the usual questions. “Do you like homeschooling?” “Why do you like homeschooling?” The children’s emphatic nodding answered his questions. The love it and would not do it any other way. Next, John interviewed an Orthodox Jewish family and asked the old Socialization question. He seemed satisfied with their answers.
The next subject of his study was a family of unschoolers. The parents are professional actors and the children perform in plays. They “did not decide to homeschool”. They “decided not to send the children to school”, says the father. John Pruitt described unschooling as the children following “natural interests and talents guide what they will learn”. The children were incredibly articulate, of course. They also talked about learning through travels.
Test scores were the next subject to get his attention. He mentioned that homeschoolers score 30-37% above public schoolers on standardized tests, among other important data.
When John Pruitt interviewed Dr. Cheryl Fields Smith who researches homeschoolers especially African American Homeschoolers, she stated that it was amazing with her that parents could spend all day with their kids. Being fair, a teachers union represented was also interviewed. In spite of his big words, his contention that homeschool parents should work with the schools not outside of them was unconvincing.
Speaking of classes, Mr. Pruitt also investigated Parent co-ops. His research revealed that on average homeschoolers participate in more than five activities outside the home from Legos, to chess, to academic classes. He failed to mention Physical education classes, which also exist. He did however mention Sports teams like the softball team formed at the New Creation Center for Independent Study, a “school” for homeschoolers. At this homeschool center, 260 students attend from 1-5 days a week. Parents pick and choose the classes they feel their children need. Teachers Orchard in West Cobb also visited which has a variety of classes. Mr. Pruitt mentioned that the average cost of homeschooling was $400-$600 unless the child also took classes, then it could go into the thousands.
When do you stop homeschooling was a question that came up in the story. He spoke to a family who basically homeschooled until high school. One young woman who returned to public school was bothered by schedule, as they knew they could learn faster at home. A formerly homeschooled high school senior said homeschooling prepared him academically, but high school prepared him for the "real world.”
College was the final topic of this news story. A college admission officer was interviewed who said that homeschooling made it easier for kids to get into college.
There is a fear whoever that colleges may make future minimum demands, like accredited classes for homeschoolers in the future. He ended the story with a comment that Hope Scholarship legislature can be changed to be more homeschool friendly. (Currently first year homeschoolers cannot receive the grant, instead they get it retroactively, after doing well the first year of college)
In all, there was a positive interview, though I wish Mr. Pruitt had avoided some of the more obvious cliché questions.
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