Homeschooling Expert Set Straight

Posted August 8, 2004
by: Vicky Frangos

In "Survey: Home schooling up 29 percent," an article published August 5, 2004, by CNN, Mr. Feinberg was interviewed as a so-called "expert," propagating several homeschooling myths.

Vicky Frangos of Santa Clarita, CA took issue with several of Mr. Feinberg's presumptions. In response, Frangos charges that "Mr. Feinberg sounds much like a person who has not educated himself on homeschooling. He knows the questions to create doubt but has yet to seek the answers..."

I will note that it is very rare that I get as charged up about an article as I did on Wednesday. The statistics were positive on homeschooling. Why the "expert" section was added at the end, who knows. Nobody has explained how and why Mr. Fienberg was quoted.

Perhaps he is looking for funding on a study for the government on homeschoolers...

Perhaps he'll tell me on Monday when I call him.

Date: Wed Aug 4, 2004 4:01 pm
Subject: My response to CNN's article...

Is CNN really labeling this man, Ted Feinberg, assistant executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists, an "Expert" in a Homeschool article?

Mr. Feinberg sounds so much like a person who has not educated himself on homeschooling. He knows the questions to create doubt but has yet to seek the answers...

Now, he passes it to the rest of America! Many will read that article and wonder the same things and never seek to learn the answer. They will repeat these same concerns to others again and again...

Do we need a government study on the socialization of homeschoolers? Perhaps only to keep people like Mr Feinberg in business.

Below, I have responded to Mr Feinberg's questions to consider...

Mr Feinberg asked: Do parents with no formal training as teachers know how to handle a variety of subjects or to tailor instruction for children of different ages?

Harvard did a study on parents as teachers many years ago. I'd try to find it, but I recently lost my hard drive. Mr Feinberg, you can find an answer with the lead!

The real question is... Can teachers with 30 students teach children with different learning styles? If the teacher has 5 visual learners and she's doing mostly lecture, what happens to those 5 children? Perhaps they get labeled when they stop paying attention. Maybe it's a really good teacher and she helps the children after class. Maybe no one figures it out for a few years.

Homeschooling parents know their children, seek answers, they seek anything their child is interested in and facilitate it.

Consider for a moment, that for thousands of years people were educated by their families, mentors or by an apprentice before conveyor belt education was introduced. Many founders of this great country were home educated. Many were mentored one on one at an appropriate age. They were educated, not schooled.

Mr Feinberg asked: Do students get the same materials they would have at schools, from books to science labs?

Do they need to only learn from Textbooks? When I am interested in learning something- I go to the library and choose original source books on the subject I wish to learn. Do I choose a watered down textbook that has, say, 2-pages on Lewis & Clark? Can you imagine President Thomas Jefferson learning from Textbooks? He would be shocked at our current "education" system. Could Mr. Jefferson do his Farm book from sitting in school all day reading textbooks?

I can't speak for all homeschoolers, but as far as Science labs go, go to the source. There are thousands of hands on learning places to do science labs in most local areas. Natural areas, Museums, library hosted events, your own backyard or local park.

There are thousands of science lab websites that anyone can do at home.

We did a 4-day homeschool trip to Sequoia National Park this summer. We learned about Bugs in the water with an ecologist. We did a cave hike with people who are educated on caves, we took part in a tree identification and Black bear educational hike with a naturalist. We participated in Ranger hikes with people who have experience on what they are talking about and showing the kids.

Last year, we went to Yellowstone National Park. I'm sorry, but do I need to explain what that was like for 10-days? Checking the PH of thermals and taking temperatures... We did a NPS educational ranger program on Wolves and Elk! We met real scientists and experts on science projects and studies. Our children discussed what they saw and learned with their friends.

The public school science choice is usually someone with an Educational degree teaching a subject they sometimes know little about or have no experience in. Does a scientist actually teach science in public school?

Mr Feinberg asked: Are families with two working parents prepared to live off a single income so that one parent can teach at home?

Thankfully, there are still people in America with a *can do*, *think on their own* attitude and belief system.

I believe anyone can take their own situation and make it work. I see families making it work for them on a daily basis. Turning off your TV can save you thousands of dollars a year from being told what what you need to buy, what the latest trend is, and of course the fee for cable or satellite service etc. Peer pressure from needing to have the newest gadgets is reduced or altogether eliminated.

Once people grasp how to think, rather than being told what to think, anything can be acheived.

These last two paragraphs by Mr Feinberg are, at best, questionable in the 'expert" sense.

Mr Feinberg said: Parents must consider whether their children will emerge from home schooling with limited exposure to other children and various cultures. More federal research is needed to help resolve such questions about home schooling.

"At some point, children are going to have to interact with the rest of the world," he said. "If they haven't had the opportunity to build their emotional muscles so they have that capacity to interact, how effective are they going to be outside their cloistered environment?"

Where, Mr. Feinberg, do you get your information?

Homeschooled children actually interact and talk to adults and other children! No need to pass notes, leave notes in lockers, beat up another child for lunch money or treat others poorly.

This is not the dark age of homeschooling! Most homeschoolers gather in local support groups for Field Trips, Parkdays, Boy's Clubs, Girls Clubs, Family camping trips, and more.

There are also classes taught by moms or dads who have experience or degrees in French, Art, American History, Pre-Scholar Foundations of Liberty class, Constitution class and so on... Not to mention that many home educated children are involved in Scouts, 4-H, Soccer, City Sports programs, Music classes, Dance classes, Church related groups, Community College classes and more!

Most homeschooling parents really know their childrens friends and their parents! We communicate!

In our local homeschool group, we also have about 20 moms who are or were "California Certified Teachers" who now choose to Home Educate their children rather than work as a teacher! You should hear their stories of socialization in public schools! Yikes!

CNN - find a new "expert." Please, no more spreading doubt when the answers are out there!

Sincerely,
Vicky Frangos
Santa Clarita, CA