The Homeschooling Disclaimer

Posted by Sara Schmidt on Oct 22, 2010 - 07:08 AM

Why is it that when we criticize the government or welfare programs, immigration policies, health care, or any of its other arms, it's considered valid--but when we move toward criticizing education, it's either A. taboo, something that's too sacred to dissect, or B. something that should be blamed on the children and their "lack of motivation"?

Each time I criticize the American public school paradigm or talk about homeschooling, I always feel like I have to preface it with a disclaimer about how much I support teachers, public schools that work, etc. But this little disclaimer feels so hollow; I've encountered just as many awful teachers as I've encountered amazing ones, when I add them up on paper (I know, it surprised me, too), and we definitely hear more stories about schools that fail than those that succeed.

The thing is, I don't support most American public schools that function on an outdated model that only serves to strip children of their identities, take away the joys of childhood itself, and render what has meaning meaningless while instilling values and goals for "success" that have nothing to do with the child him or herself. And I don't support a good portion of American teachers who staunchly support the model, either. Here's why.