So we need to improve the schools, not change the principle, and fyi my parents were married at the time of my birth.

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Trust me, I'm a socialist!

There's power in a factory,power in the land, power in the hand of the worker. But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand, there is power in a union.
The union forever defending our rights, down with the blackleg, workers unite. To our brothers and our sisters in many far off lands, there is power in a union.
Money speaks for money, the devil for his own. - Billy Bragg

So you were lucky, such anecdotal evidence only proves that it can work, and without any offence I don't know if it did work, I know you have been taught to read and write properly and know about politics but I know nothing of your mathematical ability or scientific knowledge. I'd bet you are good at both these things and have been taught well, but like I say I can't know that.

__________________
Trust me, I'm a socialist!

There's power in a factory,power in the land, power in the hand of the worker. But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand, there is power in a union.
The union forever defending our rights, down with the blackleg, workers unite. To our brothers and our sisters in many far off lands, there is power in a union.
Money speaks for money, the devil for his own. - Billy Bragg

Well, that's another thread.

A figure of speech, and you know it! As for its literal meaning, I use it in application to myself (since my parents were never married).

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A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes toward the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

And Jesus Camp is nothing if not anecdotal evidence against homeschooling.

You wouldn't judge the entire public school system based on the pothead who sleeps through every class and the girl who gets pregnant and drops out at age 16. Why judge all of us homeschoolers based on a few JesusWhackos?

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"Have you no decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
-Joseph Welch

Some people survive childhood beatings and turn out okay too. That's not a defense of childhood beatings anymore than some people turning out okay with homeschooling is a defense of it in general.


Of course every home schooling system isn't like Jesus Camp. The only problem with home schooling is theoretical. It's poorly regulated in many states, which gives rise to these situations. Moreover, it allows the parents to dominate the flow of information to the student, effectively allowing them to brainwash their kid without any contradictory or outside influence.

Moreover, one of the top reasons many people home school is religion and "moral" instruction. Aka, religiowackoism. Some are secular.

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My "ok" was facetious.

Christ, do I have to start pulling out test scores?

Frankly I'm more worried about schools brainwashing kids than I am about parents doing it.

__________________
"Have you no decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
-Joseph Welch

I agree entirely, my opposition is based on principle not anecdotal evidence.

__________________
Trust me, I'm a socialist!

There's power in a factory,power in the land, power in the hand of the worker. But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand, there is power in a union.
The union forever defending our rights, down with the blackleg, workers unite. To our brothers and our sisters in many far off lands, there is power in a union.
Money speaks for money, the devil for his own. - Billy Bragg

Yes, I chose to ignore it's coloquial meaning.

__________________
Trust me, I'm a socialist!

There's power in a factory,power in the land, power in the hand of the worker. But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand, there is power in a union.
The union forever defending our rights, down with the blackleg, workers unite. To our brothers and our sisters in many far off lands, there is power in a union.
Money speaks for money, the devil for his own. - Billy Bragg

Not really, given some studies indicating home schoolers do "better" on test scores are themselves deceptive, given the parents were the ones administering the tests in uncontrolled home environments. Moreover, many parents opted out of the voluntary testing procedure. Hell, 10 states don't even require notification of home schooling. The average person's not even educated enough to do home schooling, nor does he have the time or resources. It's only good for intelligent, well-educated people with lots of time and sound finances.


That fear is absurd, really. The schools are not engaging in brainwashing, and there's significant public oversight over it. Not so of many home school systems. Of course, some people believe teaching evolution at all is "brainwashing." Moreover, when in school, you actually go home. You can get multiple perspectives. Religious nuts use home schooling to seclude their children in cult-like information black holes.

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Unfortunately your principle does not hold up to reality.

__________________
"Have you no decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
-Joseph Welch