To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool

I am a teacher.  I am an educational advocate.  While I know the system is broken, I still believe in it's ability to work.  Even if it means kicking, and banging on it from time to time.  I have homeschooled my sons once before.  For one semester.  They were in a really horrible school, even though it was a "blue ribbon" school with decent test scores.  Test scores mean nothing by the way.  My youngest son was in first grade, couldn't write his last name, and wasn't learning to read AT ALL.  My oldest son, who suffered a huge academic loss due to poor teaching in first grade, was in the first 3rd grade class in this district to try a rotating schedule.  All current research says that rotating schedules actually impede learning until children reach the age of about 10 or 11 (5th grade), because they aren't yet developmentally prepared to deal with multiple teachers and multiple classroom settings.  I pulled them out because I felt it was a one time emergency type situation.  I had already advocated on their behalf starting with the teachers, and eventually working my way up to the school board.  I presented all of them with research (for my oldest son), and educational law (for my youngest son).  Nothing changed.  I was left with no other option but to use my skills solely for their benefit.

It worked out wonderfully academically speaking.  My oldest son not only regained the lost learning, he went into 4th grade (in a different state) reading 2 grade levels ahead.  My youngest son not only learned to read, he learned to write and did both on grade level when he entered 2nd grade.  By the way, we ended our "school year" in April.  I also found out my youngest son  is dyslexic.  However, (here's the "but") it made me a basket case.  Granted my husband was gone that entire time (Army).  I was totally alone with my kids, 24 hours a day for 6 months.  I didn't get a single minute away from them.  On top of that my oldest had already learned the worst lesson public education teaches (I know because I had to unteach it to my classes every year); if I wait long enough the teacher will give me the answers.  When that didn't happen my son did what my classes usually do, he whined.  Problem is he was my kid.  He didn't stop after a few days because he knew I wasn't going to give.  Heck no.  He kept at it the entire 6 months hoping "mom" would cave in.  He should know me better than that.  I was very happy to see them re-enroll into public school.  We definitely needed a break from each other.

I still function under the belief that if I supplement their weak spots, have a close working relationship with their teachers, use the law to advocate for them, teach them metacognition, and to self-advocate they can succeed in public school; and that the school will be better because it will have a KNOWLEDGEABLE parent making it be accountable. After a few long term substitute teacher jobs I am beginning to doubt that.  I still think a school would benefit from having our family be a part of it, I'm just doubting that our family would see any return benefit.  Even the "intensified" English classes that I taught lack CRUCIAL skills.  While they could rattle off elements of a short story, vocabulary definitions, author biographical information, they couldn't tell me what the main idea was, or the theme.  They couldn't tell me cause and effect or problem - solution.  The few that could tell me the theme couldn't support their answer with details from the text, not a single 8th grade intensified student could do that.  They can't think.  They can't problem solve.  They can't really communicate their ideas.  They function only in the lower 2 levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.  It isn't just here, I've seen it consistently in 5 states now.  This observation is validated with actual statistics.  More than half of college freshman have to take remediated English courses.

How are these kids supposed to manage college or working, let alone living.  A teen that can't manage causal relationships is in a dangerous situation.  Not to mention how are these students supposed to succeed in other subjects like science and social studies?

The U.S. Military provides families with something called "Soar at Home".  It's basically an online school with courses in math and language arts based on state standards.  I gave each of the boys an evaluation this winter break to check on their skills.  My 5th grader got 80% correct in math, and 77% in language arts.  He got 0% right in the sections for "supporting details", "cause and effect", and "problem-solution".  I was nearly enraged.  It isn't his fault, it isn't his teacher's fault.  These things simply aren't being taught.  They take too much time to grade, and are only a small portion of the "TEST".  If a teacher has to chose between a student passing the test and a student learning to think, which will they chose?  Since there are so many kids they teach to the mean, which means assuming kids won't have luxury of learning to think.  My 2nd grader got a 60% in Language Arts (learning disability so not too bad.  I didn't read it to him), and 45% in math.  WHAT! Math is his strong suit.

So now I'm debating my sanity vs their education.  I have the skill set, and the tool kit necessary to ensure they succeed academically.  I can either spend from 4-5pm doing school homework and 5-7 pm catching them up on what they aren't learning at school, or I can homeschool them.  Seems like a no brainer, but it seriously makes me a crazy person when I don't get any alone time.  Not to mention I can't work at all.  Jury is out.  If I did homeschool, I am thinking it would only be during Middle School.  I really think that Middle School is the make or break academic time for kids.