...the only times I've actually been offended were when the home schooling (or private schooling) party very obviously presented as superior to anyone still in the public system,
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...I try to imagine being on the receiving end, and it just doesn't go over very well in my mind. I also can't imagine using that line myself for anything other than to explain his ridiculous math situation. I can't say I've ever been in a situation where I had to defend anything though.
I think overall, our area is pretty embracing of the various options.
Slightly OT here, but I think a message does need to come out: our school system sucks overall, and is especially bad for gifted kids. It's also quite bad for the other kids in the upper quarter of the class, who aren't getting the education they need, either.
I'm tired of having to be PC about saying how wonderful our schools are and then making up a plain vanilla excuse for why our kids don't go to public schools. I would love to send my kids to public school, but I can't! We make huge financial sacrifices for private school because
the system sucks! I've spoken to principals who've told me that they're "anti-grade-skip on principle" and then proceeded to accuse me of forcing my kids to just study and never play. All this without having even seen them once. How come they can be so rude and yet everyone else has to talk about how wonderful they are? Can I say this again?
The system sucks!Sure, lots of teachers are great and work hard, but the overall system sucks!
In my state at least (CA), we have these major problems:
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Too many "minimum days": Many or all districts have early dismissal
every Wednesday, plus public school dismissal on the other days is usually a full hour earlier than private school dismissal (same start times).
The upshot is that kids in private schools get an extra six hours per week. This leaves time for science, art, dance, music, etc.
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A watered-down curriculum. There's a big emphasis standardized tests. So, for example, lots of memorizing of "math facts." This means that a huge portion of the day is spent on language arts-type subjects (reading, etc) and math. Plus, the K-6 science books are 10 years out of date.
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Huge mismanagement of financial resources. This state spends $45 billion per year on schools and yet they always want more.
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Too much anti-giftedness. No explanation needed.
Sorry, but I feel exactly like the parents of kids with disabilities felt 25 years ago when they started shouting "What's the school going to do for my kid???"
!
Val
