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Thought there might be some interest in reading the response to this question:
http://www.slate.com/id/2215051

Homeschooling isn't mentioned but I thought the answers were applicable to it too.

I love the quote.

The second answer about the importance of good teachers is not as quotable, but it's right on the mark, too.

I don't claim to have a complete answer to your question, MON, but I'll take a stab at it...

When I pulled DS7 out of public school, my former public schoolteacher mother initially had several problems that she brought up with me:

1) involved parents who care about education leaving the schools;
2) less of our tax money going to our local school, since funds are distributed based on a head count; fewer students = less money to that particular school;
3) losing the "smart kids" so that there's an even greater dumbing down of curriculum, so it's a downward spiral.

I can tell you that #2 is a SERIOUS concern for the schools. I pulled DS7 out for homeschooling during what happened to be head-count week. He wasn't out for even an hour before I was getting calls from the truant officer that DH and I would be arrested if I didn't get him into school immediately.

(*Sigh* It was my mistake to be honest about why DS was out while I was delivering the notification to homeschool instead of just lying and saying he was sick! )

But the truant officer himself told us that they would not have been so antsy about it if I hadn't picked that particular week to pull him out. The school lost money because they couldn't count him in. So there is a real financial loss from lost students.

Of course, if they're spending the money on the kids, it shouldn't matter much, right? Fewer kids = less $$$, but it also = fewer kids to spend the money on. Yet we all know that's not really how budgeting works in practice...

Not to be contrary, but, I find the talking point that asserts that citizens who don�t support the public school [size:11pt]system[/size] as also being non-supportive of public school [size:11pt]children[/size] irritating and ridiculous.

Oh, I totally agree, delbows! And actually, I vote for tax increases to keep the school budget at a reasonable level every time they come up. But that doesn't mean the school system is the right place for my older child.

OTOH, it may be the right place for my younger child.

Options are good. Public school is important. I believe both of these to be true, and I see no contradiction there. But I will never put the good of the school system ahead of the good of my specific kids. That just makes no sense at all. It would be irresponsible of me!

I'm with you, MON. The point that most got me was phrased much as the thing that bothered delbows(as I understand it), much like the initial question in the Slate article: that I had a responsibility to the schools, regardless of what was good for my own kids.

That really got under my skin! I argued--vehemently, of course!--that the *schools* had a responsibility to educate my kids, and that if they couldn't do that, then I owed them not Thing One!!! Their losses were not my problem.

I'm a parent before all else, and so my child's welfare must come first. It's really just that simple.

Needless to say, she backed off on that point pretty fast! LOL!

Well, schools that have involved parents have large PTAs which raise more money for projects at the school.

We will most likely vote yes on every school referendum that comes our way, we support public school fundraisers. But am I going to send DS somewhere he is absolutely miserable and is not learning anything for the good of the school? Absolutely not. We are huge public school supporters, but each family needs to make their own decisions based on more factors than I can list.

I occasionally do feel a twinge of guilt for not marching to the school board ranting weekly on this topic. After attempting to communicate with a number of people at district level last year and getting absolutely no response, I give up. They didn't care about my kid's test scores or $$$ enough to get back to me. I have typed up a couple letters on this and will continue to do so as I see opportunities to advocate for GT needs in our district (and state for that matter).

What's really funny at our house this week is my husband has been wrangled to be in charge of games at our local public school's spring carnival! This is where my son went last year. He was still on the work list, so he's going to do it! If I had a average to MG kid, I'm sure we would still be at this school. It is a lovely little neighborhood school with a very nice community.

I used to vote for tax increases until they became out of control here (45% average increase in 5 years which means double digit property tax bill with 70% to the schools).. When we were looking at properties in N. VA recently, I was shocked to see how much lower their property taxes were in comparison to ours, especially since I had been warned they were so high. The schools seemed far more impressive though, with average SATs of 1200.

In our area the monies go to pay the army of administrators while the school board lays off dozens of teachers. For example, our HS superintendent (for a single school) makes more money than our state governor - IL. This school used to be great back in the day and they beat that reputation to death by touting the pass rate for state tests.

I support school competition in the form of school choice between public, charter or voucher and believe (our local) public schools should channel more energy and money towards the kids.