OK - Here's the propaganda

http://www.alternet.org/story/96685/

My question is:

Whether you are conservative or liberal - so far left you are in danger of falling off the edge of the world - why wouldn't you choose to homeschool?

If you leave your children to public schools (I'm guilty), they graduate with no education at all. In my community, they come out as functional illiterates. Sports are more important than learning. Are "social" skills more important that academics?

I am sickened every year when I see the placards up for baseball,soccer, football sign-ups.

I saw a parent with a signup table at the local Winn-Dixie last week. Her son was dressed up in his Little League outfit. He asked for a donation. Grumpy old witch that I am said, "I'd rather you learn to read," and walked away. (The nerve of me!)

Healthy mind in a healthy body - I don't have a problem with that, but we have been conditioned to believe from the 70s that began with Pong games (I'm guilty), that your kids had to have them or they would surely die of neglect. So why can't we spend time at home making sure your children conquer at least the three Rs? Do you remember what they are? Reading, "Riting" and "Rithmetic" and throw away video games. Someone told me once they are crucial to hand/eye coordination. Know what? I DON'T CARE! Teach your girls to crochet, knit or embroider. I remember one friend of my son's who was fascinated by watching me spin yarn on my spinning wheel. Blew his mind, if I recall, and then I showed him the sweater. And I think I got him knitting! But this was a boy who was involved with motorcycles and dune buggies who now has a family of his own. It didn't hurt him at all.

If I had it to do over, and I would love to do so with my grandchildren, I'd pack up my bags and move in (with the dogs, of course), and homeschool them myself.

I have a very liberal friend in Kentucky whom I've known for at least a decade from one of the lists I'm on. They are a family of homesteaders. She educated her two lovely girls herself, and one won a scholarship, and the other will graduate high school this year. She is incredibly proud of those girls, who also know how to bring food from the earth, prepare for any emergency, including life, make do, and live frugally.

I'd love to see some comments from homeschoolers, both liberal and conservative, and their thoughts on the quality of the education they provided to their children.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts.