Home-school primer: Dispelling the myths of a thriving, successful educational trend

There are many disadvantages to home-schooling: No snow days, no teacher-conference days, no cafeteria pizza.

Then there are the advantages: One-on-one tutoring, a customized curriculum, no cafeteria pizza.

Italian cuisine aside, home-schoolers have an edge on academics that cannot be tapped through traditional public or private schools. That's why home-schoolers:

• scored an average of 81 points higher on their SATs in 2000, according to The College Board.

• had nearly twice the acceptance rate to Stanford University, The Wall Street Journal reports.

• for some inexplicable reason, often make news as spelling bee champions.

I was once a home-schooler. But at no time did I call my mom "Mrs. Collins" or sleep in until noon every weekday. And my pet angel fish (since deceased) was not my only friend.

Home-schoolers, in fact, are normal people.

The long-held stereotypes that home-schoolers are either academically obsessed social misfits or victims of isolated, abusive families are neither true nor, unfortunately, unpopular. The documentary by CBS News last fall, "A Dark Side to Home-schooling," did not help this impression. The series was so slanted that it incurred the public outcry of 33 members of Congress.

A recent study surveying more than 5,000 people who were home-schooled at least seven years sets the record straight. Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute found that beside academic excellence, home-schoolers actually participate in society more than most American adults.

While 37 percent of U.S. adults are involved in their community through coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school or other commitments, 71 percent of home-schooled adults engage in such activities. And though only 29 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in national or state elections over the past five years, 76 percent of home-schoolers in that age range have.

This emerging generation of home-schooled young adults is proof that an education through parents, co-ops and distance learning often results in responsible and active citizens.

Interestingly, though many home-schoolers come from religious families, 91.5 percent said in the survey that you should be allowed to make a speech against churches and religion. The Department of Education found that 88 percent of U.S. adults support this right. Another myth debunked: Home-schoolers are not typically raised to be religious fanatics.

Finally, 95 percent of those surveyed agreed with the statement "I am glad I was home-schooled," 59 percent said they are "very happy," and 39 percent reported they are "pretty happy" with life.

Home-schooling is not for everyone, but it's also not just for those who don't mind reading out of a textbook all day and never interacting with peers.

As Bec Thomas, director of the Washington Natural Learning Association, says, the socialization issue for home-schoolers is "a moot point."

"There are home-school groups usually by the dozen in any given area," Thomas said. "I have yet to run into a home-schooled child that has a social issue."

Add to that the usually highly organized co-ops that home-school parents form, recreational and school sports, countless clubs, church and community groups, and you end up with a social schedule that clogs up the family calendar.

Thomas also points out the academic benefits: one-on-one teaching, the ability to compensate for learning differences, and the option to pursue subjects that the student is highly interested in.

There are roughly two million home-schoolers in America, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. In this state, there are about 20,000 registered home-schooled students, ages eight to 18, though there are likely many more, Thomas said.

Things are looking "really bright" in Olympia right now, but "on a national level, we're catching a lot more flak," said Thomas, who lobbies for home-schooling rights in Washington state.

Critics of home-schooling are still casting this basic right in a menacing light, criticizing and questioning such things as how it is that parents who teach their kids at home need no qualifications or that there are states where home-schoolers don't have to register.

What is disturbing is there are those who believe the government should dictate how parents can teach their children. Regulations should be thin, if any, and requiring a public education should never be the norm.

Home-schooling is a growing trend that has yielded many success stories. Strangling this movement now would not only squash a community that ultimately benefits America, but it would also infringe on the basic right for a family to operate, well, as a family.

Chris Collins is a freshman at Whitworth College in Spokane. E-mail: NEXT@seattletimes.com