Homeschooling has existed for generations. Homeschool is an educational form which utilizes parents, tutors, or online classes as the child’s primary teachers. History has seen many notable homeschoolers such as: author Agatha Christie, inventor Thomas Edison, and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In the United States today, nearly two million children receive their education through homeschooling. The number of homeschooled children is projected to increase steadily over the next few years. This surge in popularity has presented a crucial question: should homeschoolers have access to public sports? Often, homeschoolers are denied this basic luxury on illogical grounds. In this paper, I will argue homeschooler inclusion in three ways. …show more content…
This fact shows homeschool parents do in fact constitute a crucial percent of tax payers. Taxes contribute an argument for homeschoolers because public schools receive funding from federal and state resources. The majority of these funds stem from property taxes. On average, it costs Americans nearly eleven thousand dollars to send a child to public school for one year (Vo n.p.). As we have established, homeschooling parents are significant tax payers. Therefore, these parents play a key role in funding public schools despite their child, or children, not attending. Opponents of homeschooler access to public sports often cite financial reasons for their stance. Commonly, homeschooled athletes are viewed as a burden on an already financially stressed education system. This argument fails a logical analysis. If absolutely necessary, a participation fee—comparable to that some public sports charge—would be a viable option (Plecnik, ). Additionally, the simple fact that public schools are capable of providing a free education to every child in their district squelches opposition. The homeschooled athletes would not attend the public school. They would not require teachers, daily lunches, or other various costs. Therefore, their participation in sports would not come close to costing the school approximately eleven thousand dollars.
In “The Case Against High School Sports,” Amanda Ripley tries to argue her point that sports should not be a part of high school. She claims that sports take away from education, and that they are too expensive (Ripley 1-2). Throughout her article, she often switches her topic. She shifts her focus from all high schools to one specific high school, and then to one specific college. Ripley presents an abundance of points, but lacks evidence to support them. Although Ripley makes relevant claims, she tries to support them with logical fallacies and irrelevant evidence.
An important function of the Henry Bill is that it would mean more equality for homeschooled students. The public seems to understand this. In fact, recent Gallup polls focusing specifically on High School Sports in Louisiana suggest that close to 70 percent of state residents support the Henry Bill. Unfortunately, the citizens’ voices are being undermined by politics. Although this issue is not usually immersed in partisan politics, the Henry Bill has been thwarted by the partisan Committee for Equality in Education, so it has never gone before the Senate : the Henry Bill must be passed and signed into law.
When choosing to homeschool, the parent and child give up their rights to all the activities a public school has to offer. “This is an issue of choice,’ says Mott of New York State’s athletic association. “Parents make choices. And with these choices come consequences. If I decide to send my child to a private school or keep them home to teach, then I must accept the results of that action. I may have to pay tuition. My child probably won’t have the benefit of playing on the school team. Parents and children have to weigh these pros and cons, make their choice and live with it” (Laffe). The parents and students are aware of the consequences if they choose to homeschool. “While proponents of homeschoolers participation on interscholastic sports teams argue that home-school families pay taxes that fund the public schools just like parents of public school students, opponents believe that participation in interscholastic athletics is a privilege, not a right, and that homeschool families have forfeited the right of free public education and, thus, the privilege of playing interscholastic sports” (Sieck). Playing sports is a part of going to high school and keeping your grades up. Homeschooled children are choosing not to be a part of the competitive public school setting and therefore should not be able to play sports with the students who did compete to get
In 1980, homeschooling was illegal in 30 states. Later on, it was recognized as a parent's right across the country in the year 1993 (Martin, 2014). A survey was made to the respondents. They were asked if homeschooling was an acceptable means of education. As the results of Phi Delta Kappan Gallup survey, Americans have become more receptive to the idea of homeschooling. They think that homeschooling has become an alternative option to public schools because it is more socially acceptable (Moreau, 2012). In the previous related study, it was mentioned that the increase of homeschooled students had been consistent. It only shows that the acceptance of homeschooling has been broad as the years passed
The consensus is that those parents that are homeschooling their children is a sense are being taxed twice, as they also have incur the cost of buying supplies for their students at home, books, computer equipment, lab supplies, etc. My thought is that while the child is not enrolled in public school, they are allowed to participate in sports, and other extra curricular activities, such as prom, and other dances, art and band; those activities are also paid for with the taxes paid by those that live in the community. Also, the students are allow to use the regular school buses as well as the activity buses that transport student to and from away games and to and from school after extracurricular activities. Homeschooling is a choice, even if the homeschooled student does not choose to participate in the programs offered at their local school, these taxes are part of living in that community and the services are an opportunity that they can chose to utilize. We also pay taxes in each community for roads, snow removal, community up keep, police and fire units. However, like insurance, just because we don’t put in a claim, the insurance is there if you need
All throughout our lives parents tell us: “Go to school… you have a test to study for tomorrow get to to studying”. What if there was a way to flip that schedule right on its back? Homeschooling: a hassle free, no needed transportation kind of learning. Parents can’t even imagine what they're getting themselves into now.
In the United States, schools spend more than double the amount of tax dollars on high school athletes than schools do on students. Americans have taken delightful pride and joy in sporting events for decades in both primary and secondary schooling. Meanwhile, in recent years the U.S. has fallen behind drastically in academic rankings. Some argue that sports actually help engage students in school, notwithstanding the statistics show otherwise. Schools spend too much time and money on sports, resulting in poor academic scores
Public high schools in the United States are responsible for predominantly educating children in the classroom. However, an education should be well rounded and teach students about multiple different aspects of life. Fitness education, physical education, and high school athletics are competitive. Public high schools hold the responsibility to offer as many sports as possible and to support as many students to succeed. Terminating high school sports would be a drastic decision. “One 2010 study by Betsey Stevenson, then at the University of Pennsylvania, found that, in a given state, increases in the number of girls playing high-school sports have historically generated higher college-attendance and employment rates among women. Another study, conducted by Columbia’s Margo Gardner, found that teenagers who participated in extracurriculars had higher college-graduation and voting rates, even after controlling for ethnicity, parental education, and other factors” (Ripley, “The Case Against High School Sports”). However we cannot ignore the fact that high school sports require a large amount of tax dollars, attribute to lower academic rankings, and pressure youth to conform for organization regulations.
Along with the progression of time and age, more and more students and their parents are expressing their dissatisfaction and vexation with the American public school system. Turning towards alternative methods ranging from private institutions, to removing their children from public schooling altogether and homeschooling instead, this leaves a multitude of people questioning, what is the problem, why is it present, and what is it stemming from? The answer is simple. The problem with America’s public school system is the inability of institutions to accurately see and meet the true needs of students.
The South Carolina law allowing homeschooled students to participate in public school extracurricular activities is a just law because it gives equal rights and opportunities to students. One primary reason this law is just is that it gives students the ability to benefit from public district activities, all while continuing their wholesome, Catholic education at home. Therefore, homeschooled students have unrestricted access to all public extracurricular recreation, including athletics, music and speech. From these benefits, aspiring students experience opportune chances for expanding their talents and abilities. For instance, those who enjoy team sports can be actively involved in an organized team in a competitive atmosphere. This
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.” Parents have numerous reasons for homeschooling their children, may it be religious or a dislike of the local school system. The National Home Education Research Institute estimates over 2,000,000 children are homeschooled in today’s society (source). Some believe that the government should have stronger regulation over what the parents teach, to make sure the children are given a fair education and will be able to make their way in the world after school; while many believe it is the parent’s right to control what their child learns. Although some parents may not have an education degree, they have the right to homeschool their
Postlewaite, Charlotte C. "The Home School Debate. (Cover Story)." State Government News 47.2 (2004): 18-20. Academic Search Complete. Web.
For years, sports have been a part of American high schools. They have been a source of school pride and give people a connection to their school. They break up the otherwise mundane routine of going to class and doing schoolwork. In recent years there has been a huge push by researchers, educators, politicians, and parents to figures out why America’s schools are constantly falling behind other countries in crucial test subjects. One of the latest reasons to blame for the shortcomings of American students is the incorporation of sports in the American school system. Some are beginning to think that the focus of schools is no longer education and that sports are taking on a greater role within schools. It’s
Home schooling children seems to be taking the place of the traditional classroom, and for many reasons. Statistically, there are about 2.78% of children in the United States being home schooled. California having the highest rates at 193,144 in the year of 2015, and Connecticut having the lowest rates at 1,792. (Zeise 1) Children seem to enjoy the aspect of staying at home while getting their education, but are they seeing the big picture? Three major developments that cause a parent to home school their child could be nonprofessional educators, educational purposes, and bullying.
Homeschooling, not very well known, presents a new and affordable way to educate children. “Home school is a term used to refer to the education of children by their parents or guardians in a setting other than a public or private school” (Anderman & Anderman, p. 467). It has never been a new thing; it just has not been as popular as it used to be (Lines, p. 76). With this topic meaning so much to groups for and against the right for homeschooling and what should be legalized or not, the debate still rages on from local to even national government entities. Both sides of the argument have valid points, but ultimately it is the choice of the parents. There are many types of ways to educate children and that decision is difficult for both