Meet Charlotte

Friendly. Poised. Stylish. If I had met Charlotte Bradley on the sidewalk, I probably would have thought she was a typical Christian/private schooler like myself. "Homeschool" never would have crossed my mind.

But that's exactly what Charlotte was—homeschooled. And she was kind enough to tell me about her experience being educated at home.

First though, let me introduce you to Charlotte. She is a senior humanities major from Florida. She focuses on writing and history within her major (both of which she loves.) Right now she is looking at graduate school after she graduates in May. Charlotte was homeschooled for all of her pre-college education, and she also has a brother and three sisters who were/are being homeschooled.

Charlotte enjoyed being homeschooled, but she said she appreciates it even more looking back on it now. Homeschooling had only one drawback for her—a lack of social interaction. "Otherwise, I loved it!" Charlotte said. "I liked having control over my own schedule."

"Homeschooled" or "Homeschooler?"

Homeschooling has gotten a bad rap in the past, but a lot has been changing in recent years. The number of homeschooled children from K to 12 has risen nearly 75% since 1999.  Research estimates that over 2 million children in the United States are now being educated at home.

I have several friends who are quick to clarify, “I was homeschooled. I am not a homeschooler!” What’s the difference, you ask? Well I would say “homeschooled” simply means the parents chose to educate their children at home, but still made sure their children received all the proper socialization. Probably the worst stigma about homeschooling is social ineptitude which often describes a “homeschooler.”

This homeschooled girl explains the difference pretty well. (The first 3 or 4 minutes are the best part.) And if you want further description of a “homeschooler”—or just a good laugh—watch Tim Hawkins.

That pretty much sums up all the stigmas people have about “homeschoolers.” I’m sure there are still a number of “homeschoolers,” but I’m going to focus on “homeschooling” and some of its benefits (in no particular order.)

Week 1: Homeschooling vs. Private or Public Schooling

I've chosen homeschooling as my first topic. When I introduce the new topic for each week, I will give a short statement of my current position before arguing for the "opposite side." On this topic I tend to lean toward "traditional" schooling--that is, in a classroom setting with other children.

I think the main reason I'm not totally sold on homeschooling yet is because I know of several cases where the parents homeschooled simply because they wanted their child to make As. So they'd let their child take and retake quizzes and tests until they got As. That rubs me the wrong way for some reason...

However, I realize these are just a couple cases in millions, which is exactly why I want to listen to the other side.