Another home-schooled kid who was seriously messed up: Erin Caffey.

[raccoon]

At age 16, she arranged for several other teens to murder her family. They murdered her two brothers and her mother. Her father survived. This happened in 2009.

http://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/daddys-girl-erin-caffey-why-i-had-family-killed/news-story/c9437ca1cdf303682471917fe00e0465

[Blue_Adept]

1. Let's lock up all homeschooled kids

Just to be safe.

[ollie10]

9. I am assuming you are being sarcastic?

[Blue_Adept]

15. Of course

[Lee-Lee]

2. I dont think its as much home schooling messed kids up as it is

Parents of messed up kids run to homeschooling.

The natural inclination of Parents when they have a child with profound behavior issues or psychological issues is to be in denial. Blame everyone else. Claim the child is misunderstood.

Often running to homeschooling is the way they deal with teachers and school officials trying to tell them there are problems. Instead of listening they scapegoat the “system” and think that by pulling their kid out of it they can fix everything. But typically they just ignore the problem by tiptoeing around the child and the issue to avoid any flare ups or behavior issues by essentially let the world revolve around whatever the child wants and not doing anything about violent or antisocial behaviors.

Then the kid hits 18, now the parents are powerless to force any of the needed treatment on them they should have done when they had control as Parents, and the kid is out there now as an adult with severe issues, no treatment and not coping or social skills.

[raccoon]

7. Great post. Nt

[sarah FAILIN]

8. Agreed

There are 2 types of homeschooling families that I personally know. The most common had behavior issues. The others were ultra religious and didn't want their kids mixing with others. Some of those were also racists, but some were trying to keep their kids from other religions. I have known 1 woman that did it right and for the right reasons. She was a teacher herself who quit to raise her child and said she could do a better job than public school teachers would.

[Demsrule86]

11. I have seen much abuse hidden by homeschool...my daughter had friends who are basically uneducated.

They were 'homeschooled' . They need standardized testing for these kids administered in a public place with proctors.

[MichMary]

18. I would venture to guess

that there are many, many more abused children sitting in public school classrooms.

[kcr]

28. Given that the vast majority of children go to public schools, that's an easy guess n/t

[helmedon1974]

19. Many parents of special needs kids turn to homeschooling

Simply because most schools aren't equipped, or inclined, to handle them. I have a bipolar kid (22 now) who had problems learning the way they were teaching. He was also bullied for being Native American and the principal wouldn't do anything about it. My other 2 kids now go to a charter school that is amazing. They had their first graduating class last year, just built a new gym. Not for prophet.

[MichMary]

22. I would also guess that messed up parents

turn to homeschooling.

[Lee-Lee]

25. Maybe some. But most dont want to do that much work

[Bettie]

33. Depending on the laws where they live

there may not be a lot of work.

A lot of homeschoolers just sit their kids in front of a computer for the "curriculum" and assume they are learning.

My SIL "home schooled" her kids with the Bible as her only textbook. Apparently, the state where they live has very little in the way of guidelines or rules with regard to home schooling.

[rainin]

3. 2009? This is ridiculous. Do you have evidence you'd like to share that supports your obvious but

unstated claim that homeschooling makes kids homicidal?

[raccoon]

4. I didn't make that claim. You have a reading comprehension problem. nt

[Blue_Adept]

6. Well, you didn't make any claims, you just posted a snippet and a link

Which means you've taken no position for anyone to deal with, hence we have open interpretation of your motives.

[Demsrule86]

12. I don't know about homicidal...but unless the parents are dedicated many don't receive an education

so we need to test all homeschool kids...so their often stupid parents don't ruin their lives. How many parents can teach calculus or a lab science? The last year I taught school, I had 'homeschool' kids returning to public school, there were a few great kids who were ahead of their peers...but most could barely read and were complete disasters in terms of math...I ended up teaching fractions and long division to these kids instead of algebra. I left school that year and went into business as Georgia's system (at least there) was horrible and akin to child abuse...but it was better than homeschooling mostly.

[helmedon1974]

21. Many rely on online tooters and specially designed curriculum.

There should be a standard grade level and graduation criteria test though. I never took calculous or trig, only went as far as algebra 1. No foreign language or beyond English Composition. I did fine in college.

[MichMary]

24. "Tooters??"

"Tutors?" "Farters?"

Did you go to a public school?

[haele]

30. Could be sppeelllcheck or auto-complete. Some people post on their "smart" phones.

Tooters vice tutors might be something my phone would type when it's trying to be helpful as I'm pecking away on that tiny touchscreen keyboard GUI and missing half the letters.

Haele

[FSogol]

31. Or they might be home-schooled...

[RhodeIslandOne]

5. Okay?

There are plenty of kids who go to real schools that are messed up too. Like all the kids shooting up their schools....

[Demsrule86]

13. I think homeschool needs to be regulated...here in Ohio, it is a disaster. Test the kids every year

and those who fail must return to public school. I am speaking about education not the propensity to murder. I will say this though. Families have much to do with their kids views. I will never forget my first class in a Catholic School...this adorable freshman earnestly expressed his admiration for those who blew up abortion clinics as they were soldiers in the fight for life. when I pointed out to him that the babies in womb died too...his reply was 'collateral damage'. I was so disturbed I went to the principal who put him in a private 'philosophy' class...taught by a genius. I believe he was a former Jesuit scholar. Some may think this surprising as it was a Catholic School but they don't support murder for life...at least this one didn't.

This kid's life and perspective were altered for the better. A homeschool child hears only certain views often out of the mainstream. Public schools play an important role in socialization and in passing societal norms to the next generation as well as educating children. Public schools have had little support of late and are not perfect, but we need them. I have also seen homeschool used to hide parental abuse. It is more common that you think.

[MichMary]

23. Testing won't always reveal the problems

I have had a lot of friends who homeschooled their children. Most were conservative Christians. One had a daughter who was having some pretty serious learning problems. Her mom took her out of school, did a lot of research, and tailored her curriculum to her daughter's learning style. I don't think that mom ever went to college.

Another had two daughters that she homeschooled according to the John Holt methods. One picked up reading at the age of three, and eventually became a National Merit Scholar. The other daughter struggled for years to learn to read. She was a late bloomer, but she eventually did learn and also went to (and graduated from) college. Standardized testing every year would have been detrimental to her self-esteem, and to the family's well-being. This mom was a college graduate, but not a teacher.

The friend who probably would have been seen to be most qualified to teach her own children had a degree in education and a few years of experience in teaching. She worked her daughters hard, and they were expected to be absolutely perfect in everything they attempted. They suffered for it, and no standardized test would have revealed the problems.

[Captain Stern]

10. Very interesting. Do you know who else was messed up, but went to public school?

Hitler. That's who.


But seriously, what's the point of this post? If it's to show that home-schooled kids are more likely to be "messed up", you're going to need a lot more data.

[dembotoz]

14. We homeschooled for a year

Went to a homeschool conference. Wacko Central.
They won't get tested because that is the whole appeal.
They make nra gun humpers look reasonable.
Actually probably good they are not in public schools... they would be nightmares for the teachers

[LanternWaste]

16. Not being a clever guy, I'm confused as to the point of nine year old murder being posted.

Not being a very clever guy, I'm confused as to the point of nine year old murder being posted.

You'll of course clarify your intent, yes? As it seems rather irrelevant otherwise-- as if I had simply posted "another public school student who was seriously messed up goes on shooting spree..." and nothing else.

[FSogol]

20. Obviously, we should prepare for the next home school murder which will occur around 2027

[B2G]

27. OMG.

[Codeine]

17. My cats breath smells like cat food. nt

[moriah]

26. The problem in homeschooling is that the regulations have been WAY rolled back since the 90s.

I was homeschooled for two consecutive years, and only re-entered public school because I was looking at graduation before 16 and you couldn't take the GED that young then here without the local school district's approval -- even if you pass the pre-test with flying colors. I still wasn't 17 when I entered college under early admission, and the counselors recommended enrolling as a junior because I hadn't yet taken the PSAT (just the real thing) so could participate in the National Merit scholarship competition. But I could have entered as a senior as I tested out of everything except (barely) Trig.

Our motivations for doing it, though, weren't to hide me from the world or because my mother distrusted knowledge taught in public school. It was the district not addressing bullying properly. At least jumping ahead by working my tail off at home got me away from the same bullies who'd broken my bones and given me concussions without consequences, and kids were a bit more settled down that late in high school compared to junior high.

That being said, back then you had to submit your curriculum plan to the State, and take a standardized test each year. We were considered a "homeschool friendly" state, people weren't objecting to the yearly tests then.

But now they aren't required in most states. You can hide your kids away from the government for years at a time. Parents don't get the feedback on which areas their child could improve on compared to kids in their grade levels nationally.

I'm all for people who actually want their kids to learn facts to school their children through correspondence, etc, if the public school in their area isn't able to accommodate them. Truthfully, I think the "online public schools" should be the only charters that get public funding, as they teach the secular public school curriculum and especially would benefit rural misfit youth in red states who are getting tortured in school by redneck bullies, or who have to be on the bus for several hours a day because they're so far out. It's also an option for kids the GT program just can't keep up with, as kids have to spend a certain amount of time each day learning in those online models -- kids who are mastering things faster will advance through the material faster.

But the parents who resist even a yearly standardized test need to examine WHY they're so afraid.

[treestar]

29. Not necessarily related to the home schooling

nor does it implicate any other home-schooled.

[mcar]

32. I homeschooled my son for a few years

Because our school district, where SO has taught for 25 years, had become so wrapped up in the damn tests that gifted students were virtually ignored. He was begging to learn, but was forced to do work he already knew.

He didn't grow up to be a serial bomber.