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In reply to the discussion: 'Tebow’ bill to let home-schoolers play high school sports passes Va. House [View all]hay rick
(7,600 posts)I have family members who home-schooled their kids. I knew that my sister-in-law (who has a Masters in education) was quite competent to teach her kids. They all attended and graduated from good universities. My concern was with socialization- the experience of befriending and otherwise dealing with a lot of kids their own age from different backgrounds. Years later, they all seem well-adjusted.
My niece continued her family tradition and home-schooled her daughter until her daughter developed a passion for chemistry that surpassed her ability to teach. Her daughter now attends Columbia. My niece and I discussed my "socialization" issue at length. She told me about all the alternate programs that they participated in, particularly dance and musical programs. Her daughter is a nice, bright, hard-working young girl, but my concerns remain...
I think home-schooled and public school kids can both benefit from their interaction. My main concern would be equitable funding. Link to school funding information for Charlottesville, VA: http://www.ccs.k12.va.us/departments/budget/budget-wkshp-3dec2011.html
Of the three major sources of funding, only state aid appears to vary with number of enrolled students. A fee to cover additional unreimbursed costs seems like an equitable solution.