Sheer Ignorance On Dr. Phil Board Astounds Me.

Before I get started on my own rant about that show, I wanted to recommend Valorie Delp's post Dr. Phil Doesn't Get Homeschooling, at Homeschool Families. And Why Homeschool also had an excellent post on "that show".

Considering how negatively Dr. Phil portrayed homeschoolers I was surprised by the results of the poll.

RESULTS - STYLE OF SCHOOLING

Which style of schooling do you think is best?

12% ---------------------------------------563---------------------- -Public School

-7%--------------------------------------- 414----------------------- Private School

65%---------------------------------------3728 --------------------Homeschooling

16% ---------------------------------------945-------------------------- Unschooling

Total Votes: 5650

First I want to say that there were many intelligent people on the board who were genuinely interested in learning more about homeschooling. But the misinformation about homeschoolers was shocking.

1. One poster assumed that homeschoolers sat home all day staring at their parents.
2. Other posters kept referring to homeschooled children as sheltered and said there was no way they could hack it in the real world. They don't seem to get that homeschoolers are out in the real world every day. They play with the kids in their neighborhood, many of whom attend public schools, they are on recreational sports teams and are involved in a host of other activities that public schoolers also take part in. Many homeschooled teens also work after school. But most non-homeschoolers seem to have the odd idea that homeschooled children and public school children never interact. I actually know of one homeschooled boy who took his public school girlfriend to her public school prom.
3. The MYTH that all homeschoolers are WHITE Fundamentalist Christians is alive and well. They couldn't seem to comprehend how diverse the homeschooling community is. Or that there are inclusive homeschool groups that welcome homeschoolers of any race, life style choice or religious beliefs. I should know I belong to one. If you live in Mississippi (or Alabama) check out PEAK.
4. That parents need to have Teaching Credentials to homeschool - as you might expect that was put forth by a public school teacher. Another public school teacher came to homeschoolers defense and explained that due to the difference between homeschooling and public school it wasn't necessary for homeschoolers to have teaching credentials. She did a lovely job explaining.

Dayna & Joe, the radical unschooling couple come off as nutcases, who let their kids do whatever they want whenever they want. From the post I read on the message board their philosophy on child rearing is extreme even for parents who choose the unschooling method.

RaeAnne & Steve are fighting about homeschooling their children. RaeAnne's main motivation for homeschooling seems to be fear of school shootings. Honestly I think they both need to do more research on homeschooling before reaching any sort of decision. Steve's main reason for not wanting to homeschool seems to be fear his children will miss out on socialization.

Steve is putting his foot down. "If they’re home schooled, the kids will not get socially adjusted," he says. "My kids will miss out on prom, flirting, having their first crush on a teacher — the little stuff that helps you grow into a well-adjusted adult."

He doesn't seem to realize that there are homeschool groups that hold proms, and that there are plenty of opportunities for homeschoolers to get together and interact (including flirting). Dr Phil mentions some vague research

"There’s a lot of research that suggests that what I said is, in fact, a problem after they hit puberty and they get into those middle school years," he tells RaeAnne.

Notice he doesn't name the researcher or the research so I can only assume he made it up because it sounded good to him and who would doubt the word of Dr. Phil. On the other hand there is plenty of research, as well as information on real life homeschooled teens & tweens to show that homeschoolers do not have a problem with socialization.

1. Socialization schmocialization: These teens tell it like it is . Sounds like these teens are having a blast.
2. Teens & Tweens
3. Knowles’s study of home-educated adults found that they’ve grown up to be largely autonomous, independent, and have learned to make way themselves. "I think that’s one of the major advantages of home education that kids don’t have their self esteem attacked by other kids so much in the home context: they become a lot more secure in who they are."
4. Homeschooling Grows Up by Dr. Brian D. Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute(pdf file)

Dr. Phil has yet to reveal the source of any of his so called research. His final guest was whiny baby Nicole (definitely not your typical homeschooler -BTW do we even have proof she was homeschooled)

I am now 26 years old, and I constantly hear stories from friends about proms, football games, cheerleading squads and more. I always feel like an outcast because I can never relate. Homeschooling has made me feel socially retarded because I lived in a completely different world from anyone else.

Gosh Nicole, I attended public school and I have news for you not every girl in public school gets to be on the cheerleading squad. I attended a large public school so I'll hazard a guess that only 5% of the girls at my school got to be cheerleaders. Did the rest of us feel like "outcast" and "socially retarded" ? NO! Guess what no one asked me to the prom, so I sat home. Does anyone care, Uh No! As far the football games, if you liked football, why didn't you go to one? they are open to the public. My family doesn't care for football, but we have been to some of the soccer games at the local public schools to watch our children's public school friends play. And honestly if a bunch of 26 year olds don't have anything better to talk about then their former high school days they need to get a life.