Re: Famous People Who Were Home-Schooled

Dear Owen,

First of all I want to clairify that my previous post was directed to anadeau7, not to you. Sorry for any confusion.

Thanks for your list. In addition to the historical value you've provided, I'm sure it would be of interest to the forum members to see an updated list of individuals who were homeschooled and are now contributing to modern-day society. Furthermore, your list fails to take into account that many of these successful adults came from affluent backgrounds and it was the custom of the day for children in their position to be homeschooled by a tutor, not their parents.

That being said, let me state that I am a product of a private school education. My children were homeschooled in their early years and later attended private school. They are all in college now.

I am a charter member of a homeschooling cooperative of several parents who share team-teaching responsibilities. After almost fifteen years it is still thriving! For those unfamiliar with "team-teaching", it simply means that each parent assumes the task of specific subject matter, depending on their level of interest and/or competency. The dynamics of the group have changed over the years but the basic mission remains the same: to educate our children in the best way possible.

At the time of inception, I was the only member of the cooperative who held a teaching credential. Now, over 50% of the parents who participate hold one. Like most parents who homeschool, these are parents who choose to take their child's education a step further than what the public school system offers. We do not (and have never) eschewed the school system. Instead, we work hand-in-hand and the children are able to benefit from several programs that they offer and that we fund through our tax dollars.

As a parent whose children have been successful in both worlds, I strongly take issue with those parents who use homeschooling as a statement of hostility toward a school system, be it public or private. Granted, it's up to the parent(s) to make the best choices for their kids but by the same token, the kids don't need to be exposed to a viewpoint, especially if it's not a favorable one. In the end, it only hurts them. As we are all aware, education is more than what is gleaned from a curriculum. Sometimes we just need a reminder.


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