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Three Unexpected Data Points Describe Elementary School Quality
garthsundem writes with a link to his story in Wired, according to which "Test scores and student/teacher ratio are nearly meaningless. But three new numbers do describe school quality: 1. (Test Scores/Parent Education): How do scores outpace expectations? 2. Test Score Growth: Any single score can be socioeconomics, but growth is due to the school. 3. (Teacher Salary*%Highly Qualified/Teacher Age): The best teachers will become highly qualified early, and will gravitate toward the best paying jobs." These factors seem to be at least interesting starting points; if you've shopped around for elementary schools, what else did you consider?
It's unfortunate that politicians and bible thumpers have added a stigma to the idea of parents helping their children learn.
Lets be clear here-- its not "bible thumpers" that added a stigma to it. Its comments and thoughts which assume that any religious thought makes you a moron (no matter how well educated you are, or how well you do on tests / entrance exams).
I imagine the majority of parents who home-school are really dropping a stack of books in front of their kids and telling them "do it".
That MAY be, but I have known many homeschool parents, and not one of them has done that. But possibly its because theyre crazy bible thumper parents who actually care about their kid and about their education.
Every semester my wife and I are surprised by the number of other parents who skip parent-teacher conferences.
The attitude you described above seems far more common in public schools than with homeschoolers. But no, youre right, keep pushing that stigma.