Unschooling is a form of homeschooling. It is an educational philosophy. Homeschoolers are diverse as are their educational methods, not unlike schools. Unschooling is not about letting your children do “whatever” in a careless, neglectful manner. It is about non-coercion. Obviously, Ms. Kasparian at age 10 preferred television over reading a book — she wasn’t unschooled. And yes, Ms. Kasparian if an unschooled teen decides she truly wants to go to college, she will acquire the knowledge she needs to do it.

Watch the video and judge for yourself, “Unschooling vs. Homeschooling vs. Formal Education”.

Although you do bring up some very valid advantages toward homeschooling, don’t you feel that problems such as drugs are something that you cannot shield your child from for their whole life? One of the best lessons you can teach your children is how to stay away from drugs, but hiding them from it isn’t necessarily the way to do it. Eventually they will be on their own today and it is up to you as a parent to teach them “how to say no.” Also, when taking them out of a school system, you are taking away many valuable lessons that can be taught as in how to work with other people that you may necessarily not like. It can be argued that the most important things you learn in school are social rather than educational, so why keep your child from learning these valuable lessons just to shield them from something they’ll run into eventually anyways?

Many people hold such sweeping assumptions about homeschoolers and homeschooling. While personally I could provide you with facts and experiencs of my own children, that is really not the point.The perception that homeschooled children are hiding and unaffected by the rest of society is a pervasive misconception. This is a myth founded on misinformation.

Homeschoolers are not hiding but rather choosing not to participate in a system that for individual reasons they feel is not the best for their family and children.

Why assume homeschooled children are always shielded from drugs? Drugs are a part of our society whether that is desirable or not. Our children are just as much a part of the “neighborhood” as is anyone else. And like everyone else they, too, must learn how to cope and handle these pressures. They do not wear signs that say, “Drug dealers beware, I’m homeschooled!” and somehow that protects them from life’s realities.

Why believe that homeschooled children do not learn “how to say no”? As you yourself say, this is the responsibility of parents to teach them “how to say no.” If anything, I would counter that homeschooled children have had greater opportunity for instruction on how to form independent choices than those traditionally schooled.

It is perhaps the overwhelming impression that homeschooled children are somehow removed from society and thus lacking experience in social situations provided only by classrooms and school buildings that is the most erroneous. Just like everyone else, homeschooled children and families encounter people and uncomfortable social situations. Opting out of a system of mass education does not constitute removal from society as a whole.

As is stated, “…the most important things you learn in school are social rather than educational.” That is precisely the point. Homeschoolers are educating their children outside of a school system. Their children are learning and their children are not being socialized in the same way as those in brick and mortar buildings. This is what makes homeschoolers different.

Homeschoolers are very much a part of society and are a growing element in American culture. Homeschooling does not equal isolation or lack of socialization. Homeschoolers are parents asserting their rights to raise their children, including the direction of their educations both academically and socially.

This comment was posted to an article on the choice to homeschool. The editor felt the comment warranted further opportunity for discussion and placed the comment and response in a post.

According to the Internal Revenue Service “Eligible educators include those who work at least 900 hours during a school year as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide in a public or private elementary or secondary school.”

I teach two children* – one in high school and the other in elementary school – full-time  and pay for all their educational needs including textbooks, computers, software, ink, paper, scissors, pencils, pens, and so on only by squeezing it out of our family income, without compensation from anyone.  Yet I am not eligible because the IRS adds an exception to the rule.

According to the directions included for line 23 in the 2008 1040 instruction booklet , “Qualified expenses do not include expenses for home schooling…”

I know many teachers working in classrooms who spend much more than $250 in a school-year, but it is nice to have both recognition of dedication and a financial break. I receive neither.

I am not asking anyone to subsidize my children’s education. Our family pays for these costs itself because it is our choice to homeschool. We pay federal taxes and our tax dollars go towards the education of those who attend public schools.  As a legally registered homeschooler with my state, I instruct, counsel, guide, and teach my children seven days a week for 52 weeks a year for many hours beyond 900 in an school-year.  If eligibility is based on contributing to a child’s academic learning at least 25 hours a week,**  I should be eligible.

Even a teacher’s aide in a school is entitled to this deduction.

Educators deserve this credit and so do I.

Many homeschooling families like ours lost a second income in order to provide for the education of children. We’ve made personal sacrifices to and readjusted our living standards.

While growing numbers of homeschooled children prove themselves by recognized standards of accountability (testing, college admittance, etc.) their teachers (their parents) remain unacknowledged and doubted. The federal government -via the Internal Revenue Service – has supported this position since the credit was instituted in 2003.

This disparity reeks of discrimination.

In spite of the increased visibility, trendiness and greater acceptance of homeschooling as an alternative method of educating children, homeschoolers still have not gained equal standing or recognition.

I am asking for equal treatment.

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* I have been a registered homeschooler since 1998 and taught three children until May 2009 when I graduated my oldest who now attends college.

** I took 900 hours and divided it by 9 months and divided that by 4 weeks to reach 25 hours a week.