Today I received this link to an article by Amy Platon on the Orlando Sentinel discussing her views on homeschooling. I am not sure if it was the fact that I’m going on 24-hours in a hotel room planning out my school year, or if its that I’m becoming more political and outspoken, but I felt the need to respond Ms. Platon’s article and I commend her on being polite. It is in the same tone I hope my response is read.

If this home-school trend continues, we’ll end up with adults who have learned we are each out for ourselves. If a system is not good enough, then leave it. If the education isn’t good enough, don’t take an active role to improve it — just quit. How can a home-schooled child have compassion for his community when he isn’t part of it? And so, divided we fall.

In some ways we are each out for ourselves. I’m sorry I don’t believe in socialism. It has never worked for a reason. I don’t mean that we shouldn’t try to help others or contribute to society but I do think that we are all given different gifts and when we develop those gifts in the way we were each individually created to, we will not all get the same results.

Each person should be focused on developing his or her own gifts. It is a parents responsibility to actively assist their child in fulfilling their God given potential (not the parents own fantasy). If a parent chooses to do this by educating their child at home that is hardly something that could or should be viewed upon as quitting. On the contrary it is taking an active role quite literally. Not all of us are of the personality or inclination to make changes in government or even school systems. I personally am not gifted in that way. My energies are better spent educating my children at home while another parent may be better suited to taking on the PTA and making contributions to the school and community at large. My contributions at home also affect the community. I am raising children who are a part of our community whether or not they attend the same schools as the other community children. To say my child is not a part of the community and can have no compassion for the community because they do not attend a public school is laughable. Where is my child while the public school children are, in many cases, locked into the school building? Out in the community! Does our church not count as the community? Our neighborhood? The local businesses we frequent? The places we visit for field trips throughout the country? Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t believe homeschooling is the only way. It is a personal choice each parent must make and should have the option of making.

We all want to protect our children from bad influences, but if we pull all the well-parented children from the schools, then we are making the gap bigger. We are making a mess of their future. Send your well-parented child out into the world as a good influence.

I find it interesting the author would characterize those that homeschool as having well-parented children and then infer that the children in the school system are not well-parented and need the influences of those that are. I certainly think that there are homeschooled children who are not as well parented as some traditionally schooled children and vice versa. My children are out in the world—on a daily basis. I know you see us. It’s okay to be friends with the local homeschool Mom, even if your child is enrolled in traditional school.

We are not making a mess of the world by instilling values, real world experiences and a focused individualized education on our children. Use our experiences and results to demand change in your school systems if you are unhappy, but don’t ask us to deny our children an opportunity to be educated at home simply because you choose not to.

Hands-on parents can still be involved with their child’s education as school volunteers. Help your child at home in areas where he needs improvement. Encourage him to help his classmates when they are struggling. Share your passion for education in the classroom, where it’s needed most.

There is now a segment of our homeschooling community that is doing just this. It’s called co-schooling. You already have co-schoolers among you! Embrace them. Recognize that even if you put your kids on the school bus every morning, your job isn’t done. You are still personally responsible for their education. Don’t leave our underpaid school teachers with the bulk of your parental responsibilities—they have too many students and too few hours to do the job alone.

I submit that the real problem is the fact that we have a growing nation of parents who don’t want to parent. They are under the mistaken assumption that since their tax dollars pay for public schooling, they have no further responsibility in this area.

They are wrong.