Aha Moment

I just had an 'aha' moment, or rather a new theory that makes sense to me.  I have several friends who are public educators and I've often heard them say that they are wary of homeschooling because they've seen too many instances where homeschooling really messed a child up.  These are good caring people and I know they really feel that way.  They are speaking from personal experience. 

A friend said this very thing today, so I was puzzling over it.  Why do so many educators believe that homeschooling has such a low success rate?  If you research it statistically, you'll find that a higher percent of homeschooled children excel academically than public school children.  From my own personal experience, I know a lot of homeschoolers and the majority of them are having wonderful success.  So why this viewpoint? 

Then I had my 'aha' moment.  Homeschool definitely fails in some instances and it definitely succeeds in many more.  What happens when it fails?  What would happen if I found that I couldn't do it?  That we weren't succeeding here in our home?  My kids would inevitably be sent to public school, either because of the law or because I was too fried/ discouraged to attempt it anymore.  What will happen if I continue to succeed?  My kids will stay home because it's working!

I'd venture a guess that the reason so many public educators have a bad taste in their mouth about homeschoolers is because most of the ones they meet are the ones who have re-entered the public school system owing to a failed attempt at home.  I'd also further venture to guess that many of these represent situations where 'homeschool' was the excuse, but no schooling was going on.  (NOT that I believe the right to have our children at home should be removed from us no matter how little schooling is going on, but that is another can of worms.)