I agree susandiane311. I attended schools in a number of states as my father was in the military. Of them all, California was the most liberal and perhaps this is where Mrs. Sorbo's complaints stem from. In the schools I've attended and my child has attended in Maine, NC, Florida and Texas I've not see any teacher try to put their personal views on life or politics out there for the children. I will say in all those states and all those school, the ones that produced the higher graduations rates and the ones that produced solid citizens with manners, and knowledge and abilities were those that had a good parent support network, where parents cared, parents were involved and taught their kids manners and right from wrong, paying attention and the basics before they sent them to school. That allowed a teacher to actually teach, which was the balance in a kids life that seems to be missing today. Parents need to be involved, schools can only do so much on their own!

It often seems to me that those who slam the public school system are those who have had little involvement with it, no volunteer work at their local school, nothing. It also seems to be that often times those who homeschool are those who have some fear of their children learning about the world outside the one their parents have created and allow them to know. Yes, when your children go to public school they will learn new views, perceptions, ideas and more. They may not always agree with mom and dad's point of view because they have been exposed to other viewpoints. This isn't bad folks, it's life. Teach your children how to survive effectively in the world, that's the best lesson you can give them, and they won't get that if you continuously put blinders on them.

I'd love to know the resources for this blog. There are thousands of GOOD teens out there attending public schools. When parents actually parent well, are a part of their children's lives and are interested, it doesn't matter if a child goes to public schools or private or are homeschooled Evidently you are viewing only one side of this equation, . Your opening quote sums it up very well, its the parents that don't have what it takes to turn out a good teenager, don't put all that on the school system. My sister-in-law, a public school teacher, continues to get homeschooled kids in her classroom that are extremely behind their peers in science and math and history? Why have the kids down the street who were homeschooled are 18, 19 and 21 and have been on drugs, in and out of jail and more. This is not just here, you find this everyone, homeschooled, private schooled or public schooled.

Sam you make some wonderful points, and it is clearly obvious you have serious issues with the gov't within the country you live. My question to you is what are you suggestions on solutions? You have offered up problems, you have offered up contempt, you have offered up an extremely disgruntled view/atititude, but I haven't seen, or perhaps I've missed, your thoughts on how to improve on things, how to make the public school system, which we need, better, realistically better. What is a reasonable solution that all will benefit from???? I'd like to see you take your amazing writing skills and write an article on practical, reasonable solutions that might actually have a chance of working and I'd love to see you lay some of the blame at the feet of the others who make up this picture, and lets start with parents!!!!!!!!!!!

Reality check here, if you don't like the way gov't does things, stop complaining and start doing something about it!!!!!!! Or if you really have issues, move to a country with a system you are more in favor of and if there isn't a country that offers you that, learn to work with what you have and learn ways to be a part of the solution, don't continue to be a part of the problem by complaining!!!!!! The school system/gov't shouldn't be teaching my kids to balance a checkbook, I should!!! The gov't while flawed is only a piece of the puzzle. School administrators make up a piece, the students make up a piece, teachers make up a piece and PARENTS make up a piece. Let's try having parents do their job the right way, oh wait, then folks would complain and say it's not bodies business how I raise my kids. Yet it is, when the way you are raising your kids and the way thousands of parents are raising their kids is interfering, dramatically, with the education of my kid and others. So where do we draw the line at telling people what we think is right or the best way????????

EXCUSE ME!!!! 'No Child Left Behind' translates to teaching to the lowest common denominator'????? NO IT DOES NOT!!!!! It means every child deserves a shot at an education. The disabled child who might be legally blind, but not brain dead, the homeless child who might not have the best surroundings but has a thirst for knowledge, the low income kid, the wealthy kid, the sick child at home recovering from some illness or accident and who needs homebound help, and so many more!!! Are they the 'lowest common denominator?' Really, that's how you see these kids???????

Public education systems offer an education to those kids whose parents can't afford private schools or are unable to home school. People such former Washington Gov. Dan Evans, author David Guterson (Roosevelt, '74), whose award-winning novel "Snow Falling on Cedars" was published 20 years after he graduated, Nobel Prize winners -- George H. Hitchings ('23), who was lauded for his discoveries of important principles for drug treatment. Linda Buck (Roosevelt High, '65) won the 2004 prize for her discoveries about the olfactory system. as well as numerous artists and muscians, engineers and architects, such as the architect for the World Trade Centers, doctors and humanitarians all have graduated from public schools. Many atheletes credit a coach and/or teacher from a public school for getting them to move forward and helping them to get ahead in life. Not everyone is privilaged enough to afford private schools, or have parents capable or willing to home school. For those individuals we NEED to find a way to make public education work.

Not sure I can agree with all you say. I believe children only start on an equal footing if they are all taught the same thing at home. I believe parents are more at fault for what happens or doesn't happend in their child's education in the public school setting. If parents taught their children the basics of please, thank you, listening, waiting your turn and more, those kids would do much better in school, and a teacher would have much more opportunity to teach. You complain about the gov't not doing what they should, yet instead of trying to help fix it, you pull your kids out of the public sector and avoid the issues. You are certainly doing a great job talking the talk, but you need to walk the walk, in the shoes of those that must work with the gov't system to provide an education to kids whose parents don't parent, aren't involved and many who don't give a damn. Without public education where will those kids end up????? The public education system is needed for many reasons, it may need some fixing, most things eventually do, so lets try to be a part of the solution to fix it, not hid our head in the sand about it!

Homeschooling, like anything has its pros and cons. It can work for some, for others it doesn't. However it can also be seen as a cop out. I have worked with many kids who have been educated in the public schools, private schools and homeschooled and have seen both well educated, responsible, well mannered, kids with great communication skills and I have seen the opposite. I have seen kids who were homeschooled who never adjusted well in the real world because they were to sheltered from it as well. So it's a balance, as anything in life is and its the dedication of the parent who is doing the schooling to ensure the child receives the appropriate education, as well as needed social skills. So again, we need the parents support and involvement for children to be successfull, regardless of what venue you decide to have them taught in.

The gov't and teachers/the school system are not the only villians in all of this. Parents must take more responsibility in their children's education and it starts at home. If a child comes to school knowing their manners, how to share, how to listen, to behave appropriately and to show respect, who can listen, they will learn and a teacher will be able to teach more in the classroom. If we need to monitor our children to determine if they have reached certain benchmarks, than build those benchmarks into the curriculum, not into some mundane standardized test that generally has little to do with the states curriculum. In Florida we have the FCAT. Teachers must teach the states curriculum and then switch gears at certain grades and times of the year to teach the FCAT so kids will pass. WHY?????? If the FCAT is so important why isn't the curriculum based on that? If really let teachers 'teach' supported them at all levels and made sure we dealt with the 'bad apples' we would have a much better system!!!!!!