Are Homeschooled Kids at a Disadvantage?

Test Taking / Meeting Educational Goals

I have been a homeschool teacher, as well as a public school mom. I have seen the good and bad of both sides. At the time I homeschooled my son, we were living in a very poor neighborhood of hispanics, and the elementary school he would go to received an "F", while they were grading schools. The fact that I learned that while my son would start Kindergarten, the main goal was in getting all the children to speak English, really pushed me towards homeschooling. I believe it was the correct choice for us at the time. Now, in Florida, at least at the time, because we have since moved, at the end of each year, the child had to be tested by an accredited teacher, to ensure they were at grade level. I have to say, I have never worked so hard at anything in my life, before or since. To homeschool correctly, you must have tons of supplies, workbooks, learning material, not to mention that we joined several homeschooling groups in the area. As worried as I was, about him being able to meet grade level expectations, I had nothing to fear. He not only met grade level expectations, but he surpassed them. He was reading at an end of 1st grade level, and I had not only covered all subjects that were required, but I went beyond that, including enrolling him in Little League. He did not lack socialization. After moving to Washington, which has a better school system, and I was more at ease, I sent him to 2nd grade and he has been in public school ever since. Even though the schools he has gone to has not passed the state tests given, he has passed. I'm very involved with the school, and I'm home everyday to help with homework. I believe education is highly important, and that most parents don't take it as seriously as they should, whether they are homeschooling or sending their children to public school. My point being, that I believe it is the individual parent/parents who are responsible for their childrens education whether it be homeschooling or public school. It is not a question of whether we should homeschool, or public school our educations but what meets their needs at the time. If you're dedicated enough to homeschool, and believe me this takes a lot of dedication to get it right, or if you're an involved parent, making yourself available to the teachers as well as your child/children for homework or just to talk about problems they're having, then you're making the right choice. Anyway, that's my two cents.