4 Positive Education Trends to End 2021 | Kerry McDonald

Lt Col Charlie Brown Pre-pandemic enrollment at my high school was around 2,200 students. The district set up a virtual academy for students whose parents didn't want them to return to the classroom. Surprisingly, there were only around 60 high school students went this route and enrollment this year was almost 2,300 students. (The eighth-grade class last year was larger than normal) I thought the number of students going virtual would be much larger. Fortunately, we have not had to go virtual this school year and I hope we don't. Students don't get the same education through zoom meetings that they do in person. I have videos set up for every lesson but there is nothing like having the teacher there to clarify things.

Don't get me wrong. I am not against home schooling (we did it with my son in sixth and seventh grade) as long as the parents are qualified to hold class at home and make their children do the work.

Lt Col Charlie Brown It’s time for concerned parents and American taxpayers to “go to the mattresses.”

I'm definitely not a fan of home schooling. My opinion is based on 20 years of working at a venue that catered to providing programs for students from public, private, and home school programs. With no exception our staff was on high alert when programs were being held for homeschoolers. They might have superior academic credentials but were seriously lacking in social skills. Our educators would frequently have to stop programs because of unruly students who wouldn't listen to them, staff would have to go out and find the parent and get them to either remove their kids or make them listen to the teacher. When on our exhibit path they tended to pay attention to no one but their parents. Public and private school students could be unruly but when a teacher spoke they listened.