Parents who don’t homeschool their children are complaining that homeschoolers have an unfair advantage over their institutionalized children in the national spelling bee because they have more time to study spelling.

It’s no wonder, as most homeschooled students spend half as much time “school” as schoolhouse students, especially government-school students. With the kind of one-on-one attention afforded by homeschooling, much more gets done in less time.

According to writer Jessica Wehrman, Paul Wehrman, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, said:

… having a few homeschooled bee champs does not necessarily show the superiority of homeschooling. Saying one child’s triumph is evidence of the success of homeschooling, he said, is like saying all North Carolina colleges are good because basketball champion Michael Jordan attended one.

Hmm … there have been three homeschool champs since 1997, and in 2000 the top three finalists were homeschooled. Perhaps it doesn’t mean that all homeschools are good, but it certainly does mean that the best homeschools are awfully good, and that allowing parents the freedom to homeschool can do a lot of good for their children.

But what could be expected from the head honcho of an organization that opposes school choice, charter school districts and alternative certifications but strongly favors pumping up direct federal aid to government schools?

I think homeschooling activist Vonnie Crumpton said it best, as quoted in the story:

“Yes, we get math and English and grammar and everything, every day,” she said, “but we had more time to dedicate to the talents that God has given him … that’s the
beauty of homeschooling. You can spend more time where they have interests.”