<p>@pastwise, You are seriously misinformed about home schooling. Students in NYS can’t spend their time on just test prep and ECs. We’re required to provide a full curriculum and complete a certain percentage of it or the state can terminate our right to home school. Yearly standardized tests give districts a clear indication of both the appropriateness of the educational program and the accuracy of the grading. After all, a student who struggles with the science section of a standardized test isn’t likely to have straight A’s in biology and physics. People who are not teaching their children can be charged with educational neglect and lose custody of them. There are districts who threaten to start that ball rolling if minor infractions (like paperwork being a day overdue) occur. No checks and balances? There are plenty and we take them very seriously.</p>
<p>Our districts have copies of the majority of documents we’re required to send to colleges. It would be foolish for us to attempt to falsify those records; in fact, doing so could cause a child’s admission to be revoked and any diploma earned to be rescinded. Teaching appropriate subjects is important too. If I want my children to succeed in college, it’s important that I give them a solid foundation. It does no good to get them into a great college if they don’t have the skills to succeed once they get there. </p>
<p>I suppose anyone can manufacture ECs, but why would we? Not having homework or busy work allows us the time to participate in a variety of activities. It’s not the home schoolers I see online asking if they’ll get caught if they make up ECs and leadership positions, or wondering what will happen because they just got caught cheating on the SAT. We don’t need to manufacture records or fake recommendation letters. And we won’t be thrilled if a bunch of public school families start breaking the laws and endangering our right to home school because they’re under the mistaken impression they can game the system. </p>