There are many ways to measure the success of education, and while money and education are often good metrics, they cannot be the only metric we use. //
Homeschooling has always looked a little different from traditional education. That’s sort of the point. No two children are alike, so why should their education be? However, this freedom for the student has meant frustration for the scholar, as homeschooling’s multifaceted nature makes rigorous academic study challenging. //
Different values give rise to different outcomes. Based on the data, it seems that long-term homeschoolers do not value high pay and further education nearly as much as they value faith and family. It is entirely possible that the lower income, employment rates, and educational attainment reflect choice, not capacity. Employment and income could be lower for long-term homeschool graduates because they choose to forego a second income and have one parent stay home with their kids. //
The outcomes for homeschool graduates are as myriad as the methods of and reasons for homeschooling. It would be the peak of foolishness to claim that someone’s education was not successful because they do not meet arbitrary metrics, particularly when they may not hold those metrics in high esteem. Rather, we must determine if an individual is meeting their own values and goals, not those set for them by statisticians. High pay cannot fix depression, and college degrees do not equate to community.
