At the end of the day, I’m actually “agin’” testing, too; in fact, you’ve even reminded me of yet another reason:

“What happens when kids fail the tests? Knowing the government the way I do (hey, I sleep with a government worker, don’t forget),… ”

I *was* a government (social services) worker and know, first hand, about the very real ways in which - some - govt workers (w/small-minds and inflated egos) routinely wreak havoc in the lives of private citizens. Very scary. (Top secret: Years ago, as a brand new homeschooler, I couldn’t join HSLDA fast enough!)

As for “checkbook math,” I suppose I should have done a better job differentiating between covering ground quickly while a motivated student (a primary benefit of homeschooling) and moving out into the world - as a new graduate - with “just enough” education (as in, “just enough math to balance a checkbook”). Sure authentic learning is unfolding and flowing, yada, yada (smile - I’m teasing you now), but why must math beyond very simple arithmetic interfere with that process? Especially when its absence makes college / vocational programs (if chosen) all the more costly and time-consuming.

Though I don’t see why the study of mathematics isn’t considered beneficial in itself. I just don’t get it .

Poor Math. Unloved. Unappreciated.

In my own experience with math (I was a slacker until ninth grade) Algebra-Algebra II can be learned in a summer. I did it so that I could continue to read novels under my desk in my high school classes. The same goes for geometry.

And in case reading is the issue–I have seen amazing progress this summer for kids over 5 weeks! Then if they actually read books, by gum, they’ll be readers. All this without spending years in a classroom…