Hi Homeschoolers, need some advice

[RevolutionStartsNow]

My daughter is just finishing her freshman year in high school. Comparatively, this is a good high school (good test scores, parents with money who participate, well-equipped campus, some good teachers), but we're just not getting what we need, or rather what she needs.

She was an outstanding student all through elementary school and even into Junior High. She participated in political activities with me and talked a lot about her goals and opportunities for taking gifted classes during the summer.

A lot of her success and motivation, in my opinion, had to do with the private afterschool enrichment program she attended. This is an amazing program run by 2 ex-teachers who just love kids and make learning fun. She learned a lot there, including how to be a leader and a public speaker, but the program ended at 6th grade.

Then of course adolesence hit and she became distracted and started to care less. By 9th grade it seemed the educational fire had completely gone from her eyes. She was smart enough to be enrolled in advanced classes (Biology, Geometry and Advanced English, normally 10th grade classes at her school), and she has done well enough, but I really question what she has learned. I haven't seen her excited about any subject all year.

Years ago my husband and I discussed this possibility; that she would either become a nose-to-the-grindstone straight-A student or veer more toward the social activities and make school a lower priority. She has a ton of friends and an active social life; she doesn't use drugs or alcohol, for which we are very grateful -- as a recovering addict and alcoholic myself, she has been well educated about the dangers, and she chooses not to do those things, with some difficulty sometimes but much to her credit in being her own person. She's a unique and fun and cool kid, but she has sees school as more of a chore than anything else, and this makes me very sad.

We've been discussing the possiblity of taking her out of this school (it's relatively big, about 40 kids in every class) and looking for something different. Private school isn't really an option for us, financially (we don't make enough to pay for it but make too much for scholarships), and there aren't any great private schools around here anyway.

There are some independent study options that we are looking at, though most of those seem geared toward troubled kids who can't cope in a normal high school environment. This is not her problem; socially she's very well adapted; she just needs a better education.

My husband and I both work at home and are both well-educated. I would like to explore some kind of independent study plus homeschooling, and am looking for advice.

Thought this was the right place to come...Thanks!

[Kerrytravelers]

1. I work for a chartered homeschool and have many families in the exact same situation.

It can be very rewarding.

What state are you in? I ask this because there are various laws that vary from state to state. I'm in Southern California, and can speak to how our chartered homeschool program works, if you'd like.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

2. Thanks for the reply -- we're in California too

In Santa Cruz County.

We looked at a Charter school that also emphasizes homeschool/independent studies but honestly it seemed a little weak. Kids getting by with doing posters and such. Steph really needs something challenging. We're looking now at an alternative private school where they can take some classes there and some at the community college.

It's a challenging decision. She has a lot of interests, but no real passions. She is going to learn how to fly (her dad is a private pilot), and I think that should count for something, there's so much to learn.

I just really don't want to settle for anything less with her. She's not a prodigy by any means, just a great kid with a lot of potential.

Any advice would be great. Thanks!

[Kerrytravelers]

3. I'm surprised that a chartered public school would be that weak.

Out program is quite rigorous. Many people join our program because they want to be sure that they are up on the standards, they are supported and that their child is doing well. As a credentialed teacher, I am assigned to a number of families. I meet with the every 20 teaching days, assist the parents in assessing the work and aligning with the standards. I also collect samples of work. We are a K-12 school, so for the high school students, we keep them up on their credits and offer them AP level courses to meet with the UC/CU requirements.

After the meeting, I do all kinds of fun paperwork and write a report. This also keeps the family in the clear from the state. many homeschoolers are questioned as to what the children are doing at home and is there any valuable education taking place. We provide that shield in that we are your voice to the state. If there are any questions on a particular family, the director of the program, my advisor, the educational manager and myself would provide the state with ample evidence of learning.

We're not the only school that does this.

We also provide curriculum. We have all the state approved curriculum for K-12, although we only require certain books for the high school courses as the UC/CU requirements state a public school must do. We are all about parental choice. So, if a parent chooses a more projects-based approach (which is what it sounds like you saw) then we have no problem with that. We also have boxed curriculum for people who like that. We also pay for classes and,

I'm not necessarily trying to push a chartered homeschool, but merely giving a quick overview.

Before you begin looking for a chartered homeschool, and Independent Study school, a homeschool co-op or anything else, I would sit down and discuss with your daughter and her other parent what your goals are. What do you want to accomplish. What are her future educational goa, what does she want after high school, what are you trying to achieve. And then think about why she wasn't getting what she needed at her previous school. Those questions will help you narrow your search and help you develop questions to ask when looking at where you're going next.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. Have you talked about this with your daughter?

It's possible that removing her from the social scene she feels so comfortable with would do more harm than good with regard to her studies. While I understand your concern about her apparent loss of the thrill of learning; I wonder if she isn't simply focusing on a less academic, but equally important area of study...her social life. If so, it doesn't mean that she won't find her way back to enjoying her classes. It may just be one of those things kids need to do as they learn to flex their independence.

I'm not trying to discourage you from homeschooling; but at her age she definitely needs to take charge of her educational future; and that includes having a say in where she attends school.

One online program you might want to check out is Keystone High School http://www.keystonehighschool.com/
They offer single courses, a general diploma, and a college prep program. They also have summer school courses, so you could give a class a try before making a decision to enroll full time.

Best of luck!