Just finished up our first week of homeschooling (through public schools)

[The Straight Story]

We made the decision to homeschool after some thought and getting to know kids in the neighborhood who went to public schools here (the same one I went to back in the 70's, Oakmont Elementary).

We chose OHVA, Ohio Virtual Academy, and are very happy with them so far. Basically:

The public schools were losing funds as more and more homeschooled. They got on the bandwagon and offered their own homeschooling alternatives. My daughter has a teacher we can meet with from time to time, they gave us a computer, pay for our internet, supply books and other materials, all free of charge.

We update the work daily on their website (attendance, tests, etc). She can also participate in school activities (sports, et al), has field trips, picnics, etc with other kids.

So far - it has been awesome! We are also helping the kids next door who just joined and left the public schools (in general). One girl is so far behind they felt she should be held back, and she was the top performer in her class last year. Her younger sister had a project we helped with this week that was cool - seeing how pollution can seep into ground water (2 liter bottle, sand, pebbles, etc - most all supplied by the school). Overall it has been a positive experience and my daughter has done really well her first week.

One thing I have learned is how rewarding it is to sit with your kid and teach them, knowing they get your full attention and are not just another brick in the wall :) With my wife being ill at times with her parkinsons and such it has worked out well that we can schedule around things.

Homeschooling is NOT for everyone, which is cool with me! But if you ever considered it all I can say is try for a year and see how it goes. Less distractions, more learning, and still a strong social network where kids can meet and play with other kids.

One last note on the social side of it. My sister has homeschooled her kids for years (a more church based homeschool effort, which is ok with me as well) and her kids have a lot of friends of all ages and are pretty well socially adjusted. Their 14 yr old son loves animals, nature, the environment, her daughter is interning once a week with a vet (she is 13), and their youngest (the wild one, a lot like me as a kid) is into making things from homemade canons and rockets to hunting and gun safety. All three are hard working and well adjusted, help out folks all the time in need, and as polite as can be (not saying you cannot do that in public schools - simply saying you can with homeschooling!).

So far - so good for us. Great teacher (who calls and emails us) who supports us, good curriculum, and allows us the freedom we need in our circumstances.

[mzteris]

1. Great!

Nice to hear a hs friendly story on DU!

Virtual school - at home - is another way to "homeschool". There are as many ways to hs - as there are families and kids. That's what's so great about it. You can individualize it in the way that works for YOUR KID! Hooray!

Some hs "purists" will tell you you're not "homeschooling" if you're using the "official PS curriculum" but tell them to buzz off. You can do what ever works for you and your kids. :)

We've been hs'ing for nearly 5 years now. My son wouldn't go back to PS if you PAID him! Though the younger one *LIKES* PS - so that's where he goes.

Good luck. I hope it continues to go well for you.

[Redstone]

2. Sounds like a good deal. The only reservation I have is that you

mentioned the social aspect but didn't provide any details about how the kids find other kids to socialize with...that's my main concern with homeschooling, is that the kids miss out on the "tribal" experience of a public school.

Though I'm happy to hear it's working out well for you.

Redstone

[The Straight Story]

5. With my sister:

Is through the church. Plenty of programs and activities, sleep overs, field trips, etc and so on.

With ohva we have outings to meet other families and kids, exchange email addresses and phone numbers, and then follow up and spend more time together.

For the record: with ONE exception, all the kids I met in school and have stayed in contact with over the years (I am 40 now) were all kids in my neighborhood and already hung out with me.

I liken it to my wife being a housewife: you meet people in many ways, work or school is but one small one.

[mzteris]

6. Who wants the "Tribal" experience?

IMHO - NOT a good thing. Pecking order. Kids who are "different". Popular kids. Nerds. Jocks. Pretty girls. Ugly girls. Smart kids. Dumb kids. Mean kids. I mean really - what's so "good" about it?

There are plenty of opportunities to socialize. And guess what? They're usually not a bunch of ill-behaved JD's... (not that all ps kids are, BUT...)

One of the reasons my son "didn't like" PS - was all the ill-behaved kids! ("Don't they WANT to learn anything, Mom??" "Why don't they just sit down and be quiet????? " aaaggghhhhh")

He absolutely HATED being punished collectively for the transgressions of one or two. ("Why did the whole class have to stay in at recess when it was XX who was misbehaving?" "Why did we ALL have to have silent lunch when only X and Y were the ones talking???") (sigh)

There are hs groups, co-ops, classes. In my absolute honest opinion, I think it's much better than what you can ever experience in a PS setting. Hs groups offer more variety. Less rigidly enforced age/sex/race criteria. You can hang out with whomever you want and wear what ever you want. You don't have to have the latest "thing" or wear the "in" shoes/clothes. You can just be YOU and no one cares! 'cause they're all busy just being themselves.

And for the GP (general population) experience: there are the usual "activities" - gymnastics, soccer, baseball, church, dance, clubs, volunteer groups, skateparks, etc... Believe me, there is absolutely NO problem with "socialization".

[The Straight Story]

9. Amen to that

My wife's niece is in PS in southern california, man the stories I could tell (as my wife's mom is a president of a school board there as well). Learning seems almost a secondary past time to some of them. Latest fashion, violence, gangs, etc and so on.

Things there can be a real mess, and I would rather my daughter focus on her life and learning then trying to impress her peers with smart clothes, sexy my space ads (and I won't go into details on that one), and so on. Her niece can spend $500 on new clothes in a day just to keep up with the cool kids.

Now let me state this as well: My three boys from previous marriage went to PS's in a small town and did fairly well (except for issues with their step dad, another long story that needs an entire thread).

Hell, I went to PS's, but I was so bored there I dropped out. It was hellish there at some points (why does it take so long to learn trigonometry??? I was doing seniors' homework for them when I was in 9th and tenth grade - all of which I learned on my own).

It is not for everyone, I agree. But I can see a lot of value in it.

[MUSTANG_2004]

13. Much more like real life

Our kids are home-schooled (starting the 4th year), and throughout the day they'll see babies, toddlers, kids their age, teenagers and lots of different adults. They'll come over to my office sometimes, spend time at their grandparents, or whatever. Much more exposure to real life.

I have to laugh when people say things about home-schooled kids being like hothouse plants. Seems to me that it's the other way around; in many ways the schools are the artificial environment.

[Odin2005]

33. I agree.

I think the "homeschooled kids don't get proper socialization" is a BS argument. Public school "socialization" is hazing, bullying, cliques, conformism, and and being desensitized to athoritarianism.

[countingbluecars]

35. Public school socialization

in my experience involves cooperative learning, teamwork, understanding and appreciating diversity, as well as learning to deal with some of the things you mentioned.

[The Straight Story]

38. Ours WAS that way to some extent

Back in the 70's.

Example would be my buddy Michael Beagle. The only jewish kid I remember in our small school.

When we had our big holidays come around, we celebrated his as well from his view (hannukah, passover, and so on). Our Christmas choir and plays were not exclusive, we also celebrated the things he did in song and plays.

We also had one black kid, charles butler. What I remember most about him, sadly, was that his dad used to beat him alot and he hated being at home.

My mom made damn sure I played with them both and treated them as equals, and it taught me a lot. I hated racism, thought the kkk was evil (and don't even get me started on that story), and learned religion was a choice we all made and we should respect others no matter if they were jew or atheist.

Today? Diversity seems centered around what you wear and how much money the folks have. Damned sad in these parts.

Today the races are reversed around here, even in my hood. Several weeks back the kids next door were riding their bikes around the hood (shaped like a U) and the black kids near the top of the U (north west side of the hood) told em to stay out as this was a black hood and they should be near their houses.

This was the same thing they were facing in school - they are white an minorities here, and get hell all the time about it. Damned sad that racism and bigotry still exists in this century (no matter who it is, I can assure you I knew kids in Mount Vernon that had the same hell on the opposite end of the color bar).

My decision personally was based on several factors, one of which was that I wanted her to have the best education possible and that was not to be found in the schools here. At home all the kids in the hood come here (even the ones who told the neighbor kids to stay away) to play with the puppies and swim, and my daughter does not care what race or religion you are or how much money you make, kids are kids.

I just wish all kids and parents felt the same...

[Odin2005]

46. Then we must have had totally different school experiences aparently.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

57. I think it depends on the family

I hated high school in many ways, but I had a mother and grandmother who didn't give me any space and who were terrified of the influences of the modern world, and going to school every day was a means of obtaining some breathing room. For me, being homeschooled would have been like prison, especially when I was a teenager.

I've seen a couple of other cases where "helicopter parents" (the kind who monitor their children constantly) have announced their intention to homeschool, and I think, "The poor kid isn't going to have all parents all the time."

That doesn't seem to be the case with the OP, but it's something to watch out for.

[fed-up]

16. My son's first "tribal" experience was a bloody lip/name calling in 3rd gr

when he went back to public school. He went to Kindergarten at a public school for about 3 months, then we homeschooled for a variety of reasons.

He was in public school from 3-5 grade (inclusive) and then when we were finished taking care of my mom after her stroke he went back to homeschooling til he was a junior in high school.

He had plenty of opportunities for socializing including field trips, group classes that met once or twice or thrice a week, a theatre class and a few different P.E. classes. Those classes were with kids of different ages so he learned to be comfortable with a wide range of people, but still prefers kids that are a few years older.

He enjoyed high school, but was also sickened at the different cliques that people seemed to be grouped into and he enjoyed naming them and describing the kids behaviors that portrayed.

He did finish high school with one year of college credit from when he homeschooled.

He is now taking English, Anatomy & Physiology (just because he wants to learn about the body, not to go into the medical field), Intermediate Algebra, Comparative Politics (chose that on his own, even though he says politics is disgusting) and Piano. He also wants to brush up on the Japanese he took as a Frosh/Soph and has befriended of few of the Japanese students that ride the bus and is helping with their English while they help him with his Japanese.

Homeschooling is what the parent/child/teacher/school make it and there are plenty of options out there for group activities.

[pitohui]

40. redstone, the parents control that

the parents have total control over the picking and choosing of every friend, i'm seeing it w. a close relative who home schools

this talented woman w. multiple advanced degrees, reduced to "home schooling" one child, has turned into a monster of control

it's scary

and in those rare moments when her child is alone with his friends, what she doesn't know but what i overheard to my horror, is that the child has emulated her control freak way and become really a monster of bossiness because all of her genuis has been reduced to one thing -- controlling a child, she has no more outlet for all her learning -- and the child has modeled what we all see except for her

it's breaking my heart but i dare not say anything, no use starting a family war

even my mom -- who i used to think the queen of control freaks -- is shaking her head

but to answer your question the moms arrange these so-called "play dates" ! crap, can you believe in our day we just wandered around the neighborhood and met up w. other kids, that's called child neglect now apparently, this sort of thing can't be allowed, a child picking his own friends or meeting random kids at school oh the horror the horror

what a world we are creating

[SmokingJacket]

3. I'm glad it's working out for you...

particularly since your wife is ill and I can see how having a more flexible schedule would work for you.

I do worry that the kids with the some of the most motivated parents are leaving the public schools, though -- it makes the public schools worse, and the kids with more difficult home lives are left with an inferior education.

If our public schools were no good, though, I'd consider homeschooling, and if my son has a hard time in middle school (a time that was pure HELL ON EARTH for me) I'll definitely do it.

I guess I just wish we could raise the standards of public schools so that excellence could be had by everyone, not just those with interested parents.

[The Straight Story]

7. A funny side story about my Elementary School

I called them earlier in the year. In 1976 we buried a time capsule in front of the flag pole.

No one knew it was there. Not the school (Oakmont) and not the district folks who handle the maintenance for it.

Last year they tore down a school to rebuild it and found one, they were surprised. So now they know where this one is and oakmont is scheduled to be torn down and rebuilt, and they promised to call all former students and invite them to it's opening (I remembered because I put something in the time capsule).

Hell, there was even a plaque on it they let get so overgrown that no one knew it was there anymore! Hopefully, this time next year, I will be there when it is unearthed.

[NC_Nurse]

My sister-in-law home-schooled her 5 kids...

they are great people. Two went to Duke, one transferred to Warren Wilson Sophomore year. All of them have done well and are really cool people.
Yes, she and her hubbie are very religious (Catholic), but pretty open-minded. They had their kids in soccer and dance, etc. to make sure they got to socialize with other kids.
I thought about it, but I'm just not a 24/7 type of mom and my kids' dad was a workaholic. I love my kids dearly, but I needed some time to myself. I think it's all about doing what works for your family.
I support you 100%! :-)

[NC_Nurse]

4. Delete- dupe!

[NanceC]

8. Congratulations!

And welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling! :)

It really is a nice way to live and learn.

We are unschooling in FL -- completely different from what you are doing -- but I wanted to wish you continued good luck!

And, to the other posters, yes, if public schools were not what they are, I might send my children there. I actually did for a grand total of 7 months. But the complete lack of flexibility drove us off. And now that we have experienced the freedom of structuring our own days and our own lives, I don't think we could ever go back. :)

Nance

[mia]

12. My daughter has homeschooled her kids in FL too.

Do you know if there are any public (homeschooling) options in Florida?

Welcome to DU!

[MUSTANG_2004]

14. Gifted program is open to homeschoolers

I'm not sure if it's statewide, but I think it is. They have to meet the same criteria as regular students (go through the evaluations, etc), but then they can participate the same as any student.

[mia]

20. Thanks for the info.

I'll look into it.

[NanceC]

60. It is statewide

Access to extracurriculars, special ed services, gifted services, FLVS, dual enrollment, etc., is available to FL homeschoolers using the HEP option (letter of intent to the county, etc).

Everything depends on what is available at your local school, how much you want to work your schedule around the ps schedule, the age of your child (some things available to high schoolers & middle schoolers not available to elem schoolers), etc.

There is also a private school option available to hsers in FL -- aka umbrella schools. Most of the same access is available when using this option.

And, yes, the virtual school option is available too. You can retain your legal status as a homeschooler and use FLVS (www.flvs.net) or technically enroll in public school and use K12 or Connections to homeschool.

Each state has different laws. A place to check yours: www.NHEN.org.

Nance

[ncrainbowgrrl]

51. Welcome to DU, NanceC!

:hi:

[NanceC]

61. Thanks!

:)

Nance

[msongs]

10. who says welfare is dying? nt

[The Straight Story]

11. What the heck does that mean? (nt)

[Earth_First]

81. WTF is meant by that statement?

What's the difference if this individual attends public schools or homeschools their children? In either case, they are still paying taxes for educational materials that the student(s) would have received be it through attendance at the local elementary/middle/high school or through home schooling.

Your comment is way out of line, sir/madam...

[sandnsea]

15. K12 - Bill Bennett's program

See where it says "explore the K12 web site"

http://ohva.org/our-curriculum/index.html

K12 is Bill Bennett's program, he retired after his gambling incident, but he is still a major stockholder.

http://anoldsoul.blogspot.com/2005/10/bill-bennett-and-public-education.html

I understand you have to do what you think is best for your kids, but this is exactly how they're going to destroy public education.

[countingbluecars]

17. Is this the program Santorum

was using with his kids?

[sandnsea]

19. I don't know

There are several distance learning programs out there. I am just familiar with K12 because it's Bill Bennett's and because I think the way it works is very sleazy. What the company does first is target a low income school. They run all the homeschoolers through that one school, the kids are all enrolled as students of the school. Cha-ching, that means the school gets the per pupil money from the state. Get that? The school pays K12 the bulk of that money for the curriculum (a CD and workbooks) - the school keeps a small percentage for "administration". So basically K12 gets thousands of dollars a year for less than $500 of books and pockets the rest. The low income school is so desperate to get money from anywhere that they see it as an income maker, even though they're taking money out of the overall school funding and hurting all low income schools in the process.

Makes me puke, really does. And what I saw of the curriculum - mom gets up at 5 and makes breakfast for dad, wakes him up at 6, dad goes to work... you get the picture.

[The Straight Story]

21. Actually

We got a ton of books, a computer, printer, and other things to use.

And I knew before hand it was Bennet's stuff, but I took the time to examine it (and other programs) ahead of time and found it to be actually pretty good.

I resisted the religious stuff my sister was using, not because I felt it was terrible, just that I wanted to keep the core secular and add my own thoughts as needed.

I still don't have an issue with it myself.

[sandnsea]

30. $5000 worth??

That's what this site says the base formula is.

http://www.osba-ohio.org/terms.htm

Like I said, I understand that you have to put your kids first and I've got no clue about how bad your local schools are. I was just letting you know, in case you didn't.

The rest is just my opinion and I would hope that you would keep it in mind as you go forward. Unless you're satisfied with the idea of not having public school at all, I would hope you would try to speak out to improve the schools in your neighborhood. As soon as they get through dismantling public schools, they'll start their "cost cutting" with the private companies that take their place and pretty soon the whole country will look like Sept 2.

[The Straight Story]

34. Noted (and my comments follow)

The schools here on the east side are insanely terrible.

I grew up in this hood, and know many of the kids here now (about 100 homes here). They come over here to play most the time. And their education is terrible.

My next door neighbor's kids are over right now, their oldest is in 6th grade and cannot spell for crap. My nieces and nephews (my brothers' kids) all went here to local school and are as messed up as can be and have a hard time reading, let alone with math (three of the four dropped out in 12th grade, and know less then I did in 9th grade).

To me, saving our democracy is related directly to education - and if the public schools are not helping in this than we need to encourage more people to find alternatives.

My Mom was directly involved in schools, and most of our problems did not start here until we started busing (not done now). She fought that, not on racial grounds as some might argue (mom was an enlightened woman) but because she felt local people getting involved in local schools was the biggest issue needing addressed. She was very involved in our schooling.

The schools keep experimenting with our kids, and I really don't need my little girl in that experiment.

[sandnsea]

50. I completely understand

My kids came first too and I've taken each of them out of school when the circumstances just weren't right for them. I lived in Nevada for a year and decided to move specifically because the schools and attitude of the kids was so bad. So I know what you mean, all the way around. I've seen some really excellent public schools and excellent curriculums, so it's a real bafflement to me how we can end up with schools that perform so badly. My current district spends $7500 per student and does a pretty good job, so it isn't all money either. I don't get it, I don't get schools with 35% graduation rates for instance, it's just stunning. Anyway, good luck to all of you!!

[NanceC]

62. Many homeschoolers

do speak out and participate in local politics and vote for politicians who seem to have a clue about choice. It is a shame, imo, that too many Dems don't support a wider variety of choices and lump all hsers in with the right-wing "destroy public school" crowd.

As I posted earlier, we tried ps and would still be there if it had been able to meet our needs. Now, of course, years later we are settled into a lifestyle that I hope we don't have to change.

But I do hope that other families have schools that they want to send their children to, that aren't just the default because that's what everyone does and that's what work schedules demand. A school can be more than just a test factory and families should work and vote for better schools.

The system is difficult to change though and more and more parents are unwilling to have their children left behind while the adults take forever to figure it out.

Nance

[AlCzervik]

18. i know almost nothing about homeschooling so can i ask you a ?

Do they give a set of guidelines to follow? I only ask because math for example, i'm great with accounting but when it comes to algebra and above i'm terrible so what do you do with a subject that you don't know well? Please and thank you and best of luck to you and yours, sounds like it's going well.

[The Straight Story]

22. You get a lot of books and teacher guides

as well as workbooks online, etc.

My wife was really worried she would not be able to do it all, but after reading over things she is doing very well and learning new things herself.

Plus the teacher is availble for help.

When my wife helped the girl next door with her water pollution project (which encompassed water treatment as well, something I used to do) it was very educational for us all. Since we had the base experience in life we picked up the lesson quickly and was more able to help her get what it was they wanted her to learn.

We saw first hand how pollution can sink into well water with the experiment they had.

[AlCzervik]

24. Good for all of you and thanks for answering my question.

[The Straight Story]

26. PS

This is not the only program out there, it is just the one we settled on.

Not perfect, but a good framework for us as parents.

The good thing for us with homeschooling is the ability to add more to it, and the ability to have a flexible schedule based around our life.

My sister thinks her system from the church is better, but I don't see a huge difference myself. What I wanted was some guidelines and help, since my wife would be doing most the teaching I wanted it to be more easy and interactive for her (hence the public/ohva decision).

What I would suggest: Try it for a year and see how it goes. If not for you, then don't do it. I have nothing personal against public schools in general, just that they suck here terribly. My daughter's well being and education comes before the politics of it all and waiting for it to improve. Each year lost waiting hurts her, so instead of waiting we took it into our own hands.

Not all can or want to, their life and their decision. Peace out to them all and their choices!

[AlCzervik]

27. We have the same problem in my city

the schools here are very overcrowded because the developers run the town, they keep building instant neighborhoods minus the infrastructure to support it so for the past 6 years my daughter has been in a secular private school. Since you home school i'm sure you get shit from people as do i for going the private route but until things change here she'll stay in private school but i do think about the hs school from time to time. Again thank you for the information, i appreciate it.

[The Straight Story]

31. We ALMOST went private school

But the cost was not warranted. I do make decent money right now so I could afford it if I had to, but money was not the issue for us.

We may go that route later in life though, homeschooling is going ok for now so we are fine with it - the key to us though is options.

There are fine public and private schools all over, and homeschooling is just one more choice.

I was burned out in HS myself and saw how bad education could be. That is one key factor in us choosing to be able to work at our own pace with more one on one instruction. My wife has an art and medical background, me math, science, religion, and computers. We are more then able to assist our daughter on all fronts and help her develop without all the interferences one finds in public schools around here.

Good luck and I hope for the best for you!

[U4ikLefty]

53. But wait, I recall that you shop at WalMart because of your kids

and they would suffer if you did't save money by shopping there. Now you say that "I do make decent money right now so I could afford it if I had to, but money was not the issue for us." Hmmm, this seems to be contratdicting your previous stance that your kids would suffer it you didn't save a few bucks by shopping at WalMart.

[fed-up]

25. In California there is a set curriculum to follow, which covers topics &

skills the students had to learn. The parents and teachers could decide what book(s) (if any) to use to make sure the material was covered, in what order and how the student would demonstrate proficiency. They could do oral presentations, write a paper, do a display, answer questions, take a written test etc. Of course this worked best with classes like English, History, Government etc.

My son hated math (he is right brained) and even though I was a math major at Bezerkly he did not work well with me as his teacher, so I let his official teacher help him with concepts he didn't understand.

[sandnsea]

32. California is K12 too

Again, just so people know what they're supporting with their tax dollars.

http://www.caliva.org/about/index.html

[NanceC]

64. K12 is available

in many states.

And, just so people know :) , there are other ways to homeschool in CA too. Actually, from what I understand, it's one of the nicer states to homeschool in -- you can establish yourself as a private school and off you go, no fuss, no muss.

Nance

[LeftyMom]

80. CA is a nice place to homeschool

We have the private school option, home-based charters, a tutoring option and I think a few other options I forget.

The private school option was under some fire a while back but the one nice thing about the Davis recall was that somebody finally dropped a house on Delaine Eastin, his head of Education, who was entirely unreasonable in her opposition to long-established law and precedent on the legality of homeschooling.

[NanceC]

63. The curriculum

that Straight Answer is using will include all of the courses you are concerned about.

But there are many different ways to homeschool. Some follow a standard set of coursework, some do not.

It takes some serious research on the parents' part to find the right method for their family. And then, when you think you have it all figured out, the kids go ahead and grow and change and you have to adjust! :)

But that's OK. :)

Nance

[MysteryToMyself]

23. I admire the energy of parents who home school

In some ways that is what life is all about, choices. I hate to see the public schools lose these parents and their children to home schooling, because they are the same type of people that can help improve the public schools for their children and ours. They are usually bright and caring people.

I have some worries about charter schools, private schools and religious schools. There are huge private groups out there pushing for anything but public schools. Vouchers to other schools take money from the public school system.

The republicans want to privatize everything, including public schools. I can't help but feel that once they destroy the public schools, then prices will soar and private education will be un affordable by many families. It may become as expensive as college.

My personal theory is that by public schools not teaching religion, that prevents religious wars we see in other countries. My family learns about religion at home and in church, taught by the church of my faith and my choosing.

I can't help but think when the schools are privatized and public schools can't be put back together, that our children and grandchildren will become little republican robots by going to republican owned schools.

[The Straight Story]

28. My take on that:

Let's get dems in power and fix public schools for one.

For another, schools are not the root of all the problems, parents and kids are a huge factor in it.

In the hood I live in people let their kids run crazy (one is 2 and wanders around in diapers most the time, and out of seven kids they only have four at home not taken by children's services). We live in a higher crime area for now, and the schools are terrible here.

When I lived in Mt Vernon (Ohio) I had no qualms about my kids going to school there, and it worked out well for them.

I am all for diversity - especially in education. Private, public, homeschool, alternative schools, afro-centric (like we have here), and so on. Not all kids learn the same in the same environment.

Choices are key to me, and I made mine. I know all too well the messes made of kids the last few years here in the schools. Terribly sad environment to be in. My daughter comes before ideology of govt run schools, democrats, party, etc and so on. I can't wait for ten years while things get fixed, by then it would be too late for her.

[fed-up]

29. Ours was a charter school through the public school. I will keep in touch

with his traditional public high school teachers that he had for English/Gov't/History and have already been making donations of excess copies of books that I have that they can use in their classroom for critical thinking. I have already donated a box full of: 1984, Brave New World, Marshall McCluen, Handmaid's Tale, A People's History of the United State (Zinn) and many other choice titles :).

[ikojo]

56. Private non religious schools ARE out of reach for

many parents. In the St Louis area some of the best private schools have tuition rates approaching $20k per year for high school students and not that much less for elementary and middle school students.

I've met home schooled kids who are now adults and the ones I've met are not able to deal with people who are not like them politically or religiously.

[NanceC]

65. What sort of

homeschoolers were these?

I do worry that my son will open his mouth one too many times -- being a reflection of his atheist, liberal household does not always endear him to others and he hasn't quite learned when to be quiet yet. :)

Were the hsers you saw like us or from the other end of the political spectrum or . . . ?

Nance

[Beausoir]

36. Self delete.

Congratulations on your success this week.

[earth mom]

37. Thanks for the positive homeschooling story.

It's a big decision for parents to make, but I firmly believe that if there are issues that can be solved by homeschooling, then parents should try it. I wish homeschooling had been around when I was growing up! I was miserable in jr. high (middle school) and high school even though I got good grades. Looking back I see that part of the problem was that I was just flat out bored! Now, with No Child Left Behind, the school setting is made even worse with schools/teachers spending way too much time teaching to the test. They are also more often than not dealing with unwieldy large classes that often come with kids with problem behaviors or with kids who care more about socializing then learning a damn thing. Most teachers just don't have the time for inspired teaching any more.

I really find it annoying when people criticize homeschooling for being a knee jerk reaction of religious fundies or that parents are somehow taking something away from the school system by making this decision. I seriously doubt that most homeschoolers are homeschooling for religious reasons, but rather because the schools are NOT meeting their kids educational needs! Parents know what will work for their kids far better than any school! Schools, that mind you, are dealing with hundreds of kids every day. Why not give kudos to the parents who are willing and able to go that extra mile?! The dumbing down of our kids has to stop somewhere!

[pitohui]

39. whatever

why should a woman have any hope of being anything but a slave to the child

breast-feeding to turn a woman into a walking refrigerator, home schooling to make sure a woman can't have a career and a life of her own

no wonder educated women for the most part are refusing to breed, shoot me now

[Redstone]

41. We can always count on you for a different perspective, can't we?

And that is NOT a negative comment.

The people who favor homeschooling have their perspective, and it's fine for them, though we wouldn't do it ourselves, no criticism of them from me.

But you raise a valid point as well...what is the percentage of homeschool families in which the MOTHER has to bear the burden of being a teacher?

And what does that percentage tell us?

I, for one, don't know what it means. But I bet it means something. Thanks for having the courage to raise the point.

Redstone

[pitohui]

42. i'm just so sad about this one

my family member who homeschools has multiple advanced degrees

however in the area that means the most to her son (math and science, he dreams of a technical career) she has none, didn't even do that great in high school, just muddled thru

one person, one teacher, can't be all and everything and be fair to the child

and it stinks for her frankly, she told me outright the other day that she had not been able to earn any money in years, i guess i just sort of assumed she had something coming in from consulting or translation or ?

i keep telling myself to stop leaving the negative posts but crap, it's just a sad situation

yeah yeah homeschoolers win the damn geography bee but you know what? nobody ever got their dream in life because they did good in the geography bee

this kid needs to be in school where he can learn algebra and calculus, right now he is asking his 80 year old granddad to teach him algebra, i shit thee not

[Redstone]

43. You said one thing that sums it up, and is damn important:

"one person, one teacher, can't be all and everything and be fair to the child."

A damn strong consideration, and a reason I'd not choose the homeschooling. My kids don't need to grow up being a clone of me, only knowing what I know.

Redstone

[mzteris]

71. it doesn't have to be that way.

I found a Chinese teacher for my son because I don't know Chinese.

There are myriad resources available if you look for them.

If I can't "teach" my son what he needs, you better damn well believe I'll find someone, some way, some how, for him to get it. FWIW - I don't "teach" him much at all - I'm his facilitator. He pretty much teaches himself. I'm just there when he needs me. And to drive him places. lol....

No, not all kids are like that, but the ones who are - why shouldn't they hs?

Hs'ing is THE best option for SOME kids. Hs'ing is NOT an option for some kids. Let the kids who learn best by hs'ing, hs. WITHOUT the bs. BTW - the parents would appreciate not being labeled crazy control freaks. :)

Everyone can tell you a story about a crappy hs'er. Everyone can tell you a story about a crappy ps experience. Everyone can tell you a story about about the hs'er who went to Harvard/Yale. Everyone can tell you a story about how wonderful PS is...

I have a hs son and a ps son, and I graduated a ps daughter. It's all about choices and individualization.

[fed-up]

45. there is no perfect situation, one can find just as many faults as merits

with both homeschooling and public schooling. One just has to accept that neither is perfect, but that some situations may be slightly better than others.

I hated English/writing, yet my son is very gifted in that area. I firmly believe that since he was given freedom and a wide range of reading material because he homeschooled (I also have about 30K books) and by not having to complete so, so many read/regurgitate exercises he was able to develop his creativity to its fullest potential.

He loves to learn and the was one of the major reasons for my wanting to homeschool him.

I am glad that he did go to two years of public high school as he had a few awesome teachers.

[The Straight Story]

49. We are not one

She is artistic and great in history.

Math, science, and computers are my bread and butter.

Our daughter is important to us, too important to leave in the hands of public education as it is now.

In the tenth grade I was reading books on differential geometry, while the rest of the class was having problems with basic math (still, after all those years).

I was not better or smarter than they were, I just had more drive for personal reasons and it was being buried.

I don't have a problem with people who send their kids to public schools, I prefer choice myself. I did not have those choices when I was a kid, now we do.

[earth mom]

70. Who said that the parent is the ONLY teacher a kid has?

Most kids have different interests than their parents and most parents who homeschool WILL follow those interests if the kid is learning from it. Thus, many homeschoolers have outside lessons in music and art and maybe P.E. like little league or something similar.

I really don't understand posts like yours because it's the selfishness and greed of our society that has dumbed our kids down. Too many people who have kids aren't willing to sacrifice themselves for what's best for their kids. They won't sacrifice career or the 2 incomes, or the nice car or the nice home. All that stuff is fluff-it is NOT necessary. Parents that want to "have it all" stick their kids into school where more often than not they are babysat all day through the 12th grade!

Why anyone should continue to put up with an education system that is broken is beyond me. Why, if parents are instead willing to go the distance it takes and make the necessary sacrifices to create a better learning environment for their kids?! Everyone knows that No Child Left Behind is a total joke and the majority of teachers think so too. But teachers are powerless to change the system nor can they make their classes smaller so that they can really teach. Homeschooling presents the opportunity and freedom so kids can actually learn!

IMO, when people become parents the first thing they should know is that parenting is all about sacrificing of themselves. Parents who aren't willing to do that will get exactly what they paid for; dumbed down, problematic kids!

[LeftyMom]

74. It's not atypical for students who want advanced study in math and science

(and sometimes other things, but those are the most common) to do concurrent enrollment and take college classes, usually at the community college level, in thier area of greatest interest or aptitude during high school. There are plenty of other options for homeschooling in those disciplines, using a homeschool co-op, hiring a tutor, using a self-instructional curriculum, learning the subject together, the parent taking classes to stay ahead of the child, etc.

[AZBlue]

78. But apathetic teachers who can't control their classes and don't...

really know the subject they are teaching aren't any prize.

Nothing's perfect. Until we overhaul the education system in this country, homeschooling is a viable option.

[fed-up]

44. ummm, breast milk is WARM, and homeschooling meant MORE freedom

for me as I didn't have to get my son up at the ungodly hour of 5:30am so he could take the 6:30am bus to school.

We were free to take vacations AFTER traditional public school had started and the masses of kids were off the trails and campsites.

[NanceC]

66. Sshhhhh

Don't let the cat out of the bag!

Our wonderful "not back to school" picnic with our local hsing group was partly in celebration of having the parks and beaches back!

Nance

[Odin2005]

47. Well now ain't that a very stupid comment.

You think homeschooling and breast-feeding are some misygonist conspiracy or something? :crazy:

[The Straight Story]

48. My wife has a degree

I am a high school drop out.

She chose to breastfeed. She chose to homeschool. She chose to stay at home while I worked.

You got a problem with choice?

[AutumnMist]

54. A Slave?

Is that the right term you would like to use? As if most women are victims in the case of child bearing? And that breast feeding and home schooling keep women from doing what they are meant to do? Please! Talk to the people who choose to do either one before you make the dramatic gesture of assuming that only educated women would refuse to "breed" because of such things. I have a Bachelors degree in psychology and chose to do both. I do not need any woman or man to tell me whats right for my body or my families education. I chose to stay at home with my daughter after I had a career in counseling for the state of California. Did that make me a woman when I brought home a paycheck? Not hardly. It made me an employee. It certainly didn't define what I was or could do. Take your career and do what you want with it. But please refrain from such ignorant statements. Its not doing anything for the women who have chosen to live a life outside of the one YOU have chosen. What credentials do you have to decide what any woman should or shouldn't do with their own lives? What are you doing now?

[mzteris]

72. I'm a SAHFM.......**

some people tell me that's an oxymoron. I think it's the epitome of "feminist". It was MY CHOICE. It's still my choice. Every day it's MY CHOICE.

And yeah, I breastfed, too - and not only is it the absolute BEST thing for any infant - but it's good for the Mother, too.

I hs my one son because that is what is best for HIM.

I value my children as much as myself.

Did I sacrifice much?

Yes.

Was it worth it?

It is today.

Ask me again in 10 or 20 years - for who can know the future?

Am I lucky enough to be able to hs my child?

You betcha.

Are there hs or stay-at-home-dads?

Yes, again. There certainly are. But not as many because *this* society tends to value (and pay) men more than women so yeah, there ARE more Moms hs'ing than Dads.

One of the absolute greatest things about hs'ing (for the non-religious variety) is that you get NONE of the complete and total boy/girl BS that they "learn in school". You know: "johnny's got a giiiiiirlfriend....." " Johnny and Sally sittin' in a tree...." Girls can't play with boys. Girls can't play with blocks. Boys can't play in the "kitchen area". Boys have cooties. Girls are objects with which to "score". Boys are status symbols....

HS kids are just kids. They are FRIENDS. Not "boys" vs. "girls". They wear what the hell they want without paying homage to the god commercialism - nor "sexism". They can BE THEMSELVES and value each other for who they ARE without regard to whether or not they are male or female, black or white, jewish or muslim or christian or pagan or buddhist or atheist. THEY DON"T CARE!

Now isn't that a great way to grow up?


** (SAHFM = Stay-at-home-feminist-mom)

[javadu]

79. I Am Not a Home Schooler

But get off their fucking backs.

Who are you to decide which women have worthwhile lives and which one's do not?!?!?

Don't you trust women to make their own choices in their own lives?!?!?

[JCMach1]

52. You can't DIY everything America

I am glad it's working for you...

But, it seems all to often the solution to problems in America is DIY.

Individualism isn't the only solution.

Good social collectivism can also work.

What if you put all the energy you are expending teaching into improving your daughter's public school?

What if EVERY home-schooling family did that?

[AutumnMist]

55. We Have

and the public schools have come up short. How long is to long to wait? We have had our taxes raised for the schools in our area, long enough to see 12 schools shut down. When do we step in and say enough is enough and take control? Social appeal and collectivism is always a good thing, but when you have politicians that don't care or don't take notice in the downward spiral of public education...what should you do? Take your chances with what you have and hope that your voice is heard while your children get lost in the paperwork of promises? Or do you step in and make a stand? I think it varies from state to state.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

58. What if every home-schooling parent

ran for school board on a platform of providing the same high level of education for all students? What if the homeschoolers took what they had learned in their experience and applied it to all kids? (For example, you could reorganize the schools for fewer administrators and less expensive sports programs while reducing class sizes dramatically with more teachers and offering instruction in the arts and other experiential learning. You could require newly hired teachers to meet certain standards above the state-mandated ones and offer incentives for the bad ones to quit. You could enforce behavioral standards. You could offer literacy and parenting classes for parents.)

One of the things that bothers me about homeschooling is the rugged individualism. Your kid might be fine, but what about the others? What about the bright or sensitive or talented kids who are getting ground down by the system but whose parents don't have the time or energy or ability to homeschool them?

You may say, "To hell with the others. I've got to do what's best for MY precious little angels."

That's an incredibly short-sighted attitude.

Those other children that you homeschoolers are protecting your children from are going to grow up some day. They are going to be part of the environment that your child lives in as an adult.

Do you want the other adults in your child's future to be well-informed and civilized, or do you want them to be brainless slobs?

Think about it.

[JCMach1]

68. Good points as well Lydia

It just always seems too many 'solutions' to problems in the US serve to separate people...

[Lars39]

69. There was a man in Oregon(?)

that did that. His name escapes me right now, but his family was one of the homeschooling pioneers, with at least 2 of his boys going to Harvard on full scholarships. They were not fundamentalists either.

He was trying to do good with the knowledge he had gleaned from their homeschooling.
From all that I can gather, the fundies who wind up on school boards by hook or crook are out to destroy public schools. :(

[NanceC]

67. What if

every public-schooling family did that?

After all, hsers are a tiny fraction of the whole -- about 2%, I think.

What if all the public-schooling families stood up and demanded that the school day stop revolving around one test, for instance?

Maybe then even Democratic candidates could get up the nerve to overturn NCLB and seriously rethink how schools are structured and make some community-level changes that would focus on learning and families instead of maintaining the status quo.

Nance

[LeftyMom]

73. You appear to be assuming a few things

1. That those invested in the system want change

2. That those in the system want real parental participation and not just somebody to do the mindless tasks for them or raise money

3. That positive change in the system would allow it to meet the needs of children now homeschooled

I don't think any of those are reasonable assumptions. They're all pretty far from my experience as a student and later as a parent.

[JCMach1]

76. Who cares what '\they\ want education

is locally controlled... so why not get involved

[LeftyMom]

77. My experience is that most of the teachers and leadership here don't want

involvement, they see any attention to problems as criticism and volunteerism is only welcomed if you're willing to do repetitive drudge work or fund raising.

Additionally, the dynamic in the school district where I live is that all the established quality teachers follow the newer schools and the monied families farther out into the suburbs. I live in an established, working class, multi-ethnic area- the teachers at the local school are the ones who couldn't get hired at the "good" schools (the new ones with the really shiny new equipment and the students who all speak English at home) and it shows. They don't want help, most of them are just killing time until retirement. That's been the situation since I was a kid, it's why I didn't go to the neighborhood school, and the school district still hasn't done a thing to address the issue.

There's not a damned thing I can do to change that and I haven't got the time to try, being a mother and a full-time student myself. If I wanted to deal with that shit I'd enroll my kid and at least get some free daycare for my trouble.

[dharmabum65]

59. I completely support homeschooling

I think that it is great that parents have this option.It is wonderful that people can choose to be independant and autonomous nowadays,instead of having thier childrens educational experience completely controled and dictated by the government.

[knitter4democracy]

75. I'm teaching a class for homeschoolers at our art center.

It starts soon, so I should start preparing for that.

There are usually many community resources, too. Our Art Center has many classes for homeschooled kids, and it's not too expensive.

I'm doing a Knitting and Literature class, doing _Tale of Two Cities_ in which we'll work on the book and a knitting project that goes along with the book. The students will then write an essay explaining how their project ties in with the text. It should be fun. :D