Private Christian School vs Homeschool?

[LuvingLife]

What are the benefits of a private christian school? What might not be good about a pcs?

What ate the benefits of homeschooling? What isn't so good about homeschooling?

 

I ask these questions because my mom is having trouble homeschooling me in these three subjects: math, science, and english.

 

Also, do you think doing a dual enrollment type thing would be a good idea at the pcs? Are there any curriculum out there that has dvd's that will help to most of the work

 

(SOS, TT and CD aren't options). I liked to be challenged, but also need guidance along the way!

 

Thanks in advance!!:D

[Ellie]

What are the benefits of a private christian school?

Academically challenging, "safe" environment, godly teachers

 

What might not be good about a pcs?

Some of them are "Christian" in name only. I would not have sent my dc to the large, well-known Christian school in where we lived in California. This particular school was also sexist: boys on the football team could do no wrong, girls got in trouble for doing the same things the football players did. The social aspect was dreadful.

 

What are the benefits of homeschooling?

Children can learn at their own speed, whether that is faster than normal or not so fast. They have to freedom to study the things which can become their life's work, and learn about a wider variety of things than what is allowed in school. They have more interaction with adults, which is good, because children need to know how adults behave.

 

What isn't so good about homeschooling?

Um...

 

I ask these questions because my mom is having trouble homeschooling me in these three subjects: math, science, and english.

I understand her dilemma. I would have felt the same way (although not about English). Happily, there are resources for math and science which were not available when I was hsing, and they are far less expensive than full-time private school tuition.

 

Also, do you think doing a dual enrollment type thing would be a good idea at the pcs?

Maybe. I haven't heard of many which will allow that, though. My dds did community college instead of high school; they began taking classes when they were 14 (not uncommon in California).

 

Are there any curriculum out there that has dvd's that will help to most of the work?

 

BJUP and ABeka both do. I would choose BJUP.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Also, do you think doing a dual enrollment type thing would be a good idea at the pcs? Are there any curriculum out there that has dvd's that will help to most of the work

Does the Christian school have a program for homeschooling families? The program we homeschool through is associated with a private Christian school and one of the benefits that comes with this is that my children could take classes (prorated tuition) at the Christian school (up to 1 core and 1 elective in Jr HS, up to 2 core and 2 electives in HS). They can also participate in band and choir (beginning in elementary school) and any of the sports (varsity and jr varsity). Perhaps there is a similar program in your area?

[Cinder]

My ds1 attends a pcs. It's a small University Model School, so it allows for part-time enrollment. In fact, up until recently our state considered this school a "homeschool resource," not a "school." The state's new policy is that students that are full-time there are considered to be enrolled in school; otherwise the student is a homeschooler and must follow those procedures. About 85% of the students are full-time. Ds was full-time last year, but will be part-time this year.

 

We decided to send ds not because I felt I couldn't teach certain subjects, but rather because our personalities clashed, which made schooling stressful.

 

I miss the flexibility of homeschooling, like being able to take a day off when we felt like it (like when dh got an extra day off work). I miss not knowing precisely what ds is studying. I had to learn to let go of that control that homeschooling affords. What I'm enjoying is that ds now does his school work without me having to get on him. He's more joyful overall. And he now asks dh and me for help with his work, whereas with homeschooling he resisted our help.

 

Overall, sending ds to this pcs has been a good experience for our family. Because the school is small the faculty get to know the students and their families.

 

I'm not familiar with DVD courses. Ds is taking his first online course this fall, so I don't have that experience to share. Have you looked into a program like Potter's School?

 

Cinder

Edited July 18, 2010 by Cinder
typo

[Teachin'Mine]

LuvingLife, why not ask your mom to call the school and make an appointment for you to see the school and have a chance to ask them questions? It would be easier for both of you to decide if you have more info to go on. I know school isn't in session, so it's harder to get a feel for the student population, but you can still ask questions. I'd also ask them about the curriculum and what texts they use, what are rules of conduct and how are they enforced, what extra-curricular activities are available, etc.. You can also ask them if they'd allow partial enrollment to allow you to home school some subjects.

[ereks mom]

I can tell you that teaching in a private "Christian" high school was the WORST of these experiences. Just because a school has the word "Christian" in it's name does NOT guarantee that the school will be truly Christian in essence. In the school where I taught, money was a huge issue. Textbooks were in bad shape. The library was pitifully "understocked". Science labs lacked basic supplies. If I wanted extras for my classroom (art supplies, etc.), I had to buy them myself.

 

Many (most?) of the parents felt that because they were paying for their kids to go to school there, they could control everything that happened, including how teachers taught and graded, as well as disciplinary issues. Administration went along with that because the parents would threaten to pull their kids out and take them (and their money) elsewhere. (Of course, several of the kids couldn't go anywhere else to school because they had been expelled from the public schools and/or other private schools.)

 

Curriculum was dumbed down tremendously because teachers couldn't fail kids who didn't work because parents would be irate. If a kid didn't or couldn't do the work, it was the teacher's fault for assigning too much, or for not teaching well, or whatever.

 

Parents also determined what disciplinary actions were allowed for misbehavior; there was a LOT of that, and again, very little was done to students who caused problems. And because of their poor behavior and lack of concern for academics, they made things difficult for staff and students alike. I know that there are many Christian schools in this country that are really good, but my personal experience was colored by the really bad one where I worked, which just happened to be a dumping ground for students who couldn't make it anywhere else.

 

I agree with the other poster who suggested that you should visit the school and see what you think. Ask questions, such as the turnover rate in teaching positions. If teachers don't stay there long, I would suspect that there is a problem. Find out about disciplinary procedures, and how well they are enforced. What is the student:teacher ratio? What percentage of students go on to college? What is the average SAT and/or ACT score of graduating seniors? Look around. Are the bathrooms clean and in working order? Are obscenities scrawled on the walls of the stalls, or scratched into the paint? Do classrooms look clean and inviting? How well-stocked are the science labs? What shape are the textbooks in? How is the library? Is there a computer lab? I'm sure you would have other questions as well. Don't be afraid to ask!

[LuvingLife]

I can tell you that teaching in a private "Christian" high school was the WORST of these experiences. Just because a school has the word "Christian" in it's name does NOT guarantee that the school will be truly Christian in essence. In the school where I taught, money was a huge issue. Textbooks were in bad shape. The library was pitifully "understocked". Science labs lacked basic supplies. If I wanted extras for my classroom (art supplies, etc.), I had to buy them myself.

 

Many (most?) of the parents felt that because they were paying for their kids to go to school there, they could control everything that happened, including how teachers taught and graded, as well as disciplinary issues. Administration went along with that because the parents would threaten to pull their kids out and take them (and their money) elsewhere. (Of course, several of the kids couldn't go anywhere else to school because they had been expelled from the public schools and/or other private schools.)

 

Curriculum was dumbed down tremendously because teachers couldn't fail kids who didn't work because parents would be irate. If a kid didn't or couldn't do the work, it was the teacher's fault for assigning too much, or for not teaching well, or whatever.

 

Parents also determined what disciplinary actions were allowed for misbehavior; there was a LOT of that, and again, very little was done to students who caused problems. And because of their poor behavior and lack of concern for academics, they made things difficult for staff and students alike. I know that there are many Christian schools in this country that are really good, but my personal experience was colored by the really bad one where I worked, which just happened to be a dumping ground for students who couldn't make it anywhere else.

 

I agree with the other poster who suggested that you should visit the school and see what you think. Ask questions, such as the turnover rate in teaching positions. If teachers don't stay there long, I would suspect that there is a problem. Find out about disciplinary procedures, and how well they are enforced. What is the student:teacher ratio? What percentage of students go on to college? What is the average SAT and/or ACT score of graduating seniors? Look around. Are the bathrooms clean and in working order? Are obscenities scrawled on the walls of the stalls, or scratched into the paint? Do classrooms look clean and inviting? How well-stocked are the science labs? What shape are the textbooks in? How is the library? Is there a computer lab? I'm sure you would have other questions as well. Don't be afraid to ask!

 

Wow!!!!:tongue_smilie: That sounded terrible!!!! Glad I won't be going to that school, hopefully the cs I might be going to is a lot better than the school you taught at.

 

Thank you all for your help, advice, and suggestions you have given me, we have just emailed the school, and my mom is hoping they are going to be doing a dual enrollment so that I can do the classes she can't teach me at the cs. I hope this all works out, keep the suggestions coming, hearing about experiences from other people is helping me through this!:D

[Laurie4b]

What are the benefits of a private christian school? What might not be good about a pcs?

What ate the benefits of homeschooling? What isn't so good about homeschooling?

 

I ask these questions because my mom is having trouble homeschooling me in these three subjects: math, science, and english.

 

Also, do you think doing a dual enrollment type thing would be a good idea at the pcs? Are there any curriculum out there that has dvd's that will help to most of the work

 

(SOS, TT and CD aren't options). I liked to be challenged, but also need guidance along the way!

 

Thanks in advance!!:D

 

Why aren't SOS, TT, or CD options? Since you mentioned wanting DVD type programs, then it would be helpful to know why those are not acceptable.

 

I would go where you can get the best education, whether that is homeschool or the private Christian school. I don't think one can make generalizations; it depends on the quality of the specific Christian school you're looking at. You might try going on Facebook and looking for people with that Christian school in their network--particularly graduates--and sending them a message asking about their experience. You might also ask the youth pastors in your area about their impression of the school. Definitely ask your own youth pastor and see if s/he has any friends who are also youth pastors who would be willing to talk with you.

[LuvingLife]

Why aren't SOS, TT, or CD options? Since you mentioned wanting DVD type programs, then it would be helpful to know why those are not acceptable.

 

I would go where you can get the best education, whether that is homeschool or the private Christian school. I don't think one can make generalizations; it depends on the quality of the specific Christian school you're looking at. You might try going on Facebook and looking for people with that Christian school in their network--particularly graduates--and sending them a message asking about their experience. You might also ask the youth pastors in your area about their impression of the school. Definitely ask your own youth pastor and see if s/he has any friends who are also youth pastors who would be willing to talk with you.

 

Well, SOS math, science and english are all too hard for me to do. They don't give enough explanation which is what I need, then I can be challenged. TT geometry seems too easy, and Chalkdust is too expensive.:glare:

 

Thanks for the info! That was something I would have never thought of!:bigear: