Guest Jackieleigh Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I was planning on beginning homeschooling next year but I have become increasingly dissatisfied with the lessons my kids are learning on many different levels. I am looking for a secular umbrella school that someone has had a positive experience with. I also just need a little guidance. I have done quite a bit or research but it always feels better to hear from someone first hand rather than trying to decide from the myriad of resources on the web. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 What state are you in? A lot of umbrella schools are specific to the requirements of their state so you'll have to choose a local provider. If you're in a state that doesn't require a local umbrella, you might like to enroll in Oak Meadow or Calvert. These are just 2 big names, there are lots of other options, so if you describe in more detail what you're looking for, I'm sure you'll get other suggestions. Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Is K-12 an umbrella school? I'm pretty sure that it is secular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I used Sycamore Tree based out in CA for my dd's 9th grade year. They were very easy to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 We probably need to know what state you're in (different states may have different things in place in terms of "umbrellas"); what age/grade your children are in; and perhaps what subjects you're interested in looking at.... Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 How old are your kids? Calvert is secular. This is a solid and rigorous course of study if you choose the teacher option and send student work samples and tests into the school. I've used Calvert several times and like their program. Oak Meadow is secular. I've no experience using this program and passed it by because I felt it too "soft." I personally wanted academics; nonetheless, many find Oak Meadow a good fit for their child. Check it out for yourself. K12 is secular. This a split between online and book learning. Courses can be bought individually or a student can enroll for a complete grade package.It can be an online public school choice or an online private school choice. Many charter schools offer Calvert, Oak Meadow and K12 packages, but the charter oversees student work. Students are expected to meet charter school/ public school requirements which differ from state to state. All of these schools can be enrolled in independently as a private school choice. It is hard to get a feel for how these options work and how they will work with your student. I think one needs to take a leap of faith knowing that there will be parts of any packaged curriculum that will not meet your child's learning style and you're going to modify it to make it work. The beauty of the programs is they take out the long hours of finding, planning, and ensuring your student is meeting a basic level of education. I hope this helped a little. Best of luck in your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jackieleigh Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I got to this message board through a local site and assumes it was local. Oops. I am in Alabama where it is considered "church school" not home school so I was looking for a secular church school. Sounds like an oxymoron. Is anyone else homeschooling in Alabama? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.