Teachin'Mine
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Posts posted by Teachin'Mine
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Private school are used to accommodating students traveling for competitions frequently. Some would have offered scholarships to this child. The child miss her school friends and since the school district has a 10 day policy, that means she has not miss much school during all these years from Kinder or her family would have received a truancy letter sooner.
Some school districts allow competitions as excused absences. It's really up to the district how strict they want to be.
There is another thread started on this
http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/527893-isnt-this-an-example-of-tail-wagging-the-dog/
ETA:
The gymnasts all have no problems getting excused to go for regionals. It's really up to the school district. Mine just need an official letter with the info as proof.
I had tried searching, but didn't find the existing thread. Please don't post here, but go to the existing thread linked above.
Thank you and sorry.
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Alicia, my apologies. I read the article and then searched here to see if anyone had started a thread, but with the search words I used, this didn't come up. I'll direct everyone over here with their comments.
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I loved homeschooling and the opportunities it provided, but I agree with you Moxie. It really is unfortunate that the school isn't willing to work with them. At the same time, if they're unwilling to budge on the 10 days, then I hope that this family creates a homeschool which meets their daughter's needs, both academically and socially.
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LOL I think that they've just only known public school and can't imagine the joys of homeschooling. Clearly a lot of what she's already done would be considered homeschooling to us. Hopefully they'll wake up and realize what a gift their daughter and they have been given. I am truly surprised that they haven't met other homeschooling families at these music events. I think it's fairly common. If they're having trouble with her in middle school it would only become so much more burdensome in high school.
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Originally titled "They don't know what a gift they've been given". Title changed for obvious reasons. lol
It's absolutely absurd that they've been forced to make the decision to homeschool under the circumstances they faced, but hopefully they'll begin to see the benefits and freedoms of homeschooling and create a great learning experience for their daughter.
Aren't they trying to teach critical thinking skills in schools? They might want to begin training their administrators and staff.
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For me, these lists are just one more tool to use when searching colleges. They are not the be all and end all. As for inflating acceptance rate (or deflating actually) dd was surprised to get some rejection letters from some top colleges for which she never even completed the application. So yes there is a lot of gaming of the system and each student is unique in what will be best for them. But I still like looking at the lists.
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For the US ones some dropped a bit and some moved up a bit, but one thing that I noticed is a college that I'd never heard of before. Anyone else know about Soka University of America? It's a small liberal arts college started in 1987 and now rated no. 41. It's in southern California and just two miles from the coast. Sounds really intriguing for the right student. Here's their own words:
"We believe that education is the road not just to a career, but to happiness, to fulfillment, and to a better, more peaceful, more sustainable world. Your Soka University degree prepares you for a rewarding future in your career, your life, and a contributive life of meaning and change. Come to Soka if you are comfortable with diversity in people, ideas, opinions, perspectives, values, and goals."
Student to faculty ratio is 8:1 and the average class size is 13 with only 2% of classes with more than 20. Acceptance rate is 40 something. Just thought I'd mention it as it sounds awesome for a student looking for that atmosphere and focus.
So far we've got Surrey and Soka. Any other surprises in the US or the UK?
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Dd had no spare time to spend on CC either. lol I did point out some threads that I thought would be of interest to her, usually ones which supported whatever it was that I was trying to convince her was important to do at the time. Sometimes she'd even glance at them. lol But she did quite a bit of her own researching once she had her acceptances since then it was more pertinent. She was never interested in "falling in love" with a school not knowing if she'd even be accepted.
Creekland I'm sure you know the section of CC well, but just want to mention for others' benefit that there is a Christian Colleges section under College Search & Selection. There are definitely CC favorites and it is much harder to get info on less popular options.
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I used the link above to the article "Princeton - Williams Take Top Spots in US News Best Colleges Rankings" because it includes links to lists for the universities, liberal arts colleges and best value colleges among others.
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I'm sorry to be posting this so late as some of the deadlines have already passed, but this is a list of colleges which have programs to fly students in for a free visit. Some of them are for low income and others are for increasing diversity. If you want to visit a college which isn't on this list and need help financially, I would contact their admissions department and ask if they'd be willing to help. You never know until you ask.
Here's a link: http://www.collegegreenlight.com/blog/2014-college-fly-in-programs/
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I was just wondering the same thing... Although my oldest have just started 11th, so it's probably past time I put on my big girl panties and headed over there... I'm a bit scared after all I've heard about it here!
That fear is well founded. Skip the big girl panties and grab some chocolate instead! Now is a great time to get info and help your 11th grader to think in terms of some colleges. I would recommend college visits in 11th if you can because as busy as 11th is, 12th is even moreso. Better to have some ideas before the student sits down to do applications and essays.
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At what point in high school would you recommend College Confidential? Is 9th grade too early? Or is that too late... :lol:
Somewhere after reading The Little Engine That Could but well before reading the second rejection letter in March out of the two applications that were sent.
Ninth might be too early for the student to read, but about the right time for the parent to start reading. Some of it has to taken with a grain of salt, but there is some very good information there. Better to go into the process with your eyes open than be shocked by the results due to ignorance.
Did you want my advice or should I just nod and smile and pass the bean dip? lol
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College Confidential is usually an eye-opener for many. I found it downright scary at first. lol When it comes to advice, what bothers me is when the parents prefer to stay in the dark and their student misses out on great opportunities.
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Thank you Regentrude! Yes - ACT with writing!!
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Matroyska, your daughter can start preparing now for the SAT II math level I. It would take a huge effort, IMO, to self study all she'd need in precalculus now for the Level II. Then again, while some state that they require level II scores, even MIT says that either level I or II is fine. As Regentrude said, spring is too late for admissions purposes.
As for schools requiring SAT II scores, many have the requirement that it's either the SAT with SAT II OR the ACT. If she hasn't tried the ACT yet, I would recommend she do that. Again practice is recommended especially for the science section as it's unique. There are colleges which require SAT IIs even if the ACT is taken, but all it takes is a call or email from your student to see if this is flexible.
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As regentrude said, some US colleges require SAT 2's of all applicants, and those admissions committees are not likely to make an exception even in the case of corresponding AP scores.
Unlike SAT 2 scores, AP scores aren't very finely tuned, which might explain their reasoning. A score of 5 in some AP subjects can mean anything from getting approximately 65% of the exam questions correct all the way up to a perfect 100%. This might also explain why college profs see mixed results from students allowed to skip intro coursework based on high AP scores.
I think that grading AP exams on a % basis would be more meaningful & useful to colleges. :)
And then watch how many high schools drop their AP programs. lol
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Matroyska, I was curious about the assigned book and googled. I found this link http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=DeptEnglish&p=/Newsletters/2012_Sept/
If you scroll down to the bottom, there's this:
Former Student Successes:
Recent MFA graduate Luke Geddes, currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Creative Writing at the University of Cincinnati, was in town this summer to promote his first story collection, I am a Magical Teenage Princess (Chomu Press). Luke read to a packed house at Watermark Books and then led the parade to the Donut Whole and then the Alibi Room.The content probably strongly appeals to college students (and makes for fun writing assignments), but not necessarily to homeschooling parents. It's good that you found out that there was content you weren't comfortable with for your students ahead of time.
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Yeah, did you see my post about the Honors Freshman Comp course my dd signed up as DE for that's using a book called I Am a Magical Teenage Princess as its reading material? (we'll be dumping that in favor of homemade English this year thankyouverymuch) She's reading much more complicated stuff in her AP Spanish class (GarcÃa Márquez, week 1), and in a foreign language to boot...
Most of the stuff at our local CC, from what I've seen, is not equivalent to AP or sometimes even honors level high school work. Even their highest level of Spanish wouldn't be reading GarcÃa Márquez either, I can assure you. I think I'll be using it mostly for electives (like dd's taking Cultural Anthropology this year). I am considering it for Physics, because she can get labs there.
Yes I posted on your thread about the class. I think your situation is unusual in that the usual honors professor isn't available for the class. I also think that you're confusing a college writing class with a high school English class. The college course focuses primarily on writing and Comp I has a different focus from Comp II, whereas the high school English class incorporates both writing and literature. A college student interested in literature will take separate literature classes. The readings used in a Comp I class are mainly to provide material for the student to write about. A good professor tries to find readings which interest the students, not necessarily the most intellectual or advanced reading.
I wouldn't make all your decisions on DE based on the material used for this one class, especially without having even completed the course. Personally I would try another honors course and then re-evaluate your perceptions. Yes, physics is a great class to take with all the great lab equipment.
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Pardon me while I rant, and this is not necessarily directed at anyone on this board, but I feel compelled to reiterate that all DE is not created equal. For example, I have a neighbor who is all excited because her son (who goes to the same B&M high school as my oldest daughter) is going to take precalculus through DE next year, at a local third-tier four-year university. His high school, however, offers the following courses after precalculus: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Calc II (post-AP only; available through online DE with Georgia Tech); Calc III (same arrangement as Calc II); multivariable calculus for students who do not get into Calc II/III (admission pretty much requires a 5 on the AP Calc BC exam); and a regular, non-AP calculus course. Do I think a college is going to be impressed by a student who skips all of these in favor of a precalculus class at a four-year school with an average ACT in the low 20s? Heck, no. Is it better than a good high school class? Not at this high school. Is it a good way to get HS-level coursework for homeschoolers? Sure. BUT there are two very different goals. One is providing rigorous high school work at home; another is impressing the admissions officers at competitive colleges. DE can do both, but its effectiveness is going to depend, in either case, on the caliber of the school and the actual coursework being taken. I seriously doubt that there are many two-year colleges or even third-tier four-year schools that are going to impress the admissions office of a selective school, and the student who shows up with a passel of CC credits and mediocre SAT scores is probably not going to get the nod.
So the moral of this little tale is that not all DE is created equally. AP tests, on the other hand, pretty much are, and that is their strength. I have a love-hate relationship with APs, but they probably do provide more relevant data for admissions counsellors than a handful of DE classes at Chattahoochee Technical College would (that is not the college my neighbor's son is attending for precalc, but it is an actual two-year school in our vicinity that attracts a number of homeschoolers and others eligible for DE every year). So if admission to a competitive college is your goal, I would limit DE to the best four-year college available and not try to rack up DE credits at your equivalent of Chattahoochee Tech just for the sake of showing readiness for college-level work. I have seen what passes for college level work at some of those two-year schools, and it is hardly all that and a bag of chips.
Rant over. Please carry on.
Plansme most of us are not considering what the local high school offers as we homeschool. Obviously you have a great high school as that is one of the most impressive lists of advanced math courses I've seen available at a high school. I don't think anyone here has compared taking a precalculus course at a college to taking Calculus III online DE at Georgia Tech. Obviously when it comes to rigor, there is no comparison.
I know you said your comments weren't directed at anyone in particular, but as I mentioned that my daughter took extensive courses at community college, we certainly fit your description. However she did not take the classes to "try to rack up DE credits at [our] equivalent of Chattahoochee Tech just for the sake of showing readiness for college-level work." She took a full load of courses because she has many interests and wanted to take full advantage of the excellent courses and professors available to her.
The two year colleges do not impress admissions. It's the students who attend and what they do with their opportunity which does impress them. My daughter's accomplishments could not be seen as anything less than impressive by someone in higher education. Again, there are many roads. Obviously you have chosen a different path.
I do agree with your comment that not all DE is equal.
Also want to add that the student taking precalculus at the "lesser" college is learning a lot in addition to the math, as I mentioned in a post above. Unless this student is a spring semester high school senior, they'll likely be continuing to calculus and other advanced math courses which your high school may or may not provide. And while online courses can be very good, obviously Georgia Tech's math would be rigorous, it's still not the same as an on campus class. Any study groups would be with other high school students only, they might email the professor, but they wouldn't be visiting during office hours, etc.. Still it's the rare school that offers any option for Calc III. It's a substantial percentage of public high schools in the US which do not offer anything beyond pre-calculus.
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Yes, the common app and the whole application process and results will have you second guessing everything you've done for the past 12 years!!!
I tend to share my failures, or perceived failures, freely so anyone experiencing the same doesn't feel alone. When it comes time for results after the agonizing application process, you'll commiserate with the other moms and probably continue to second guess. But then your student will go to college. And you'll realize that if you had taken time out to do x, y and z, then your student wouldn't have had time to do a, b and c which were the priorities anyway and while d, e and f weren't even in the original plan, they were opportunities which presented themselves to the student and were able to be done because x, y and z were not priorities. Kwim?
Blinders might be helpful when going through the process. Let your student choose their priorities because the reality is that they can't do it all and they need to choose their own path. Apply to a broad selection of schools and the ones who accept them and recognize their accomplishments are likely exactly the ones they should be attending anyway. And likely any number of them will provide them with an awesome education. And if they arrive at their destination certain they made the right choice, and grateful to be there, then does it really matter if you should have checked the other box or at least considered doing y?
Dd took extensive DE courses at a community college without any expectation of credits transferring or advanced placement, and has placed out of the calculus sequence. As Gwen said so beautifully, there are many paths to their goals.
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Do they have a cafe or other eateries on campus at which students can pay to eat? They may have some hot breakfast sandwiches or other things he'd enjoy for breakfast. If you can load up his card and tell him to let you know if he needs more on the card, so he doesn't cut back to save money, he might do better with that for the first semester anyway. Unless he finds something easy to buy, prepare, eat and clean up after, the extra expense might be well worth it. Then he'll be able to eat lunch and dinner in the dining hall and not have to worry about anything other than some snacks. I'm really surprised the college doesn't offer a more complete dining option. Does the 14 meal plan come with dollars to use at the eateries on campus?
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Here's plain instant oatmeal.
http://www.amazon.com/Quaker-Instant-Oatmeal-Original-12-Count/dp/B001M09BQQ.
He won't even need the microwave if he has an electric kettle. Some colleges allow
them and others don't. Usually a requirement is an automatic shutoff so it doesn't
boil dry.
Other than that, if he likes muffins, he can buy six or so and put them in the fridge.
Boiled eggs is a great suggestion. I can imagine there's a way to do that with an
electric kettle too.
To increase the protein of the oatmeal, he can add nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans,
cashews, etc..
I agree that eating in the dining hall might be easier for breakfast, but while lunches
are easier to make, there's not always enough time to get back to the dorm to cook
and it really depends on the size of the campus. I also wonder how many will be
eating some yogurt in the dining hall for breakfast.
It would help to know what else he cooks for breakfast at home and maybe someone
will have an easy to do alternative.
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Oh, believe me, they are at odds. Several of my friends who have worked at the high school for 20+ years, say that morale is the lowest they have ever seen. I REALLY hope that this is not true.
I hope it's not the reason as well. Years ago our teachers were protesting and instead of striking, they didn't offer after school help, showed more movies during class times, and did other things which were technically allowable but made their jobs less demanding.
I'd be shocked if GaTech or UGa eliminated research papers. Using that as their reason is what led me to believe that there's more to it.
Glad to hear that you are all feeling better!
ETA: Not dinosaurs, but alive and well. http://www.bulletin.uga.edu/MajorsGeneral.aspx?MajorId=90
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Writing research papers was the focus of Comp II at dd's CC and none of the writing was done "in class". I can see that class size would be critical in writing intensive courses as reading, grading and good feedback takes considerable time. Research conference presentations are done using PowerPoint presentations and posters, but a research paper is also written. Both research writing and PP skills are needed in college.
I wonder if the teachers aren't at odds with the administration/school board and are doing what's easiest for them in protest.
Isn't this an example of tail wagging the dog???
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
I tend to put whatever I'm thinking as my post title and not necessarily anything that grabs attention. lol I changed my title from the original as it wasn't clear what the heck I was talking about. lol
I like the title of this thread! It just didn't come up when I had searched for piano, homeschool, truant or something like that. I've had problems many times when trying to figure out if a thread has already been started on a particular topic.
Butter I agree that DC is about as good as it gets for a place to homeschool. There is so much available and much of it for free. From the tone of the article, it sounds like they'd rather fight the public school, maybe bring up a suit?, than work on making a great homeschool environment. There's no reason for her to be missing her friends and she should be meeting new ones who homeschool.