Who is considering public school for high school and why?

[LNC]

Our county just build a new high school around the block. It is so beautiful inside and out. I'm wavering!

 

We would like our son to go to a competitive state university, and they aren't homeschool friendly. I know we could build an impressive transcript of AP courses, SAT2 subject tests and outside courses with teacher recs. But, it makes me tired just thinking about it. Plus, he is very athletic. Particularly in baseball, but also in basketball. I know everyone thinks their kid is, but I have outside verification :). Only the teeniest Christian high schools around here allow homeschoolers to play on their high school teams. The last consideration is that he has type 1 diabetes. I would like him to move away from us, to take over his health care in steps. High school and then away college seem like nice steps towards complete healthcare independence.

 

I spent the morning looking at the new high school website - they even had all of the course textbooks online with codes so that I could read. I was impressed. And I'm wavering on high school for him. My daughter has different goals so I can see homeschooling her all the way.

 

I know we have years and years to decide. But, I can't believe I'm even thinking about it! My husband said we should go to some home football games, and it may be like a bucket of cold water on my head!!

 

Does anyone else consider public high school and option? Why?

Edited September 20, 2009 by LNC

[Jen500]

I'd consider public high school because I hs for academic reasons, and our high schools have an IB program.

[linders]

We like homeschooling, we love homeschooling, and oldest DS says (at the tender age of 9) that he wants to homeschool through high school. But...there are certain science labs that are difficult to duplicate at home (I am a chemistry major and understand what I realistically can and can't do in my kitchen). Advanced foreign language conversation benefits from multiple participants (and I am not proficient in a foreign language). Music, both choral and band instrument - there are a few limited opportunities in the community, but not with the frequency of a high school group. And I do recall some excellent group discussion and projects in my AP history and literature classes.

 

We have no upper level co-ops or independent classes in these areas where we live. Some argue that we could supplement homeschooling with community college (if we had one here). However, so far I think I would rather my DS be exposed to the perils of the high school crowd than even older and more mature (not necessarily in a good way) community college students.

 

We'll see when we get there, I guess. What I really hope is that by that time we live in a place where you could do high school part time and pick and choose classes.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I also hs for academic reasons and if I felt that the ps hs was academically acceptable, I would seriously consider it because: (1) I am not confident in my ability to teach any high school subject besides math and maybe literature nor do I have the time or energy to devote to it, and (2) ds is not motivated enough to self-study.

 

Here, the ps hs graduation rates are 50%. There is an IB program which would be academically acceptable to me, but I am not convinced that ds is motivated enough for that. With an IB program, it is my understanding that they finish having covered a year of college. I also don't particularly see the need for ds to do that.

 

Here, hs students are allowed to participate in ps up to half-time for classes and all extra-curricular are open to hs'ers. Ds does nothing at the ps junior high except play on the basketball team. He can try out for the ps hs basketball team next year (9th grade).

 

Here, we are blessed to be able to dual enroll in the local college in 10th grade and it's free. Ds can even play basketball for the ps hs and dual enroll at the cc.

 

As I see it, my options are:

ps - it's free but poor quality (except IB)

private - it's expensive but good quality

cc - it's free and good quality

 

On top of it all, ds has no desire to go to high school (public or private). He has no desire to sit in classes 6hrs/day 5days/wk and have homework when he can complete his work in much less time.

 

We'll check out the IB program, but guess which way we are leaning? What state are you in? What options do you have?

Edited September 20, 2009 by Sue in St Pete

[Laura Corin]

We are planning on private high school for Calvin. He's starting to want to bounce his ideas off more people, to compete with others intellectually and to have a more 'normal' (sorry) life.

 

Laura

[Krista in LA]

Not only did we consider it, but dd started ps high school this year. She wanted to go for social reasons. Although I don't think she is getting the best education, I do think she is getting a adequate one. They offer a lot of higher level math and science courses which makes me feel good. She is also learning other skills that she wasn't getting at home such as responsibility, note taking, dealing with different teachers, studying, and time management. Sure there are things I'm not happy about like the fact that she has no books to bring home besides the current novel they are reading in honors English. I don't like that all of the social studies classes are taught by coaches who don't really teach. I don't like that their library is small and probably doesn't have any more books than our personal library but yet they have two gymnasiums. But, I must admit that she is enjoying it (more than homeschooling :crying:) and she is learning even though it might not be the exact same things that I would be teaching her.

 

My ds11 says he doesn't ever want to go to school, but if things go well with dd over the next couple of years, I will definitely consider it for him, taking into account the fact that he is a totally different child, of course.

[H.S. Burrow]

My DD just started 9th grade at our local high school. We are doing it for:

 

soccer

choir

theater

art

French

 

We do not live in a school district that allows part-time enrollment. So she is in all Pre-AP courses. We are *very* lucky in that she has teachers who teach because they love teaching. :)

[KidsHappen]

My youngest two who are alreasy in PS will probably continue their school careers in PS. It helps that we live in one of the richest counties in the country and certainly the richest one in TN so we have a very good school system here. I am impressed with the academics (they use some of the exact same programs I used) and I have been impressed with the upper level teachers I have met. I am comfortable that they will get a good education in school. My concerns are more in regards to social issues and the overly intrusive nature of the school system in family life. I will play it by ear though and see how it goes.

[Lilymax]

On top of it all, ds has no desire to go to high school (public or private). He has no desire to sit in classes 6hrs/day 5days/wk and have homework when he can complete his work in much less time.

 

My oldest is just in 6th grade, but this is how he feels, too. He's figured out that HS'ing affords him much more downtime to use as he wishes and he's not anxious to give that up.

 

Thankfully, we do have local middle and high school level co-ops for science, foreign languages and other college-prep type classes. He's also very eager to join a homeschooler's ROTC program (it's about an hour's drive away, though). His softball league goes up to adult level. So he truly feels that he has nothing to miss by not going to an actual middle or high school.

 

There is one really good private school in our area that I'd consider if we really needed it, or if he changed his mind. But our finances would have to improve markedly to be able to afford it. Our public schools are atrocious and I can't imagine that they'd ever be a choice for us except in the most dire circumstances.

[teachermom2834]

We will do it in high school for sports. It seems like a silly reason but it is a big part of who my kid is.

 

I know that if it is a nightmare or if ds just doesn't think it is worth it I can bring him home.

 

Marie

[Tap]

Ds15 just started formal public highschool last week.

 

In the past we were part of a homeschool/public school hybrid. He took several classes there in 9th grade. I liked the smaller nature of the classes (5 kids in Spanish, 8 in biology, 20 in English), I liked the experience (several close to retirement) of the teachers, I liked that it reminded me of private school. There were only homeschoolers there, but it was a typical mix of kids who had been kicked out of public school and those who will homeschool all the way. I liked that it gave him classroom exposure, different teachers with different expectations, learning how to learn despite the environment/noise, etc. Buy, after 5 years there, we also started to see weaknesses in the high school program. The big one, was the limitations. There weren't choices for which teacher would be the best fit for ds. The limitation of no AP classes, except online. The limitation of tired teachers who while having experience, were starting to lack passion. The limitation of experience with other kids whose parents expect a lot of them academically.

 

We weren't expecting to go with a public high school, but honestly I feel it is the best fit for him right now. When we went to register for the hybrid last spring, we realized that ds had taken all the upper level classes they had to offer. He had out paced the school, in 10th grade.

 

We have 3 school districts, and at least 15 major high schools in our area. I researched them all. Almost every school had a draw, a magnet within it, private/religious, close by (could ride the bus/go with the neighborhood kids), etc.

 

We chose the school we did because it has a Math, Science, Technology Magnet. It has upper level AP classes in just about any class he could want. I was looking for a school that he could really use to attain his goals. With teachers and classes that were set up for the kids to be around teachers and students with like minds. Classes that are the perfect fit, not just close enough. A school that thinks the upper level classes should be part of the regular curriculum, and not for a select few, and hires teachers with like minds. A school that lives the philosophy...build it and they will come.

 

It took some effort to get him to where he is. We live in a different school district, so it required some concerted efforts on my part, but we got in and he loves it so far.

 

He has already been there about 10 days. He has made some friends and has been asked to join various activities. He is already adjusted and loves the opportunities ahead of him. He has noticed that his classes are full of kids his age and his grade and that it is nice to not be the youngest in all of his classes (his old school had mostly seniors in the classes that were above what was required for graduation). While he still get a little bit of fun teasing thrown at him by non-SMT friends for his harder classes, he knows that it is where he belongs.

[Jenny in Atl]

My oldest will be trying out for a local performing arts magnet high school in Feb. We have already toured the school with current students, and it looks wonderful. I only hope it's what it seems to be. Does that make sense? :confused:

[MIch elle]

My older ds wanted to go to high school; he's in his second year and LIKES it. Yup, sports is important to this kid. It's been a great experience.

 

Second ds will go to the same high school.

[Jeannie in NJ]

my dd started 9th grade at our county technical high school about 2 weeks ago. She wanted to see what it would be like to have other teachers rather than mom (me) all the time . Also, she was so lonely last year homeschooling 8th grade . We don't know any other middle school or high school age kids that still homeschool. Dd is very active in our church's youth group but that is usually only once a week with a couple of retreats each year. Dd was not interested in joining any outside clubs or activities.

 

She had no interest in going to the high school in our town, however, we had heard excellent things about our county technical high school..Also only about 25-30% of the kids that apply to the technical high school are accepted and they keep the number of students down. There are 156 9th graders and less than 600 total for all 4 grades.

 

Dd's classes range from 8 kids to about 13 at the max. She really likes all of her teachers and she has made lots of friends. I think it helps that the students are from all over the county as they come into the school not knowing very many of the other students so everyone is ready to make new friends.

 

She has already joined Fellowship of Christian Athletics and their first meeting in this upcoming Wed.

 

The teachers rarely give homework as they give enough time to do it in class. One of dd's classes (her technical class) is 1 1/2 hours each day and her biology lab on Wed. is also 1 1/2 hours long.

 

It is going well, even tho she has to catch the bus at 6:50 each morning and this is my child that loves to sleep.

 

She even says that the lunch food is pretty good and even since the first day she has had a group of kids that she eats lunch with each day. This is my very shy dd that is making all of this new friends, she says everyone (including the teachers) are very nice. The only person that she says is not nice is the security guard (Dh told her that no-one wants a "nice" security guard, that the guard needs to instill a little bit of fear in the kids lol).

[hillfarm]

My dd is only 10 right now, so this is all theoretical. However, our school system allows public high school students to take a full course load at the local community college (so technically they never attend the actual high school). The cost is very minimal and the student graduates with a standard hs diploma plus a 2 year Associate's degree. This program is extremely tempting for families that don't have a lot of money available for college, since most of the local 4 year programs readily accept the credits earned at the community college, which can cut the cost of college in half.

 

We will decide when we get there. I will scrutinize what the community college program is like and also take a close look at dd's level of maturity at that time.

 

I educate for religious and legal reasons. My primary goal is to obtain the very best education I can for my child and I feel that such education must inherently include a strong religious component. Currently that is available via homeschooling, however I am not locked into any kind of system. If we reached a point where I felt that she would receive a superior education from the public school system, then I would take that route. I am well aware that the community college will be able to offer physics and chemistry classes far beyond my ability to duplicate. And by the time she reaches that age, I do want her to be able to mingle with her peers more than she does now. So it is quite possible that we will choose this option but things change and I can only say that we will not be able to make a decision until we get there.

[AngelaNYC]

Our county just build a new high school around the block. It is so beautiful inside and out. I'm wavering!

 

We would like our son to go to a competitive state university, and they aren't homeschool friendly. I know we could build an impressive transcript of AP courses, SAT2 subject tests and outside courses with teacher recs. But, it makes me tired just thinking about it. Plus, he is very athletic. Particularly in baseball, but also in basketball. I know everyone thinks their kid is, but I have outside verification :). Only the teeniest Christian high schools around here allow homeschoolers to play on their high school teams. The last consideration is that he has type 1 diabetes. I would like him to move away from us, to take over his health care in steps. High school and then away college seem like nice steps towards complete healthcare independence.

 

I spent the morning looking at the new high school website - they even had all of the course textbooks online with codes so that I could read. I was impressed. And I'm wavering on high school for him. My daughter has different goals so I can see homeschooling her all the way.

 

I know we have years and years to decide. But, I can't believe I'm even thinking about it! My husband said we should go to some home football games, and it may be like a bucket of cold water on my head!!

 

Does anyone else consider public high school and option? Why?

 

 

Oldest dd (almost 16) is a junior in a journalism high school. She only homeschooled for 8th grade with every intention of returning to school. She loves it. She's a writer and this school has it all.

 

Dd(13) plans on auditioning for several performing arts schools in NYC. The one she wants to go to is in a brand new building and is very close to home. Dance is her life and this school can provide a lot of opportunities for her, while continuing to instill her love of dance.

 

Ds(8) has no intentions of returning to school as of yet. By the time he's 13 he may change his mind. NYC has hundreds of high schools to choose from and many of them have a particular focus - not only journalism and performing arts, but names like The Academy of: American History, Television & Film, Conservation & the Environment, Finance & Enterprise, Innovative Technology, Aerospace, and tons of others. Who knows what he'll want to do then. :001_smile:

[Karen in CO]

There is a Early College High School that is right down the street from me. I have been to many organizational meetings and have been keeping an eye on them. I know several home schooled families that have sent their kids there with great results. At least at the beginning it was populated mostly by home schooled kids. The girls will graduate high school with two years of college credits and access to other local college classes for free under the state's dual-enrollment program. That is the current plans for my girls. Plans change, but that is our current one.

[Crissy]

My son just started his sophomore year at our local high school. My primary reason is academic, as I don't have the ability to give him the education he deserves in the subjects he craves.

Calculus and advanced writing skills are my biggest concern. He will be transferring to a local college for his junior and senior years (dual enrollment--earning both high school and college credits) and I believe a year at the high school will be a great transition for him.

Three weeks into school...so far, so good. :)

Edited September 21, 2009 by Crissy

[Amy loves Bud]

We will consider it for opportunities we can't provide. Right now that means soccer for Luke. Peyton is into theater, but there are so many community opportunities for that, I don't see that we couldn't provide that.

[Christy B]

We did, and would, consider any number of high school options. Currently, the plan is to homeschool and use dual enrollment at community college. However, we are keeping our eye on a local charter high school.

 

I'm impressed enough with the school that I *frequently* question if we've made the right decision to have dd home for 9th and 10th. This school really does offer many things that I can not provide at home.

[Donovans4]

My dd just finished up her second week of high school (9th grade). So far, so good, but certainly not great. She wanted to go for mainly social reasons. I wanted her to be happy, and I do want her to get a good education at the same time. Most of the youth who attend our church attend/have attended this particular school, so I know quite a bit about it. All of these kids have gone on to higher education, and I think they all received a good high school education. I don't like the large class sizes or the fact that dd has to get on the bus at 6:46. I do like the diversity of the student body, the parental involvement, and most of her teachers seem to really love what they do. So far, it has been a good decision for my dd, but we will evaluate year by year. We have a lot of school choice options where we live, so we always keep in mind the fact that we do have options if something isn't working.

 

LauraD in MN

[tabmtbc]

subscribing here for the info.

[Stacy in NJ]

I also hs for academic reasons and if I felt that the ps hs was academically acceptable, I would seriously consider it because: (1) I am not confident in my ability to teach any high school subject besides math and maybe literature nor do I have the time or energy to devote to it, and (2) ds is not motivated enough to self-study.

Here, the ps hs graduation rates are 50%. There is an IB program which would be academically acceptable to me, but I am not convinced that ds is motivated enough for that. With an IB program, it is my understanding that they finish having covered a year of college. I also don't particularly see the need for ds to do that.

 

Here, hs students are allowed to participate in ps up to half-time for classes and all extra-curricular are open to hs'ers. Ds does nothing at the ps junior high except play on the basketball team. He can try out for the ps hs basketball team next year (9th grade).

 

Here, we are blessed to be able to dual enroll in the local college in 10th grade and it's free. Ds can even play basketball for the ps hs and dual enroll at the cc.

 

As I see it, my options are:

ps - it's free but poor quality (except IB)

private - it's expensive but good quality

cc - it's free and good quality

 

On top of it all, ds has no desire to go to high school (public or private). He has no desire to sit in classes 6hrs/day 5days/wk and have homework when he can complete his work in much less time.

 

We'll check out the IB program, but guess which way we are leaning? What state are you in? What options do you have?

 

We'll be sending ds13 to ps for high school. This year, 8th grade, will be his last at home. Sue's reasons resonate with me, but our circumstances are really different. Our local PS is actually quite academically competitive, and ds WANTS to go and have the EXPERIENCE. I think wanting to encourage independence and getting a sense of the world and their place in it, are legitimate reasons to consider ps.

 

Do what works for your family. :001_smile:

[kewb]

My ds (7th grade) is considering going to high school. I don't want him to because I love having him home and don't think he will get a great education at out public high school. I do think that socially it will be a great time for him. I am going to cross that bridge when I get there. I keep reminding myself that it is not about me. It is about his needs and how they can be best be met.

[Wheres Toto]

We are a very, very long way from this but we have already decided we would let the kids go to public high school if they wanted to due to course selections, sports, socialization, activities or whatever. We are homeschooling for academic and quirkiness reasons which are likely to be less severe by high school age. My oldest currently attends our local high school so I have first hand knowledge of the school. We are in a pretty wealthy district and this school is consistantly one of the top 5 in the state.

 

We were just at Back to School Night last week and the things they can provide are way advanced compared to what we could do at home, at least in Science. It is very hard to duplicate a good (and safe) Chemistry lab at home (DH is a chemist), the Physics department has all kinds of really cool gadgets - force plates, ultrasonic distance, velocity and acceleration detectors (I don't remember what they were actually called). They are doing a project making full size trebuchets and catapults. The well stocked art department (including a kiln), Project Adventure Physical Education program, the high quality theatre productions, the group band and chorus experiences are all things I think it would be difficult (or impossibly expensive) to duplicate at home.

[LibraryLover]

It all depends on what is available to you, and what your children need/want.

Edited October 10, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Gwenhwyfar]

yep - dd13 will likely be going next year for grade ten, unless she changes her mind when it gets here.

 

as for why - it's her choice. she's interested in a lot of things that we simply can't duplicate at home or even within the community (cosmetology class, dance, sports, etc) and quite frankly - she's lonely. the homeschool group here has a few teen girls but none of them have ever shown much interest in being good friends with her. their loss in the long run, but it's been kinda tough on her.

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

My dd is only 10 right now, so this is all theoretical. However, our school system allows public high school students to take a full course load at the local community college (so technically they never attend the actual high school). The cost is very minimal and the student graduates with a standard hs diploma plus a 2 year Associate's degree. This program is extremely tempting for families that don't have a lot of money available for college, since most of the local 4 year programs readily accept the credits earned at the community college, which can cut the cost of college in half.

 

We will decide when we get there. I will scrutinize what the community college program is like and also take a close look at dd's level of maturity at that time.

 

I educate for religious and legal reasons. My primary goal is to obtain the very best education I can for my child and I feel that such education must inherently include a strong religious component. Currently that is available via homeschooling, however I am not locked into any kind of system. If we reached a point where I felt that she would receive a superior education from the public school system, then I would take that route. I am well aware that the community college will be able to offer physics and chemistry classes far beyond my ability to duplicate. And by the time she reaches that age, I do want her to be able to mingle with her peers more than she does now. So it is quite possible that we will choose this option but things change and I can only say that we will not be able to make a decision until we get there.

 

I have a friend who just sent her hs graduate to UOI where he started as a junior! I am very interested in this for my children! She did not send her dc to public hs though, and I don't see this in our future as well.

[FloridaLisa]

Having homeschooled one through high school into college, I would be very surprised if any of my kids go to a public/private high school. It was always a possibility. We were careful to buy in a good school district so the option remained open.

 

But, I've found home schooling in the high school years to be rich and fruitful. THe same reasons that led us to home school way back in early elementary haven't really changed. There are so many opportunities for homeschoolers outside of a brick and mortar school. My boys have played sports through private schools. Friends have their children in competitve travel ball leagues. We've found lots of outside classes, many of very high caliber, and way too many extracurricular to participate in. Several of my dc's best experiences so far --working at the Mayo Clinic, competing in speech and debate, doing a Shakespeare play each year -- would not have been available in a traditional high school path.

 

There are tens of other reaons we continue to home school through the high school years. In fact, I would no longer even consider a public high school.

 

Lisa

[Gwenhwyfar]

 

There are so many opportunities for homeschoolers outside of a brick and mortar school. My boys have played sports through private schools. Friends have their children in competitve travel ball leagues. We've found lots of outside classes, many of very high caliber, and way too many extracurricular to participate in. Several of my dc's best experiences so far --working at the Mayo Clinic, competing in speech and debate, doing a Shakespeare play each year -- would not have been available in a traditional high school path.

 

 

you're very fortunate to live in an area where those sorts of activities are available. :)

[bettyandbob]

we did it for academic reasons and ds wanted to. Local ps has an IB program and ds chose it (doing the full IB program is intense and the motivation needs to come from the student). I'm pretty intelligent and resourceful, but I cannot provide the depth of content he is getting in the program and I could not get it through local co ops. He's young for his grade, so he's not eligible for dual enrollment in CC until half way through 11th grade.

 

Football games. I'd be going to them whether or not ds was enrolled. Ds doesn't like football, but dd and I have have been going to them since she was in 4th grade. She's in 7th now. High school football is fun to watch. YMMV.

[Tabrett]

My dd did go to public high school. At the time, I had an infant a 2 yo and a 3yo. I was not able to school her properly. We had hoped it would give her more opportunity. It didn't. But it was better than she would have received from me at the time. With my younger ones, I think I could handle homeschooling highschool simply because my dc will all be older and I can teach certain subjects together.

I was not please with my dd's two years of public highschool. If she had not gotten into the arts school for her last two years, I would have changed her school or brought her home.

She made some good friends, but that is not worth the bad experience she had.

Saddly enough, I would love my dc to be able to take art, music and participate in sports at school and let me teach the academics.

[Peela]

I am sending my almost 15 yo to highschool next year (February), presuming he gets into the school we are intending. I never thought I would send him to school- and its not set in concrete yet- but I have struggled with him a lot this year- with his resisting me and the work I set- and I feel that school will benefit him, with the various teachers and also sport and subjects like woodwork. It feels right but I was highly stressed until i made the decision- then it felt like the right decision. DH was against it- I had to convince him. For me it is also that I feel I have had enoguh of homeschooling- I am ready to do other things. My dd16 will be at fulltime TAFE college next year so it feels like a good time to have ds go to school.

Ds thinks I am too hard on him and he tells me so every.single.day. I have had enough. Even if all he does is realise I am a lot easier that the academic school he is about to go to...and gets a real reality check about how hard kids in school work....it will not be a wasted experience.

[Ame E.]

We are doing a small private school about 15 minutes away...why??

 

social reasons..they wanted (my daughter especially) wanted to be out of the house and be with their peer group.

 

I don't drive.. HS meant being with mom all day everyday.

 

My own lack of confidence in being able to teach HS. when I Hs'd ninth grade, they did as many online or outsouced classes as possible.. was not comfortable teaching at the high school level. It meant education through the computer.. which meant that the kids would be on the computer a lot of the day. I did not feel this was healthy.

 

Also, bouncing ideas off someone besides mom and dad is important.

 

Sports... they offer sports, not intense sports...but more sports than I could offer them at home.

[NanceXToo]

It has been interesting to read through this thread. I don't have a plan yet for high school. My daughter was pulled out of public school toward the end of third grade because I didn't like a lot of things about the system in general and about this district in particular.

 

She's only in 5th grade now. I'm committed to homeschooling her through 8th, and I just don't know yet what I'm going to do about high school.

 

If I feel that the high school can do a better job than I can overall (which at least in some areas I'm sure it can), and if she WANTS to go to high school, I would be open to it. But for now we're just doing our thing and not thinking that far ahead yet.

[Dooley]

Sad to say for us, I am putting my high school junior in next January. She is bulimic and the stress in my house is overwhelming. I think it will help her and reducing stress right now is very important. The school is not that great, but she will make good grades and can still do what she intends after. She knows she can change this, but...its been too long and I dont think she is able to change things. Long story. But yes, back to school for her.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I also hs for academic reasons and if I felt that the ps hs was academically acceptable, I would seriously consider it because: (1) I am not confident in my ability to teach any high school subject besides math and maybe literature nor do I have the time or energy to devote to it, and (2) ds is not motivated enough to self-study.

 

As I see it, my options are:

ps - it's free but poor quality (except IB)

private - it's expensive but good quality

cc - it's free and good quality

 

On top of it all, ds has no desire to go to high school (public or private). He has no desire to sit in classes 6hrs/day 5days/wk and have homework when he can complete his work in much less time.

 

As an update, we chose to homeschool high school, mostly because ds really did not want to go to building school. I am only doing math and literature with ds. So far, I'm happy with the outsourced classes we've found, though I'm not 100% certain it's the most effective way to learn. We've joined a huge religious (the secular group here has no high schoolers) co-op and hs group, and that helps with the social aspect. We also have a group of a dozen teens whose parents are fairly committed to getting them together somewhat regularly. So far, so good.

 

Ds also plays basketball and will try out for the local public high school team. Judging from "open gym" and a summer tournament, he'll have no problem making it.

[Jackie in NE]

Our county just build a new high school around the block. It is so beautiful inside and out. I'm wavering!

 

We would like our son to go to a competitive state university, and they aren't homeschool friendly. I know we could build an impressive transcript of AP courses, SAT2 subject tests and outside courses with teacher recs. But, it makes me tired just thinking about it. Plus, he is very athletic. Particularly in baseball, but also in basketball. I know everyone thinks their kid is, but I have outside verification :). Only the teeniest Christian high schools around here allow homeschoolers to play on their high school teams. The last consideration is that he has type 1 diabetes. I would like him to move away from us, to take over his health care in steps. High school and then away college seem like nice steps towards complete healthcare independence.

 

I spent the morning looking at the new high school website - they even had all of the course textbooks online with codes so that I could read. I was impressed. And I'm wavering on high school for him. My daughter has different goals so I can see homeschooling her all the way.

 

I know we have years and years to decide. But, I can't believe I'm even thinking about it! My husband said we should go to some home football games, and it may be like a bucket of cold water on my head!!

 

Does anyone else consider public high school and option? Why?

 

We have been fortunate in that our local public school allows part-time enrollment. Dd has taken her math, science, art, and modern foreign language there for 2 years. She is also on the swim team there. The rest she gets online with VPSA. She will earn her diploma through VPSA. It has been a good experience for dd, who is college bound. It hasn't always been fun, or easy, but it has been good. It has been a nice transition, I think, for a child who is very shy, and socially conservative, to be able to be out in the world while she still gets to come home every day and talk about it. It would have been a mistake to keep this child at home and then send her off to college somewhere.

 

So I am happy with our decision to send her to public school part-time. Thanks to VPSA, she is getting an excellent education in the things that matter to her, like Literature, History, and Classical Languages. The math and science at public school are necessary evils in her mind. The art has been fantastic, with creative, passionate teachers. The French, well, let's just say she'll have to pursue that in college if she really wants a good teacher.

 

So, as with most things, there are pros and cons to public high school. Probably the most important thing you can do for your child, if you choose public school, would be to find out who the really good teachers are, and then do everything within your power to get your child into those classes.

 

Warm Regards, Jackie

[lisabelle]

We're only in our first year homeschooling, with my ds who would be in 6th grade this year. When the dh and I decided to pull him out of public school it was because we didn't think his K-8 had been/would be preparing him for college prep classes in high school. For now, our plan *is* for him to go to public high school, just because it seems easier for college applications.

 

I'm not, however, going to push college on ds. I went straight to university from high school and paid for the whole thing myself. It was stressful, I didn't make the wisest choice degree-wise (while the BA in Russian Literature might sound rather cool, strangely enough, it hasn't translated into big $$$ in the job market). I think I really would have benefited from a couple of less-expensive years in community college and making a solid plan.

 

Anyway, ease of college application is the reason we're planning on public high school, but I know it's not a good enough reason. We'll see where we are when ds is in 8th grade before we make a real decision. We're involved with the school district's homeschool program and he might decide he really likes that community. Even if we stay there, we will have a lot of support for the ins and outs of applying for college as homeschoolers.

[Night Elf]

We thought about it for dd12 but I think I'm against it and will insist on homeschooling. But I can tell you why we were thinking about it.

 

Dd12 is a social being. She works independently but I see her thriving in the classroom situations we have her in right now.

 

She has always been the follower in homeschooling. She enjoyed most of her time in public school. She attended some time every year from Kindergarten through 5th grade. I took her out for different reasons each year, except 3rd grade which was just an exceptional experience.

 

Our local high school opened in 2008. It's beautiful and I'm impressed with the large facilities for Career Tech programs.

 

The Fine Arts curriculum includes drama and technical theater. Drama is her major passion right now. She is in a drama class but it does not offer performances. She is learning technique and they will help her prepare for auditions. But she really loves the idea of being in a full drama program in high school that offers performances and chances at competitions.

 

She's a smart girl who is good at school, but works much better for teachers over myself or herself. She isn't personally motivated but absolutely loves following a schedule set by someone else.

 

It would result in a Georgia high school diploma.

 

However, I think she can do better at home. We can find her performance opportunities at several local theaters within a drivable distance. She is already working on Algebra 1 and I plan to start her in high school in the spring when she turns 13. I don't like the idea of her waiting until she is 14 and our personal experience with this school system is not good when it comes to placing a student academically rather than by age. Depending on our finances in the new few months, we might start her earlier. We use Keystone National High School for my other 2 children because an accredited high school diploma is important to my DH. We have a homeschool organization that offers classes so she still gets some classroom time, though each class only meets one hour per week. There isn't alot offered at the high school level though.

 

Just some of my thoughts.

[Night Elf]

you're very fortunate to live in an area where those sorts of activities are available. :)

 

Isn't that the darn skippy truth!

[Cindy in C-ville]

We have kids in 6 different schooling situations. Our oldest is a senior at a private Christian high school. Our 2nd is taking all of her coursework at our local community college. Our 3rd just started as a 9th grader at our local city school. We live in the county but were attracted to the fine arts program, the ethnic diversity, and the opportunity to get more connected with our city. She's involved in Young Life and is really enjoying having regular classes, interaction with peers, teachers who are available to help her with questions, and the orchestra and photography classes. Our boys, 7th and 8th grade, started this year at the city middle school. We had always thought we would keep them home through middle school, but realized they needed more than I was really able to give them. We're still homeschooling #6, but most of her coursework is guided through a local co-op and math is on K12. We decided to put our youngest, Katya, who we adopted from Ukraine last year, in public school b/c a friend of our family's is the principal and they are 25% ESL. Also, I'm working there part-time running their afterschool program. There have been challenges, but overall it's been good.

 

If you want to read about our decision making process, I have three entries about it on my blog. Here's the first: http://www.finleylifetothefull.com/2010/06/16/not-this/

[RanchGirl]

We are strongly considering it, for social/sports reasons. Although I do believe 100% that some kids social needs can be met through homeschooling, and I am thrilled for those for whom it works, we aren't finding that situation around here.

 

On the other hand, from what I've heard from other parents, the local public school is a real cess pool morality wise, and the private schools are too expensive for us right now. So either something has to change, or we'll end up doing some kind of combo. We have several of options with online/part time enrollment, etc. That is not my preference, but I am sure we can make it work. We have a few years to find the right solution, but that doesn't stop me from dwelling on it quite a bit. My ideal would be a medium-sized private Christian school that I can afford where my kids can play sports!

[Stacy in NJ]

Sounds like you have a positive situation worked our for your ds. :001_smile:

 

 

As an update, we chose to homeschool high school, mostly because ds really did not want to go to building school. I am only doing math and literature with ds. So far, I'm happy with the outsourced classes we've found, though I'm not 100% certain it's the most effective way to learn. We've joined a huge religious (the secular group here has no high schoolers) co-op and hs group, and that helps with the social aspect. We also have a group of a dozen teens whose parents are fairly committed to getting them together somewhat regularly. So far, so good.

 

Ds also plays basketball and will try out for the local public high school team. Judging from "open gym" and a summer tournament, he'll have no problem making it.

[Kate in Arabia]

I've been wondering about this a lot myself. ds 12 is in 7th grade this year; I'm not sure for the school where we live where "highschool" starts, the grades seem to run a little differently - they have a British section and an IB section..

 

Anyway, I have been leaning towards it, but am vascillating. Ds is not very enthusiastic about it, but I *think* mainly because he's scared of the unknown. We are able to find sports for them to be active in here, but the older the kids get the fewer activities there are (they are almost all geared towards preteens and under); and no academic classes, no community colleges or part-time attending, etc. So it's all or nothing.

 

I also thought it would be a good segue in the event we're still here in 5-ish years if ds decides to go to college in the States (or anywhere else not here); it just seems it could be a shock for him to go from homeschooling to live-away college in another country, kwim? Although I'm sure others have done it.

 

This is something that has been preying on my mind a lot these days...

[Catherine]

I'm ambivalent about it. My oldest went to this school for ninth grade and it was a mixed bag. It's a large math-science magnet and he was in several good classes where he learned well. Geometry was terrible though, and other parts of it were non-ideal. I really would prefer my middle ds not go there. I'm not willing to over rule him though if he decides to go ahead.

 

Your point about a gradual transition to independence is well-taken, but I've homeschooled a high schooler and they DO have a transition to independence even if they are homeschooled. My ds started driving, taking college classes, working, and managing his own money and his own life before he was 17. So IMO that happens whether they are schooled or not, particularly if you encourage it.

 

In our state, homeschoolers cannot take advantage of sports or extracurriculars in schools. Luckily, ds is a swimmer, and plays in an orchestra that is an independent institution.

 

So I'm working to make sure this year is memorable and good regardless, and trying to make sure his experience and impression of the school is realistic.

[Pamela H in Texas]

IF I considered public school, it'd be because:

 

1) programming - specialized educational options such as the welding program or a pre-nursing program or an engineering program. In DFW, there is a "public school" in the community college for math/science majors so that was a consideration (get an associates while getting the final two years of school completed). There have been different opportunities in different places we've lived. There are some things I'm interested in for ds, but unless hubby gets a regular job, I can't see it happening as it would mean we would have to choose to keep our family separated for the duration of the program. That isn't a likely choice for us.

 

2) I honestly do not believe it is healthy for a teenage boy to be told by his mother what to do to the degree I must tell my ds what to do or for him to be with me the amount of time he is. There is a LOT more to this thought, but I can't articulate it well. Basically, I think our society is messed up in relation to how it views and deals with teenagers so there are still issues with school to deal with this issue; but for us, I think it might have been better if we could find the right programming and could stay put (and even better had we found those things a couple years earlier).

Edited October 11, 2010 by 2J5M9K