Would You Allow

[cdrumm4448]

the local school district to get involved in your homeschool in order for your kids to participate in extra-curricular activities at the public school? I live in a school district that is fighting inclusion and I'm curious where most homeschoolers stand.

 

I, personally, would not allow any intrusion into my homeschool in order to participate. But, my kids are also young and not about to enter high school. I would rather pay out of my pocket for all extra-curriculars than have the government involved in my children's education.

 

How about you?

[LauraGB]

Why do they need to be involved in your schooling for your kids to participate in extra curricular (by this, do you mean sports?) activities? Involved how?

 

ETA - my answer regardless is a screaming, vehement "Heck No!"

[Storm Bay]

No, I wouldn't want them involved, but I was and am willing to send in progress reports so that my dd can participate in high school sports since all students have to keep a minimum grade point average to participate, not just homeschoolers. I think having the same rule for everyone makes sense in this case. Normally I send something only once a year, as required by state law.

[Gratia271]

Why do they need to be involved in your schooling for your kids to participate in extra curricular (by this, do you mean sports?) activities? Involved how?

 

ETA - my answer regardless is a screaming, vehement "Heck No!"

 

:iagree:

[Dmmetler]

It depends on what the intrusion is and how it differs from what is normally required. I'm in a state that has made the claim that umbrella school diplomas don't count for a job requiring a high school diploma for state licensing, so if high school kids are going to be FORCED to go through the state if they want their diploma to count legally (or go through an accredited school), at least they should get the chance to sing in choir, march with the band, or play sports out of it!

[LisaKinVA]

If by "get involved in your homeschool" you mean... dictate what and how I teach NO.

 

But there are some things I would be willing to do -- such as provide a report card, or possibly a semester portfolio to show progress, or even copies of their standardized testing (we are required to either have a portfolio assessment or standardized testing every year).

 

Sporting and music extracurriculars are pretty much non-existant in our area after age 12, except for speech/debate, swimming, and gymnastics, and I think YMCA basketball (my son is not a basketball player), unless you are in a public or private school. Not that it matters for us, as our county doesn't allow participation anyhow (even if we're in the PS Virtual Academy).

[Lizzie in Ma]

the local school district to get involved in your homeschool in order for your kids to participate in extra-curricular activities at the public school? I live in a school district that is fighting inclusion and I'm curious where most homeschoolers stand.

 

I, personally, would not allow any intrusion into my homeschool in order to participate. But, my kids are also young and not about to enter high school. I would rather pay out of my pocket for all extra-curriculars than have the government involved in my children's education.

 

How about you?

 

No. Period.

We are already required to send in progress reports twice yearly.

[abbeyej]

It would depend strongly on what that meant. And I do think that home schoolers should have the *option* to choose to trade some freedoms for some benefits. I'm a big fan of my freedom, and unless I had a child who desperately *needed* to play a sport in the high school system, or who couldn't possibly get the same caliber of arts enrichment outside of school, I don't think I'd personally participate. (And I'm fairly certain my kids won't fit into the first category, and fairly certain our schools can't offer as much in the second...)

 

But I think if someone wants to go in and say, "Okay, sure, I'll submit to your rules in order to have this opportunity", they should be able to do so. Just because I (probably) wouldn't take advantage of that doesn't mean that I begrudge others the possibility.

 

It would also depend somewhat on *what* sort of concessions I would have to make. Would they want a list of courses each year, and a transcript afterwards? Or would they want to tell me exactly what I must teach? Would I mail in paperwork, or would someone expect to be allowed into my home? Etc...

 

But on principle? I don't object.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

It would depend strongly on what that meant. And I do think that home schoolers should have the *option* to choose to trade some freedoms for some benefits. I'm a big fan of my freedom, and unless I had a child who desperately *needed* to play a sport in the high school system, or who couldn't possibly get the same caliber of arts enrichment outside of school, I don't think I'd personally participate. (And I'm fairly certain my kids won't fit into the first category, and fairly certain our schools can't offer as much in the second...)

 

But I think if someone wants to go in and say, "Okay, sure, I'll submit to your rules in order to have this opportunity", they should be able to do so. Just because I (probably) wouldn't take advantage of that doesn't mean that I begrudge others the possibility.

 

It would also depend somewhat on *what* sort of concessions I would have to make. Would they want a list of courses each year, and a transcript afterwards? Or would they want to tell me exactly what I must teach? Would I mail in paperwork, or would someone expect to be allowed into my home? Etc...

 

But on principle? I don't object.

 

What she said. :iagree:

 

If our local school district had orchestra and dds were very interested, I might consider it.

Edited May 14, 2010 by Cindie2dds

[m4given]

I don't need more micromanaging going on.

 

I'm OK with different ways of schooling, including public school, but if I'm going to homeschool that's where my focus is. If I were to have my kids go to public school, then my focus & energy will be with that system.

[Night Elf]

I'd say no. There isn't anything our school district offers that my children are interested in doing that we can't do on our own. We aren't a sports family at all. My dd12 plays piano and our school doesn't do that. They have an orchestra but not private lessons. We have a Christian fine arts program nearby that has 3 levels of orchestra in addition to access to private lessons.

[Night Elf]

Not that it matters for us, as our county doesn't allow participation anyhow (even if we're in the PS Virtual Academy).

 

Ditto. Our state doesn't allow for part-time classes either. Neither do we qualify for the dual enrollment program for juniors and seniors who want to go to college and get high school credit and college credit at the same time. We are using an out-of-state accredited program but we still don't qualify because it isn't a Georgia school. Homeschoolers don't get jack in Georgia.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Submitting a report card would be as far as I would go.

 

Everything else would be a "No". (Even then, I doubt I'd want my dc to be involved in high school activities. You have the same social garbage as you would have in the halls and classrooms in the locker rooms, team buses, etc.)

[DarlaS]

If I had a child who wanted to be in extracurricular activities that were offered only by the school, I'd expect them to apply the same standards to my student as they do to theirs.

 

When I was in high school, kids needed to maintain at least a C average to participate in sports. In that scenario, letting homeschoolers participate without ANY requirements at all, would not be fair to those other students.

 

I would, however, not agree to providing them with more proof of grades etc. than any college my child applies to would require. In other words, if the college is happy with my homemade transcript, they should accept it also. If the college wants my student to take a placement test, the school would be entitled only to a copy of that or an equivalent standardized test.

[Holly]

Nope! There are plenty of sports opportunities outside of the public school system. My kids love their gymnastics classes and my oldest is on the team...nothing required except my address, phone number, and money. ;) I might consider it with a private Christian school, but definitely not a public school.

[abbeyej]

Nope! There are plenty of sports opportunities outside of the public school system. My kids love their gymnastics classes and my oldest is on the team...nothing required except my address, phone number, and money. ;) I might consider it with a private Christian school, but definitely not a public school.

 

Right, but for a kid who really wants to go to college on a basketball or football scholarship? It's true that in those types of cases, the public school sports teams may be the only way to gain the experience and notice necessary. ... My kids'll never have that problem. ;)

[cdrumm4448]

Why do they need to be involved in your schooling for your kids to participate in extra curricular (by this, do you mean sports?) activities? Involved how?

 

ETA - my answer regardless is a screaming, vehement "Heck No!"

 

 

Board members who oppose inclusion state there is no way to track homeschooled kids' progress to make sure they are eligible to participate. No one wants to think outside the box here.

[May]

No, but then I flew under the radar for 5 years of our homeschooling. Only became legit when dd entered highschool.

[Mejane]

No. I don't even utilize their testing services because I don't want to open that door.

[sassenach]

the local school district to get involved in your homeschool in order for your kids to participate in extra-curricular activities at the public school? I live in a school district that is fighting inclusion and I'm curious where most homeschoolers stand.

 

I, personally, would not allow any intrusion into my homeschool in order to participate. But, my kids are also young and not about to enter high school. I would rather pay out of my pocket for all extra-curriculars than have the government involved in my children's education.

 

How about you?

 

Define "get involved."

[CatMomof3]

I think it would depend ...

 

Say if the school says that you have to have a C average to participate, and you have to show proof that you student is doing well. Then I don't have a problem with it. Most school require that their athletes need to get at least a C in each class to participate, why should homeschoolers be exempted from this.

 

But if the school micromanages you, but does not do the same for public school students - then I would have a problem.

[Bee]

My older dd isn't at all interested in anything the ps has to offer. But my younger dd is. I'd be willing to submit to a little more oversight of her hsing if it meant she could take some classes at the school. As it is now, we can either hs or send her to school. So she is going to school but it's far from the ideal situation for our family. I already have to submit quarterly reports, year end reports and (some years) testing, and IHIPs for my hsed student. We already have so much oversight of hsers in NY state that I don't really see why hsers aren't allowed to take classes.

[happi duck]

NO

[JustGin]

I would not. I don't have a problem with reasonable requirements such as my student needing to maintain a certain grade point level or taking a yearly test, but beyond that I would not go. I would pay out of pocket.

[LibraryLover]

My dd plays a sport, and all that she needs to participate is her Letter of Intent on file with the town, which I have to do anyway.

 

What more might they want? Nobody has ever asked us for anything, so I am having a hard time considering what 'more' might mean...

[Peela]

As others have said, it would very much depend on what sort of involvement the school wanted.

I would appreciate to be able to put my kids in certain classes in highschool- even extra curricula ones. When I asked our highschool they were quite negative about it, but homeschooling is not a common option here and most poeple don't know about it.

I would be happy to compromise to some extent to give my kids the best of both worlds.

[Alphabetika]

the local school district to get involved in your homeschool in order for your kids to participate in extra-curricular activities at the public school? I live in a school district that is fighting inclusion and I'm curious where most homeschoolers stand.

 

I, personally, would not allow any intrusion into my homeschool in order to participate. But, my kids are also young and not about to enter high school. I would rather pay out of my pocket for all extra-curriculars than have the government involved in my children's education.

 

How about you?

 

:iagree:It's a slippery slope.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

For me it depends on so many factors.

 

How "involved"? If that means I have to send progress reports to the school, or show what we are doing, than I'd consider it. If the school wanted me to use a specific curriculum, probably not, unless I was using it anyways. If the school wanted me to teach exactly what they were teaching, then definitely not.

 

What extracurriculars are we talking about? Are there other options available outside of the public school system? My DD plays soccer, loves it, and is pretty good for a 4 year old. If she continued playing for the next 10 years, and wanted to play at a college level, than I would definitely consider getting involved with the public school system. There aren't comparable options around here for soccer after you reach high school age. If it was something like dance team, than no, she'd have to continue through her dance school, because it's a GREAT (and expensive.... :glare:) school, and she doesn't need to experience of playing on a team to do well at a higher level.

 

What are the child's reasons for wanting to get involved? Is it just because other kids are doing it, or some new sport/activity on a whim, or something the child has been doing for years and this is the logical progression? What is the local school like? Is it a "bad" school, with alot of problems, or is it a good school? Can I trust my child's judgement when faced with the choices she'll be facing when dealing with all types of different people?

 

All those are questions I'd have to ask myself before answering a question like this for my family. It's definitely not a straight forward yes or no thing.

[Sandy in Indy]

No. NO. ***NO!***

[phathui5]

How involved are we talking? I already do quarterly reports, since we're in New York. I thought it would be a lot before we moved here, but it's just paperwork.

[Kristin in NE]

Right now my children are 9 and under, and I would not even consider it. But, I have no desire to have my children around other children, especially a group of children that I don't really know anything about, without my supervision. Too much of "fools teaching fools."

[2squared]

Nope! There are plenty of sports opportunities outside of the public school system. My kids love their gymnastics classes and my oldest is on the team...nothing required except my address, phone number, and money. ;) I might consider it with a private Christian school, but definitely not a public school.

 

I live in a very rural, very small town. We DON'T have sports opportunities outside of the public school, and we don't have any private schools. Even our community ed programs are attached to the school. I know my kids will have to be involved with the school to do anything other than 4H. Well, they already are. My 2nd grader takes PE and music at the school and she participates in special class activities and field trips. I don't have to do anything extra, though, and it's all free.

 

I love getting the best of both worlds. I pick what I want from the school. Dd comes and goes on our schedule. I don't know how long we'll do this, but it is working really, really for now.

[Janet in WA]

 

Board members who oppose inclusion state there is no way to track homeschooled kids' progress to make sure they are eligible to participate. No one wants to think outside the box here.

In WA, they accept the parent's documentation that the student has the GPA to participate. Many homeschoolers would consider even this too intrusive, and I can respect that.

[Mommy22alyns]

Nope. If I wanted the local school district all over my kids' education I'd just save myself some time and send them to public school.

[DarlaS]

I live in a very rural, very small town. We DON'T have sports opportunities outside of the public school, and we don't have any private schools.

 

Same here. If I even want my kids in scouts, it meets at the school. There are literally three private schools in the county & they are tiny. There were four until one recently closed, and none go beyond gr. 8.

 

One of the bigger homeschool groups has a sports program, and there are others even bigger that offer more--if you don't mind driving an hour or more one way for every practice.

 

On the bright side, my kids can go outside and I don't feel compelled to keep them in sight every second.

[Storm Bay]

Nope. If I wanted the local school district all over my kids' education I'd just save myself some time and send them to public school.

 

 

fwiw, around here it's just paperwork. I send in the report cards to the superintendent's office and they don't say boo about it. We're doing everything just the way we'd already be doing it, but it's helping me get ready to prepare for college. No one questions the grades, the course material we're using, etc. In fact, that isn't even included on the report card, although in our state you have to submit that in the fall (not that there is any trouble. I don't even think they really read much of it.)

 

For dc who wish to play NCAA sports in college, then playing on certain teams is important, from what I understand. I could be wrong, but that's the best I know. I would NEVER have done this prior to high school, but consider high school a transitional time for my dc.

[2squared]

Same here. If I even want my kids in scouts, it meets at the school. There are literally three private schools in the county & they are tiny. There were four until one recently closed, and none go beyond gr. 8.

 

One of the bigger homeschool groups has a sports program, and there are others even bigger that offer more--if you don't mind driving an hour or more one way for every practice.

 

On the bright side, my kids can go outside and I don't feel compelled to keep them in sight every second.

 

Finally, someone who lives my life! We have two schools in our county and no private schools.

 

I would have to drive over an hour to find a homeschool group. I prefer to stay local and work with the public school for our needs.

 

And, like you said, we live in a very safe community. My kids play without supervision all the time. I leave them in the vehicle when I run errands. It's really like stepping back to the 1950s.