If you don't plan to hs high school, what are your reasons? s/o math thread

[msjones]

We don't plan to homeschool for high school.

 

But it's not because we don't like homeschooling, or for the social opportunities, or because we stink at homeschooling. (On the math thread, these were suggested as common reasons for sending the teens off to public school.)

 

All along, the plan has been to homeschool K-8 and send the boys to public high school. We know the local high schools have a lot to offer and we want to take part. We are fortunate to know many truly excellent, passionate, well-prepared teachers and want our boys in their classes when the time comes.

 

How about you? If you don't plan to hs for high school, what are your reasons?

[fhjmom]

We were still quite a ways away from high school and I will re-evaluate every year to decide if we continue to HS (although I think we will at least through elementary). I do have concerns about high school that have nothing to do with curriculum needs - I used to teach high school sciences in the public school so high school science and math don't scare me!

 

I am more concerned about transfer credits if for some reason we are unable to complete high school in a HS setting. I don't know how our local school determine credits now, but I do know when I was teaching that, depending on how credits are accepted, even kids transferring in from other schools can be at a big disadvantage when they start figuring credits, GPA's, etc. Classes did not always count the same way as they did at the school they were transferring from, especially from out of state. My step-DD transferred back to PS after a year at a private school and the PS would not take her year long "Leadership" class as a half-year speech credit even though it definitely covered everything covered in speech and then some (much of the leadership class was on public speaking and they did have to present different kinds of speeches in class). :tongue_smilie:

 

If I don't think we will be able to "go the distance" for sure when DS hits 9th grade, I may consider putting him back in school (although I am praying by that time, if we have the need, we will be able toafford the private school he was in previously over the public school). The other option I have already considered is doing our public online-academy for core/honors classes and then doing dual enrollment for anything that he would have taken as an AP class. That way he would get the PS credits if he ever did have to go and we could still school our own way at home and supplement with other things that we wanted to.

[MariannNOVA]

and the plain and simple truth is that I am OLD and TIRED.

 

I have already seen two dds through undergraduate and graduate school (I will be 56 years old in August) and while I LOVE teaching, I am tired, and I would like time to myself.

 

So, I guess that is my selfish answer as well.

 

DH and I are planning on all three attending an independent Christian private high school (Blue Ribbon School in Va), OR if we hit the BIG TIME, I would send them to St. Stephen's and St. Agnes in Alexandria OR send the girls to Cathedral and ds to St. Alban's.

 

But, I need a break.

[Wheres Toto]

Our local high school is exceptional and has a fair number of tuition students who chose the public hs instead of private school. My oldest currently attends the school and I've been impressed with the teachers, course offerings, support systems, etc. So, IF we are in our current district when the youngers are high school age - we will give them the option of attending the public high school.

 

I don't really have any reasons for not wanting to homeschool high school but I don't have any objections to them attending the ps either so we will leave it up to them unless something changes drastically.

 

Edited to add: I can understand the being tired thing. I'm turning 41 Thursday so will be 50/51 before the kids are high school age. DH will be 63. I'm assuming that we might want the flexibility to travel and explore that homeschooling offers rather than the strict schedules of public school.

Edited July 27, 2010 by dottieanna29

[LibraryLover]

We have one in high school, one at home. Because we do have access to a very respectful, safe, and well-equipped high school, we let them decide. It's easier to send the schooler off...we just get to do enrichment, which is rather nice.

 

However, to force the homeschooler into a stiuation that wouldn't be right for her individual needs seems wrong, as tempting as it is sometimes to have a one-stop shop education (and just have the fun of enrichment). It would be equally wrong to remove the thriving schooler agaist his will from his particular situation.

 

It also costs a lot more to homeschool a high school child, imo. My young child is nearly free to hs, as is my schooler.

[charmama4]

My son wants to play football and the CIF regulations were very clear that you have to be enrolled in the school you play sports for. So......

 

I actually have more confidence in the high school than the elementary or middle school. I also plan to suppliment at home. He will have his own reading list, and formal logic will be taught at home since it is no longer taught at the PS high school level.

 

I don't believe I stink at homeschooling in fact the opposite (thank you very much:D) I believe for MY family it's what is best and I will (b/c I can) bring him back home if something makes me feel differently about it.

[Greta]

No plans for "pure" homeschooling after 8th grade here. We intend to do private school or an online or distance learning type school. The reason is, we want our daughter to have a real diploma and transcript from a real accredited institution. The homeschoolers here typically have their kids take the GED to prove the equivalent of a high school education, but I must admit that prospect makes me really nervous. The high school drop-out rate in this city is atrocious, more than 50% in many of the high schools. I feel like if my daughter had no diploma, no transcript, and a GED, she'd just be sort of "lumped in" with all the drop-outs. We want her to go to the best college that she can get accepted into and that we can afford. I'm very concerned that a GED just won't cut it.

[msjones]

 

However, to force the homeschooler into a stiuation that wouldn't be right for her individual needs seems wrong, as tempting as it is sometimes to have a one-stop shop education (and just have the fun of enrichment).

 

This is a great point.

 

I should edit my OP to add that if there is a clear and compelling reason that continuing to homeschool would be best for our kids, we'll do it.

[Ginevra]

For myself, it boils down to dh being very adamant that the kids will go to high school. But, honestly, I'm kind of relieved at the thought of dd going to the private school I hope to send her to, rather than be homeschooled for HS. It's bigger and more diverse than the homeschooling co-op, but it is still smallish for a school. They have great academics. I like their dress code and conduct code. I feel relieved at not having to participate in "the scramble" of trying to find HS-level sports, somewhere to do a chemistry lab, a French tutor, opportunities to nurture friendships and so on and so on.

 

And I can agree with the sentiments of the PP who said, "I'm tired." I'm doing a lot of things and it will be nice to be able to focus on my younger kids for the homeschooling and my own things the rest of the time, rather than have to juggle the constantly changing hats of making a HS program successful.

[Crimson Wife]

No plans for "pure" homeschooling after 8th grade here. We intend to do private school or an online or distance learning type school.

 

:iagree:

DH worries about getting into a good college and having a diploma from an accredited school. I'm more concerned about being able to provide high-level academics and also access to extracurriculars. Most families around here enroll their teens in either a traditional high school or CC so there really aren't a lot of HS activities for older teens.

 

We can't afford 13 years per child of private school tuition but we most likely will be able to do 4 years for each.

[MariannNOVA]

:iagree:

DH worries about getting into a good college and having a diploma from an accredited school. I'm more concerned about being able to provide high-level academics and also access to extracurriculars. Most families around here enroll their teens in either a traditional high school or CC so there really aren't a lot of HS activities for older teens.

 

We can't afford 13 years per child of private school tuition but we most likely will be able to do 4 years for each.

 

THESE are good points - particularly the ones you cite by your dh. Those are my dh's concerns as well.

 

FWIW, the particular school that we are considering was started by homeschooling parents who did not want to h/s past 6th grade -- dh met a dad from the school at an alum event they were attending from their under-grad school. And, then dh met some more of the parents, who it turns out, were also from dh's undergrad school. THAT spoke volumes to him -- and to me.

[Cinder]

and the plain and simple truth is that I am OLD and TIRED.

 

I have already seen two dds through undergraduate and graduate school (I will be 56 years old in August) and while I LOVE teaching, I am tired, and I would like time to myself.

 

 

 

A friend and I were just talking about this point yesterday. Her oldest is entering 11th, mine 10th. She still has 2 5th graders, I have a 7th and K. My ds1 is attending private school because our relationship is more important than my desire to homeschool him. But as to the other dc, I'm not as excited about homeschooling as I have been in the past. I'm just old and tired, too.

 

Cinder

[HRAAB]

and the plain and simple truth is that I am OLD and TIRED.

 

 

This is me. If we had the financial resources, my girls would be going to a local private school. Unfortunately, we do not have the money unless we come into a windfall. The public schools are just 'okay'. One of my older dd's attended for one semester before deciding to finish high school at home; nothing horrible happened, but nothing much worthwhile happened either. Right now I'm checking out option with dual enrollment and on-line classes.

[Matryoshka]

We haven't made any decisions yet, but we do have a very good high school in town with lots of extracurriculars. And we do not have free access to the community colleges that it sounds like many in other states do. CC would be a lot of money and driving time - and I'm not even sure that the local hs classes wouldn't actually be higher quality. Online classes are also pricey and the quality of the teachers sound like they're as uneven as anywhere else.

 

I'd really love to hschool them through 9th or 10th and send them to the ps for 11th and 12th, for the AP classes and such, but I have a feeling that would be extremely difficult to pull off. What the kids want to do will also be a factor, and if it were somehow a big disaster they'd be able to come back home. I'd always planned to hs all the way through, but also have always said I'll take it year by year. I think having two 12yo girls in the house is making me feel old and tired!

 

I need to read some good rah-rah homeschooling high school books to make sure I'm not just copping out... :tongue_smilie: anyone got some good recommendations?

[Laura Corin]

Calvin's going to private school for 'high school'. He is ready to bounce ideas off more people (students and teachers) and there aren't any dual enrollment opportunities. That's basically it.

 

Laura

[AngelaNYC]

My kids knew they wanted to homeschool to at least to 8th grade. For high school, they would weigh the options and decide what they'd like to do. My oldest only homeschooled for 1 year (8th) with every intention of starting high school the following year. She loves writing and aspires to be a journalist, so she chose a journalism preparatory high school - she's going into senior year now and still loves it. Other dd (almost 14) has been homeschooling since 3rd grade. Her passion has always been dance and she chose to attend the Fame school in Manhattan (auditioned and was accepted!). She'll be starting there in September. Ds (9) is still happily homeschooling. He has several interests at the moment (art, drama, sports) and will probably choose to go to a high school that focuses on what he loves to do.

 

I'll admit, we're very lucky in this city to have tons of high school choice. Out of about 400 high schools, there are about 30-50 that are excellent. Kids get to list their top 12 choices and get matched to one. They can also choose their top 3 (out of only 9) specialized gifted high schools they'd like to attend as well (10% get into these). It's crazy and stressful, but awesome if they get their first choice.

[Ali in OR]

We'll make a more final decision when dd is in 7th or 8th grade, but at this point I expect to put my kids in public high school. We have decent schools here and decent peers too (kids of the very well-educated populace here). I have not seen anyone else state my biggest reason for considering this. I expect my dc to go away to college as both dh and I did. I would like them to experience some general life issues while they are in high school and still living in our home. As home schoolers they are sheltered from a lot of stuff that they will eventually encounter in the real world. I don't want their first experience of dealing with difficult people, dealing with teacher's/professors expectations, juggling workloads coming from multiple sources, etc., to be when they are hundreds of miles from home.

 

I know that I could teach them high school from home (with some cc classes too), as I used to teach high school math, have an engineering degree, and was credentialed for English too. But I think it does get harder to make sure they are appropriately challenged in so many different areas--math AND science AND English AND foreign languages. Even though I wouldn't expect to be teaching all of that myself, just the coordination of finding good CC or on-line courses, learning the AP ropes, etc. would be a pretty big effort. If we have a good school available that already does all of that, it may be the best solution for us.

[AngieW in Texas]

My two older are hsing for high school.

 

I think there is a distinct possibility that my youngest may choose to go to ps for high school. She is my social butterfly and my youngest. I think she's likely to want to at least try high school. She may even want to try 8th grade (although if she tries 8th grade and chooses to come home before the end of the schoolyear, then she won't have the option to try high school).

 

The problem in her case is that some of her friends are switching to ps this year and she will be the only one at home for her last three years of high school. I think she'll find it lonely to be an only.

Edited July 28, 2010 by AngieW in Texas

[Maria from IN]

My son needed high school. I was smack in the middle of my internship year, my boyfriend was dealing with some awful detached retina surgery recovery, and not only could I not find the time to give him the help he needed, it turns out he needed to "do" for other teachers and conform to their expectations.

 

In January I enrolled him in Bible Baptist Academy, which has all of 55 students in grades K-12. There were 9 ninth graders, and he got the attention he needed. He also got to hang around a better element than what lives near his father's house (no tomatoes, please, it's true!).

 

Also, the principal of the school (and pastor of the church) has four children that were homeschooled, so he understood the adjustment process and has been very encouraging. I was also happy to hear that their academics are about 2 years ahead of the local public schools.

 

All in all, we got lucky here.

[LibraryLover]

So am I reading this correctly? lol Hsers on a hsing board are worried that hs'd teens can't go to college? I got no dog in this fight-- I have one who went to high school and one who is in hsing. However, the hsers I know are going to college at a rate that is insanely impressive.

Edited July 28, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Rhonda in TX]

She would really benefit from the opportunities. She is very talented in art and we worry that she won't get the exposure she needs in homeschooling. We were just talking about this last night, in fact. She's going into 7th grade, so we do have a couple of years to decide.

 

It's such a hard decision to make. She personally doesn't care either way. She sees the advantages and disadvantages to each option.

 

I will not send my DS (who has Asperger's) to a brick and mortar school. He would be eaten alive.

[msjones]

We'll make a more final decision when dd is in 7th or 8th grade, but at this point I expect to put my kids in public high school. We have decent schools here and decent peers too (kids of the very well-educated populace here). I have not seen anyone else state my biggest reason for considering this. I expect my dc to go away to college as both dh and I did. I would like them to experience some general life issues while they are in high school and still living in our home. As home schoolers they are sheltered from a lot of stuff that they will eventually encounter in the real world. I don't want their first experience of dealing with difficult people, dealing with teacher's/professors expectations, juggling workloads coming from multiple sources, etc., to be when they are hundreds of miles from home.

 

 

 

:iagree: You said this well.

We feel this way, too. We'd like to be nearby when our boys face these types of pressures for the first time.

[missmoe]

I orginally planned to school my children all the way through school. But, I had a son who didn't want mom telling him what to do. I was spending 75% of my time on one child. So, now he is enrolled in an independent-study high school and is thriving. He loves the social aspect of it, and has so many more oppertunities for extra-curriculur that I can't provide.

 

My oldest dd wanted more than I could give her. If I only had one child, I could most likely keep up. But I don't. My younger children will most likely follow in her footsteps. I actually mourned the dream of schooling all of them through high-school, but am now actually looking forward to a new season.

 

So, I guess my answer is my kids are going to high school, because it is what works for my family.

 

Some of my children want to homeschool their children, and I have promised to teach my grandbabies to read---so homeschooling won't be over for me for a bit. :D

[Stacy in NJ]

Next year (8th) will be his last at home.

 

He very much craves the feedback he'll receive from teachers and peers. He does well with outside teachers; we've used online classes this year and will again next. He really is eager to stretch his wings a bit, and I think that's healthy for a young man (or woman for that matter). We also bump heads frenquently.

 

My younger ds11 may very well homeschool through high school. He really has no desire to attend school and is much more content at home. He's also a more self-disciplined student, and we experience little conflict over schooling.

[asta]

I never, ever intended to homeschool. Period.

 

And then we moved to a place with absolutely awful, dangerous schools. So kid "ended up" being homeschooled. We decided it would only be until 8th grade. We didn't want him to be "out of sync" with "normal" high schoolers or "young" (I don't think boys should enter high school under 14, personally), so we futzed around for the last year prior to a scheduled move.

 

We planned our move based on the high school that was at that location (this location, I guess). Well, guess what? It was all hype. The "fabulous" school was/is complete crap. Kid turned to me at orientation and said "my God, all of those stereotypes from the movies - they're true! It's like watching Mean Girls."

 

Then, to add insult to injury, the "fabulous" (absolutely fricking HUGE) homeschooling group only lets in people of a certain denomination.

 

Sometimes things simply don't work out like you think they will, planned or unplanned.

 

We're in 10th grade now. Actually having a blast. And we've started a new homeschool group - for anyone who wants to join. Go figure - there are quite a few people out there who felt marginalized.

 

 

a

[Mom in High Heels]

:iagree:

DH worries about getting into a good college and having a diploma from an accredited school. I'm more concerned about being able to provide high-level academics and also access to extracurriculars. Most families around here enroll their teens in either a traditional high school or CC so there really aren't a lot of HS activities for older teens.

 

We can't afford 13 years per child of private school tuition but we most likely will be able to do 4 years for each.

 

This!

[Ginevra]

I would like them to experience some general life issues while they are in high school and still living in our home. As home schoolers they are sheltered from a lot of stuff that they will eventually encounter in the real world. I don't want their first experience of dealing with difficult people, dealing with teacher's/professors expectations, juggling workloads coming from multiple sources, etc., to be when they are hundreds of miles from home.

 

This is my husband's reason.

[Closeacademy]

We were going to homeschool through HS but there is a nice charter school that started that offers the IB diploma. This school is very small, was started by the local Montessori community and has an multi-cultural flavor.

 

I think it would be a good introduction to college and allow our children to gain some experiences that we think they need. Mainly:

 

learning from someone other than mom

gaining a mentor

learning to take notes in a lecture

homework

classroom experience

afterschool activities

lots of people their own age

 

I just think it will open the world for them. And really it was Jr. High not HS that was so terrible. HS was actually a lot of fun.:001_smile: