Are you happy your dc are in school?

[LittleIzumi]

I know some parents here afterschool because their kids essentially must go to PS while others could homeschool but chose to put their children in school. I'm just curious about the demographic breakdown. :)

[LittleIzumi]

FTR, dd will be starting a CM/uni-model charter school in autumn & I'm thrilled!!! I do feel very blessed both to have her there, & also to know that I now could really homeschool if the school didn't work out. (Until last autumn I was working full-time so it was crazy!)

 

What's your situation?

[fairytalemama]

My dd and I were not getting along well AT ALL during last summer. A situation fell in my lap where I could have her at one of the best elementary schools in the district that teaches using the Montessori method, was 1/2 day (this was a must for me), and you could only get into via lottery (again, it was a MIRACLE we got in). We decided to give it a shot and it has been a great choice for our family. Unfortunately, our district is suffering a lot of budget cuts this year and the school is at risk for closure. The good news is I feel prepared for her to come home and school at any time. I'm comfortable with the choices we've made and the options we have available to us. I'm so happy that we can choose to public school, homeschool, or afterschool. Parents in other countries are not so lucky.

[talexand]

Yes, but it works best because they are part time.

[snickelfritz]

I didn't know if I should vote, since it starts next year. I voted yes. dd will be going to a private school, so we are obviously fine paying for her to go there. I'm very excited for her. We plan on it being permanent, but know we can homeschool if it's not working out.

 

I'm RELIEVED to have all the pressure of every choice for everything off of me.

 

I'm nervous to not be choosing everything.

[sophiasapientia]

I voted Yes. While the idea of homeschooling has always appealed to me, my DD really loves the charter school she attends and, given her extroverted personality and being an only child, I would need to be very proactive to meet her social needs if we homeschooled full-time. I appreciate the small class size/overall philosophy and that the school aims to meet each child's academic needs. It isn't perfect -- thus the afterschooling to fill in gaps -- but they generally try to work with kids/parents and take suggestions seriously.

 

With that said, I know that homeschooling is an option for us if it ever reaches the point that it would be the best situation for DD.

[LittleIzumi]

My dd and I were not getting along well AT ALL during last summer. A situation fell in my lap where I could have her at one of the best elementary schools in the district that teaches using the Montessori method, was 1/2 day (this was a must for me), and you could only get into via lottery (again, it was a MIRACLE we got in). We decided to give it a shot and it has been a great choice for our family. Unfortunately, our district is suffering a lot of budget cuts this year and the school is at risk for closure. The good news is I feel prepared for her to come home and school at any time. I'm comfortable with the choices we've made and the options we have available to us. I'm so happy that we can choose to public school, homeschool, or afterschool. Parents in other countries are not so lucky.

 

Ours was a lottery too. I was soooo nervous until we got the email.

[Melinda in VT]

I voted Other.

 

My kids are in school and I am happy with their schools. The elementary school, especially, is the center of a wonderful community. I don't see our schooling choice changing unless some unforeseen circumstance knocks us off the current trajectory.

 

And yet, I miss them when they are gone and, as much as I enjoy my paid job and am grateful to have it, I do miss sharing more of the learning with my kids. (We made the choice to send the kids back to school before I knew I would have the option to return to my former job, so they aren't in school because I am employed, but I would need to stop being employed to provide an education that is equal to what they are getting in school.)

[blessedmom3]

Yes ! I am very happy with the teachers and how/what they are learning . We still afterschool though and are not sure about next years yet . But at this moment -- yes we are all happy with the school . They love the new friends they have made ( just started school two weeks ago) .

[MBM]

I voted Other.

 

I could homeschool, but after much hemming and hawing, dh and I decided to not homeschool for a variety of reasons. I am very pro-homeschooling, though.

 

Regarding our school experiences, I am all over the place. The only accurate way for me to sum it up is by saying that a few things have been surprisingly wonderful, others horrid, and most somewhere in between and acceptable.

 

Next year my youngest switches over to the big high school. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

[Storm Bay]

I voted other. My eldest returned to ps in November for the long term (sophomore.) I am both happy and unhappy with this at the same time. Happy because it's easier to work with my other dc and she's acually doing her work now (for the mos part) and getting good grades. Unhappy because of a few other things.

[Koerarmoca]

We are in a pvt school for the 2nd year. dh was killing himself to afford tuition for 3 by working 2 fulltime jobs. I really hated it I never saw him, the kids where gone and it is me and dd2 at home alone with no car. I like the school in many ways and loathe it in ways too. After we paid for the 2nd semester we agreed he would cut down to 1 job and we would bring the kids home for the 2011-2012 School year and just take it a year at a time. the PS is awful here so its homeschool, move, or afford pvt school.

 

I love having him home more and we do some "afterschooling" at least with educational videos, Reading/phonics with dd5, library trips, weekend educational field trips etc.

 

I am happy they are in school some days, because its easy to grab the baby and run errands rather than dragging the crew around town. My days are less drama (they fight soooooo much) :lol: But I know HS will be rewarding for everyone and I can spend more time working on biblical character which I feel would reduce fighting (I hope)

[Bee]

I like dd's teachers very much. I worry that in the long term her education won't adequately prepare her for college. I just feel that the system itself isn't working and I feel like if we decide to leave her in school we are taking this enormous chance that it (meaning the ps system) might fail my child. I'm really torn about having her continue there another year. She says she doesn't care if she goes to ps or is hsed next year. When she first started school last year she left for school and came home excited about school and learning. I see sparks of it this year sometimes but she often comes home tired and grumpy. She's a different child this year and I'm not sure I like some of the changes I'm seeing.

[MIch elle]

My older ds homeschooled K-8 then private school for grades 9-12 (in gr. 11 now).

Younger ds homeschooled K-7, one yr in public school for grade 8 (now) and will attend private high school for 4 yrs.

 

Does this count as "yes, for the long-term" ?? :confused:

[SFKC]

Just switched my signature over --

DD9 just returned to PS this month after a year and a half of homeschooling -- our reasons were primarily financial. I don't see us having the ability to homeschool again, anytime soon.

 

They're in our first-choice public school -- ethnically and socio-economically diverse, with a strong community of engaged parents and a strong arts focus. Both girls had been in since K: we had pulled DD9 for third and fourth grade.

 

Continuing the list of hands-down winners from our homeschooling time (see below) is my remedy for the trade-offs of large class sizes and standard curriculum.

 

I look forward to checking into this afterschooling board frequently!

 

Life of Fred Fractions/Decimals,

Michael Clay Thompson Town series,

Latina Christiana I,

SOTW II

[TJinLOCA]

I said "Yes, long term!" All three of my kids are now in school after many years of homeschooling. The eldest returned to PS halfway through 10th grade, and did wonderfully. I was very surprised at how well the high school prepared her for college ... I was inclined to be disdainful of the local public schools, but it turned out that the HS had a great AP program and the teachers of the advanced classes were wonderful. She's now a sophomore at Oberlin College in Ohio, on a very generous academic scholarship.

 

My middle daughter became very difficult to school at home once her older sister was gone - without the competition she got lazy, petulant, and all-around obnoxious. We mutually agreed that she would go back to school in 7th grade. She did great once she got over the attitude! :D She's graduating high school this year and has an absolutely stellar academic record. We're waiting to hear on what colleges she got into - she applied to several ivy leagues as well as many other fine schools.

 

My 12-year-old son just went back to school this year after 4 years at home. He was lonely and missed his school friends; plus, my husband took a job that kept him away much of the time, and with me working a part-time job homeschooling became very stressful for us. My son loves the local junior high, and although it's not nearly as challenging academically as our home schooling was, he's very happy and I think it's preparing him well to continue with the PS for high school.

 

I still try to work in plenty of engaging afterschool enrichment so he's not totally slacking. We're very happy with how it's all worked out!

[Amy loves Bud]

I voted other. Luke is in 6th grade, was completely homeschooled until this year. He is such a good kid - we have always gotten along brilliantly. I miss him desperately! But he is happy and thriving in school. His teachers love him, and they've recommended him for gifted and talented. So I suppose as long as he's doing so well, I'll have to keep missing him.

 

But I secretly hope he'll change his mind and come back home someday soon!

[LizzyBee]

My older two go to a public college prep charter school. My youngest is homeschooled. All of them are where they need to be. My oldest was homeschooled for 3rd - 8th, and the middle one for 1st - 8th. The youngest is dyslexic and will be homeschooled for as long as she needs to be.

[kmehra81]

Hi All,

 

We're new here to the WTM forums. I haven't had any formal experience with my kids in schools here. My DS1 will be starting Kindergarten this Fall. We failed to get into 3 charter schools in the area, the private schools are too expensive for us (and we got no scholarships either), and having toured 6 magnets, we found that magnet schools didn't offer anything more intensive in the curriculum than the regular public schools. So, after all that drama, we have no choice but to end up going to our neighborhood PS. It's not bad at all and from the parents I hear, it's really good. I'd love to homeschool but DS1 gets VERY bored at home and really has been doing quite well at his preschool (granted, it's church-based and has like 8 kids to 2 teachers whereas the PS has 24 kids to 1 teacher and 1 TA).

 

I've had experience in the US school system as a kid and with the school system in Poland (parents are Polish immigrants) and my husband is from India and has told me alot about the schooling there. So, having that background and knowledge, I'm disappointed in the school system here and, in general, in the US. So, although DS1 will be going to PS this Fall (something we are not too happy about but can't really do much about it), I will continue to beforeschool and afterschool like I have been doing now.

 

I wish we had more luck with the Charters or were rich enough to afford a private. There is no way that my DH could work extra jobs because his job is already demanding and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS works. Sigh... But we'll be reapplying for charters every single year until we get in.

[TracyR]

I voted yes, but temporarily. My girls love their school. They have very nice teachers.

But the school due to finances is cutting their 7th and 8th grades. So my oldest only got to attend for one year.

My youngest has had to many health problems being exposed to the other kids this year and it hasn't been worth it. Plus her teacher and I are beginning to butt heads about certain issues, concerning her health care in school and the fact that even though she has physical health problems she is very intelligent. Maggie reads at an early 1st grade level at the age of 4 and her teacher is just killing her with the reading. It took me most of the year to get her teacher to put her in a reading group and now that she is they spend a month on one flippin book and so she's bored.

 

I'm contemplating about sending the middle two back but I'm finding that things are just getting really expsensive. The school has been great about tuition but food is getting expensive ( we pack lunch and they only have a hot lunch on Wed and Fri). Plus all the money we've shelled out on fundraisers to keep the school open. I don't know. My girls really just want to go for one more year. So my husband and I are thinking about it. I'd much rather have them all home.

 

Public school is NOT an option. Not for elementary or for high school. They are horrible with a capital H. So really for us homeschooling is actually less expensive than sending them to private school for us.

[AmyinMD]

I voted other. I have 2 in the public school system right now and I'm happy how it is working for one of them. My 3 yo son is in an inclusion pre-k at the elementary school that is working wonderfully for him. He can stay there another 2.5 years and then we'll see what accommodations they offer us for kindergarten. If they are continuing to meet his needs I will leave him there.

 

My oldest daughter has not had a very good year at public school. There are 2 girls that have been bullying her all year and she is just tired of it. I've been mostly happy with her teachers aside from the one she has for LA. She has stayed until now because of the school play she is in. It is coming up in 2 weeks and we may pull her the following week. I need to decide soon because I'm supposed to give 15 days notice. The plan is to have her home next year and she'll go back for high school.

[Mama2Three]

I voted other because it's the best choice for us for now, but I still have mixed feelings. Our elementary school is excellent. It's in one of the top public school systems in the country, and is one of the top in the county -- the best of the best, if you will. I have never seen such a high level of parent involvement, and the administration is proactive and very hands-on with the students. The principal just won an award for her (and the school's) achievements. It's also an inclusive school, with a special programs for deaf students, children with learning disabilities, and dedicated gifted and talented classes. There is differentiated learning in math and language arts -- all children are "tested" every time the topic changes in a subject (every 6-8 weeks), so if my DS is great at multiplication but on level with fractions, he will be in different groups for each topic. Teachers (so far) have been open and astute, and all questions are answered timely and thoughtfully.

 

All that said, I do have mixed feelings about PSing, and I am prepared at any time to bring either or both of my DC home. I think that knowing PS is our choice, rather than something that our family has to do, makes it work for us.

[Word Nerd]

I'm happy with some things and not happy with others. There are pros and cons with homeschooling and traditional schooling, and I've done both. In some areas, enrolling my kids in school after homeschooling has been a benefit and a positive change, but I still get frustrated by the school herd mentality and the (NCLB) testing.

[samba2nite]

I love the idea of home schooling and am a HUGE advocate for it. I strongly believe that our current public education system is broken. I believe that as parents we are best suited to teach our kids at home....however that being said....some of our kids are not best taught at home----uh like a couple of mine. My kids love going to school and being with large groups of kids. I have worked hard to get them into specialized programs at schools I can tollerate (they are at different schools) and supplement with what I feel is important and what the schools are lacking at home. I am in complete admiration of those parents who can teach all of their kids at home, but on a full time basis....I am not one of them

[Laura Corin]

We had a lovely seven years at home, but now school is the right place for them: it offers us all what we need.

 

Laura

[LibraryLover]

I am happy that my 17 yr old schooler has thoughtful teachers who are supportive and intellectual. I am happy that we have an option for him that appears to work for his needs. I am happy that my ds is a strong-minded, searching, responsible person with a good head on his shoulders. I am happy that he is intelligent, introspective, and communicative.

[nansk]

I voted no. I am working full-time, otherwise I would have gladly kept my dd home and had lots of fun learning with her. As it is, we still do have fun learning, but it is only on weekends.

[Free]

I voted other. My DS aged 10 is in school. It is a decent school but it does not provide the kind the education I was looking for him. It is not possible for us to homeschool, but I do spend considerable time in afterschooling.

[leeannpal]

I have to vote "other" as well. I am teaching full time at a small private school, and my daughter has a great teacher, small class and some individualized instruction. We are happy with the school but, I've always wanted to home school, and we are working on making it happen in the 2012-2013 year. Since I am a teacher, we do home school during the summer. My daughter loves to learn and asks for learning activities during the weekends and summer.

[YourFidgetyFriend]

I am happy with my daughter's school at the moment. She is in a Montessori school and has an individualized curriculum.

 

I would like to change to homeschooling in a few years because I mainly like Montessori for younger children and I find that the middle grades (around 3rd-7th) are the ones that seem to have most of the issues in schools.

[Herdingmycats]

Yes and no. :) My dd8 is gifted and the local school is bending over backwards to give her access to wonderful things I could never provide. So for her I'm very pleased with the local education. My ds9 has high functioning autism and the same school could do nothing for him at all. It's an odd circumstance that isn't the norm for most schools. I pulled my son out 3 weeks ago after a series of crisis and I'm pleased as punch to have him home. I answered as if this were a month ago and both were in school. :)

 

I'd have loved to have both in school, though, because until about 3 weeks ago I was a grad student at a fancy pants grad school and completely and utterly loved it. Every minute of it was joy for me. I'd planned on continuing and getting a PhD in my field. All of that is looking impossible now. I'm still glad to have my son in a good place mentally, but I do wish the school situation had worked out.

[Mosaicmind]

4 of the 5 of mine that are still school age are at home and I love that, but ds/16 is attending a public highschool of which I am not thrilled about but he loves it and is doing very well. Now, we are supposed to be moving to Kentucky hopefully this summer and I am not at all impressed with the only highschool in the county which we will be living. I am hoping he will want to come home, in fact I am praying the Lord leads him home.

[lcelmer]

Mine are currently enrolled in a classical christian private school... It's been great for them.

 

The school uses many of the same things that I would, they are doing well there, and my son had his first year of Latin.

 

However, we had a very slow winter for Hubby's company, so we are hsing again next year because of financial issues.

[awoogala]

I voted other. My daughter LOVES k in her PS, although I'm not enjoying the mainstreaming and major issues in her class. She's a highly social, talkative kid, and honestly, at home, she made me crazy. I am hoping to afterschool her starting next year, but she's highly resistant to me teaching her anything. She's bored with reading/LA in school, since she reads at about a 2nd grade level, but she is just getting by with the math (a subject she abhors and fights).

My son is in 2nd. It's a tough call there. One reason we put him in PS, (he had been hs all along) was the fact that he is not a child with social skills. We've put him in hs classes, playgroups, etc. He's always been unfortable, and would rather just stay home with Mommy. Mommy is pretty burnt out.

My son is having a fantastic time with writing, since it was something he hated/struggled with at home, and the teacher seems to be amazing at drawing it out of him. Science has been great, since the teacher is seriously hands on. Math is another issue...spiral math is killing me. The reading is not challenging him at all.

 

I've decided I'm just not able to HS anymore, since I'm emotionally unable to deal with it. So, our choice is PS, or nothing. I have no $ for private, there are no charters anywhere near me.

Looks like I'll be attempting afterschooling to supplement.

[ayden]

Well, I'm not homeschooling yet. My kids have always been in public school. I am going to homeschool my oldest in the fall. The more reading/research I do into homeschooling, the more I wonder if I should pull my two middle kids out of public school as well.

 

I love their elementary school. Love, love, love it. I can't imagine them not going. However, I realize that even the best schools have limitations. I've noticed things that I didn't notice before learning about homeschooling. Like it really bothers me to see kids raise their hand to answer a question posed by the teacher, and then be deflated when not called on (this actually happens to my 2nd grader a lot, and then she was TOLD by her teacher to stop raising her hand to give others a chance.) I feel like I'm taking on a huge task by homeschooling my oldest next year, so I'll definitely leave the two middle in their school for now while we take some time to adjust, but I can really see myself eventually bringing them all home.

[BJL]

I am hs mom of seven, four of which were hs'd all the way through and finished early. This last year I put my sophomore and senior sons in ps high school (with trepidation) due to several factors.

 

First, and this may sound silly, but growing older and becoming exhausted and unhappy was something I did not plan on when I began my hs'ing journey all fresh, energetic and positive. The degeneration was slow and progressive but I have even found hs'ing has become a big strain on our marriage.

 

Second, my last child is very dyslexic and really needs all my attention in middle school.

 

Third, after raising three girls and four boys, I have found that it is not necessarily healthy for my teenage boys to be home with mommy in the lead all day long. It seems that my boys, becoming men, are doing better with male role models and more independence in their schedules. When my first boy reached high school, the head-butting got intense, and I essentially sent him to community college for high school.

 

Fourth, the math instruction especially, as well as the other subjects, has been excellent or very good. The boys are far more motivated, independent, self-directed, organized and enthusiastic then they were at home butting heads with me. They are involved in sports, and one has done a lot of art projects there. They have made some wonderful friends at school and one of my sons, who is naturally introverted, has really come out of his shell.

 

Now I know this isn't the case with every boy sent to ps because I have seen too many hs'ers crash and burn there. I think my oldest son would have been one of the crash cases (spiritually), and that is why he went to community college where he came and went without a lot of socialization going on. But in our case, with the other boys, I am confident public high school was the right choice, and I plan to get my middle-schooled child ready for ps too.

 

It has been humbling to see how well they have done without me there and I now realize that one size certainly does not fit all situations. I feel very blessed (covered by the Lord) that it has worked out so well and all of my children are doing well. One comment I hear from the teachers is that the boys have better thinking skills and participate in discussions more than their peers. I think that is a testimony to hs'ing. One area we were weak in was the use of calculators. The ps kids know how to use all the features with lightning speed, and my son was not able to keep up in calculus because of that. The teacher tested him and said his thinking skills were better than anyone in the class. Another funny thing that happened was that my other son understood the facts of evolution better than any of the kids in his biology class that claimed they believed in it. They were truly clueless about it. So, that tells me they might be believers based on propaganda, not facts.