Would you send your children to a college-prep classical academy for high school?

[HSDCY]

We have been home schooling for 7 years, ds is currently in 7th grade. When I first started, I thought I would home school him all the way through high school, but the older he gets, the less assured I am about this.

 

We have a very reputable school here that admits only home schoolers. They use classical education model, offer many AP courses, have very small class sizes and very devoted teachers many of whom are or were home school parents themselves. If ds enroll as full-time student, he will be there for 2.5 days per week--two full days for all course work, one half day for labs or electives. Of course, there is the option of just taking 1 or 2 of their courses as well.

 

The only downside is that it takes us about 90 minutes round trip without traffic. Would you do it for high school assuming you can afford it?

[JenneinCA]

Maybe.

 

Do you have other children who would be effected by the drive time? That would be an incredible six hours a day of driving if you went home during class time. But I would be sorely tempted if the drive time wasn't so long.

[justasque]

Only you can decide what's the best setting, based on the options in your area. I think "schools for homeschoolers" are a great option, especially for higher-level classes. But you'll want to check out this place - who are the teachers, what are their qualifications, what is the history of the group, where do their graduates go to college (if that is your goal), from what worldview do they teach (especially science), etc, how much homework is there and how much time will you have for things like field trips, are there classes you would like to stay home for and if so can he attend part time, and so on. The drive would absolutely not be a barrier for me, if the academics are there and it is otherwise a good fit for your family. You will of course want to figure out "car schooling" options for getting work done during the commute, and options for you and youngers on those days if you have youngers. You can always try it for a year, or start part-time, and see how it goes.

[LaxMom]

You bet. I wouldn't wait for HS, either. I'd work out the drive time, but our lifestyle makes us very flexible.

[HSDCY]

Maybe.

 

Do you have other children who would be effected by the drive time? That would be an incredible six hours a day of driving if you went home during class time. But I would be sorely tempted if the drive time wasn't so long.

 

I have only one child.

[justasque]

Then yes, I would seriously consider it.

Pros include the social aspect, and the opportunity to gain some "doing work for someone other than mom" skills before it's costing you the big college bucks. Also allows some experience with independence while still under your roof, which is usually a good idea.

 

You can plan your time to make good use of the school days. Find a branch of your bank, find a post office, find a library, find a coffee shop with free wifi. Plan to do your bill paying and other paperwork and errand running on those days. Keep a tote bag and put stuff in during the week as you go, so you have what you need to get busy while he's in class. Also, consider volunteering or otherwise helping at the school during that time.

[HSDCY]

Only you can decide what's the best setting, based on the options in your area. I think "schools for homeschoolers" are a great option, especially for higher-level classes. But you'll want to check out this place - who are the teachers, what are their qualifications, what is the history of the group, where do their graduates go to college (if that is your goal), from what worldview do they teach (especially science), etc, how much homework is there and how much time will you have for things like field trips, are there classes you would like to stay home for and if so can he attend part time, and so on. The drive would absolutely not be a barrier for me, if the academics are there and it is otherwise a good fit for your family. You will of course want to figure out "car schooling" options for getting work done during the commute, and options for you and youngers on those days if you have youngers. You can always try it for a year, or start part-time, and see how it goes.

 

This is a Christian academy, and I found my values and worldview align well with theirs.

 

Their teachers are certainly qualified to teach, they are the experts in the subjects (for high school level). The majority of them teach only one subject for one grade, they are fully devoted to the students in their care.

 

I've known this school for more than 8 years, and what prompted me to consider it is not only the need to outsource some subjects in high school, but also the the need of classroom interaction with peers and teachers especially for my only child.

[Teachin'Mine]

Ugh. I answered the poll before reading your post. :tongue_smilie: So cancel one "no" vote and add a yes and I'd definitely do it in junior high as a trial run for high school. I think it's great to try out whatever you plan for high school in 8th, or even in 7th. That gives you time to change direction if you find it doesn't work well for your student. :) IMO 90 minutes travel 3x per week is fine.

[bettyandbob]

So, that would be 3 hours a day of driving for the parent at a minimum, unless you could find a carpool. That would be an absolute nonstarter for me. Even if you were ok with this, how would it affect your home school for your younger dc? That's a big chunk of the day.

 

I considered a Classical Christian high school near me. The curriculum seemed to be great. I talked to a few people about and their comments about curriculum confirmed what I thought. However, I found the approach to Christianity to be too legalistic. Girls were required to wear skirts and their hems would be measured for inspections regularly. Talk about my dd's hemline is a real turn off to me. My dd is pretty conservative in the way she dresses.

 

I also briefly considered an all boys Classical school for my oldest ds, but the commute was too far and since I also have a dd and there was no female equivalent that seemed to a nonstarter for us.

 

I have since had to quit homeschool for financial reasons. My oldest ds is in public hs and that has been OK. I feel confident in saying that it has been as successful as or better than any other traditional school option. He's a quirky kid and nothing will fit perfectly, not even homeschool. I also know if we lived in the next neighborhood in any direction the schools environment would be worse for him (even though those schools are better in stats). Dd is not quirky and fits in most places, while still not following the crowd in her behavior. She amazes me daily. She attends public middle school and I'm sure it helps that she is in a GT program. It's nice that she talks to be daily about all the things she observes--we have a close relationship that I credit to the fact that we did homeschool previously.

 

If I didn't work I think I could put together a great home school high school program. There are lots of options of you want to continue through high school.

 

Good luck finding what's best for your family.

[Ester Maria]

How about trying it out for one day a week - a class or two only - to see whether you can function with that amount of drive time, and to check whether the school would really be up to your expectations? That is maybe the best option now, I think.

[HSDCY]

Ugh. I answered the poll before reading your post. :tongue_smilie: So cancel one "no" vote and add a yes and I'd definitely do it in junior high as a trial run for high school.

 

So what was it that changed your mind?

 

When I started out with this poll, I was thinking about my own situation. But I was also curious about what people would do if they have access to a great classical academy.

[HSDCY]

How about trying it out for one day a week - a class or two only - to see whether you can function with that amount of drive time, and to check whether the school would really be up to your expectations? That is maybe the best option now, I think.

 

This is exactly what my husband said.

[bettyandbob]

Based on your posts you should consider it. But remember these things often look very good from afar.

 

Talk to families that attend.

Talk to families that left before graduation.

Look at the curriculum and see if it really matches your dc's hopes for the future. For a future engineer, is the math curriculum strong? Other children might want a chance to go truly in depth in a foreign language.

Ask graduates who finished a year ago if they felt prepared to do whatever they are doing.

Ask graduates who finished four years ago if they felt prepared.

 

I'm sure others will have more suggestions.

[reign]

I voted yes right now. But really that's only if I loved the school and the kid wanted too. Oldest is pretty anti going to school so I wouldn't.

[Tap]

Only child= gets chance to work in groups.

 

3hrs a day (hopefully carpool)=not wonderful but doable. Maybe you can find an opportunity to volunteer near by.

 

Can try it before high school= nice to not worry about messing with high school credits if you decide to pull out mid year.

 

Views align=always a bonus.

 

 

Those would all be good reasons/or at least doable reasons to try it for me. How does your son feel about it?

[HSDCY]

Based on your posts you should consider it. But remember these things often look very good from afar.

 

Talk to families that attend.

Talk to families that left before graduation.

Look at the curriculum and see if it really matches your dc's hopes for the future. For a future engineer, is the math curriculum strong? Other children might want a chance to go truly in depth in a foreign language.

Ask graduates who finished a year ago if they felt prepared to do whatever they are doing.

Ask graduates who finished four years ago if they felt prepared.

 

I'm sure others will have more suggestions.

 

Thanks for these good points to consider. I'll try to find answers when I can.

 

I've talked to 4 different families (all of them personal friends), two families quit because their kids went back to public schools (closer to home and the church friends), one quit because the daughter did not like her peers (but loved the teachers). One family is still there.

[HSDCY]

Only child= gets chance to work in groups.

 

3hrs a day (hopefully carpool)=not wonderful but doable. Maybe you can find an opportunity to volunteer near by.

 

Can try it before high school= nice to not worry about messing with high school credits if you decide to pull out mid year.

 

Views align=always a bonus.

 

 

Those would all be good reasons/or at least doable reasons to try it for me. How does your son feel about it?

 

I completely agree with you. The only thing I am not sure about is the commute.

 

Ds wants to stay home, but he is not against it either.

[TranquilMind]

We have been home schooling for 7 years, ds is currently in 7th grade. When I first started, I thought I would home school him all the way through high school, but the older he gets, the less assured I am about this.

 

We have a very reputable school here that admits only home schoolers. They use classical education model, offer many AP courses, have very small class sizes and very devoted teachers many of whom are or were home school parents themselves. If ds enroll as full-time student, he will be there for 2.5 days per week--two full days for all course work, one half day for labs or electives. Of course, there is the option of just taking 1 or 2 of their courses as well.

 

The only downside is that it takes us about 90 minutes round trip without traffic. Would you do it for high school assuming you can afford it?

I did, although it doesn't admit only homeschoolers. It is very popular now and there is a huge waiting list for all grades. She really wanted to go because they offered Latin for all four years.

 

My daughter is a sophomore. She's been exposed to a lot that I wish she had not, but she simply wasn't happy or challenged at the most academic co-ops I could find. She also disliked it that her only "peer" academically was a 10 year old prodigy, so she and this girl would be at the top of every class. She wanted to have some peers her own age and we finally decided to let her go.

 

In some ways it has been good. She has grown even more independent and confident. She has managed to get around on the city bus system when I was hospitalized and my husband had to be with me almost all the time. She has also had opportunities I could not provide. She has been able to take several APs already. She is the top student in the Senior AP Latin class at 15, so I don't know what they will do with her the last two years. Most classes are good, but there are bad teachers here and there, like anywhere else.

 

Being a smallish charter school, I think I'm going to lobby to get them to send her to the local branch of a well-known state college next year, at least for some classes, because she can certainly handle the work. She might as well be getting some college credits out of the way, and I'm not just talking about the little sociology and psychology classes now offered at the Community college. She's already heard those are super-easy.

 

The ironic thing is that she still has very few peers academically at this school, though she has some friends now. She has noticed that the really serious students she met at a college class she took last summer and the few geeky braniacs at her school are people she can really talk to, so struggles with where she fits in. Sometimes she happily claims being a geek, but the next day she'd rather be "cool", and she hasn't yet figured out that these are not incompatible and that you should just always march to your own drummer, though it is starting to come.

 

She wants to go away on exchange somewhere next year. We shall see.

 

Teens!

[katilac]

90 minutes of driving twice a day, 3x per week would be a complete deal breaker for me.

 

I might consider the half-day 1x per week for electives, if I could simply stay and not go home and back again.

 

If dds didn't want to, I wouldn't even consider it. There are plenty of online classes for academics, and plenty of opportunities for working in groups.

 

Re AP classes: the fact that they have them tells you very little. You need to see documented test scores that the kids are actually testing well.

[Tap]

My daughters private school will allow the kids to attend for a week before making a decision. They can do it a year ahead of time or whenever they want to. Is that a possibility, so you can both try it on to see what it will be like? Where we live, a 45 minute commute each way isn't unheard of, and is fairly common with private schools.

[HappyGrace]

Except for the commute, this would be my dream situation!!!!!

 

If all else looked good about the school (the things others have mentioned), I would go for it and deal with the commute.

 

Oh, yes, I meant to say I'd start it next yr and see how it goes, before high school starts, in case it doesn't work out, so you can regroup for high school.

[Teachin'Mine]

So what was it that changed your mind?

 

When I started out with this poll, I was thinking about my own situation. But I was also curious about what people would do if they have access to a great classical academy.

 

It's not the typical five days a week school and it sounds like you'd have more of a say in his education as it's geared toward homeschoolers. If I thought the pros outweighed the cons, I'd give it a go. This is thinking from your point of view. For us, I probably wouldn't have been interested in something like this for the full 2.5 days, but for a course or two might have been.

[ThisIsTheDay]

We have been home schooling for 7 years, ds is currently in 7th grade. When I first started, I thought I would home school him all the way through high school, but the older he gets, the less assured I am about this.

 

We have a very reputable school here that admits only home schoolers. They use classical education model, offer many AP courses, have very small class sizes and very devoted teachers many of whom are or were home school parents themselves. If ds enroll as full-time student, he will be there for 2.5 days per week--two full days for all course work, one half day for labs or electives. Of course, there is the option of just taking 1 or 2 of their courses as well.

 

The only downside is that it takes us about 90 minutes round trip without traffic. Would you do it for high school assuming you can afford it?

 

I would not consider this an option because of the commute.

 

If this were me, I would not be limiting my choices to only this school or online/CC classes.

 

If the school were (much) closer, I'd consider finding out a bit more, but just because it's available doesn't mean I'd do it.

 

We've been happy with homeschooling high school (dd is a jr.).

[HSDCY]

My daughters private school will allow the kids to attend for a week before making a decision. They can do it a year ahead of time or whenever they want to. Is that a possibility, so you can both try it on to see what it will be like? Where we live, a 45 minute commute each way isn't unheard of, and is fairly common with private schools.

 

No, they don't offer this option although they let you go to the school and "audit" their classes for a day, and we plan to do that.

 

It's interesting to see that the commute is a deal breaker for some but no problems for others. I myself consider 90 minutes twice a day quite a commute.

[HSDCY]

 

If this were me, I would not be limiting my choices to only this school or online/CC classes.

 

I would be interested in knowing more. So far my choices have been: home full time with online/CC classes, this school, or a college-prep private school. The private school would be my last resort, and both ds and I would rather not go that route if we can.

[Teachin'Mine]

No, they don't offer this option although they let you go to the school and "audit" their classes for a day, and we plan to do that.

 

It's interesting to see that the commute is a deal breaker for some but no problems for others. I myself consider 90 minutes twice a day quite a commute.

 

Okay. May I change my answer again? I thought it was 90 minutes round trip - as in total travel time of 90 minutes. For a commute that long, 3x per week would be too disruptive. A single class or two if they're exceptional ... otherwise I'd look for other options - especially since your son isn't asking to go.

[Joyofsixreboot]

If it were a possibility I would start in 8th. Not possible here though.

[catz]

That commute would be a complete deal breaker for me, but otherwise it sounds ideal.

[chiguirre]

Yes, but not with that commute! I'd move. In fact, if dd wants to attend high school we're planning to move into the city to be near a good prep school.

[Wabi Sabi]

I'll keep our options open when my kids are ready for high school and I'd be willing to consider a variety of schooling options, but for us the fact that it's a Christian school makes it an absolute no-go. I'd love to find a secular classical school or coop but they certainly don't seem to exist around here.

[HappyGrace]

May I change my answer again? I thought it was 90 minutes round trip - as in total travel time of 90 minutes. For a commute that long' date=' 3x per week would be too disruptive. [/quote']

 

:iagree: This is what I thought too.

 

And I was thinking with 45 min each way, and only one child, it would be doable because on those days I would either do errands while he was in there, or sit at a nearby library and read or knit or find nearby volunteer work or help at the school or whatever.

[Retired]

We have been home schooling for 7 years, ds is currently in 7th grade. When I first started, I thought I would home school him all the way through high school, but the older he gets, the less assured I am about this.

 

We have a very reputable school here that admits only home schoolers. They use classical education model, offer many AP courses, have very small class sizes and very devoted teachers many of whom are or were home school parents themselves. If ds enroll as full-time student, he will be there for 2.5 days per week--two full days for all course work, one half day for labs or electives. Of course, there is the option of just taking 1 or 2 of their courses as well.

 

The only downside is that it takes us about 90 minutes round trip without traffic. Would you do it for high school assuming you can afford it?

 

We chose to not make the drive. We also have 2 university/homeschool models within 1 hour one way trip from our home. I had younger child at the time and just didn't want to want to spend our day trying to do school and entertain him at the library

 

That child is now my homeschool teen and we really were torn. We decided to just start college early. There are 3 community colleges with in 30 min drive which is half the drive of the university model schools

[angela in ohio]

The drive wouldn't concern me so much, but I would want to know more about the teachers' qualifications. Is their only experience homeschooling or do they have degrees in their subject area?

 

I see that it is 90 minutes each way, and that would be too much. 90 minutes round trip is about what we do for our co-op, so that is not big deal to me.

[higginszoo]

If it were closer, I'd probably try it for eighth grade and see how it went. 3 hours a day in the car would be a deal-breaker for me, though. I had a similar commute when I was in high school, and it just cut too much into the rest of my life, I wouldn't do that to my dc.

[TravelingChris]

I want to repeat the warning another poster made- what does your child want to study later on? Why do I say this? Because a school like this may have worked fine for my oldest who was interested in history and philosophy but not at all for my youngest who is interested in science and technology. For her, we do modified classical- traditional lit, traditional art and music study, good world history, but a greater emphasis on math, science and technology.

 

Are you in a place where the commute wouldn't be hampered by winter weather or tropical storms or any other weather hazards? It is one thing to drive 9o miles on a nice sunny day with 60 degree weather. On the other hand, trying to drive that with blinding rain, blowing snow or dust, or icy roads is something else. It would be too much for me at this time.

[HSDCY]

Okay. May I change my answer again? I thought it was 90 minutes round trip - as in total travel time of 90 minutes. For a commute that long' date=' 3x per week would be too disruptive. A single class or two if they're exceptional ... otherwise I'd look for other options - especially since your son isn't asking to go.[/quote']

 

To clarify, it is 90 minutes roundtrip. But I suppose there would be days when I want to come home after dropping him off. It is possible for me to stay there and wait for him to finish classes and therefore cut the commute to 90 a day though.

[HSDCY]

I want to repeat the warning another poster made- what does your child want to study later on? Why do I say this? Because a school like this may have worked fine for my oldest who was interested in history and philosophy but not at all for my youngest who is interested in science and technology. For her, we do modified classical- traditional lit, traditional art and music study, good world history, but a greater emphasis on math, science and technology.

 

Are you in a place where the commute wouldn't be hampered by winter weather or tropical storms or any other weather hazards? It is one thing to drive 9o miles on a nice sunny day with 60 degree weather. On the other hand, trying to drive that with blinding rain, blowing snow or dust, or icy roads is something else. It would be too much for me at this time.

 

This school does have AP courses in all science areas and calculus taught by teachers who majored in those fields (some even work full time in the fields they teach). Would this be a good indication or are you thinking about something more?