Jump to content

Menu

*HOME*schooling high school


Recommended Posts

Also, I really wouldn't consider a mom-run/mom-taught co-op. There's already a system at hand where people teach children in a group setting. As a bonus, the people in that system have passed certain minimal requirements regarding content knowledge and pedagogy, and will suffer consequences if they flake out midway through the semester. I call that system "school." 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

snip

 

I don't see altering what we are doing. I will continue to teach what I can, hire tutors for things like Russian for things I can't, and enroll elsewhere for coursework that better serves my kids by taking elsewhere (like ds and his college level math and sciences......I don't see any valid homeschooling argument to prevent a student from taking 200/300 level college courses simply to keep them at home. That is counter to why we homeschool. One of the main reasons we homeschool is to provide the best academic education we are capable of providing.). But we will never dual enroll simply for the sake of dual enrollment or take subpar coursework simply to validate our homeschool.

 

This.

 

This thread reminds me of the "you are real woman only if you give birth vaginally and without pain medication - anything else doesn't result in a "real" baby" argument or slam, which is what it really is.

 

Blech!

 

What I also don't understand from the OP and other posters (mamajudy - I think) is that now that you are done, you wouldn't fight for the right to homeschool because the rest of us "nonpurists" are unappreciative and are messing things up? I am not sure I understand the logic. I have had one child or more in a public or private school setting for 22 years and I have homeschooled for seven years, yet I  (ignorant newbie that I am) would fight tooth and nail to keep my right to homeschool. Heck, I'd even fight for the right of your children to homeschool your grandchildren. I believe more strongly each passing year in homeschooling, but I believe in it first and foremost as one of the best means of providing a better education for my youngest.

 

Each board member's situation is unique. We all bring different children, educational backgrounds and skill sets to the table. Sorry, but if you can't get up half the mornings and despise math and science, I am not sure that keeping your child home through high school with you as the only teacher, is the best possible plan.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know the first thing about home schooling in PA, except that it's rumoured to be difficult. We are a long way from PA here.

 

 

IME, homeschooling in PA is not at all difficult.  I wish my youngest would have been content to continue homeschooling as he'd have had a better foundational education.

 

The only issue we're talking about here is with some of our state colleges. Both of mine who homeschooled had better financial offers from private schools and they preferred their respective private schools, so it was a win-win.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the OP got under my skin as well. If you don't want to call me a homeschooler because I did DE and online classes, so be it. But I did what was best for my children's education. THAT was my focus, not keeping them at home. There is NO way that I, alone, at home could have taught Spanish I- IV, AP Chemistry and Physics, AP calc, Computer programing, etc. Those classes are what my oldest one needed. He was gifted in math and science. Apologia and Chalkdust were great for awhile, but then he needed someone to truly guide him who understood the material and wasn't just checking off that the answer was correct from the teacher's guide. And to try to teach him those advanced math and science classes while helping his brother 2 years younger with regular high school subjects AND teach daughter how to read, write and do math..... You would have had to put me in the loony bin. ( Even with outsourcing those advanced classes, those years of teaching 3 REALLY well and up to standards was really tough.) I'm glad that you and others can completely do high school in your home with you as the teacher. I could not. I'm not nearly talented enough.

I think it is an illusion that way back when "only at home" was the case anyway. As I noted in my OP, every family I knew back in the 90s with high schoolers enrolled with providers like Seton, Abeka, and I forgot about Calvert which actually gave/give accredited diplomas.

 

However, I readily admit, I am very anti- co-ops. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The OP simply asked a valid question, swimmermom3, and was observing what she perceives as a trend. Who ever said that a parent who can't get up in the morning and despises math and science should keep their child at home for whatever reason? If DE is what works for you, go for it. As I said before, outsourcing can be beneficial. But for many it is logistically or financially impossible, or even unnecessary. Some of us are quite capable of providing our children with a better education than the community college down the street. As for me fighting for your right to homeschool, I'm passing the torch. We did manage to get the admissions policy changed at a college that our DD decided not to attend, and hopefully other homeschoolers will benefit from our effort. Times have changed, and it's time for the next generation to take the responsibility of preserving their freedoms. I am old enough to have grandchildren homeschooling. I am ready for the next chapter of my life now. God bless you in your endeavor!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have a problem with outsourcing.  We've outsourced.  We continue to outsource, but because of our philosophies and budget, we only outsource things I can't teach, or feel would be better taught in a group setting.  That is going to vary from family to family.  I can teach literature, writing and German with confidence.  Math, Art and Drama, not so much ;)  So, I have employed other people to teach my daughter and it has only enhanced and benefited her education.  We are intending to do duel enrollment her Senior year because it's a great transition into college, it's cost effective here (high school seniors pay MUCH less than college freshmen), and available to us.

 

 Here's where I answer the OP's question. Moms have been co-oping and outsourcing from the beginning so in that case, it is a nationwide trend.  What is not a nationwide trend is the degree to which we are outsourcing, the amount of money being spent, and what is available to homeschoolers.  That varies from state to state and I would say from community to community.  

 

 We made a MAJOR move this year after 14 years of living in the same town (why I've been absent from the boards :P ).  We're talking across country, the cultures couldn't be more different, the values are different and we are constantly in culture shock....and homesick, but that's another topic.  In our previous state, we were NOT considering duel enrollment for our daughters AT ALL even though it was available to us.  It wasn't cost effective, there were serious problems with the community college campus and I was already researching out of state colleges and what they required with the knowledge that we did not want our daughter to attend the local colleges.  We had done a live online class and were considering more of those.  We were also discussing co-oping with some other moms for state history and science labs, but that was it.  Now, we have many more opportunities available to us, and that's great!  However, when I politely tell people we're not enrolling in THE group to enroll in, they are baffled.  I've even been told if I want my daughter to succeed in college, I NEED these groups/that teacher etc.  I was offended at first, but now, I feel sad for the moms that are driving from group to group, paying thousands of dollars to homeschool when it doesn't have to be that way.  If that's what works for your family, great, but to tell other homeschoolers that they HAVE to follow your path or they're doomed is ridiculous.  I am so grateful to live where we live now and have all these support groups and opportunities available to us.  However, I have more than once thanked the Lord for 10 years of homeschooling in a state where I had limited resources.  It built our confidence to the point where I'm able to look at all the choices as options, not necessities.  Mommy wars are stupid.  After 10 years, i am fed up with the stupid questions from non-homeschooling families and I can't understand why homeschooling families are taking aim at each other and fighting over the RIGHT way to school.  There is no right way.  If there was, don't you think we'd all be doing it?

 

I hope that makes sense and I hope I come across as I intended.  Every family has to make these decisions on their own.  I don't think the OP was saying outsourcing is wrong, just recognizing that the face of homeschooling has changed in the last decade and is it that way everywhere.  The answer is no.

 

Blessings!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 However, when I politely tell people we're not enrolling in THE group to enroll in, they are baffled.  I've even been told if I want my daughter to succeed in college, I NEED these groups/that teacher etc.  I was offended at first, but now, I feel sad for the moms that are driving from group to group, paying thousands of dollars to homeschool when it doesn't have to be that way.  If that's what works for your family, great, but to tell other homeschoolers that they HAVE to follow your path or they're doomed is ridiculous.

Blessings!

 

This is one of the reasons that I am anti-co-ops.   Beyond the fact that most are subpar in quality to begin with, many leave moms with the impression that they can't do it on their own without them.   It is one thing to outsource non-core courses for fun or upper level core subjects to individuals with expertise in those areas.   It is another to lead moms of little kids to believe that they can't teach elementary history at home on their own and that they will be depriving their kids of a better education if they attempt it at home or to suggest that any mom filling in a teaching role in any co-op classroom will provide better education than teaching at home.   (Last time we moved, I was seriously told by the head of a co-op that their high school math teacher using MUS could provide my kids better math instruction than I could do at home.   Ditto with science via Apologia.  Ummm. I don't think so!  ;)  If I weren't an experienced homeschool mom fully aware of the quality of curriculum and confident in my teaching abilities, some of these co-ops are very intimidating.)  

 

Join b/c you want to, not b/c they can do it better than you.

 

We moved across country almost a yr ago.   It was really, really hard on my teens at first.   But now they are happier than anywhere we have ever lived.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

However, when I politely tell people we're not enrolling in THE group to enroll in, they are baffled.  I've even been told if I want my daughter to succeed in college, I NEED these groups/that teacher etc.  I was offended at first, but now, I feel sad for the moms that are driving from group to group, paying thousands of dollars to homeschool when it doesn't have to be that way.  

Yep.  I've run into the same thing.  It leaves me baffled because I don't care what they enroll in so why do they care so much what we do?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have any problems with outsourcing. But I do sometimes get frustrated with conversations that end with just "enroll them in the cc." As several people have pointed out quality varies widely and parental ability to pay also varies.

 

Though I will say that I think my ds1 stood out on his college applications for having self-designed courses. Most schools included a note with his acceptance about his unique courses. If we had been able to pay for cc, we might not have done that. But again, we know very few homeschooled high schoolers irl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have any problems with outsourcing. But I do sometimes get frustrated with conversations that end with just "enroll them in the cc." As several people have pointed out quality varies widely and parental ability to pay also varies.

 

Though I will say that I think my ds1 stood out on his college applications for having self-designed courses. Most schools included a note with his acceptance about his unique courses. If we had been able to pay for cc, we might not have done that. But again, we know very few homeschooled high schoolers irl.

This is a good point. Self-designed courses show initiative and creativity. A serious senior research project, as described in The Well Trained Mind, is something you won't get in a community college. By simply enrolling them in CC, many parents and their students are missing out on the opportunity to do something that will really set them apart from the typical college applicant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to add to my previous post, a high school student can design an interdisciplinary year-long research project, allowing for the investigation of a particular topic of interest. A prospectus can first be written, describing the proposed field of study, its relevance, what new learning will be necessary to carry out the plan, and the project itself. The research project can then be carried out, and a scholarly paper can be written as a major component of the course. This is not something a student in a cc will do, but it is something that many masters degree programs and even PhD programs require. Homeschooling allows for this type of learning, which can be much more innovative than DE or online classes. Consider the possibilities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny that this was posted just recently. I have been thinking about this very thing for a couple days. As I said in my post asking about "accredited high school diplomas" I worry that not only am I the only one who wasn't concerned with seeking an accredited diploma (and I was second-guessing that), but it seems that I may be the only one homeschooling throughout high school in my area. As our kids are getting toward middle school age, moms are looking for ways to get their kids in school or a homeschool / campus school hybrid left and right, it seems. (I'm not talking about the odd online class, btw. I still consider that homeschooling.) And I don't blame them in the sense that homeschooling high school can be a scary thought. But I just didn't realize that homeschooling may get lonelier and lonelier as my kids get older, as more and more families drop out in favor of private high schools, homeschool/private school hybrid (homeschooling only 2 days per week and fulfilling assignments that were received at the school), or homeschooling under the intense supervision of a distance school that will in turn offer an accredited diploma (a la Seton). It definitely makes me feel like the "lesser homeschooler" in a way, and, like I said, saps my confidence a bit (at least temporarily), wondering if I am deluding myself that I am capable of getting my kids through high school with lil ole ME at the helm and no "school" whatsoever.

 

So I kinda do see the trend that homeschoolers are taking advantage of increasing options to delegate and kind of blur the line between homeschool and "school". I don't think it's WRONG, but for those of us who didn't have that in mind for our children, the feeling of being alone on our journey is a little disconcerting. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny that this was posted just recently. I have been thinking about this very thing for a couple days. As I said in my post asking about "accredited high school diplomas" I worry that not only am I the only one who wasn't concerned with seeking an accredited diploma (and I was second-guessing that), but it seems that I may be the only one homeschooling throughout high school in my area. As our kids are getting toward middle school age, moms are looking for ways to get their kids in school or a homeschool / campus school hybrid left and right, it seems. (I'm not talking about the odd online class, btw. I still consider that homeschooling.) And I don't blame them in the sense that homeschooling high school can be a scary thought. But I just didn't realize that homeschooling may get lonelier and lonelier as my kids get older, as more and more families drop out in favor of private high schools, homeschool/private school hybrid (homeschooling only 2 days per week and fulfilling assignments that were received at the school), or homeschooling under the intense supervision of a distance school that will in turn offer an accredited diploma (a la Seton). It definitely makes me feel like the "lesser homeschooler" in a way, and, like I said, saps my confidence a bit (at least temporarily), wondering if I am deluding myself that I am capable of getting my kids through high school with lil ole ME at the helm and no "school" whatsoever.

 

So I kinda do see the trend that homeschoolers are taking advantage of increasing options to delegate and kind of blur the line between homeschool and "school". I don't think it's WRONG, but for those of us who didn't have that in mind for our children, the feeling of being alone on our journey is a little disconcerting. 

 

Maybe it would help if you read through some of the college acceptance threads?

 

Here's one from 2011-2012 (look at the last post for the complete list for then):

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/372961-2011-2012-college-list/

 

It links to an older one in my first post, but I can't get that one to work now. I don't know if others know how to access it.

 

And this one isn't just a list - it's an ongoing one for this year...

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/484961-class-of-2014-college-acceptances/

 

Except for early decision, "top" schools haven't notified of admission yet, so this list won't be complete until April/May - perhaps longer if coming off a waitlist or for those going to non-US schools.

 

We tend to start one every year, but these can give you an idea of where our Hive kids go.  Many (not all) homeschool high school.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to add to my previous post, a high school student can design an interdisciplinary year-long research project, allowing for the investigation of a particular topic of interest. A prospectus can first be written, describing the proposed field of study, its relevance, what new learning will be necessary to carry out the plan, and the project itself. The research project can then be carried out, and a scholarly paper can be written as a major component of the course. This is not something a student in a cc will do, but it is something that many masters degree programs and even PhD programs require. Homeschooling allows for this type of learning, which can be much more innovative than DE or online classes. Consider the possibilities.

 

Maybe I misunderstand, but I was under the impression that this isn't an either/or question, that a student might take a discrete on-line class and/or DE class and/or CC class and still have an interdisciplinary research project at home, the whole point being a custom-fit education, course-by-course?

 

It's true that such a project could demonstrate an interest/hook that would help in application to highly selective schools, but at the same time, it's hard to imagine the same student taking all courses at home and then applying to highly selective schools, as it would be challenging for the parent to provide the requisite expertise for a variety of AP-level work without some outsourcing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  I'm not so sure about the problems with UPitt. We're in NY(so no "real" diploma), but homeschooled 9th and 10th grades in TX. No outside classes, just SAT, ACT, and SATII. My son had no problems getting accepted to UPitt, their honors program, and over $30,000 in merit awards. He chose to go elsewhere, but there certainly weren't any hassles with the application, so maybe things did improve?

 

Hopefully, it had improved.  Four years ago, a friend's dd was accepted at UPitt, full scholarship, honors engineering program.  After she accepted the offer, then UPitt started asking for a diploma.  It took a while for my friend to resolve this since we're in a state that does not offer a diploma like PHAA.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I misunderstand, but I was under the impression that this isn't an either/or question, that a student might take a discrete on-line class and/or DE class and/or CC class and still have an interdisciplinary research project at home, the whole point being a custom-fit education, course-by-course?

 

It isn't either/or. My dd has a combination of self-designed courses, online classes, cc classes, and classes I teach her.

 

There is also a lot of room between accredited diploma or fully enrolled in a program and everything at home.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We mostly do our own thing, but we do participate in dual enrollment. The community college rule here is only two dual enrollment classes are allowed each semester. My ds only does one per semester. The price range is free to $75 per class depending on the location the class is taken.  I don't feel the need for all the outside classes, but I wanted my son to get a small taste of college before going full time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...