Talk me down off the ledge...(sorta joking...but sorta not) be gentle

[Halcyon]

So I am deep in the middle of scrambling to get DS13's portfolio application, essays, test scores, recommendations and financial aid package together for a school he wants to go to...everything is due in 5 days. FIVE DAYS! LOL. Anyway, except for the financial aid application which is taking forever, things are going along okay. If i keep my nose to the grindstone, i should be able to get it all finished.

 

But we just found out yesterday that last year the school that we are applying to gave basically zero financial aid.  :huh:  My son has his heart set on this school, and without a significant chunk of aid, it isn't going to be a possiblitiy. I am researching other schools but haven't found anything that is great. Our public is 'okay'. It is huge, which is a negative, but it is close and free! It doesn't have the best reputation, but it doesn't have a terrible one either. They offer AP courses, but performance on them isn't great. I am not really keen on sending him to public, especially such a huge school. I don' tknow what to do. I am trying to prepare my son, and myself, for the possibliity that private schools will be out of reach for us. 

 

He doesn't want to homeschool high school, and we support him in that decision. We have no charter schools near us, unfortunately. Can we apply to a charter that is not in our district? i think i remember researching that and the answer was no. 

 

Ugh, I just feel overwhelmed. DH was in Paris (he got out this morning on a flight, thank god) , a close friend just passed away, and I feel like I am floundering in a lot of areas. I want to give my son the best education (isn't that why we homeschool???) and the thought of him going to a mediocre public after 8 years of homeschool...sigh. I don't know. 

 

I guess i just need to vent a little. Be gentle.

 

Edited; it was DH in paris, not DS

[Farrar]

:grouphug:

My only thought for you is that, as the Quakers say, a way will open. Your ds is smart and motivated and in a loving family. No option is ever perfect. Whatever happens will be the thing that happens and will be okay in the end in part because you've invested so much time and love in his education already. 

[maize]

Double check the out of district charters, you don't have to be in the same district to enroll in a charter where we live.

 

Take time to breathe, that sounds like a lot of stress.

[Hunter]

Yes, we want to give them the best. But what is best? For THEM. And for the people they will interact with and impact for decades to come.

 

Sometimes our greatest mistakes and failings are all part of the master plan.

 

We can think very narrowly of what is success. And things like Paris can show us that life can change unexpectedly and what we think is going to be MOST important changes.

 

Who our children and students become and who they impact is far greater than how well we provide a generic narrowly defined "best" education.

[Aiden]

There are no perfect decisions. You'll do the best you can, and that will be good enough.

 

I'm very glad your son is headed home. I can't imagine the fear you must have been feeling until you heard from him, or the lingering anxiety until you knew he was on his way home.

[Carol in Cal.]

Around here, anyway, you can enroll in a charter in a neighboring district--it has to share a border with yours.

[wapiti]

My understanding is that financial aid for high school is typically much harder to come by than for college.  How disappointing to suddenly find this out!

 

Definitely check on the out-of-district charters - there should be enrollment info on the charter's website.  Our state allows a student to enroll in any school in the state (both regular and charter schools) though in-district students usually have higher priority.  There are out-of-district students attending my kids' elementary charter.

[Arcadia]

:grouphug:

 

We are going for the proof school open house. I can't afford to send both if it turn out to be a good fit and it would be weird to alternate kids.

 

Around here, anyway, you can enroll in a charter in a neighboring district--it has to share a border with yours.

I could enrol my kids in any B&M charter in my county (Santa Clara). I could also enrol in ISP style charter (Ocean Grove) or CAVA in the next door county.

[Momling]

My daughter will go to our town's public high school and I'm excited for her. Big schools can be great. I graduated in a class of 830 kids. There were lots of different groups of kids and lots of options for classes and lots of different sports teams and clubs and opportunities. Of course, some kids were not academically motivated and AP scores probably weren't high, but it didn't matter from my perspective. I did well and I went on to a great college. Kids can thrive in public schools. I wouldn't discount it because it's big or because test scores are low.

[Halcyon]

Thanks all. And sorry I misposted--it's my DH who was in Paris, not my son. 

 

Yes, i didn't realize financial aid is that hard to come by for private high schools. I am going to keep on going with my applications anyway, despite the challenge, and the FA app. It can't hurt.

 

I have looked at a few charters in the neighbouring district and the ones that indicate anything say that only in-disctrict students are allowed to apply. They have a mixed reputation anyways.

 

The big problem is that DH refuses to send DS13 to the local public. Now, mind you, he hasn't visited it, and we will on Tuesday night. So maybe he'll feel differently once we visit, but I am NOT hopeful. So what do we do then? If he doesn't get in, and doesn't get FA to the 2-3 privates we are applying to...and he doesn't want to homeschool (and to be honest, I am ready to stop I think)...then what. I think we need to explore all our options.

 

I just feel like "crud, I spent 8 years giving him the best education we possibly could, and now he is going to go to a so-so high school where his needs may or may not be met". I don't know. I just feel.....deflated.

[Halcyon]

And to be perfectly honest, he's not a good interviewer, and I know these schools look for that. 

 

[Halcyon]

I think I (and more importantly, DH) need to get over ourselves. We've spent 8 years handcrafting the "perfect" curriculum for our kids and then they're sorta thrown to the wolves at a big public. I need to have faith that my kid will be able to handle it, and find his sweet spot. They offer dual enrollment as well. 

 

If only I can convince DH that this is a possibility.

[Hilltopmom]

Remember that learning doesn't have to Stop at the door to the public school.

 

He can still prep for AP classes, listen to Great Courses, read great books & discuss them with you, watch documentaries, take summer courses or programs, code, act, create, make music, (insert whatever he's "into" here)... Even if he goes to public school.

 

Obviously public school demands will cut into his time, & you don't get to choose the basic curriculum, but it's certainly not the be all end all for life long learning:)

 

It'll be ok. Lots & lots of very well educated people attended & still attend public schools.

[sassenach]

I had a child in a charter in FL that was across county lines. It's possible.

 

Apply for financial aide. You never know. You might have gotten bad intel.

 

You can only do what you can do, right? I have a son who would love to go to a local private school, but we simply cannot afford it. And, honestly, now that I'm paying for college tuition, I think a better plan is to save that money for college rather than draining ourselves dry over high school. Mediocre schools are often great schools if you are on the AP track.

 

 

[maize]

Is partial enrollment in public school an option where you are?

[Momling]

I totally understand! I have spent hundreds of hours planning, sometimes obsessing, over the best materials and the best ways to teach my kids. And then they go off to school and that's not my role any more. I have to step back and accept that they'll have their own experiences - good and bad -- without me, and they'll use books and materials that are not my choice, and the instruction will be aimed at a whole class and not my one child. And it's hard to give up control... I have to remember it's not about me. Once I get over that, I'm excited for my kids... I have given them a great start and they deserve to have those experiences.

 

So in your place, I'd apply for the private school's financial aid and if it doesn't come through, I'd ask your son what he wants to do. If he wants to go to the public school, go for it. If he didn't like it after a semester or so, re-evaluate.

[Twigs]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Farrar]

Financial aid at private schools is like at private colleges - some places, the average family is paying a lot less and others nearly everyone is paying the advertised rate. You just have to investigate. While it sounds like this school isn't so generous, you really never know.

 

Be patient. There's more to life than school. If he ends up at the local public school, maybe he'll have time to pursue some other interests and maybe it'll be that which gets him into the college of his dreams or leads him to his perfect career. I posted on that socialization thread on the chat board that I think no matter what you do you'll end up screwing up your kids somehow. And no matter what school they attend, they'll miss out on all kinds of stuff. You just have to do your best and let it go.

[FO4UR]

It's often better to be top of the class at a mediocre school rather than middle of the class at a top-notch school.  Being the top student translates into confidence and leadership skills that translate into adulthood.  (A nudge for you and your dh should the PS be the best option for your ds at this time  :grouphug: )

 

I went to a huge high school.  Huge is better than small for high school, imho.  There are more options.  Thinking about my own kids, if we lived my hometown I would send them to the hs.  The options, in both quality and quantity, outweigh the perks of home.  Small schools don't have the same options and there is no way to avoid things like a bully or a terrible teacher.

 

 

[fourisenough]

I homeschooled oldest through 8th grade then sent her to a big, public HS. Her experience there has been almost uniformly terrific. She'll graduate this year with 20-27 AP credits (depending on which University she chooses), a moderately high ACT score, and a lot of great skills and experience under her belt. She applied to and wanted to attend a very posh private school, but we just couldn't swing the tuition. I mourned the loss of that option, but to be honest, I don't know that her 'outcome' would have been any better/different had she attended there instead of the average/good, free, public school down the street. I certainly don't consider the years that I spent homeschooling her a waste only to send her to public high school. Contrarily, I feel like I've hit on the right formula for OUR family: homeschool through middle school + public high school.  We're saving our money to pay for college.

[Entropymama]

My daughter attends a charter school in a different district. We don't even share a border; it's 20 miles away. I'd go ahead and look around if you don't mind the drive. 

[Tsuga]

I think I (and more importantly, DH) need to get over ourselves. We've spent 8 years handcrafting the "perfect" curriculum for our kids and then they're sorta thrown to the wolves at a big public. I need to have faith that my kid will be able to handle it, and find his sweet spot. They offer dual enrollment as well.

 

If only I can convince DH that this is a possibility.

Having spent a to.n on ensuring my kids were in the best possible options for pre-school through K and making sacrifices to keep them in excellent publics I can only imagine how incredibly disappointing it would be to realize suddenly that high school options were limited and inferior to what we had done up to that point.

 

I think having a frank discussion about money with your son is in order so he knows what to expect.

 

Other thoughts:

 

--renting out your home to rent in a better public district

--home educate and get high school as the social outlet and credit bearer

--if your DH is so opposed to the local public, could be take the hit and do some of the homeschooling? Thinking over the real cost of the non-public option may help jog his thinking to get him working towards options that are realistic for your family.

--how many kids do you have? Any more little ones? Can you take a job to pay for private school? Sorry, on phone, can't see details.

[Halcyon]

My daughter will go to our town's public high school and I'm excited for her. Big schools can be great. I graduated in a class of 830 kids. There were lots of different groups of kids and lots of options for classes and lots of different sports teams and clubs and opportunities. Of course, some kids were not academically motivated and AP scores probably weren't high, but it didn't matter from my perspective. I did well and I went on to a great college. Kids can thrive in public schools. I wouldn't discount it because it's big or because test scores are low.

 

Thanks for this. it makes me feel better. I went to a small private and dh went to yeshiva, so neither of us have experience with public school,and to be honest, NONE of my nieces and nephews are in public, so there's a family bias. TBH, I personally think public would be good for him. I think he would learn a lot. He likes to be around people, likes to be around a LOT of people, and i think he wants to learn to navigate in a different setting. 

 

Is partial enrollment in public school an option where you are?

 

Yes, but he is not interested in that.

 

I totally understand! I have spent hundreds of hours planning, sometimes obsessing, over the best materials and the best ways to teach my kids. And then they go off to school and that's not my role any more. I have to step back and accept that they'll have their own experiences - good and bad -- without me, and they'll use books and materials that are not my choice, and the instruction will be aimed at a whole class and not my one child. And it's hard to give up control... I have to remember it's not about me. Once I get over that, I'm excited for my kids... I have given them a great start and they deserve to have those experiences.

 

So in your place, I'd apply for the private school's financial aid and if it doesn't come through, I'd ask your son what he wants to do. If he wants to go to the public school, go for it. If he didn't like it after a semester or so, re-evaluate.

 

Yes, we can do one semester, or one year, and then see. Our zoned school offers the IB program which he is interested in, so that's good. After dirving an hour each way 3 days a week (so that's almost 4 hours on the road since i return back home for work) for the last year and a half, I am really really tired of the commute. This school has a bus that picks up the kids steps from our home. STEPS! He is into the idea of attending school with kids in his neighbourhood--he's never done that before.

 

It may be that he gets there and after a month, reality sets in, and he doesn't like what he sees. Or it may be that he is pleasantly surprised. Now to convince DH. He's NOT opposed to the IB program. HE's opposed to "regular" school.

 

Unfortunately the school that has the IB program is not very safe. There was a knifing on campus last year, and they have a C safety rating. 

 

Financial aid at private schools is like at private colleges - some places, the average family is paying a lot less and others nearly everyone is paying the advertised rate. You just have to investigate. While it sounds like this school isn't so generous, you really never know.

 

Be patient. There's more to life than school. If he ends up at the local public school, maybe he'll have time to pursue some other interests and maybe it'll be that which gets him into the college of his dreams or leads him to his perfect career. I posted on that socialization thread on the chat board that I think no matter what you do you'll end up screwing up your kids somehow. And no matter what school they attend, they'll miss out on all kinds of stuff. You just have to do your best and let it go.

 

Let it go???? What is this "let it go" of which you speak?????  :lol:

 

I homeschooled oldest through 8th grade then sent her to a big, public HS. Her experience there has been almost uniformly terrific. She'll graduate this year with 20-27 AP credits (depending on which University she chooses), a moderately high ACT score, and a lot of great skills and experience under her belt. She applied to and wanted to attend a very posh private school, but we just couldn't swing the tuition. I mourned the loss of that option, but to be honest, I don't know that her 'outcome' would have been any better/different had she attended there instead of the average/good, free, public school down the street. I certainly don't consider the years that I spent homeschooling her a waste only to send her to public high school. Contrarily, I feel like I've hit on the right formula for OUR family: homeschool through middle school + public high school.  We're saving our money to pay for college.

 

Yes, this school offers AP and Honors if IB doesn't prove to be a fit. So that's good.

 

Thanks for all the support. 

[Halcyon]

 

--renting out your home to rent in a better public district

--home educate and get high school as the social outlet and credit bearer

--if your DH is so opposed to the local public, could be take the hit and do some of the homeschooling? Thinking over the real cost of the non-public option may help jog his thinking to get him working towards options that are realistic for your family.

--how many kids do you have? Any more little ones? Can you take a job to pay for private school? Sorry, on phone, can't see details.

 

1. that won't happen. dh has slaved over this home and wants to live in it LOL. 

2. we could afterschool, but i think if he did the IB program there would be no time for that. If he was intellectually fulfilled, I would be fine with that.

3. it's more DS that is ready for school; I mean, i too am burned out, but if DS13 TRULY wanted to continue, we'd figure out a way to make it work.

4. I have one more son, DS10. He's making noises about going to school also. Not sure where that will end up. He might like homeschooling more if older brother wasn't around because he'd get more attention, but he needs more friends. He's a bit lonely--he's also very social.  

Re the job: I run my own business, so that's 30 hours a week at least. If DS13 is in school, I would increase those hours. DS10 needs about 3 hours a day of work. 

[EndOfOrdinary]

Would it be possible to begin dual enrolling at 14? Just a class or two a semester? So he would not exactly be homeschooled, but wouldn't be public schooled either. He could join into PS at 16 and then do full dual enrollment. I do not know what his reasons for public high school are, so this might totally fail at meeting those requests/needs, but it would be a bit of a reprieve for you and some outside schooling for him.

[Halcyon]

Well, the problem with dual enrollment as a homeschooler is that he's still the "outsider". He wants to be an "insider". With a group of friends, going thru the same difficulties as him, same curriculum, team sports etc. I think it's the fragmentation that he is not happy with anymore.

 

The IB program would be very cohesive and tightknit, from what i understand.

[EndOfOrdinary]

Ah, well then, yes, school is the only way to go. I foresee a bit of this potentially happening with my Ds as well. Fingers crossed that he can make it until 15!

[lmrich]

The IB program should be quite challenging and full of kids who are serious. I went to a big public highschool, and honestly it was no big deal. You get used to what you know. It never occurred to me that it was that big. Just do your best and put your best effort into it and let it settle where it settles. I hope you feel peace soon. I think the not knowing part is the hardest. 

[Vida Winter]

One of the advantages of going to a very large public high school is that a student can hang out with a group of like-minded high-achieving students. I did that in high school and it *saved* me - it was probably the first time I wasn't a complete "outsider."  I do not think this is possible in a smaller high school, which is why my dc will not be going to ps in our district. It would be worth a try, anyway. A fall-back plan could be enrollment in Kolbe Academy's homeschool program which would allow him to have an official transcript.

[Tsuga]

1. that won't happen. dh has slaved over this home and wants to live in it LOL. 

2. we could afterschool, but i think if he did the IB program there would be no time for that. If he was intellectually fulfilled, I would be fine with that.

3. it's more DS that is ready for school; I mean, i too am burned out, but if DS13 TRULY wanted to continue, we'd figure out a way to make it work.

4. I have one more son, DS10. He's making noises about going to school also. Not sure where that will end up. He might like homeschooling more if older brother wasn't around because he'd get more attention, but he needs more friends. He's a bit lonely--he's also very social.  

Re the job: I run my own business, so that's 30 hours a week at least. If DS13 is in school, I would increase those hours. DS10 needs about 3 hours a day of work. 

 

I see.

 

If there's an IB program, that sounds really good.

 

It sounds like you and your DH have had quite a privileged education far from public school so I understand your hesitancy at trying something so new with such a bad reputation, but really... it's not so bad most of the time. :) Particularly not in schools that are well-off enough to have IB programs--wow. That would be top in the state here. I hope you get your sons into private school but if not I promise, we don't bite!

[Haiku]

I just feel like "crud, I spent 8 years giving him the best education we possibly could, and now he is going to go to a so-so high school where his needs may or may not be met". I don't know. I just feel.....deflated.

 

This is always what I told my dh when he mentioned the kids going to high some day ... for sports. That was his big thing ... he wanted them to go to high school for sports. My dh grew up in a tiny town and had 43 kids in his graduating class. He played every sport the school offered because anyone who wanted to could play. Aside from the fact that that is NOT the case where we live, our kids play hockey. Very, very few schools have hockey teams, and we'd have to move into a district with big houses I can't afford for them to go to those schools. No, thanks.

 

My oldest did go to school, but her circumstances were completely different (older when adopted, etc. etc.). She did not like the high school we put her in because it was "too much work." I was blithely unconcerned with that because she also wanted to go to college, and that was the school that would get her college ready. She went where I thought she would get the best education.

 

I'm not really sure that I'm following all the different school options you've mentioned and who has what program, but in my opinion, if your ds wants to go to an expensive school and you don't get the financial aid you need, then he doesn't go. "Sorry, son, it didn't work out." If you don't like the public school option, then homeschool it is. Lots of kids are not in their preferred school environment but they do well and end up thriving. You do the best you can and don't tie yourself in knots about it.

 

(And believe me, I am well-versed in tying myself in knots about the kids' hockey; we have neither the geographic location or the finances to give the kids the exact hockey experience we want for them. I have to consciously remind myself that it's not worth sacrificing my mental health to worry about it. They will be happy, healthy young adults and adults even if they don't get exactly what they want. And I know that hockey is not necessarily comparable to school, but the amount of time and dedication the kids devote to hockey comes close and makes it every bit as important to them as a school placement would be to a schooled kid.)

[...................]

Where God closes a window, he opens a door....  Just do everything you need to do and take one day, one decision at a time.  ((hugs))

[dauphin]

Well, the problem with dual enrollment as a homeschooler is that he's still the "outsider". He wants to be an "insider". With a group of friends, going thru the same difficulties as him, same curriculum, team sports etc. I think it's the fragmentation that he is not happy with anymore.

 

The IB program would be very cohesive and tightknit, from what i understand.

Oh this resonates with what we are going through right now....

[SanDiegoMom]

With public school its also helpful to find out which classes are the most rigorous within the school.  My daughter moved from a school which was rigorous across the board (99 percent graduation rate, 95 go on to four year college) to one that is more a mixed bag.  Her 10th grade year was deadly dull and we were pretty down on the school itself, especially when we compared it to her ninth grade experience. Now she is in 11th, taking four A.P.s, and loving all her teachers. Combination of more rigorous classes mixed with the school itself going at a slower ramp up in expectations. (9th and 10th are easier, 11th and 12th are much harder).  She had never been homeschooled, but if she had, my first instinct would have been to pull her out. it only took one wasted year... :) But now she is thriving and amply challenged!

[daijobu]

Even at public high schools that are not so great, if it's big enough, there is often informally a school-within-the-school where the "cream rises to the top."  That's what I experienced at my okay public school.  I was in a class of 450 students, but really my class consisted of 12 high achieving students who ended up at places like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT.  We nerds kinda ruled the roost.  (Not really, but we liked to think so.)  

 

 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

One thing you have to ask yourself is whether your son is the kind of kid who will be the cream that rises to the top, or whether he will dumb himself down so as not to stand out.  That's the really possible downside that I can see of him going to the big school.

 

But it IS really nice to be in a big place--it gives you a big field of possible friendships and you can usually find someone who shares your most obscure interest in a large population like that.

 

Also, if he makes that transition now it might make it easier not to be overwhelmed if he ends up at a large university.  When I went to college (30K students at the time), the size was no big deal because I had already had that shock from transitioning from a 300 student K-9 school to a 3000 student 10-12 one that was also my first exposure to public school. 

[FairProspects]

Well, the problem with dual enrollment as a homeschooler is that he's still the "outsider". He wants to be an "insider". With a group of friends, going thru the same difficulties as him, same curriculum, team sports etc. I think it's the fragmentation that he is not happy with anymore.

 

The IB program would be very cohesive and tightknit, from what i understand.

 

We are in this boat too. The fragmentation is really tough and kids definitely notice it as they get older.

[dauphin]

We are in this boat too. The fragmentation is really tough and kids definitely notice it as they get older.

And even if they are lucky enough while homeschooling to find their "people" in some way WRT a shared interest, they still don't have those multiple points of reference like you described. And just don't see each other that often. I would have been SO happy to have been homeschooled but less and less certain that it's right for what DD would say she wants.

[Arcadia]

The IB program would be very cohesive and tightknit, from what i understand.

We toured an IB high school including sitting in on lessons. The principal mentioned that most kids are not used to 5-6hrs of daily homework. He also said that it is the local parents who are shocked by the workload who complained. The kids won't the ones complaining.

[Janeway]

It depends where you live. In Texas, a magnet school is in a district and a charter school is not.

[Halcyon]

Thank you everyone.

 

I emailed the local public yesterday, and got a nice welcome email. The registrar said that my son would need to take End-of-Course assessment exams but I found in the Florida statutes that that doesn't seem to be required (So of course I emailed her the statute--hey, all those researching skills as a homeschool mom are coming in handy). We'll see what she says (or if she gets annoyed at me LOL) If he has to take it, I would hope he could take the Algebra 2 one. (Breathe breathe LOL)

 

She also cc:ed the head of the IB program, who wanted to know how he could reach out to more homeschoolers who might be interested in their program. So that was nice. I am going to call the head of registration tomorrow and try to get more information on exactly what they need from me, and the head of the IB program wants to have a special session just for homeschoolers next week, if I can get a few people together. 

 

All in all, I think it's a good potential option. I will still move forward with all our private apps, but I don't feel hopeful about them. DS seems to understand the challenges, and is being a really good sport about it. 

 

I guess the uncertainty is tough. As a homeschool mom, I would probably already be planning our 9th grade year at this point LOL replete with spreadsheets, curricula, texts and....LOL. I am thinking that......It's hard to let go of control  :coolgleamA:

 

 

[FO4UR]

Even at public high schools that are not so great, if it's big enough, there is often informally a school-within-the-school where the "cream rises to the top."  That's what I experienced at my okay public school.  I was in a class of 450 students, but really my class consisted of 12 high achieving students who ended up at places like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT.  We nerds kinda ruled the roost.  (Not really, but we liked to think so.)  

 

 

This was my experience as well.  The numbers were more like 30/500 though.  

 

College-bound kids really got a great education.  We had the choice between Latin/Italian/Spanish/German/French.  I took 4 years of Latin, and had friends do well on the Nat'l Latin Exam (I opted out.).  Math and science were top-notch.  We learned to whip out college level papers well.  (I thought college was easy as far as writing goes, which I later learned was b/c I had a great English teacher i high school.)  

 

 

The vo-tech kids were well-prepared too.  Some of them make much more $$$ than the college bound nerds.  I've honestly thought about doing 1/2 time high school for mine, if I can get them the vo-tech opportunities at school and do the serious subjects at home.  (Writing Papers!!!)

[dauphin]

Any updates? This discussion really struck a chord with some things that I am wrestling with now. Even put some thoughts that I hadn't been able to articulate into words, like the perception of his social/school world being so "fragmented."

[MarkT]

Our public is 'okay'. It is huge, which is a negative, but it is close and free! It doesn't have the best reputation, but it doesn't have a terrible one either. They offer AP courses, but performance on them isn't great. I am not really keen on sending him to public, especially such a huge school. I don' tknow what to do. I am trying to prepare my son, and myself, for the possibliity that private schools will be out of reach for us. 

 

He doesn't want to homeschool high school, and we support him in that decision. We have no charter schools near us, unfortunately. Can we apply to a charter that is not in our district? i think i remember researching that and the answer was no. 

 

 

1) You and your son should visit that public high school to see what they offer and see if a fit for your son. 

 

2) Do you have open-enrollment in your state?  Here in AZ smart kids open-enroll in the better public schools.

 

3) Charters typically belong to their own district and you should be able to attend anyone (not sure about your state).

[Halcyon]

hey there-an update!

We decided NOT to apply early to the fancy private--there were too many undecideds, and we hadn't done enough research. DH and I also decided that a one hour drive each way was potentially a deal breaker. So we decided to postpone our app. In the meantime, we have explored other options. We are meeting with the head of the IB program on Thursday. Tomorrow, both kids are going for a shadow day at a local private school--DH liked the school, it's close and so why not try. Again, the issue will be FA, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. 

 

DS10 is also leaning towards going to a bricks and mortar. He needs more friends, and i work too much to shuttle him from activity to activity. DH is adamantly against our local public middle, but then again, he knows nothign about it--he's never visited it (nor have I) so i told him we need to check it out, if nothing else. 

 

I have pretty much completed the portfolio for private and the transcript for public for DS13 to apply. I don't have any idea what I would need to do for younger. 

 

Thanks everyone.

[Halcyon]

Okay another update. We visited the IB program at our local zoned high school and we were very impressed by the woman in charge of it--she's been there 20 years and really has her stuff together. Very articulate, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, in charge of her teachers and her kids in terms of watching out for them. So that is good that there is that option. Still wish DS13 was ENTHUSED about something. I am not sure if it's the age or what, but with everything he's like "Yea, that was fine."  :mellow:

[Haiku]

I am not sure if it's the age or what, but with everything he's like "Yea, that was fine." :mellow:

That's my son, who is also 13. My daughter, a year older, prepares a 5-paragraph foot-noted essay on Everything I Didn't Like About That.

[Spy Car]

Do you still have an office? Or does your husband work out of district? Here anyway, if you work in another district you can often have your child go to school in that district. Just a thought.

 

Bill

[Halcyon]

Do you still have an office? Or does your husband work out of district? Here anyway, if you work in another district you can often have your child go to school in that district. Just a thought.

 

Bill

 

 

yes, i am working pretty much full time, but i am in the same district. My husband also has his art studio in the same district. 

 

thanks for the thought.

 

In terms of attitude, we have decided to outsource 90% of his classes next semester. He'll be doing a few courses through Online G3, and Edx programming course and his Wilson Hill math course. The only course he'll be doing directly with me is Biology. I think it will work better to have primariliy outside-of-mom accountability.

[Arcadia]

We visited the IB program at our local zoned high school and we were very impressed by the woman in charge of it--she's been there 20 years and really has her stuff together.

The IB school we toured has the diploma program in 11th and 12th grade. So kids could join the program by start of 11th grade if they want to do the IB diploma. That makes it an attractive backup choice to us. They have the middle school IB program too which is until 10th grade.