Xuzi Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 What do you like or dislike about homeschooling there? What kind of resources are available? Do schools allow things like speech therapy, or extra curriculars (like choir and sports) for homeschool students? And what are some nice, but not overly expensive neighborhoods to look in for housing? There's a chance we may be moving there in February or March. (We should know for sure by the end if the year.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I live urban in the Mpls area. I will come back to this as I am not home right now. I will say this is a great place to homeschool. Extras are open to homeschoolers, some districts are more accommodating than others. How old are your kids? Do you want to live urban or suburban. I'll be back! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Kids are 11, 9, and 6. Suburban would be better, but with easy access to the airport, as DH would be doing a lot of traveling if he's offered this job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm in a suburb close to the airport, but not currently homeschooling (kids are in a magnet school, we after school and summer school to add some classical ed.) I can answer non-homeschooling questions about the area. How is that neighborhood? Good shopping near by? Parks, museums, libraries and such? (We're used to being 15 minutes from a children's museum. I'd like to be in easy driving distance of such kid-friendly activities) And how are housing and rent? What does a 3 bed/ 2 bath go for? (I'm also looking all this stuff up online, but it's nice hearing directly from a person whose actually there, as well. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athome Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I just moved away from MN and we lived south in Rochester. MN is a great state to homeschool in. The laws are relaxed, asking you to register once a year and test each year (you do not need to show anyone the results it's just for you to know). There seems to be many homeschoolers in MN and they are a pretty active group (at least in Roch.) We loved going up to Mpls. to the Symphony Orchestra. They put on a great/cheap show for school kids. There is a free art museum as well that I wish we had gone to more. The U of M puts on a free and fantastic Physics show each year that our whole family attended and loved (my kids are the same age as yours!). Como Zoo is free and wonderful. Check out the cheaper Twilight wrist bands for the amusement park at Mall of America. We loved doing this on a school night when the mall was nearly empty but as homeschoolers we could stay out late and accommodate the next day. (Ok, this one is just for fun and not school related.) Also for fun, go to Wild Rumpus book store and read to the chickens and other animals! So. Much. Fun. It's a great little treat for every homeschooler who loves books and a great get away on those long winter days. There were other events in the city through out the year that offered things to school students in general that we always considered as well. I'm sure there is so much more that we missed out on since we were 1.5 hours south of the cities. Finally, start looking into and preparing to take advantage of the PSEO program in MN. It is fabulous! Most homeschoolers stay on top of this and send their kids to local colleges (for FREE, even books) their Junior year. I hope you enjoy living in MN as much as we did (we moved to IA). It is a wonderful place to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) The Mpls district has been pretty open to having homeschoolers involved in activities -- sports, music, theater, speech therapy, after school science/language programs etc etc. I think you could even take some classes at the high schools without being fully enrolled. A 3 bedroom/2 bath house generally rents for about 1400-1500 in the many areas of the city proper. No idea what rent is in the ritzy areas. I also have no idea as to what the suburbs cost. Access to the airport from Mpls is super easy and fast on the light rail -- at least from the downtown and the eastern side. People love Mpls and never want to leave. There are a lot of people living within blocks of their childhood homes. They cannot imagine moving away. PM me if you want more specifics Edited November 19, 2015 by flyingiguana 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 We live in the city of Minneapolis itself (south part of the city, about half way between downtown and the airport). We love homeschooling in Minnesota and the twin cities in particular. The regulations aren't hard to follow, and there is so much to do -- both in terms of homeschool co-ops/groups/activities and just things to do in general. In terms of access to the airport, we find that living in proximity to the light rail line is super nice -- I can drop of my husband 5 minutes away from our house at the light rail station (or he can hop on a bus for a 10minute bus ride to the station), then you are at the airport 15 minutes later. Super nice, because you don't have to park at the airport. A lot of the neighborhoods in the general vicinity of Lake Nokomis are both proximate to the airport and pretty nice (without being over the top nice, if you know what I mean). We live a bit north of that area, and while it is slightly less safe, I love the diversity and community in my neighborhood. Other suburbs in decently close proximity to the airport are Richfield, Bloomington and Eagan. I have a lot of friends who live in Richfield and like the reasonable housing prices there. Several of the major museums (Children's museum, history museum, science museum) are in St. Paul, and we can get there in 20 minutes or so from our house in south Minneapolis. A great resource for finding out about homeschool co-ops and other activities is http://hsadventures.org/ They have a yahoo group as well (I think it is linked to from the site. Minnesota is pretty open to students using the public schools for services/activities/sports. We personally haven't done this, but we have friends that have done speech therapy, evaluations for special needs, sports teams, music, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 One thing I've heard repeatedly from people who move here from somewhere else is how long it takes to drive anywhere. We do have traffic. So if you want to be like a 30 minute drive (most of the time) from the airport, look at housing 15 miles or less from the airport. For best airport access, I'd look at sourthern suburbs - Eagan, Apple Valley, Bloomington, Burnsville OR Mendota Heights/West St. Paul. Those are ALL nice suburbs. The ritziest suburbs are west to south west of Minneapolis - Edina, St. Louis Park, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Chanhassen, Chaska. Most are still in good range of the airport. Honestly, most Minneapolis suburbs are nice. I'd avoid North Minneapolis and the suburbs directly north (specifically Brooklyn Park/Brooklyn Center/Crystal can be hit/miss) - Fridley, Moundsview, New Brighton etc are actually fine. If you want to be close to the city, but not IN the city, Roseville, Falcon Heights, St Anthony/Lauderdale are nice. Anyway, that was quite possibly TMI! I am happy to answer questions via PM if you have some about specific areas. To start getting a taste of what's out there in terms of homeschooling activities, this is a really good group to be checking out and you can join the yahoo group. There is a great community here and so many fun options for homeschoolers. http://hsadventures.org/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) We live in the Twin Cities, northern suburbs. We pick and choose what we want to use out of the public school system and our school district has been very accommodating. Our 3rd and 5th graders go to music and PE only at school and are homeschooled for the rest. We just enrolled our kindergartner in 1/2 day kindergarten (full day is the default option) and they were also very accommodating. We also have a 3 yo who gets homebound preschool instruction and speech at home (all through the school district) due to an immune deficiency. Homeschool kids can play ps sports, but there also hs teams in various sports. Some private schools also allow hs'd kids to play sports. Homeschool regulations are pretty easy to follow; test yearly. We do not participate in a co-op, so I can't speak to that. Ditto recommendations for the Science Museum, the Works Museum, MN History Center, Children's Museum, MN Zoo, etc. Our library system is amazing and I can get library books ILL from almost any library in the state at no charge. A few recommendations for more information: http://www.hsadventures.org http://www.homeschoolers.org http://www.mache.org PM me if you need more specific details. :) Edited November 19, 2015 by poikar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) What do you like or dislike about homeschooling there? What kind of resources are available? Do schools allow things like speech therapy, or extra curriculars (like choir and sports) for homeschool students? And what are some nice, but not overly expensive neighborhoods to look in for housing? There's a chance we may be moving there in February or March. (We should know for sure by the end if the year.) Hey Xuzi! We just moved to Minneapolis in early September. We're in south Minneapolis, near to the Minnehaha Falls park. Very cool area. We haven't tried any of the home school coops here (been non-stop busy with work, school, hockey, and other activities, not to mention...unpacking took forever). However, we found the rules here extremely easy for homeschooling. When John called the local school district to turn in the form that declares that Jackson is home schooling, the official was very friendly and helpful. In Texas, where there are no regulations or oversight at all, school officials we occasionally encountered treated us as persona non grata. In that state, home schooling is like a separate, parallel universe. I guess that's fine if you're the type of home schooler that eschews any kind of outside input. For myself, I disliked feeling we were in no-man's land with no acknowledgment from the state that we even existed on the educational landscape. IMO, MN has sensible regulations. Standardized testing is required (if you don't have a Bachelor's degree) but the state does not need to see the scores. They simply want proof that a test (such as the Iowa, Stanford, etc.) has been administered. Also, this state offers an accredited H.S. Diploma through a recognized home school agency, where you send in transcripts, text book lists, etc., and the agency certifies the coursework. I like that that is an option, especially since it is recognized by the state. Anyway, we're still new here, so we haven't experienced a full year in home schooling. So far, no issues. It's been great. Regarding moving here in Feb. or Mar., this winter is predicted to be milder than normal. So, while I'm sure it will be cold, at least you may get a break if you have to move then. This city is great though. It's a very quirky place, with tons of small and independent businesses, like breweries, restaurants, consignment shops, and so forth. That goes for the grocery stores, too. There aren't are lot of big box stores like Kroger or Tom Thumb. Instead, it's mostly small independent grocers, community and farmer co-ops, community gardens, and the like, mixed in with Trader Joe's, Aldi, and Target. Food prices run about 15 to 20% more than when we were in Dallas, but more of the food is locally sourced and this is definitely a city of foodies. Lots of really good cuisine here. Also, there are parks everywhere. People here tend to be active all year round, so winter isn't so depressing. People skate, bicycle, ski, etc.; they don't all stay holed up. This city also has a ton of theaters and the music and arts here are fantastic. Those are my experiences and impressions so far. We're enjoying the adventure! Edited November 21, 2015 by Aelwydd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Those are my experiences and impressions so far. We're enjoying the adventure! Yay - I'm glad you're enjoying it here! DH and I are on a quest to hit as many taprooms as possible since you mention breweries. The taproom/food truck scene has gone nuts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Yay - I'm glad you're enjoying it here! DH and I are on a quest to hit as many taprooms as possible since you mention breweries. The taproom/food truck scene has gone nuts. Ha! DH is three quarters German. This city is like beer nirvana for him. I'm hopeful for a MN meet up sometime in the future for all the WTM peeps around here. That would be a blast! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I live a couple hours away from the cities, around the Alexandria area, but it's a great state to homeschool in. :) There are enough homeschoolers here that people don't bat an eye if you mention it or are out with your kid(s) in the morning on a school day. And I will second that the library system is amazing. Being able to request books for free from any library in the state (and that includes a number of university libraries, too) means there has never been a book I haven't been able to get from the library. We have a great state park system, too. All the state parks have a number of free activities for kids and adults year-round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I live a couple hours away from the cities, around the Alexandria area, but it's a great state to homeschool in. :) There are enough homeschoolers here that people don't bat an eye if you mention it or are out with your kid(s) in the morning on a school day. And I will second that the library system is amazing. Being able to request books for free from any library in the state (and that includes a number of university libraries, too) means there has never been a book I haven't been able to get from the library. We have a great state park system, too. All the state parks have a number of free activities for kids and adults year-round. Yes, the park system here rocks! I read a statistic somewhere that about 95% of Minneapolis residents live within 6 blocks of a park. This city was built around the park system (and the breweries, lol), it's so awesome. Mergath, any time you come to town, you have to come over for a visit. We'll go to the park! ;) I really do like this city/ state, but this Thanksgiving, we're away from my family (in Texas) and dh's family (Pennsylvania). So, it's just us three, and dh is a vegetarian. I plan on roasting some cornish hens for ds and myself. No need to get a huge bird. I think we'll check out the Hollidazzle thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I'm hopeful for a MN meet up sometime in the future for all the WTM peeps around here. That would be a blast! Once upon a time, I had suggested that but then never followed up on it, didn't I? Bad Dicentra. :blushing: I still want to do this but I'm thinking with the roads like they are in the winter, we all might be better off to wait until spring. Unless we're all completely stir-crazy with cabin-fever by the time February rolls around. We all might be willing to brave the roads then no matter what. :D I'll try to keep this on my radar and see what can be done after Christmas. I'd love to meet up with everyone! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Once upon a time, I had suggested that but then never followed up on it, didn't I? Bad Dicentra. :blushing: I still want to do this but I'm thinking with the roads like they are in the winter, we all might be better off to wait until spring. Unless we're all completely stir-crazy with cabin-fever by the time February rolls around. We all might be willing to brave the roads then no matter what. :D I'll try to keep this on my radar and see what can be done after Christmas. I'd love to meet up with everyone! :) Thanks to El Nino, the roads may be dryer and warmer than usual this winter. I say we do it. Then, whenever other WTM groups talk about how they would have got together, except for this or that, we can say, Pish Posh! Minnesotan WTMers do it in the snow!!! :D :thumbup: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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