I was just reading an article about homeschool pros and cons tonight. As I read through the comments on the article, I was actually shocked at how many hateful comments there were about home-schoolers, either directed at the parents (unfit to teach, or religious fanatic, etc) or the child (will turn out socially inept and unproductive). Wow. To me, homeschooling is about trying to find the best fit for each child.
It is rather crazy how many people think that children can only be taught effectively in a "public school" environment, when in actuality, public schools are, historically, a fairly new system. I would venture to say that the majority of people throughout history have been taught in their own homes, whether by a parent or by a hired teacher, or taught in a small group setting, (think Socrates "discussion groups"), or a one room school house (with one teacher teaching a variety of levels).
The point being, of course, that there are many methods that have been used successfully throughout history to gain an education, and just because one system has priority today does not mean that it is necessarily the best.
In Utah, parents currently have a huge choice of ways to educate their children. Public schools are one, but there are also charter schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschooling. Each of these options has many pros and cons. However, for me, the most important thing is that now-days, the choice doesn't have to be either/or. It can be a combination that takes the strengths of each. Of my 4 kids, 2 are full time in a charter school. One is mostly full-time in a charter school, but he does several classes online. One child is home-schooled full-time, but next year he will be part-time at home, and part-time in a regular public middle school. The great thing is, the public schools here are required to allow part-time students, so if you feel your child would do better being home-schooled in a subject, or doing it online, you have the flexibility to do that.
My middle schooler really struggles in math, so I've chosen to do that subject at home next year, where I can see where the gaps and problems are, and really hit it intensely. I also feel that certain subjects, like CTE are a waste of time, so I'm opting to do intensive writing classes at home during that time. At school, he will get to be with his friends and learn to follow a schedule. Also, he'll take classes there that I don't feel I can provide at home, such as science, choir, and keyboarding. In addition, having him in school part-time will give me some free time.
For my High schooler, charter schools are great, but often don't have as much diversity in class options as public schools, so by taking 2 courses online, he gets more options. In his case, he is able to take Japanese as his language, and slow down the pacing of his pre-calc to a level he can manage. With recently passes legislation in Utah, there are now many online high schools in Utah that offer up to two courses to students who are not enrolled full time in that school. This creates incredible flexibility to parents whose children struggle to succeed in the traditional school system, giving us the tools we need to help our children successfully complete their education in a well-rounded way.
I really love the way so many choices in Utah right now are allowing parents to navigate the pros and avoids the cons of the various options of schooling our children.
It is rather crazy how many people think that children can only be taught effectively in a "public school" environment, when in actuality, public schools are, historically, a fairly new system. I would venture to say that the majority of people throughout history have been taught in their own homes, whether by a parent or by a hired teacher, or taught in a small group setting, (think Socrates "discussion groups"), or a one room school house (with one teacher teaching a variety of levels).
The point being, of course, that there are many methods that have been used successfully throughout history to gain an education, and just because one system has priority today does not mean that it is necessarily the best.
In Utah, parents currently have a huge choice of ways to educate their children. Public schools are one, but there are also charter schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschooling. Each of these options has many pros and cons. However, for me, the most important thing is that now-days, the choice doesn't have to be either/or. It can be a combination that takes the strengths of each. Of my 4 kids, 2 are full time in a charter school. One is mostly full-time in a charter school, but he does several classes online. One child is home-schooled full-time, but next year he will be part-time at home, and part-time in a regular public middle school. The great thing is, the public schools here are required to allow part-time students, so if you feel your child would do better being home-schooled in a subject, or doing it online, you have the flexibility to do that.
My middle schooler really struggles in math, so I've chosen to do that subject at home next year, where I can see where the gaps and problems are, and really hit it intensely. I also feel that certain subjects, like CTE are a waste of time, so I'm opting to do intensive writing classes at home during that time. At school, he will get to be with his friends and learn to follow a schedule. Also, he'll take classes there that I don't feel I can provide at home, such as science, choir, and keyboarding. In addition, having him in school part-time will give me some free time.
For my High schooler, charter schools are great, but often don't have as much diversity in class options as public schools, so by taking 2 courses online, he gets more options. In his case, he is able to take Japanese as his language, and slow down the pacing of his pre-calc to a level he can manage. With recently passes legislation in Utah, there are now many online high schools in Utah that offer up to two courses to students who are not enrolled full time in that school. This creates incredible flexibility to parents whose children struggle to succeed in the traditional school system, giving us the tools we need to help our children successfully complete their education in a well-rounded way.
I really love the way so many choices in Utah right now are allowing parents to navigate the pros and avoids the cons of the various options of schooling our children.
Perhaps I haven't researched it enough, but from everything I've heard, Bakersfield has NO options. There are a couple private schools, but not really any charter schools or many helps for those choosing to homeschool. As Emma will be turning 5 next year I am seriously considering what options will be the best for her, and wish I had more to choose from. I am mostly just terrified of the whole process of sending my child off to school. Yikes, I can't believe she is getting so old.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who did a charter homeschool in California. It seems like she got something like $2000 for books. But I know the restrictions in Cali are pretty strict; they want to be able to indoctrinate your kids according to their liberal values. :(
ReplyDelete