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  • ONE TO PONDER

    Filed at 6:34 am under by dcobranchi

    An educrat asks, “What constitutes a homeschooled student?” She apparently has several HEKs enrolled full-time in her g-school. Strange, huh?

    24 Responses to “ONE TO PONDER”


    Comment by
    Nance Confer
    April 18th, 2008
    at 8:32 am

    Good for them! Until someone finally noticed, they have been able to take whatever courses they wanted and participate in sports and not have to take the stupid standardized tests! Love it! 🙂

    Sounds like somebody is jealous though. . .

    Nance


    Comment by
    Lori
    April 18th, 2008
    at 9:09 am

    Interesting. We home school, but my older kids take Spanish at the local high school. And they do play sports (track and football). I’m sure it’s not technically allowed, but we don’t say anything and so far they haven’t said anything either. I wonder sometimes at what point they’ll figure out my kids only take one class. Much to our amusement, my oldest earned a varsity letter in track and was captain of the girls’ team.


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 18th, 2008
    at 5:19 pm

    I have to agree, partially at least, with the comments about it not being fair for someone to claim to be homeschooling but taking a full load at a public school. That is NOT homeschooling. One, two, maybe three classes(or a sport) is one thing, but to demand that they still be considered a homeschooler while taking a full load at the school (and thusly taking classes away from the non-homeschoolers) simply is not fair and should not be allowed to continue.

    As I said in my comment on the article, the school board needs to tell them to make up their minds, either they are in full time or they are not. None of this “in, but” carp.

    (and this isn’t in reference to those that are following the written law and are only in the PS for certain classes).

    Toni


    Comment by
    Nance Confer
    April 18th, 2008
    at 5:24 pm

    Why is it any more or less “fair” for a hser to take 1 class or 10 classes? The only difference is they are not required to take the school’s standardized tests and follow the school’s schedule of classes.

    Why wouldn’t it be more “fair” for all the resources that community members pay for to be available to all?

    Nance


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 18th, 2008
    at 5:31 pm

    It’s not fair because you shouldn’t claim you are “home” schooling them if they are not, in fact, at home and you aren’t doing the teaching. Again, this only pertains to those who use the system for a FULL load, not one or two classes. The law allows for us to enter PS for one or two classes (which usually are a foreign language and sports), but it does not allow for us to enter a PS, claim we are homeschooling and then take a full load of courses. It bumps the PS kids OUT of those classes because the homeschoolers take them all before the PS kids do and makes it more difficult for the PS kids to get an education in a desired class if the classes are full of nothing but “home” schoolers.

    AND, it’s basically getting a free education, which is what PS is, but it’s also not fair because these “home” schoolers are basically claiming all the glory and not paying a cent for their childs education.

    Again keep in mind that the article is referring to “home” schoolers who are NOT schooling at home, they are using the system for FULL loads of classes. This is simply not fair to the PS kids who often need the PS system to get their education. If we tout homeschooling as the next best thing and more desirable over PS, WHY are we sending our kids their full time?

    It’s pott/kettle/black, and it shouldn’t be allowed.

    toni


    Comment by
    StarGirl
    April 18th, 2008
    at 8:26 pm

    Now see, for me “homeschooling” is not at all about being at home or me doing all the teaching. It’s more like “a la carte schooling” – a little of this from here, a little of that from there, with me helping the kiddos to pull it all together. Maybe that’s because of the way my state’s law is written, which, unlike Daryl’s state’s bizarre hs law, allows “home education” as an umbrella that encompasses a wide range of options. We can do public school classes, museum classes, co-ops, hiring a tutor, “school for homeschoolers”, scout activities, self-study, correspondence school classes, etc. etc. and call it all “home education”, even if none of it is done at home.

    I can see, for example, a homeschooler going to the local high school and taking Spanish and French and Latin and Italian, all at once, or taking Shakespeare and Rennaissance history and Brit Lit and joining the Theater club, or taking Chem and Physics and Shop and Drafting, or Art and Home Ec and Music. Or any combination that’s not the standard “one math, one science, one history, one English, and yeah we have cool electives but don’t even think that you’ll ever be able to fit more than one or two in your schedule over the four years you spend here”. Homeschoolers can then combine the classes with other cool stuff done evenings and weekends, and put together a homeschool transcript and home-brewed diploma, and so on. Sure, they gain something the other kids don’t have, but at the same time they’re taking responsibility/ownership for any negative consequences of the curriculum they put together, plus they must comply with the state’s homeschooling laws.

    Yes, it’s gaming the system, but 1) they pay taxes too, so as long as they’re following the dress code and not disrupting the lunch room, why not?, and 2) they’re creating a new idea of how public schools can be used to create a curriculum tailored to the interests, talents, and abilities of the individual, which is a good thing for all. Clever, innovative, and IMHO big-picture long-term good for everyone.

    Obviously, public school is not for every homeschooler – far from it! But it’s all about choices – and more choices give us more options in putting together an education for each of our unique children.


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 18th, 2008
    at 8:49 pm

    It is not choices I am opposed to and I certainly DO take part in all of those extra curricular things you’ve mentioned–I even run a homeschool bowling league!

    It’s about these particular groups of homeschoolers going to this particular school and expecting the school to bend over backwards for **them**, when they don’t even bend over for their regular students.

    Yes, homeschooling can and does take place in a myriad of ways. I am all for that. What I am not for is homeschoolers claiming to be homeschooling when they actually attend public school–remember the article mentioned these kids attend FULL TIME with a full course load. Not the “one or two classes here or there” you are speaking of.

    It is much different in this case and I don’t condone the actions of these homeschoolers. You simply cannot have your cake and eat it too.

    toni


    Comment by
    NJRoadie
    April 18th, 2008
    at 9:27 pm

    I don’t know how the law works in other states, but here in NJ, where I pay $12,000 a year for property taxes, 85% of which go to the school system, this statement is total rubbish:

    ” it’s basically getting a free education, which is what PS is, but it’s also not fair because these “home” schoolers are basically claiming all the glory and not paying a cent for their childs education.”

    I pay $12,000 a year, and I get zip for it, maybe some road work here or there, that is about it. So how is this “not paying a cent for their child’s education.” ? Please, tell me how it works in WV so I can understand.

    I agree with whomever it was that said it was a great idea to advance the idea of public schools as areas of learning, not a “all or nothing” proposition.


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 18th, 2008
    at 9:47 pm

    If we want to talk rubbish, let’s talk about how some homeschoolers feel they are owed something. I personally do not believe we are owed a damn thing. We chose this route for our children, no one forced us to and since we made the choice to be on one income, live frugally(or whatever it takes), so that we may be the ones to educate our kids–I don’t feel we are owed anything, let alone anything a public school could offer.

    Can we take advantage of it if it is offered to us, sure. But don’t fool yourselves in to believing you are owed anything, especially when you throw in the “I pay taxes” bit.

    So do I. And I’ve no desire to use the public schools system the way this article is saying it is being used. Some of you are conveinently forgetting that this article is only referencing those that are USING the system, abusing it even. Not those of you who are generously sharing it.


    Comment by
    Audrey
    April 18th, 2008
    at 10:51 pm

    I have a real problem with a student taking a full load of classes at a public school, but still being called a “homeschooler” simply because they’ve notified the district of such. That’s bogus semantics. If you’re in ps full-time, you are most definitely a ps student and SHOULD be subjected to all the testing, grading, and whatnot that goes with it. Shit or get off the pot. Either way, quit whining about it.

    I will say that the school district needs to get on the ball here, too. They’ve allowed this situation to grow to current proportions by not having clearly defined regulations to deal with this. If there is no reg on the books limiting the number of courses/activities in which a homeschooler may participate (and still maintain hs status), then that’s the loophole through which people may jump. They, too, need to shit or get off the pot — and quit whining about it.


    Comment by
    Toni in NC
    April 18th, 2008
    at 11:51 pm

    The first thought that came to my mind was that some folks want to have their cake and eat it, too. This sort of “playing the system” is disingenous at best and at worst makes homeschoolers seem a bit lacking in ethics…

    I’m wondering how folks who suggest “HSers have paid their taxes” and should be able to participate a la carte in public school classes would feel if private and religious schools also sent their kids to public schools for certain classes or activities as well… After all they have paid taxes, too.

    And, how long before the local tax payers are going to demand *accountibility* for their tax dollars spent on homeschoolers… I can just imagine the bleep hitting the fan if this sort of “playing the system” continues…


    Comment by
    Nance Confer
    April 19th, 2008
    at 9:44 am

    I’m wondering how folks who suggest “HSers have paid their taxes” and should be able to participate a la carte in public school classes would feel if private and religious schools also sent their kids to public schools for certain classes or activities as well… After all they have paid taxes, too.

    ***********************

    As a matter of fact, this happens all the time.

    The local public school had classes for gifted kids and the private school down the street sent their kids over.

    The world kept turning.

    It turned out the classes were not much to write home about and, combined with a general lack of interest in what the school was offering, we left.

    The ideas that these students in West VA are getting away with something and/or must be pure homeschoolers and/or must only use this many classes but not that many or they aren’t pure enough and/or should jump through the hoops that the public school students have to endure . . . it’s all sounds very baffling and anti-progressive to me.

    Rather than thinking of difference community services as separate and distinct and only available on a limited basis, why not continue to move in the direction of thinking of all community services as open to all?

    And was there actual information about any public school students being shut out of a class because so many hsers enrolled? No, in re-reading the article, it was just a question.

    I’d like to know if that’s really a problem.

    One of the options every student in FL has is FLVS (www.flvs.net) and it is a popular one. For that reason and because they were smaller at first, they have a system where certain students are given priority when filling classes — ps students first, then homeschoolers registered with their county, then private schoolers (some of whom are hsers). There used to be lengthy waiting lists from what I read but in my recent experience that isn’t much of an issue.

    Why not have a system to deal with this issue, if it ever comes up, rather than a “just say no” sort of policy?

    Nance


    Comment by
    StarGirl
    April 19th, 2008
    at 1:49 pm

    It’s about these particular groups of homeschoolers going to this particular school and expecting the school to bend over backwards for **them**, when they don’t even bend over for their regular students.

    How is the school bending over backwards?

    …I’ve no desire to use the public schools system the way this article is saying it is being used.

    Well sure! I mean, most of us wouldn’t even consider having our kids take classes full-time at the public school, and many of us wouldn’t consider even one class. But does that mean we should not allow access to others who might find it to be useful for one reason or another? The article has really failed to explain *why* these homeschoolers chose to do this. I can only guess that it may be that they are using the classes to put together a curriculum that is quite different than they would get as regular public school students. (Like bulking up on English, or only taking sciences, or taking every music course they offer.) Or maybe they are in temporarily, for only one semester, while mom battles breast cancer. Or perhaps the school has onerous exit exams that you must pass to graduate and the kids are bad test takers, or maybe the senior project takes *way* more time than the family wants to spend, or perhaps because the students are serious ballet dancers or ice skaters or fencers, and they only want the basics so they can leave school early for practice, or whatever. Remember that quite often what is defined as the minimum for “full time” status is fewer classes than most full-time students take.

    If you’re in ps full-time, you are most definitely a ps student and SHOULD be subjected to all the testing, grading, and whatnot that goes with it.

    Again, I’m wondering *how* these homeschoolers are using the public school classes. If they’re doing the standard lock-step curriculum, you might have a point, but if they are custom-designing a curriculum that wouldn’t meet the school’s requirements for graduation, then I don’t see the point of having them sit standardized testing, which is designed to measure how the school’s standard curriculum is doing at teaching the state standards. Of course I’d expect them to get graded for the classes, and as homeschoolers I’d also expect them to use or not use that grade in whatever way they see fit. Sometimes an individual’s goals for taking a class do not match the instructor’s, which means the instructor’s assessment of whether the individual has met the goals is not worth much to the individual.

    Accountability concerns are valid, but the homeschoolers *are* accountable in that they are graded for the class, and in that they have to meet the state’s homeschooling laws. If the school is not doing a good job with the classes, the parents have the choice of pulling them out. In addition, I’m assuming that the school is *not* issuing the homeschoolers a diploma, so homeschoolers have to take responsibility for making sure that their a la carte education will meet their own future needs.

    I agree with concerns that hsers might be bumping public school kids from classes. In my district, for many years there has been a policy that adults may take high school classes *if there is space*. I think a system that gives the public school kids priority makes sense. But no need to bump the homeschoolers if that chair is otherwise empty. Homeschoolers bring a totally different perspective to the classroom. Like the adults mentioned above, they’ve read different books, done different science experiments, traveled to different places, etc., and thus can enrich classroom discussions.

    In my district, students from private/religious schools participate in the public school’s gifted program. Like the adults in the high school, this has been the case for many years and has not been a problem.

    Assuming public schools have to operate like they always have is limiting, especially in this age of cyber classes, DVD lectures, and so on. I think a wise community looks at its resources and helps families use them in the way that best meets the educational needs of their kids. The more choices families have in educating their children, the better for the kids, and the better for the community.


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 19th, 2008
    at 2:54 pm

    You guys are ignoring the fact, once again, that the article DID state these homeschoolers are taking FULL LOAD classes. That doesn’t mean part time, or only science, only music–it means a FULL LOAD–in class from beginning to end, taking all classes other high schoolers are taking.

    That is unfair to the PS’ers that do not have the option to homeschool(for whatever reason). I’ve no objection against a homeschooler taking a few classes here and there in PS. I can’t teach Foreign Language to save my life, so it would make sense for me to “part it out”. But I’ve no PS to take advantage of for this.

    But that isn’t what, per the article, these kids are doing. Yes, the state is heavily at fault for not drawing limits to this and for allowing this loophole to be exploited.

    But the homeschoolers should know better. We should not be claiming all the spoils of homeschooling, while our kid is attending PS full time.


    Comment by
    StarGirl
    April 19th, 2008
    at 7:32 pm

    Maybe I’m not explaining myself clearly. A typical public school student would take, say, English I, Biology, Algebra I, US History, Phys Ed, and Spanish. That’s 5 1/2 classes – a full day.

    You said You guys are ignoring the fact, once again, that the article DID state these homeschoolers are taking FULL LOAD classes. That doesn’t mean part time, or only science, only music–it means a FULL LOAD–in class from beginning to end, taking all classes other high schoolers are taking.

    The article said: “According to the guidance office, said Marsh, there are several homeschooled students enrolled full-time in classes but are not following the required programs of study for a full-time student. You’re right that they’re taking a full load in terms of the number of classes. But they are NOT necessarily taking the mix of classes that a public school student would have to take.

    The school may offer electives, like Shakespeare or Music Composition or TV Production or Drawing, but the typical student can only take 3-4 of these classes total over the four years they are there, because they must meet the graducation requirements of English I, II, III, and IV, x years of math, y years of science, z years of foreign language, etc. (or whatever the requirements are for that school). The homeschoolers do NOT have to meet these graduation requirements – which gives them the flexibility to take a full load of courses WITHOUT having the restrictions brought on by the graduation requirements.

    Now imagine a homeschooler interested in theater attending this school for a year. He might take Shakespeare, Drawing, TV Production, Business math, and Home Ec. These courses directly relate to his planned career, helping him to become familiar with Shakespeare, learn some technical stuff about TV, be able to draw set and costume designs, learn to sew costumes, and do it all while still making money. The homeschooler is taking a full load of courses, just like the public school kids. He’s there all day. BUT – taking classes this way, he won’t be able to graduate in four years. He’s got no science, no history, no foreign language, no core English class, no phys ed.

    Logistically, it probably makes sense for the homeschooler to take these classes all at once, in one year, rather than spreading them out over the four years of high school. High schools often have rotating schedules, which would wreak havoc with a typical homeschooler’s schedule.

    That is unfair to the PS’ers that do not have the option to homeschool(for whatever reason).

    Unfair? I don’t think it makes sense to say that because some kids can’t homeschool, we should not create more choices for those who can. That’s like saying we shouldn’t offer AP Calculus in high schools because not all of the kids will be ready for it by senior year. Kids aren’t all the same. The more choices out there, the more likely that each kid will get a good education – with the caveat that a good education for one child does not look the same as a good education for another.

    Actually I think it makes homeschooling feasible for *more* public school kids. If parents have access to free local lab science classes, for example, more parents might choose to homeschool through high school. Again, more options makes it more likely a family can pull together a mix that’s right for their kid. Sure, some parents prefer to go with the package deal, and that’s fine too – it’s a good fit for some kids. Choices.

    I’ve no objection against a homeschooler taking a few classes here and there in PS. I can’t teach Foreign Language to save my life, so it would make sense for me to “part it out”. But I’ve no PS to take advantage of for this.

    That’s a shame. I think all public schools should, within common sense restrictions (like the hsers having to follow the dress code, etc.), open their doors to homeschoolers. In my area one of the schools’ LAX teams has a homeschooler on the team, and the team practices on the homeschooler’s family’s field. The good flows both ways. I’ve seen that kind of thing happen a lot when hsers participate. Win-Win.


    Comment by
    NanceConfer
    April 19th, 2008
    at 7:50 pm

    What the article says is that the students are “taking a full schedule of classes.” But here it says “there are several homeschooled students enrolled full-time in classes but are not following the required programs of study for a full-time student.” Still others are “coming in taking two classes, any classes, and participating in sports.”.

    Even if, though, the hsers are all taking a traditional set of classes — all the same classes as the ps students — so what?

    What “spoils” are they claiming?

    Why are we letting ourselves be set up to fight over these resources that belong to all of us?

    Nance


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 19th, 2008
    at 7:52 pm

    I do see what you are saying and again, I’m not laying total fault at the feet of the homeschoolers, only some. The problem is like this (keep in mind I have DH who teaches in PS)–

    1–if there are not enough students for a particular class, that class is just not offered. So in a sense, it makes sense to open the PS up to homeschoolers so that teachers not only have jobs, but students have more classes to choose from. Ok, so we agree on this.

    2– BUT, that isn’t happening here. With something FLVS, like was mentioned earlier, it should not be an open enrollement situation. FLVS was started for kids who are home bound (due to illness or behavior) NOT for homeschoolers. But now homeschoolers make up most of the general population of FLVS. This isn’t fair to those on the home bound program, because the homeschoolers swoop in and sign up for classes before the home bounders may get a chance.

    That’s what’s happening in this case. It isn’t about homeschoolers taking all of one particular type of class(say all Drama related courses). It’s about homeschoolers taking all of those classes leaving the PS students unable to take them because there is no more space. That’s what isn’t fair.

    If homeschoolers want to use the PS for something (like me and Foreign Language) then we should fully expect and understand when we are told “we have to wait until X date, giving our PS’ers time to sign up and THEN we will sign you up”. It should not be automatic enrollment and homeschoolers should not just take advantage of it when it is.


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 19th, 2008
    at 7:55 pm

    Nance–because the resources do not belong to all of us. I pay taxes just as much as you, but I can’t and shouldn’t be allowed to claim “use of” the PS system if I’ve no desire to enroll my kid in the system from the start. The very nature and business of homeschooling means we are keeping our kids OUT of the system for a reason, which means, essentially “you snooze you lose”.

    You can’t and shouldn’t say “I loathe the PS system but my kid is going to the PS for this, this, and this, and HA HA we don’t have to do what you do”. That’s just plain wrong.

    Can we sign up for PS services as needed, sure. But to take advantage of the system like this article is claiming, unchecked or followed through on (that part’s the schools fault), just makes us look bad, IMHO.


    Comment by
    StarGirl
    April 19th, 2008
    at 9:07 pm

    1. I completely agree that public school kids should have priority in signing up for classes. No argument there.

    2. You can’t and shouldn’t say “I loathe the PS system but my kid is going to the PS for this, this, and this, and HA HA we don’t have to do what you do”.

    Yes, gloating and being very in-your-face, plus bashing the school if you use it, is not a wise move. I think hsers who are using the system need to have common-sense expectations, and be respectful of the school’s primary audience and their assorted concerns about homeschoolers. (While not caving in to inappropriate demands, of course.) They need to be patient, flexible, and pleasant.

    However – believe it or not, there are homeschoolers who *don’t* loathe the PS system. Maybe it’s just not a good fit for their child, for any number of reasons.
    –Maybe their kid has special needs that are better met at home,
    –Or maybe their kid is very serious about an Olympic-type sport and thus needs a more flexible, shorter schedule, and homeschooling lets the school provide this without trouble from the state,
    –Or maybe their kid is highly gifted and learning at the high school level, but needs the social interaction with age-peers from homeschooling,
    –Or maybe their kid is very serious about a non-traditional career and needs custom-designed studies (like the theater kid in a previous post),
    –Or maybe their kid will be moving every year due to dad’s job and needs the a la carte approach to have it all hang together.

    If a homeschooler loathes the PS system, they probably shouldn’t put their kid in it. But there’s no reason to assume that all homeschoolers are anti-public school – they’ve just made a different choice for a particular child, at a particular time.

    When a student chooses a college from among the four or five which admitted him, he chooses the one that is the “best fit”, weighing various factors like price, location, curriculum, social life, academic & equipment resources, and so on. There’s usually not a perfect choice – some aspects will be better at one school; others at another. The student weighs the choices and decides which are most important, and whether he can live with the “cons” of a school in order to get the “pros”. Choosing one does not mean the student loathes the others. Again, it’s all about evaluating the choices available, and finding the “best fit” for a particular child. The more choices, the better the “fit” that can be created.

    (Sorry if this comes out with weird font changes – I don’t know how I did that.)


    Comment by
    ElectricBarbarella
    April 19th, 2008
    at 10:27 pm

    Stargirl–you are actually preaching to the choir here–I’m one of those homeschoolers who do not loathe the system. For one, I can’t–DH teaches in it. And for two, my youngest may use it for high school, not sure yet.

    So everything you’ve just said, I already know. This isn’t about that. This is about homeschoolers gloating that they’ve found a loophole that shouldn’t be there and receiving goods for which the giver is getting no credit for giving.


    Comment by
    NJ Roadie
    April 20th, 2008
    at 8:03 am

    “receiving goods for which the giver is getting no credit for giving.”

    What about the tax money? I’m not sure how it would work, but I’ve heard one of the reasons PA likes homeschoolers to take one or two classes is because they get federal funds for the number of students and can count more students (while not needing to provide that student full resources)

    I have a hard time understanding your protective, exclusive desire to keep the public schools only for full time enrolled public school students. I do not understand this rigid mindset at all.

    Why can’t you see how the school system could evolve to provide services for many more of the taxpaying community, not just homeschoolers but anyone who wants to learn. Wouldn’t that be wonderful, wouldn’t your husband love to have a school full of eager learners?? I am surprised as a homeschooler that you have so little ability to think outside the box of public school as it is now.


    Comment by
    StarGirl
    April 20th, 2008
    at 9:19 am

    This is about homeschoolers gloating that they’ve found a loophole that shouldn’t be there and receiving goods for which the giver is getting no credit for giving.

    I totally agree that homeschoolers shouldn’t gloat, at least publicly – it doesn’t help to create sensible changes. If they’ve found a loophole that works for them, they need to make a sane, measured, common sense argument that the arrangement works for their kids and doesn’t negatively impact the public school kids – or, if needed, propose tweaks or policies that help make the “loophole” into a policy that works as well as possible for both hsers and ps kids.

    I don’t understand what you mean by “receiving goods for which the giver is getting no credit for giving.” I think it’s reasonable for the district to get pro-rated state funding for all students who are attending, for whatever reason, whether they be part-time or full-time. I think this should apply to homebound students who come for one class, students who are finishing up their last few credits before graduation, private school students who only attend the gifted program, foreign exchange students who are only there for a semester, etc.

    I also think it’s sensible for homeschooled kids who are, say, applying to college, to list the public school courses on their transcripts as public school courses. The college applications that I’ve seen all require that the student list any schools attended.

    Maybe part of the problem is how people think of what homeschooling is. For me, the term “homeschooler” is a big umbrella that could mean a zillion different things – maybe they’re at home with mom doing nothing but ABeka, maybe they do straight Calvert as a correspondence school, or maybe they go to a formal homeschool co-op for most of their classes. Maybe mom makes the whole thing up herself, using nothing but a library card (go mom!). Maybe they rely heavily on programs at local museums and nature centers. Maybe they do very serious scouting, with almost all their education coming from scout events. Maybe they’re a serious ballet dancer, and they dance 9-5 and do a minimum of basic courses in the evenings with a tutor.

    Most people I know IRL combine lots of different approaches, and the mix changes every year as the child grows older, their interests change, their work gets either more academic in preparation for college, or more specific in preparation for a career, and the community begins to offer more to hsers. As children grow, it’s more likely they’ll need to work with adults who have a specific area of expertise beyond what mom can or wants to provide. Older HEKs I know have gone to adults other than mom for geometry, sewing, theater, biology, business skills, dance, foreign language, and so on.

    To me, “homeschooler” means “family taking charge of their kids’ education, using whatever family and community resources they need or want to create a custom education for their child”. It doesn’t, to me, mean “person who doesn’t ever go to school”, nor does it mean “person who gets all of their education at home”, or “person taught mainly by their parents”. Again, the more choices for each child, the more likely a family can pull together an education that really meets the needs of that child. Let’s not get boxed-in by what we label the choices. The more outside-the-box thinking, the better for our kids and our communities.


    Comment by
    Nance Confer
    April 20th, 2008
    at 12:06 pm

    “2– BUT, that isn’t happening here. With something FLVS, like was mentioned earlier, it should not be an open enrollement situation. FLVS was started for kids who are home bound (due to illness or behavior) NOT for homeschoolers. But now homeschoolers make up most of the general population of FLVS. This isn’t fair to those on the home bound program, because the homeschoolers swoop in and sign up for classes before the home bounders may get a chance.”
    *********

    As far as I can tell, everyone has the same chance to request a class at FLVS but then there are priorities for placement.

    flvs.n...ty.php
    flvs.n...cy.php

    Those are links to FLVS placement priority page and residency and age policy page. Nothing specifically about home-bound students.

    leg.st...37.HTM

    That’s the statute that deals with FLVS. Nothing about home-bound students that I caught.

    And here’s FLVS’s little history page: flvs.n...on.php I wonder if the 77 students they mention starting with were the home-bound ones.

    Quite a change to the 52,000 students enrolled for 06-07 – flvs.n...et.php — but no breakout here of who is what sort of student.

    I’d love to know more about the shortage of openings for home-bound students and the history of serving that group of students with this option. Links?

    Nance


    Comment by
    Nance Confer
    April 20th, 2008
    at 12:48 pm

    “You can’t and shouldn’t say “I loathe the PS system but my kid is going to the PS for this, this, and this, and HA HA we don’t have to do what you do”. That’s just plain wrong.

    “Can we sign up for PS services as needed, sure. But to take advantage of the system like this article is claiming, unchecked or followed through on (that part’s the schools fault), just makes us look bad, IMHO.”
    *****************
    Sure I can. And I think I should. As a matter of fact, I volunteer for a group, FCAR (fcarweb.org/), that is actively working to change the way the FCAT impacts public schools. I am proud to help. I do the bank account stuff and, when a parent has finally had enough of having their kid abused by the FCAT and asks for info on hsing, I am happy to provide that help.

    My world is just not that separated from the public school world — the good and the bad — that I can, or feel I can or should or must, ignore it.

    And if my child wanted to take 1 course or 10 courses at the local ps and there was a way to help her do that and keep her from having to deal with the idiocy that is the FCAT, I’d be proud to do that too.

    And if the other students and parents get the notion that they too could be enjoying their lives, what’s wrong with that? 🙂

    Nance