Homeschooling Vs. Public School

J.-
My mother decided to home-school me and my 3 sisters after she got my first straight A report card. I was in third grade and still could not write anything but my name. We called it the school of Mom. I was home-schooled for five years and received very high scores on all of the state tests. I was enrolled in public school for my freshman through senior years and ended up graduating with 16 extra credits by testing out of classes that I did not want to take again.
With today's "no child left behind" program in place it is nearly impossible to get a teacher who is willing to spend extra time with someone in order to make sure they are absorbing a concept. That makes a public school "education" pretty hard to come by. I started home-schooling my 4 children when my 8-year old son came home and asked me what a shape on his paper represented. The shape was an outline of the 48 contiguous United States.
An education is one of the few gifts that quite literally lasts a lifetime. As a parent you are the ultimate teacher for your little one, no one knows them better than you. My mother told me once that after the first couple of years, when I did not seem to be getting much out of home-schooling, she thought of re-enrolling me in public school. I am so happy that she didn't.
Also, I was the oldest of 4 sisters and my mother taught us all during the five year period. At the time my youngest sister was 3 and she was learning her alphabet, colors, animals, and numbers. That worked really well for my mother as well as the rest of us.
H. Stanley

Hi J.,

You and your husband are doing the best you can for your daughter. If your homeschooling method isn't working, then why not try those virtual school academies, where your daughter can still be at home but work on the computer with a class. I've heard more and more parents are trying this alternative.
Also, did you hear that in our state of CA they may soon require homeschool teachers to have a teaching credential? A lot of things are affecting the way we are able to help our children these days. Hopefully you and your husband will find a solution.

I have been teaching for 17 years in a public school and I have 3 sons who have always been in the public school system. There are excellent public schools out there. My son was recently tested for a learning disorder which thankfully came back negative but I still need to provide extra help for him. Just keep providing a good morally sound foundation for your children but do not shelter them from the real world. They cannot be kept inside a bubble. They will have to learn how to deal with issues on their own.

Hi Jen,
My oponion is "Home-schooling" is not the greatest thing you can do for your child! I'm sure there is a lot of parents who do it and I'm sure some kids do very well..... But lets face it, you cannot teach every single subject a teacher can at a school!
I mean, don't take me the wrong way.... I think it's great that you are trying your best to do what you can for your child, but I think you will do more harm then good!
You will not allow her to mingle with other kids or teach her to defend herself when someone is trying to pick on her! I know it's awful to see your child being picked on..... But you need to build some tough skin on her!
Bullies will ALWAYS be around, no matter what you do! Even adults get bullied!!! We need to teach our kids that defending themselves is okay! She needs to find her own personality!
If my mom were my teacher.... I don't think I would really take her serious!
Not all schools are BAD! Have you tried another Public School?
Have you tried "Private School"? Private school is really great! You can find some in-expensive schools. My 7 year old son attends a private school that is really GREAT! There are only 15 kids in his class. The teachers are great!! My 1st grader already knows his full address, his phone number, he knows how to read, how to write, how to spell, and he knows more about the Bible than I do!
I really wish you the best luck.

Okay - take a deep breath and remember you are a good parent. If you didn't care so passionately, this wouldn't be a difficult issue for you. My advice would be to go to the public school and observe - at the same time set up an appointment with either the schools counseling center or with Sylvin Learning Centers and have your daughter tested for any learning disabilities. Those results may surprise you or at least provide you more information. I am a big believer in gathering as much information as you can. Ask yourself what you lose by trying public school? I don't think much. I can tell you that when we moved to San Diego from Oregon three years ago I was really worried about the public school system here. I WAS WRONG!!! If you can keep an open dialog with your child's teacher, it can be an amazing experience. My son has grown in so many ways since our move. I've been surprisingly impressed. You are doing all the right things in asking questions. Hang in there. And remember, there is no right or wrong. As a parent you do the best you can for your child everyday. You are going to be fine.

Why not do both? Send her to school and continue her education at home. Let the schools do the grunt work and do the fun stuff that will make a lasting impression with her. Sit down with her and write make a grocery list, then go to the store and have her read that list and find the items. The Kidspace Museum in Pasadena is one of my favorite places to take my kids. They learn so much there. Kids learn to read and write, by reading and writing. Just spending 30 minutes a day reading and writing with her will make a tremendous difference. If there is a learning disability then the schools can test her. But, I will warn you now, the first place they will send you is to your pediatrician for a complete check up, including eye sight and hearing. If you are concerned, that should be your first stop. Good luck, please let us know how it goes.

Hi J.,
I was in the same situatuions as you. I pulled my daughter out of public school when she was in 1st grade..so she was about 6 1/2 or so. The program I did was really easy and they wanted to bump her up to 2nd grade. Anyway..after that school year I signed her up for a fantastic charter school, Julian Charter..., met up with her counsler, and recieved all the materials, only to find out my daughter wanted back to public school. Sigh..so yeah I know what you are going through..there are so many pros of homeschooling..and some to public as well so its a tough decision..I also have a young son, whom at the time of homeschooling was nursing constantly..it was hard to get anything done. Reguardless she is back in school and thank goodness she has a better teacher this year. Feel free to email me if you'd like to talk.
____@____.com
K.

Hello,
Keep your head up. Everything will work out. I taught at a public school for a couple of years and now I have a daycare in my home.

My advice would be to find a public school that you like. Weaver in Seal Beach and Morris in Cypress are very good schools. You can get a transfer to go anywhere you would like (contact me if you have any problems). Research your local schools because you are not limited to one. It is usually a good idea to go to their Open Houses and get a feel for the school and the teachers. I would not give up on Public Schools because of one teacher but research the teacher you want every year.

As for being tested, the public schools have to test their children for free if they think they have a disability. Be ready for a fight though. The school districts do not like to do the testing because of the money. Be forceful because they cannot tell you no unless you are not strong on your decision.

Please contact me with any questions. I would love to help.
K.

Hi J.!

i understand your discontent with the public school system. Unfortunately, this is a case of a teacher just being in the system for three reasons apparently: June July and August! Not all teachers in the public school system are like that. If you do choose to put her back in school I would suggest that you choose a different teacher.

Have you considered a private school? I have a feeling that you were trying to say that you found one, but didn't like it because the junior high was attached. I went to one of those schools. I also taught at one. The middle school grades weren't out with the younger children, with the exception of at lunch when they would overlap the younger grades by about 5 minutes.

As far as your daughter being hurt by you putting her back in school.. she will get over it! Once she starts making friends and wanting to play with them and learning new things with them... she won't be hurt. Plus, in my opinion, since you stated that he reading skills weren't coming along as well as they should.. it sounds like a better option.

The problem with homeschooling is that many parents do it because something is wrong at the school... without consideration of whether or not they are qualified. I believe that California was trying to pass a law that even homeschooling parents would have to have a teaching credential in order to do so. Something to consider as well because I don't think she'll get credit for her "classes" if you aren't certified. I'd hate to have her go backwards in her schooling because of this. Check it out.

If you are at all concerned there might be a learning disability going on, GET HER TESTED SOON! You can have it done in the schools or seek outside testing. The longer you wait, if there is a problem, the longer it will take her to get the help she may need. Once you find out if she has a problem or not, you can make a better decision. If she does have some kind of learning disability, she will need special instruction or additional support. You may or may not be able to provide that in your home alone. Best of luck!