Moms need credentials in CA to homeschool!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hugh. You know I always enjoy chatting with you.

Stephanie, I wondered if you were now homeschooling. I saw you outside one morning last week with the kiddos and thought you may have made the leap. I am thrilled to hear it is going so well for you. It is amazing how much more actual learning our girls do during the day now that we are homeschooling. I laughed out loud at your geography comments. My 6 and 8 year old children can tell you the 15 countries of Southeast Asia as easily as saying their ABC's and they had fun learning to sing them. They move at a pace that is appropriate for them and they don't have the element of boredom that frustrated my oldest child when she was enrolled in public school. When they are ready to move on in a subject, we move on. If they need more help to fully understand the material, we take the time to make sure they grasp the lesson.

With that said, HS'ing is not for everyone. Some children struggle when the teacher is also the parent. Many parents are not comfortable stepping into the role of full-time educator. Some parents just don't want to be around their kids all day. And guess what? That's ok. Just as homeschooling is not for everyone, public schools are not the best fit for every child. For our children homeschooling is absolutely the best choice. I anticipate the girls will homeschool through high school and have dual high school/college enrollment with the community college starting their sophmore year of high school. They will have at least one year of college credits before they even enter their undergraduate college years.

My Masters degree is in adult education and I do not have my NC teaching certification yet, amazingly, I have had no trouble teaching the girls. Between professionally developed curriculum, tons of Triangle area and online homeschool groups and a plethora of online educational resources, we have discovered there are amazing opportunities for creating a highly enriched homeschool environment. Most of the parents I know who homeschool have college degrees and many have taught in the public school system. A number have recently pulled their children out of 40/42 schools and are now experiencing the freedom and peace of mind that homeschooling allows. There are no more busy-work homework assignments. If my girls know the material, they move on. They don't have to be mainstreamed, just because half the class is not ready to move on. They don't have to spend a week on a spelling list if they already know how to spell all the words when they take the pre-test.

The kids still have a classroom experience during religious school and various homeschool programs and their social lives are fabulous ("socialization" always seems to be a sticking point of those uneducated about homeschooling) . Our entire family is enjoying a sense of calm that we never had before and I highly recommend homeschooling to anyone looking for an alternative to the EOG driven public schools.

I can understand why the NEA and teachers are afraid of the homeschooling movement. It threatens their livelihood and challenges their deeply held beliefs that government should dictate the education of our children. Yes, there are some parents who should not be homeschooling. There are also some teachers who should not be teaching, yet they remain in the system year after year. The homschooling laws in NC are just as they need to be. I test my children every year using nationally standardized tests administered by a certified third party. I keep attendance and immunization records as required. Last year, the girls attended 220 days of homeschool. The public school children attended 180 days.

Again, homeschooling is not for everyone. All children need an education and public/private traditional schools are the best or only option for many. They do serve a purpose in our society. Fortunately, those schools are not the only option for all of society. Most homeschoolers don't want to rock the boat, they simply want to sail in another direction. We have chosen the road less traveled. Because others may be uncomfortable taking that same path does not mean that the path is unworthy. On the contrary, both Frost and I believe it will make all the difference.

"Education: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding.” -Ambrose Bierce

 

Here's the thing I don't get:

I'm a high school English teacher. I am highly trained and well versed in my subject area. I don't think I would have a problem teaching my son literary analysis, composition, grammar, spelling, etc.

However, I would not want to be responsible for his chemistry or calculus or computer applications or French language education.

With a degree or not, you may be able to offer your child a good general education. That would probably be enough for the lower grades. But when they move on, how can you impart the same level of expertise a subject specialist can?

I'm not baiting here; I really want to know.

 

First off, I don't home school and really would not want to. I have my reasons.

But, I do have several friends that do, I believe there are online classes and they also have what they call Co-op, not sure what it's all about..but I have heard them talk about it when I'm around them.

Sheri

 

Yours is a valid concern, jt. I have been asked this same question many times. Fortunately, I don't have to teach the kids all their chemistry, spanish, physics, music, calculus, etc... by myself. My husband, the scientist, and the many skilled professionals and parents who teach co-op courses and community college classes will assist me in providing the full range of academic challenges to the girls. Between the various dissection classes, math co-ops, homeschool bands, creative writing lectures, etc..... the biggest challenge for homeschool parents and students is deciding which opportunities to experience. There are very good reasons that four-year colleges are beginning to court homeschool students through homeschool college fairs and recruiting events.

Sheri - a co-op usually involves a group of parents who teach lessons in their specialty to a group of kids. Many of these parents have worked as professionals in the subjects they are teaching and have an excellent grasp of the material, especially as it applies to the real world outside of the classroom. A parent may teach one or many classes on a subject depending on the age and skill level of the kids involved.

 

Exactly. And... there are teachers in this state right now that do not have credentials. You get them as you go, that's how hard up we are for teachers in NC. Quite a few people making career changes, and becoming teachers.