We are in our second full year of HSing. This year, instead of doing the curriculum myself using the SOL guides, I was able to sign up with the K12 curriculum through our local school board. It is okay, but the time schedules set by the school board and the fact that my children still have to sit for the SOL testing by the public schools in May is not sitting well. SOLs are one of the many reasons that I chose to bring my boys home. The main reason was more of a religious reason, though. I feel that because we are still having to answer to the school board, we have to concentrate on areas that are not in keeping with our beliefs. There is no chance of the kids going back to PS. I refuse! So far this year, the middle school has been locked down more than once for drug and weapon searches, bomb threats, etc. I also saw on the news about a grenade being found in a classroom. My 11.5yo saw that and said, "Well, forget going back to public school! I don't want to get blown up." Our beliefs are most important and with this K12 curriculum, there are not enough hours in the day, many times, for the religious ed. As it is, my boys are behind. My 11.5 yo is slower in math and their schedule is pretty grueling for him. My 10 yo is slower in reading and is having trouble, also. Compulsory attendance is just not jiving right now. I know we have to tough it out for this school year, but was wondering if any of you have chosen the RE option. Sorry so long... Mary
I don't have any advice, but wanted to say welcome! I hope it all works out for you and your children!
Hello and welcome! I do not have advise on this either. I am sorry. Somebody else might. My sister is going through a charter program. The past few years she liked it but now she can't keep up with all the work that is required. Being that she is part of the state, she has to complete all the work even if the children understand it already. I feel for you! It seems the state has more and more they want our children to learn. At our last homeschool group meeting, the speaker was a public teacher who homeschooled. She said that even public school teachers cannot possibly complete everything that the state wants the children to learn. She said this is one of the reasons children are falling behind as well. It is to much work and not enough time. The state in many ways has taken the joy out of learning and turned it into a political agenda trying to make things better but they are actually making it worse. Well, sorry for my little tirade. There are some good schools out there. Glad you joined us!!!! Patty
I don't believe in K12 programs, mostly for the reasons you've stated. But that's my opinion, and there are many who think they're great. But the bottom line is, if it's not meeting the needs of your kids, drop it! Can you pull them from it now, the way you could a "regular" public school? I'd call HSLDA and ask them. Religion is very much a part of my teaching. I teach history and science both from a Christian world view. I teach history to all three of my kids (ages 12, 10, and 7 next week) at the same time. All three have done science together for the past two years, though my oldest is branching off on her own this year. There's not enough hours in a day for me to teach all subjects to all kids without "grouping" them! A K12 program doesn't allow for the flexibility that I love, nor does it take into account the child's interests.
I am planning to use as much Christian curriculum as we can afford next year. I am going to call the school board and find out about withdrawl, but I think that we would have to pay for what we have used so far. It is an expensive curriculum, so I am not sure how that would work. I am glad to have the knowledge that I do now, even if it came by trial and error. (Major Error!)
We use the K12 program as a homeschool option. I semi-follow the curriculum. If they kids know it already, we either just double up the work or skip it all together. We just do the language arts, math, history and science. I usually complete in about 3 hours and then do other things. I do not like the public/charter/virtual school option with this program. If I can't flex it to make it work for us, then it isn't working for us. I do feel it is a pretty advanced curriculum. My 4th grader whom I pulled out of public school this year, I had to start back in the third level in K12 for all subjects. My 2nd grader, I had to start back to first level math. I knew my 4th grader was behind in reading. But I didn't realize how much the state really was requiring. No, the public/private school teachers are NOT able to do it all. Not sure we should try as parents either, it is a lot of pressure on our kids. I do really like the K12 curriculum. But no, I wouldn't do it through the state.
Mary, Why do you have to tough it out for this school year? As Jackie asked, can't you just drop it, as you would drop out of ps? Yes it's an expensive lesson, but you can stop the frustrations and damage being done by stopping it as soon as you can. There are a lot of things on the internet that you can get for free or nearly so to help you finish out the year YOUR way! You don't want your children so frustrated that they forever (or for a long time) hate some subject that was being shoved down their throat when they didn't understand it! Hopefully you can get out of this program and use K12 on your own, or something that is cheaper from the internet! WELCOME to the board! I hope you stick around---there are a lot of great ladies, and a wealth of advice on here!
We had a family meeting about the issue of K12. While we are not sure about the cost being referred back to us, we are going to continue for now. I will have to make a call to the schoolboard to find out if we can drop it without incurring costs. I talked to my boys and explained that we can do this together and can get information, but as of right now, I think we will look at this as a trial period until I can get info from the board. I am hoping that the boys will be settled a bit more after the holidays. Right now, they are pretty out of control. (They even have a chalkboard noting how many days until Christmas.) It was suggested to me to possibly take a longer break for Christmas, just lighten the load for Dec., if not letting the boys vacation completely for the month. Still thinking on that one. Thank you for all of your well wishes and advice. It is greatly appreciated.
AS I understand you post, you are using the K12 curr. through the school system and it is on a schedule. I am not sure what SOL tests are. ( I do know what SOL stands for around here LOL and It would apply to standardized tests that you were not ready for -Grin) Anyway, if your kids are behind, perhaps you can contact a teacher that is working with that system and see if your students can be put back a grade in that subject or subjects. Maybe you can get them not to worry about grade level, and concentrate instead on getting them where they can progress with successful learning. Is it possible for you to use this material off line, or outside of the schedule. Could you set it up to be on your schedule or on a year round schedule. THis way you would have more months to finish and you would retreat back to where your students got behind. I don't know what your state laws and requirements are, but perhaps they will simply not do well according to the state this year and you can use other materials and your schedule next year. I considered using this material also because it would be free through the state for us, I looked over the website and notice the strict structure and knew I could not handle it. I have noticed that online based school and college work, not only tries to immulate what the classroom does, they add on top of that an entire layer of extra tasks intended to validate that you have worked hard. It is like the people who produce this stuff do not believe it is as good as the classroom experience and have to overcompensate. Additionally they cannot let go of the socialization stuff in college courses, and perhaps some elementary and High school level classes and add a layer of complexity and time consuming activities so you can interact with other students online. Ironically all of the folks that I know who take online college courses with the student interaction stuff, think that the others are all idiots. They admit that they would not think that if it was in person, but that everyone comes across as an idiot online. Can we say negative socialization impact. LOL
LOL I have taken college courses online and can sooooo relate (especially since I was about twice the age of most of the other students.) It is quite full and structured. I doubt we'll be using it again as we have struggled so hard with this curriculum.
*Just a note* SOLs are Standard of Learning tests. They are really horrible. Due to them, much of what is now learned in public schools here in VA are basically test answers. The poor kids miss so much! They have even cut out field trips and other school activities just to meet the state requirements. Yet another reason why I took my kids out of school.
I think a lot of schools in most or every state "teach to the test" instead of doing REAL learning! Chalk another positive thing up for Homeschooling!!! :love:
Wow, Mary I think I would do what Jackie and Deena said drop it and enjoy the rest of the years with your children without the stress. I don't think any amount of money could keep me in the program if I was that unhappy and my children too, I would just leave it. It's so sad. Call the board explain whats going on and leave. Oh welcome to the board!
might have help for you Tell me your state, the grade your child is in, and their ages. I might have an answer for you.
I don't know a lot about K12, I do know that HSLDA recommends against using them if possible because they breakdown the laws regarding true independent homeschooling. We did look into it. And I hold nothing against anyone who chooses to use that, ya gatta do what ya gatta do for your family, totally. K12 is attached the PS system in that whatever "academy" you are attached to under K12 receives funding from the school district that is given them based on the taxes you pay with your housing. A K12 student is viewed the same as a PS student as far as funding is concerened. And even though it's being done at home, and you have all sorts of stuff to fill out that says you're "homeschooling" you're really not, technically. My concern with them when I looked into them was that what do they do in October? In the PS system we were in when we lived in AZ, October was ALL witches, goblins, Halloween and scary stuff, and it was REQUIRED reading. We didn't qualify in AZ b/c at the time the requirement was they had to have been int he school system for one year, or had a sibling that was. I was glad we didn't meet the requirment b/c the more investigation we did, the more we decided it wasn't the road we wanted to take. Did that make sense? I can totally understand using it. I think it's nice having curriculum lined up and other people responsible for taking care of that. There are some GREAT christian curriculums out there that lay everything out for you - even A/O Switched on Schoolhouse. Are you an HSLDA member? If so, call, get some help, information, etc. Good luck!!!
We are in Va.. ages 12 and 10, grades 4 and 5. October was just like any other month in the K12. Nothing is done about any holiday, actually. My husband and I have decided that while we can't afford the whole curriculum for the boys, we are going to go with books by Seton next year. I can fill in the gaps that finances forces us to leave with no problem. I already have their religious studies books, thanks to our Church's generosity. (All families were given the St. Joseph's books.) I need only order the answer keys for these, which are very inexpensive. At this point, I am not fretting over the testing, as I feel that they have shown great progress and that is what is required.They can say that my child has failed, but I know that neither of them have. Both have been doing what they can and at their own pace. I tell them to just get to May and then we turn the books in, finished or not. I refuse to go past the testing date.
Hello, a friend of mine who is a PS teacher stated she can't wait to retire because we are going to have a generation of children who are over tested and under educated. I pull my 7 year out of school this year because she was behind a year level. I had her tested, trying to get help at the school. The only thing is the school agreed to was to give her more time to take test, Gee wonder why. From what I understand the testing is linked to government funding. I talk to her second grade teacher often, she is stress due to all the material she is to teach the kids (all test related) and there is not enough hours in the day, plus if the child doesn't get it, they are left behind. Also, Emma goes back to school once a week for she speech therapy. Get this the speech teacher said she is doing much better than she was at school. (teacher was home schooled as a child), her thought is alot of pressure has been relieved from Emma. The teacher has given me worksheets for Emma to do at home, I have my own curriculum but do take the sheets. The worksheets are prep test sheets. Sorry this is so long, God Bless. Kellie
