Gentle Christian Mothers Community - View Single Post - Spin off: Home school vs. public school at home

Blue Savannah · 02-16-2008, 08:29 AM

Kindergarten is not required for our state, either. But we are a very conservative state. I, too, hope that preschool is never even a state option, for the same reason as a pp said. Kids just shouldn't have to go to school until they're ready.

After reading this thread, I have a few questions. I feel like I should feel guilty for being in a VCS.

But I just don't see how my doing that is really going to effect homeschool laws.

1. Virtual Academies have been around for a while now. Have any states changed their homeschooling laws because of them? In our state (which is SUPER easy to homeschool in), the VAs have a much harder time than homeschoolers. VAs are always fighting in the legislature for rights, but homeschoolers aren't. So I guess, seeing that, I don't see how VAs can negatively effect homeschooling laws. Because they seem to be two very different sets of laws. And the public schools are quite threatened by the VAs, and not so much the homeschoolers. (Maybe we are acting as a buffer for the homeschoolers in our state.

)

2. VAs do all the state testing and use state compliant curriculum, yet do much better in general than kids that do similar things in brick & mortar schools. Doesn't that help show how beneficial it is for kids to be educated by a loving parent/grandparent/etc.? Why wouldn't that help the homeschooling movement?

3. I don't see how a wide range of educational choices can ever be bad. It gives parents the option to choose what's best for their families, and makes the public schools more competitive. Homeschooling or home education just isn't for everyone.

4. I see VAs as a way to use my tax money to educate my children in the way that's best for our family. I know a lot of you don't agree with that, but my dh feels really strongly about it. We'll likely be doing an IDEA school this coming year. I will have freedom to choose her education plan/curriculum, but will get some reimbursement for expenses from the state. We're struggling to be a single income family; my dh works hard, but doesn't make a huge amount of money. Anything I can do to cut costs in hs'ing (or whatever is the PC term for what I'm doing is here) is appreciated by him.

So tell me. . . what's wrong with the way I'm thinking? I just really don't understand. :/

02-16-2008, 08:29 AM	#85
Blue Savannah Deactivated Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,363	Re: Spin off: Home school vs. public school at home Kindergarten is not required for our state, either. But we are a very conservative state. I, too, hope that preschool is never even a state option, for the same reason as a pp said. Kids just shouldn't have to go to school until they're ready. After reading this thread, I have a few questions. I feel like I should feel guilty for being in a VCS. But I just don't see how my doing that is really going to effect homeschool laws. 1. Virtual Academies have been around for a while now. Have any states changed their homeschooling laws because of them? In our state (which is SUPER easy to homeschool in), the VAs have a much harder time than homeschoolers. VAs are always fighting in the legislature for rights, but homeschoolers aren't. So I guess, seeing that, I don't see how VAs can negatively effect homeschooling laws. Because they seem to be two very different sets of laws. And the public schools are quite threatened by the VAs, and not so much the homeschoolers. (Maybe we are acting as a buffer for the homeschoolers in our state. ) 2. VAs do all the state testing and use state compliant curriculum, yet do much better in general than kids that do similar things in brick & mortar schools. Doesn't that help show how beneficial it is for kids to be educated by a loving parent/grandparent/etc.? Why wouldn't that help the homeschooling movement? 3. I don't see how a wide range of educational choices can ever be bad. It gives parents the option to choose what's best for their families, and makes the public schools more competitive. Homeschooling or home education just isn't for everyone. 4. I see VAs as a way to use my tax money to educate my children in the way that's best for our family. I know a lot of you don't agree with that, but my dh feels really strongly about it. We'll likely be doing an IDEA school this coming year. I will have freedom to choose her education plan/curriculum, but will get some reimbursement for expenses from the state. We're struggling to be a single income family; my dh works hard, but doesn't make a huge amount of money. Anything I can do to cut costs in hs'ing (or whatever is the PC term for what I'm doing is here) is appreciated by him. So tell me. . . what's wrong with the way I'm thinking? I just really don't understand. :/

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