secular home school...

[SERPENT7]

My daughter is 2, but we are thinking of starting her on homeschooling. (In a few years) Does anyone know of any good home groups around here? (Northern Ca.) How do we go about finding them? Secular is VERY important to us, as we do not want her growing up with an invisible super-hero looking over her shoulder her whole life, if you see what i mean.

[Dilbert1234567]

invisible super-hero

I wish I had some information for you, but I don’t, just wanted to say I like your lexicon on religion.

Good luck on finding a group.

[Ustwo]

My sister is home schooled due to sports, and takes tests, turns in homework and all that over the internet. I don't have the name of the organization, but I'm sure you can google around to find some like it.

[genuinegirly]

Yeah... the only home-schools that i know of are through religious organizations.
Definitely don't get her granny involved or she'll come home with "Jesus Loves You!" crap every day.

Ask the school district. The district office is just around the corner, on Janss Rd across from the library. L had home schooling for a while due to her siezures. They arranged it through the school. An instructor came to her home a couple of times a week for 4-6 hours. While I'm sure your cutie isn't elidgeable for such perks, the district should have information for you!

[ClostGoth]

The very first thing you should do is protect your right to homeschool. These people can help you with that:

http://www.hslda.org/

They also have a whole site devoted to finding homeschooling support and umbrella organizations in your local area:

http://www.hslda.org/orgs/default.asp?State=CA

If none of these groups are secular you could always run an ad or put a postcard with contact information up at your local library. I founded a GREAT, secular military family group here in Omaha that way. I simply wrote, "Secular, eclectic homeschoolers looking for other homeschooling families." with a phone number. I had five calls the first week. There are thirty families in our group now. :-)

Yahoo groups is a great resource too, believe it or not. I typed in "secular homeschools" and was bombarded with 160 groups! Granted, not all of them were in California, but it might be worth looking into.

[tecoyah]

These guys are really well recommended by our homeschooling association:

http://www.hsc.org/

It works....believe me

[viejo gringo]

We have several familys that have secular home schooling...my advise
is don't do it....these kids are 12, 14, 16 years old and have no idea how the
real world functions....smart? sure but they are as dumb as a red brick about
how to behave and respond in public....oher than church, they have a very
secluded life....they have tv but only get to watch larence Welk shows (dad
video tapes them, so they can see them again)...Andy Griffen is another biggy in
their life.......

maybe their is a way to do it, but these kids are going to be someones problem in the future..

[1010011010]

Originally Posted by viejo gringo

We have several familys that have secular home schooling...my advise
is don't do it....these kids are 12, 14, 16 years old and have no idea how the
real world functions....smart? sure but they are as dumb as a red brick about
how to behave and respond in public....oher than church, they have a very
secluded life....they have tv but only get to watch larence Welk shows (dad
video tapes them, so they can see them again)...Andy Griffen is another biggy in
their life.......

maybe their is a way to do it, but these kids are going to be someones problem in the future..

Google: "define:Secular". I think the kids you're describing are getting the usual religiously themed home-schooling.

[ngdawg]

Originally Posted by genuinegirly

Yeah... the only home-schools that i know of are through religious organizations.
Definitely don't get her granny involved or she'll come home with "Jesus Loves You!" crap every day.

Ask the school district. The district office is just around the corner, on Janss Rd across from the library. L had home schooling for a while due to her siezures. They arranged it through the school. An instructor came to her home a couple of times a week for 4-6 hours. While I'm sure your cutie isn't elidgeable for such perks, the district should have information for you!

I know our school district attempts discouragement of homeschooling-it's lost dollars from the state so they don't help you with the decision; instead, they will try everything to get you to keep your kid in school.
Arranged homeschooling because of illness is different-we have tutors on staff for those instances as well.
Edited to remove the foot from the mouth

[jth]

not to be pushy

but why consider home schooling? My personal views about home schooling are negative so I am bias towards it. However, in most situations where I know people home schooled I never got to ask 'why are you home schooled' and would like to know why Parents aside from sheltering children religiously would home school their children.

Teachers are professionals, and have gone to school and know how to teach. There are always variations on the level of skill, sure. Quality of schools, totally. However taking your kids out of schools and teaching themselves will deprive them of essential social skills that they develop on the playground, in the classroom, not being home all day with Mom or Dad, making friends on their own time and in their own way, learning how to deal with ackward emotional, social settings. Learning about deadlines, projects, taveling on busses or walking by themselves and countless other things that I can think that would not be learned, or maybe would be by home schooled kids.

I see advantages in some ways to this sure. In situations say when the child is exceptionally gifted say at art, music, sport, math, science and extra focus is wanted by the parents in these areas to try and nurse the talent, that's great. Children who are ill and cannot attend school (physical, emotional or mental illness).

I'm just interested to know why. Because I want to know and understand

[ShaniFaye]

I swear....do people realize that being in a homeschool organization DOES include socializing? My daughter has been homeschooled since she was 4 (thats 9 years) and she and her friends are some of the most socially adept children I know. Homeschooling DOES NOT equal no social skills, unless you want to fault me because they dont act up in public, they know how to behave at theaters and resturants, they dont throw fits at the grocery store or walmart.

I get so friggin sick and tired of people trying to tell me that my homeschooling her is "retarding" her socially. Between the homeschool association activities and other things she does for *school* she has more social interaction than I EVER did at that age and I was in girl scouts. She is very well aware of the ins and out of authority and respect and working with others.

People please know that not all homeschooled kids are kept inside their house and never associate with anyone....its just not true anymore and its a real insult (to me) for people to say that I'm keeping her from learning those things, when indeed she is. Yes, there are the exceptions out there, but in 9 years where I'm at I have never seen it....ever.

I have no qualms about the fact that she's never been in government school and I wouldnt change a thing

[ngdawg]

Didn't mean to insult you. Edited to cut the stupid parts. There are as many reasons to homeschool as there are not to. Keeping a child out of public school for fear of him/her being corrupted by a secular school system is a real reason to many-probably a dumb one, but it exists.
It's a personal choice, but some, unfortunately, make it out of fears instead of opportunity; either way, it's a major decision. Your decisions obviously were the best ones.
Sorry, Shani
/hands Shanifaye a cookie

[ShaniFaye]

NG, I was harsh wasnt I? Like I told you privately, these threads always get the best of me because people always say the same things about how unsocialized the kids are....you just happened to bare the brunt of my aggravation this time...and it wasnt really directed at YOU....but towards everyone that says things like that, because whereas it USED to be like that more often than not, these days it isnt. People that say things like that without seeing how a good organization works make me feel like Im a crap mom because I dont let my daughter ride a school bus or sit in a lunchroom full of kids everyday.

My daughters group include both religious and non religious curriculum. I didnt have any "fears" about her being corrupted, my fear was her actual education. The government school system still hasnt learned how to adequately deal with gifted children, which Amanda is and I wasnt having her go thru the same things I went thru since I was the same way. A homeschooled child has a way bigger advantage because they are not stuck just learning the things that are taught in a particular grade. If she sucks at math (like I did and like she did for awhile) she can work on one level of math while advancing in the subjects she excels in such as history and science. AND she can have the time she needs to really be able to grasp whatever fundamental she's lacking at.

You know I got nothing but love for ya!!!! ( can I have an each hand cookie?)

[ngdawg]

Originally Posted by ShaniFaye

NG, I was harsh wasnt I? Like I told you privately, these threads always get the best of me because people always say the same things about how unsocialized the kids are....you just happened to bare the brunt of my aggravation this time...and it wasnt really directed at YOU....but towards everyone that says things like that, because whereas it USED to be like that more often than not, these days it isnt. People that say things like that without seeing how a good organization works make me feel like Im a crap mom because I dont let my daughter ride a school bus or sit in a lunchroom full of kids everyday.

My daughters group include both religious and non religious curriculum. I didnt have any "fears" about her being corrupted, my fear was her actual education. The government school system still hasnt learned how to adequately deal with gifted children, which Amanda is and I wasnt having her go thru the same things I went thru since I was the same way. A homeschooled child has a way bigger advantage because they are not stuck just learning the things that are taught in a particular grade. If she sucks at math (like I did and like she did for awhile) she can work on one level of math while advancing in the subjects she excels in such as history and science. AND she can have the time she needs to really be able to grasp whatever fundamental she's lacking at.

You know I got nothing but love for ya!!!! ( can I have an each hand cookie?)

You can have each hand twice cookies
Since my kids are 14 and we did not have computer access at the time they would have started school, I didn't have the necessary tools and information. The one former friend's homeschool circle was a christian-based one; I'm not even sure how much access she had, only that her adamancy about what her daughters would be learning was very, shall we say, fundamentalist. My nephew hated school so much, he quit in 9th grade and his mom home-schooled him, but very casually, the other end of the spectrum.
My son,like your daughter, is a VERY high-achiever; he was in the G&T program, but his ADD was coming into play and I had to pull him out due to his constant frustrations-not that he couldn't handle the type of work given, he didn't have the ability to organize. He also didn't know how to interact with kids-still doesn't really, but it's more because he thinks like a 30 year old instead of a kid his age.
Believe me, I thought long and hard about keeping them out of the school system until at least high school age.
The ironic part to this whole thing, going back and forth about how to best educate my kids was what his 6th grade math teacher told me: "He doesn't belong in a public school. He's too advanced, try and get him to a private school". Well, I don't have 15 grand lying around....I'm hoping he can keep his grades up enough in high school to participate in the early college enrollment program(they can start college a year earlier if they meet the requirements)
I guess the bottom line is we're the ones that have to make these decisions and if we're pro-active, we will make the right ones. I don't think I would have been able to keep up-I can't make heads or tails out of their math work at all. On the other hand, my daughter writes very well and knows she can come to me for help there anytime.
Some districts have a part-time curriculum in where the kids can take some of the more basic classes in school for half a day and continue at home or in another venue. The reasons vary, from having a handicap to having it coincide with homeschooling. This may be something the OP can seek out as well.

[cellophanedeity]

I hope to be able to home school my children when I have them. I hated highschool, not just because of the people, but because I coasted, uninspired, through the arts and drowned in math and science. I still can't really do multiplication or division because my teachers didn't even notice I was having problems with it because I was quite good at everything else. And because I coasted through the rest of school without effort, I don't have any real study skills to get me through university.

It seems that while there are drawbacks to being homeschooled, the personal levels of education seem to be hugely important.

[Grasshopper Green]

Shani, I have a question...

I know you work...and your daughter is homeschooled..how does that work?

[Aladdin Sane]

My son is home schooled and doing quite well, thank you very much. I too am amazed at the propaganda that proclaims that children taken out of violence and drug infested government schools will become social retards. Believe me, as a high school teacher for 13 years, I saw more anti-social behavior in those halls than most people will see in a lifetime. Does that mean public schools breed anti-social behavior?

[ShaniFaye]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Shani, I have a question...

I know you work...and your daughter is homeschooled..how does that work?

Her grandmother and I divide the responsibilities (and the gas money for all her social "stuff" lol)

She works with her during the day while Im at work and then I work with her the other times.

<puts on proud mommy face> It seems to be working, her last standardized testing placed her in the top 1% of the nation

[raeanna74]

I wouldn't completely shy away from homeschool groups who had families of more than one religion involved. The one that my family was involved with (my brother and I were both homeschooled) included families of many different beliefs. There were some that even followed American Indian Mysticism and Buddhism and other religions that you don't meet every day. They would discuss them freely but did not bring up their beliefs unless asked. The group's primary goal was to provide a wholesome education for their children. Not to just jamb religion down their kid's throats.

Look around. I'm sure you can find a few groups. Go and see how they operate and then decide if you want to be involved.

You could start with these groups and ask for referrals if they aren't what you are looking for.

As for socially handicapping children who are homeschooled? Have you ever paid close attention to the parents themselves?? I've known socially inept children who were homeschooled and guess what - their parents were seriously lacking in social skills as well. I also have known children in public school who were picked on, bullied, or bullies and their parents were incapable of normal social interaction. I think it shows up no matter where they go to school. In general I've seen homeschooled children who interact daily with children of all ages and seem somewhat better able to interact with anyone. While children in public school who interact primarily with only their age group seem to have a harder time socializing with any other age groups. Social handicapping is negative propaganda and nothing more.

[ClostGoth]

My children are homeschooled for a variety of reasons. Primarily because during my eldest's preschool and kindergarten days his teachers insisted that he was retarded (they wanted him moved into special ed classes) and that he be medicated for ADHD/ODD because they couldn't handle him. He went into preschool with behavior problems (things he learned in day care like biting), but he knew his ABC's, could count to 20, and write his name. He came out of kindergarten knowing NONE of those things. After three years at home with me, he is going into fourth grade next year with a firm grasp of pre-algebra, reading at a 6th grade level, and functioning as a normal 9yr old. His therapist and psychologist NEVER saw a need to medicate him, and his "diagnoses" were overturned the same year I pulled him out of school.
Since then, I have gone to school to become an educator. Let's just say that I've been less than impressed with the level of instruction provided our teachers and I sincerely hope that the ladies and gentlemen attending my school are NOT an accurate cross-section of the nation's teachers in the intelligence and literacy department. I'm sadly afraid that they are. Yes, the curricula in public schools (though they vary wildly) are aimed at a hypothetical "average" child and I could cite numerous reasons why individualized curricula are better; but what's the point when so many of our public school teachers don't understand the material well enough to teach it? I could do a better job with my kids at home even if I *just* followed the public school curriculum to the letter and spent an average of half an hour a day on actual teaching time.
As far as socialization goes... I, too, am sick of hearing it. How is being shuffled around in lines with seventeen other kids your exact age socializing? Or sitting in a classroom bored to tears because you're three grades above your course material while teachers fuss at kids for throwing spitballs and whispering. They don't even have recess any more as we knew it, and there is no talking allowed at lunch. So when are our kids learning these all important social skills in public school settings? My kids go to Boys Town and YMCA for sports, have about thirty families in our homeschooling group (secular, btw) who meet on a bi-weekly basis, enjoy memberships to the zoo, children's museum, and art museum, and attend a world religion education program at the local UU. They each have two or three really good friends, though intersestingly enough none of them are the same age as their "best" friend... They ride bikes up and down the alley behind our house with neighborhood kids, and are (on the whole) a lot more verbose and socially adept than their local public school counterparts. (Have you tried to have a conversation with a public school kid lately? - ASIDE from your own, of course!) My oldest had some "stranger danger" generalized scare tactics in kindergarten and therefore is much more stand-offish. I've tried to undo the damage by teaching situational responses... after all, how can you ever make friends if all strangers are evil? But all of my kids are perfectly comfortable communicating (respectfully) with any individual regardless of age, sex, race, or religion. In Walmart yesterday, my 3yr old politely said hello to a lady waiting with us in the car care department. He told her his name and asked her for hers. He then asked her how her day was and was she waiting on her car too, then proceeded to answer her questions politely when asked. How many 3yr olds can do that? How many ADULTS do that these days?
I can respect that not everyone agrees with how their children should be educated. And I can agree that homeschooling is not for everyone. I have been very lucky in my ability to be home with them, and to scrounge up the cash for messy science experiments, textbooks, and field trips. I also realize that I survived the public school system relatively unscathed (and generally educated to boot), and am sure that my kids would do the same. However, I wish that more people respected my right to the decision I made and trust that I have the best interest of my children at heart. I also hope that you all know that this isn't directed at anyone on TFP, nor am I responding to anyone on this thread. It's simply a topic-related vent because I've had the same exact problem as others here have mentioned; uninformed concern turned ugly from people who don't understand nor care to understand the choice I've made for my family. My kids aren't exactly poster children for the homeschooling cause (they picked up a few choice curse words from our last foster child) and are rambunctious, active, bright little boys with all that entails. But I would be proud for any homeschool nay-sayers to meet my children and see the brighter side! All you ever hear about in the news are the weirdos and sickos who keep their kids home so they can chain them in basements and such... I've personally never met anyone like that in my limited experience; everyone I've met thinks pretty much the same as I do - though we do all go about it differently.
*takes a deep breath*
Sorry about the rant. I'm going to post it anyway... No hard feelings, mates.

[Derwood]

Is there any set of standards (besides occasional aptitude tests) that you must adhere to if you home school your kids? We have some neighbors who just moved in down the street with three kids (I would guess 10, 14 and 16 years old) who are never at school, so I assume they are homeschooled. However the reason I know they are never in school is because they are always doing yard work. Shouldn't there be some sort of contract or agreement saying "okay, if you don't want your kids going to the schools provided, you must do A, B and C every day for X amount of hours"?

[ShaniFaye]

yep there sure is, its dictated by the state

these are georgias laws

Compulsory Attendance Ages: "between 6th and 16th birthdays." Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 20-2-690.1. However, if a child is under 6 and has attended more than 20 days in a public school, he is then subject to the compulsory attendance laws. § 20-2-150(C).

Required Days of Instruction: 180 days. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(5).

Required Subjects: A basic academic educational program that includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(4).

Home School Statutes: Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c).

1. Parents must submit a declaration of intent to home study to the local superintendent thirty days after the establishment of the home study program and by Sept. 1 every year thereafter. This declaration must include the names and ages of students, the location of the home school, and the time the parents designate as their school year. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(2).
2. The home school must provide "a basic academic educational program." Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(4). (see "subjects" above).
3. Each school day must consist of four and one-half hours. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(5).
4. Attendance records must be kept and submitted to the superintendent each month. The records will "not be used for any purpose except providing necessary attendance information." Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(6)
5. Parent must write an annual progress report and retain it for three years. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(8).
6. "Parents or guardians may teach only their own children in the home study program... but the parents or guardians may employ a tutor who holds at least a high school diploma or GED to teach such children." § 20-2-690(c)(3). No specific amount of hours required for tutor to teach.
7. According to the Attorney General of Georgia, the local superintendent does not the have the authority to require parents to affirmatively produce evidence of their continuing compliance with the law in the operation of home study programs or require the production of documents. Although the superintendent has the authority to "request" such materials, he cannot require parents to submit them. 1986 Op. Att'y. Gen. No. U86-19.
8. This statute resulted from a home school decision by the Georgia Supreme Court, Roemhild v. Georgia, 251 Ga. 569, 308 S.E.2d 154 (Ga. 1983), which found the former law to be "unconstitutionally vague." Roemhild, 308 S.E. 2d at 159. The court reasoned: "...we conclude that the statute is not sufficiently definite to provide a person of ordinary intelligence, who desires to avoid its penalties, fair notice of what constitutes a "private school..." Roemhild at 158. "Furthermore, the statute violated a second due process value in that it impermissibly delegates to local law enforcement officials, judges, and juries the policy decision of what constitutes a private school." Id.

Teacher Qualifications: The "teaching parent" must have at least a high school diploma or a GED. Or the parents may employ a private tutor who has a high school diploma or GED. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(3).

Standardized Tests: Children must take a national standardized achievement test every three years beginning at the end of the third grade. "Test scores are not required to be submitted to public school authorities." Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(7). Parent must write an annual progress report and retain it for three years. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(8).

http://www.ghea.org/pages/resources/stateLaw.php

[ClostGoth]

I feel more comfortable with states that have higher regulation. Right now we live in Nebraska. They basically just exempt you and ignore you - hardly any regulation at ALL! My favorite reference for homeschooling laws:

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

[Derwood]

Well I just learned that the lawncare kid neighbors moved here from out of the country and are just homeschooling the kids for the rest of this year. They will enroll them in the district next year. Makes me feel a little better