Reasons for Home Schooling

[Jeff]

Yes, our local congregation is co-located with a great Christian school.  My wife and I have talked at length about sending our oldest there and do not think it would be a bad thing if we did.  Here are our prayerfully considered reasons to keep homeschooling:

1.  $$$$$  tuition costs plus other \"add-ons\" during the school year.

2.  Putting our children in a school population where there is a lot of affluence (see #1.)

3.  Flexibility for family trips and times together... we're not tied to the school schedule.  (I work shift work and have rotating days off, so this is very important to us.)

Now, let me hasten to add that my oldest attends a one day a week Christian Classical school where 20-25 homeschooled students meet together with three different instructors in literature, grammar and composition, logic and Latin.  Without this tremendous resource, the above reasons might hold less weight.

My second oldest could never keep up with the academic standard of the private Christian school, so it's not an option at all for her... most likely that holds true for my eleven year old as well.  My ten year old is very bright and very athletically gifted so the private Christian school might be a very good fit for him (and, of course, by the  time he's high school age we may be able to afford the $$$.)

Good question, though, thanks for asking.

[patriciaredstone]

The only Christian school we have near us is Catholic and we did try it for 3 months ... long story. Still, I would choose to home school over all of the Christian schools I have seen. Many Christian schools, rather than do the hard work of training staff to integrate faith into the curriculum, opt for a chapel or devotional period in the day and prayer in the classroom. Of course time dedicated to God should be a part of the day, but Christian School does not mean Christian Education ... and Christian Education is what we are shooting for.

[Bon Voyage]

$8000?

I pay less for a year of college.

[Jeff]

Tremendous post, Patricia!  Thanks for sharing the specifics.  Obviously the schools have a hard time \"being all things to all men.\"  The local high schools in my district are huge -- 3000 students on the average.  I wonder how many kids are simply shuttled through the system  and \"drop through the cracks\" as a result.  Of course, the key is parental involvement, support and encouragement.  

When I taught, probably the most depressing days for me were when I attempted to help the students in my homeroom register for the following year.  A lot of the kids had zero support from home and had a dismal attitude towards school as a result.  Of course, these same kids had limited options by their junior/senior years because of a history of failure throughout their academic careers.  \"I'm sorry, Johnny.  I know you don't want to take two English classes next year, but since you failed the Fall semester of your freshman year, you've got to do this if you want to graduate.\"  Johnny shrugs and grunts, \"Whatever.\"

Back to you and your husband's circumstances, I heard a speaker one time who said, \"You know the definition of a midlife crisis?  It's when you realize your career choice was made by a teenager!\"  :thumbup:

[janine]

Oddly enough, I was in Iowa when my oldest two were just getting into kindergarten and... second grade, maybe?  In Iowa, where the education was prime.  Yet, we homeschooled at that time, as much because of the busy 4-lane highway, and potential blizzards, between us and the school, as any other reason.

We have friends with 7 children (age 4 up to adult & married off), who are VERY dedicated to their Christian college alma mater.  Can you imagine the expense of sending all those stair-step kids, another every couple years, through a college charging thousands a year?

They have some of the kids in a charismatic/Christian school and some homeschooled, any given year.  Depends on who needs special help from English-doctorate Mom.

[crocless aussie]

I am interested to know if anyone has used home-schooling when there is a christian school available  i.e. made a deliberate choice of home-schooling vs christian schooling, rather than against a public school option.

[crocless aussie]

Thanks for your response, Jeff.  So to summarise - cost is a major factor (what are their fees and how much does home-schooling cost?) and associated with that the school then has a non-representative community (affluent); and the school doesn't cater for a wide range of abilities - only those at the upper end academically. :thinking:

[Jeff]

Croc:  Your summary is correct.

Costs for the specific school I'm discussing are about $8000 a year tuition plus there are book charges and field trip charges through the year (and compared to the public schools, the field trips are quite ambitious.)  To their credit, the school has a strong financial aid program, including a sort of \"work/study\" program similar to one that might be found in a college setting.

It is also typical for most private schools, both Christian and secular, to cater to the college-bound student.  That really ties into their primary \"client,\" the affluent family who have expectations that their child will go on to a university and a professional career.  Putting it bluntly, that's where the money is.

I taught in the public schools many years ago in a rural community.  This school district had a great vocational education program because they also recognized their \"clients.\"  A much smaller percentage of this high school population headed off to the university, and more of them went to the local vocational school where many of them received outstanding training in trades.

[patriciaredstone]

Jeff,

My husband and I graduated from a vocational training high school situated in a lower-class, ethnic, neighborhood. This was over 30 years ago. Sadly, the school did not have anyone on staff to support students with university potential. Now, we realise that they simply did not know what to do with us, so they encouraged us into the trades.

So my husband went to the state university where his advisor, after examining his perfect scores, suggested he pursue a BA in woodshop (Industrial Technology) which he accomplished. Then, after running three businesses of our own, he decided to go back to get his MS in Information Technology which is the new MBA. About three years ago, he realised (or just decided to express) that from the beginning he should have been encouraged to go to medical school. It's a loss he lives with.  

My strengths were never identified at our High School even though I won local and state awards in speech, drama and writing competitions. I have become a college gypsy -- dropping in for classes when and where the mood strikes me. After taking a test (one of those fill in the little box with #2 pencil lead ONLY) that promised to put me on the right occupational track, the counslelor told me that I would be best suited as a domestic. Something about that experience, regardless of how silly it was, stays in my mind.

Looking back we have mixed feelings. We strongly believe in vocational high schools and are opposed to the marketing of higher education through guilt, scare and shame tactics. But as you point out, Jeff, schools adapt and design programs that serve a general clientele. This is the problem, I suppose. Children often need advocates, advisors and experiences that can take them outside of a streamlined program to see their options and potential. This is especially necessary when children come from families where the parents have minimal participation in their child's education.

[crocless aussie]

We have an advantage over here in that, while $8000 is about the level of costs per student, we receive funding from both State and Federal governments that means parents only pay about $3,000 (in our school - there are many that charge a lot more!)  The result is a more socioeconomically diverse community - which is one of our goals.

Each school has a responsibility to cater for the needs of its students.  If they are musically talented, it needs a music program, if academic - an academic program, if not academic - a vocational program.  In the context of a christian school it is about helping kids to identify what talents God has given them and helping them to learn to use those talents.  It is also about showing them that the talents (and the kids) are different but not more or less valuable.

Self esteem is an important issue for teenagers, in particular, and what better way to address it than by teaching the kids that they are valuable as unique creations of God and purchased with the blood of Christ.  Their value doesn't lie in their academic, sporting or other abilities.

\"I know I'm special, 'cos God don't make no junk!\"

A vocational program need not be expensive and should be well within the capabilities of a school charging $8000 per annum.  It all depends on the priorities.  Our voc ed program actually runs a profit!  I know your schools tend to put a high emphasis on sport which can be expensive and therefore takes resources.  We do sport as part of the program but we are not a sports club. There is an extensive network of local clubs that we encourage the kids to join.

It is difficult for a school to be all things to all people, but it can usually go a long way in providing for the kids' needs.