[email protected]

I have a question. How can I unschool and follow the "rules" of the
state without feeling like I am lying to them? It is an issue. My 17
year old quit schooling altogether this year. He has a job and has
worked there for a year. School traumitized him so badly that even the
mention of learning anything turns him off. He has the rest of his life
to live and learn. Still people are always asking him if he graduated,
will he get his GED, etc. It is a part of life. He just says he is
homeschooled and then people are satisfied. Now he is not homeschooled
per his request. I still unschool my 14 year old. For the past 3 years I
put together what ever he experienced and "make it fit" the mold of the
state. Another thing that really irks me is that if we can
school/unschool our kids at home legally why are we not allowed to
legally give them a graduation diploma that counts to enter college if
they care to go? I hope my kids decide to do some alternative employment
like alternative medicine, healing practice, organic farming, etc. I
dont get to choose though:) Michele



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

soggyboysmom

--- In [email protected], michele-nappi@w... wrote:
> Another thing that really irks me is that if we can
> school/unschool our kids at home legally why are we not allowed to
> legally give them a graduation diploma that counts to enter
college >if
> they care to go? I hope my kids decide to do some alternative
>employment
> like alternative medicine, healing practice, organic farming, etc.
I
> dont get to choose though:) Michele
>
Uh, you can. It isn't "accredited" but neither are many private
schools' diplomas. Likewise, it is possible to get a job or get into
college without a GED or 'accredited' diploma - likely a
standardized test (SAT/ACT) like all the other applicants would be
required as well as a parental written transcript of what has been
covered - however, when DH chose to go to college (entering as a
freshman) a decade after high school, he was admitted without any
test scores (I think he took the ACT during orientation to fulfill
a 'hoop' - he also took all the CLEP tests possible and ended up as
a sophomore after one semester). And, many colleges now have full
time admissions staff people to help homeschoolers
(generically)'translate' their life experience into academic-ese
(similar to what you do to fit the stuff they do to what the state
expects to see).

Job applications just put graduated:Yes; date:whenever;
school:homeschooled) and that's it - and it is more likely to at
least get a second look because it is different from all 999 others.
Putting together a good curriculum vitae would probably also be
helpful - kind of like a resume of your life - places you've
volunteered, major experiences (like spending a summer backpacking
in Europe), etc and how those experiences qualify you for the type
of position you are applying for.

[email protected]

Good info from Deb...

Plus, are you planning to come to the conference? Wes Beach is going to
address *just* this issue!

My Cameron (17) is still registered as a homeschooler, but he's mostly
just working. He has three paying gigs---two with caterers and one
with a paper delivery, one volunteer gig at the local independent film
theatre, and a *very* busy (and profitable!) house/petsitting service
that he's started. He also has a band; they are working on three new
songs and on getting a gig at a local bar before the end of the summer.

I take what he's doing at work and use it for "school" records. I can
also include his travel and what we do at home (talks, movies, games,
etc.) as school.

I've asked him whether he'd like to be "graduated" this summer or keep
on keeping on as a homeschooler. No answer yet, but it's really just
more of what we've been doing, so I doubt he'll make any changes. It's
just too easy to do what we're doing.

You *could* used his job as a "work-study" program that your very
progressive homeschool has implemented! <g>

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
October 6-9, 2005
http://liveandlearnconference.org

-----Original Message-----
From: soggyboysmom <debra.rossing@...>


>
Uh, you can. It isn't "accredited" but neither are many private
schools' diplomas. Likewise, it is possible to get a job or get into
college without a GED or 'accredited' diploma - likely a
standardized test (SAT/ACT) like all the other applicants would be
required as well as a parental written transcript of what has been
covered - however, when DH chose to go to college (entering as a
freshman) a decade after high school, he was admitted without any
test scores (I think he took the ACT during orientation to fulfill
a 'hoop' - he also took all the CLEP tests possible and ended up as
a sophomore after one semester). And, many colleges now have full
time admissions staff people to help homeschoolers
(generically)'translate' their life experience into academic-ese
(similar to what you do to fit the stuff they do to what the state
expects to see).

Job applications just put graduated:Yes; date:whenever;
school:homeschooled) and that's it - and it is more likely to at
least get a second look because it is different from all 999 others.
Putting together a good curriculum vitae would probably also be
helpful - kind of like a resume of your life - places you've
volunteered, major experiences (like spending a summer backpacking
in Europe), etc and how those experiences qualify you for the type
of position you are applying for.