I'm resenting my sons charter school, what now?
shannikki1
Hi, my thinking is far from clear, I could use some help with this one!
My son is enrolled in a charter school. I chose this route because of
the budget, but am having a VERY difficult time going back and forth
between two ways of thinking....supporting my childs interests and
having great times with him, and then categorizing what we've been
doing/providing "proof of learning" to meet the requirements of this
charter. I feel that not having any connection with the charter school
would be the best choice to free up my thinking to more easily provide
the environment that is best for our family, but am still wondering
what I can do to make it work for us. Maybe pro/con lists for using a
charter and for going it alone...lol, but serious! Did any of that make
sense?!?
~Nicole
My son is enrolled in a charter school. I chose this route because of
the budget, but am having a VERY difficult time going back and forth
between two ways of thinking....supporting my childs interests and
having great times with him, and then categorizing what we've been
doing/providing "proof of learning" to meet the requirements of this
charter. I feel that not having any connection with the charter school
would be the best choice to free up my thinking to more easily provide
the environment that is best for our family, but am still wondering
what I can do to make it work for us. Maybe pro/con lists for using a
charter and for going it alone...lol, but serious! Did any of that make
sense?!?
~Nicole
Michelle Thedaker
Nicole,
We are also with a public charter school and I go back and forth about
staying. We're in California, and with the current question about the hoops
one will need to jump through to homeschool here, I'm so far deciding to
stay with the charter. They cover me legally, give us funds for tons of
resources, and our charter is quite easy to work with for unschoolers. You
do have to submit attendance charts and a monthly chart of what was covered
for each subject. Most months are so easy - I just leave the chart on the
fridge and when anything comes up that could feasibly fit under a category
(and usually under several!) I jot it down. We turn in portfolio samples
four times a year, and my Educational Specialist (teacher we're assigned to)
accepts just about anything; photos, drawings, craft samples, blog entries,
etc. The biggest stickler for me is the annual STAR testing each year
(California test for all public schooled kids). However, with the way the
law may be swinging out here, I'm guessing that might be a requirement for
all homeschoolers anyway when all is said and done. So we're hanging with
the charter for now.
But I hear ya on the wavering - there are definitely some weeks where I
stress that we haven't written down anything or history or science or (fill
in the blank)! But it usually resolves itself in a few days. When it gets
really tough, our ES is very helpful in brainstorming things we might have
done that will fill in the chart. I definitely think having her on our
"team" makes it much easier. I can see that with a stricter ES - or one who
just doesn't "get" unschooling - it would be more of a challenge.
Shell & Da Boys
Drew, 8.5 and Josh, 4.5
www.thedaker.blogspot.com <http://www.thedaker.blogspot.com/>
"If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you
love, you have to find the courage to live it." John Irving
_____
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of shannikki1
Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2008 12:40 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] I'm resenting my sons charter school, what now?
Hi, my thinking is far from clear, I could use some help with this one!
My son is enrolled in a charter school. I chose this route because of
the budget, but am having a VERY difficult time going back and forth
between two ways of thinking....supporting my childs interests and
having great times with him, and then categorizing what we've been
doing/providing "proof of learning" to meet the requirements of this
charter. I feel that not having any connection with the charter school
would be the best choice to free up my thinking to more easily provide
the environment that is best for our family, but am still wondering
what I can do to make it work for us. Maybe pro/con lists for using a
charter and for going it alone...lol, but serious! Did any of that make
sense?!?
~Nicole
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
We are also with a public charter school and I go back and forth about
staying. We're in California, and with the current question about the hoops
one will need to jump through to homeschool here, I'm so far deciding to
stay with the charter. They cover me legally, give us funds for tons of
resources, and our charter is quite easy to work with for unschoolers. You
do have to submit attendance charts and a monthly chart of what was covered
for each subject. Most months are so easy - I just leave the chart on the
fridge and when anything comes up that could feasibly fit under a category
(and usually under several!) I jot it down. We turn in portfolio samples
four times a year, and my Educational Specialist (teacher we're assigned to)
accepts just about anything; photos, drawings, craft samples, blog entries,
etc. The biggest stickler for me is the annual STAR testing each year
(California test for all public schooled kids). However, with the way the
law may be swinging out here, I'm guessing that might be a requirement for
all homeschoolers anyway when all is said and done. So we're hanging with
the charter for now.
But I hear ya on the wavering - there are definitely some weeks where I
stress that we haven't written down anything or history or science or (fill
in the blank)! But it usually resolves itself in a few days. When it gets
really tough, our ES is very helpful in brainstorming things we might have
done that will fill in the chart. I definitely think having her on our
"team" makes it much easier. I can see that with a stricter ES - or one who
just doesn't "get" unschooling - it would be more of a challenge.
Shell & Da Boys
Drew, 8.5 and Josh, 4.5
www.thedaker.blogspot.com <http://www.thedaker.blogspot.com/>
"If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you
love, you have to find the courage to live it." John Irving
_____
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of shannikki1
Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2008 12:40 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] I'm resenting my sons charter school, what now?
Hi, my thinking is far from clear, I could use some help with this one!
My son is enrolled in a charter school. I chose this route because of
the budget, but am having a VERY difficult time going back and forth
between two ways of thinking....supporting my childs interests and
having great times with him, and then categorizing what we've been
doing/providing "proof of learning" to meet the requirements of this
charter. I feel that not having any connection with the charter school
would be the best choice to free up my thinking to more easily provide
the environment that is best for our family, but am still wondering
what I can do to make it work for us. Maybe pro/con lists for using a
charter and for going it alone...lol, but serious! Did any of that make
sense?!?
~Nicole
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pamela Sorooshian
On Mar 29, 2008, at 12:40 PM, shannikki1 wrote:
What did you get with the money that makes it worth this?
I think you'll be glad you did it - you won't miss that money and
you'll feel so MUCH more free. It changes your perspective when you
become truly independent. Really!
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I feel that not having any connection with the charter schoolYou only did it for the money? It isn't that much, is it?
> would be the best choice to free up my thinking to more easily provide
> the environment that is best for our family, but am still wondering
> what I can do to make it work for us. Maybe pro/con lists for using a
> charter and for going it alone...lol, but serious! Did any of that
> make
> sense?!?
What did you get with the money that makes it worth this?
I think you'll be glad you did it - you won't miss that money and
you'll feel so MUCH more free. It changes your perspective when you
become truly independent. Really!
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pamela Sorooshian
On Mar 29, 2008, at 3:18 PM, Michelle Thedaker wrote:
the judges have decided to reconsider the case. That most likely means
the outcome will be in our favor. It will make our position even
stronger than it ever was before, and we can feel even MORE secure
homeschooling as the most private of private schools with no
government restrictions, oversight, or reporting on our children of
any kind at all.
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> We're in California, and with the current question about the hoopsJust in case anyone in California reads this and it worries them --
> one will need to jump through to homeschool here, I'm so far
> deciding to
> stay with the charter.
the judges have decided to reconsider the case. That most likely means
the outcome will be in our favor. It will make our position even
stronger than it ever was before, and we can feel even MORE secure
homeschooling as the most private of private schools with no
government restrictions, oversight, or reporting on our children of
any kind at all.
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pamela Sorooshian
On Mar 29, 2008, at 4:50 PM, Pamela Sorooshian wrote:
I think if you leave the charter you'll be glad you did it........
Sorry.
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I think you'll be glad you did it - you won't miss that money andI meant:
> you'll feel so MUCH more free. It changes your perspective when you
> become truly independent. Really!
I think if you leave the charter you'll be glad you did it........
Sorry.
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
shannikki1
--- In [email protected], Pamela Sorooshian
<pamsoroosh@...> wrote:
ourselves. Money was the main reason, but there were actually
many...that haven't proved to be of any use, mostly just added to the
hassle. Yuck.
in fact, much of what is on our "wish list" would not be approved by
the charter anyway...
reading/writing about this I'm figuring out what's holding me back is
some personal stuff. Which to address first is what I should be
figuring out, I guess :) This schooling/lifestyle choice sure has
brought up a lot of "stuff"! I absolutely love it, never felt better!
~nicole
<pamsoroosh@...> wrote:
>$1,500...we have used all of it, but could have purchased everything
>
>
> You only did it for the money? It isn't that much, is it?
ourselves. Money was the main reason, but there were actually
many...that haven't proved to be of any use, mostly just added to the
hassle. Yuck.
>can't think of a single thing we couldn't have purchased ourselves,
> What did you get with the money that makes it worth this?
in fact, much of what is on our "wish list" would not be approved by
the charter anyway...
>you
> I think you'll be glad you did it - you won't miss that money and
> you'll feel so MUCH more free. It changes your perspective when
> become truly independent. Really!I know that, I can almost taste the freedom when I imagine it. As I'm
reading/writing about this I'm figuring out what's holding me back is
some personal stuff. Which to address first is what I should be
figuring out, I guess :) This schooling/lifestyle choice sure has
brought up a lot of "stuff"! I absolutely love it, never felt better!
~nicole
>
> -pam
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>