translating unschooling for "school"
Shannan Frohlich
I have been helping my nephew "homeschool". His paternal grandmother is against homeschooling to begin with... and is wanting him to go to some school (4 hrs a day) thing. He has been unschooling for the last year. If he goes into this school.. the school will want to know his grade level and what he has courses of study. I'm hoping his mom will allow him to make the decision as she has so far, but just in case... how do I translate what he has been doing living his life to courses and apply a grade level? He is 17, almost 18.. Is there a website I can go to, or someone that is used to helping other unschoolers report to state? We don't reporting requirements here in TX and I'm at a loss as to who to talk to.
Thanks for any input.
Shannan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Thanks for any input.
Shannan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
plaidpanties666
"Shannan Frohlich" <momfrohlich73@...> wrote:
Find out Exactly what the school requires. It's possible that regardless of what you tell them he'll be required to test for specific classes.
Otherwise... what sorts of things has he been doing? Is he more the "vo-tech" type or the "academic" type? Is he interested in going to college after high school? Tell the school whatever best lets him pursue his goals. For instance, if Ray were suddenly pressured into going to high school I'd emphasize his arts and crafts background, say he would place in the general ed English, science and social studies classes and request that he be tested for math.
---Meredith
>how do I translate what he has been doing living his life to courses and apply a grade level? He is 17, almost 18..*****************
Find out Exactly what the school requires. It's possible that regardless of what you tell them he'll be required to test for specific classes.
Otherwise... what sorts of things has he been doing? Is he more the "vo-tech" type or the "academic" type? Is he interested in going to college after high school? Tell the school whatever best lets him pursue his goals. For instance, if Ray were suddenly pressured into going to high school I'd emphasize his arts and crafts background, say he would place in the general ed English, science and social studies classes and request that he be tested for math.
---Meredith
Debra Rossing
At 17/18, you might also double check the laws for whether school is required or if you can just "graduate" him and let him move on in his life. In many states, a parent/guardian can simply fill out a form to say "my child has graduated" kind of thing - it's not dropping out but simply graduating early. Then he might, if he chooses, start with community college or vocational training classes or even (gasp) get a job even if it's the lowest entry beginner type job in an area that he's interested in exploring. No way grandma could object to his getting a job and "paying his way" (even marginally).
Deb R
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Shannan Frohlich
I could consider him graduated, but his mother isn't wanting to do that just yet (partly because he will loose his SSI if he isn't enrolled full time in school). His mother is supporting unschooling - mostly. She doesn't understand completely and can only see his computer time (which is most of his day) as wasted time. (She sees him as lazy) She does not want to make him go to the school and is trying to let him make his decision because as she says, he'll just not do the work anyway. HER mother though, is the one trying to make him do it.. and to keep piece with her mother, she is letting her look into this. But the school "won't talk to me" without her (grandma) knowing grade level for him. I told the grandma (after she called ME) that I wasn't comfortable discussing it with her, but if the Mom wanted me to put it together I would. In the end, I don't think anything is going to come of it. I'm thinking of writting a letter or portfolio type thing. I also think my nephew would like to see that someone does see the value of what he does and that it does translate to real learning. And who knows, maybe if grandma can see in traditional type of lingo he is learning, she'll back off.
Shannan
Shannan
----- Original Message -----
From: Debra Rossing
At 17/18, you might also double check the laws for whether school is required or if you can just "graduate" him and let him move on in his life.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Shannan Frohlich
Thanks for the response Meredith, it gives me some food for thought. :)
Shannan
Otherwise... what sorts of things has he been doing? Is he more the "vo-tech" type or the "academic" type? Is he interested in going to college after high school? Tell the school whatever best lets him pursue his goals. For instance, if Ray were suddenly pressured into going to high school I'd emphasize his arts and crafts background, say he would place in the general ed English, science and social studies classes and request that he be tested for math.
---Meredith
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Shannan
Otherwise... what sorts of things has he been doing? Is he more the "vo-tech" type or the "academic" type? Is he interested in going to college after high school? Tell the school whatever best lets him pursue his goals. For instance, if Ray were suddenly pressured into going to high school I'd emphasize his arts and crafts background, say he would place in the general ed English, science and social studies classes and request that he be tested for math.
---Meredith
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
Thoughts --
Here in FL, so I don't know about where you are, children who show up at school without enough documentation are usually just placed according to age. If it really came down to that, your 17-year-old would be put in 11th grade (I would think) and then be tested and followed to see what adjustments need to be done along the way. At that grade level, there are different levels of reading/math/etc. classes and adjustments could be made.
OTOH, we also have the community/state college system. Again, it will be different for your state. Here, though, you stay enrolled wherever you are (umbrella school or county registration) and go to the community college for FREE* classes. There is a CPT (placement test) to see if you can handle college-level reading and math and placement is based on that. If you pass the English part but not the math, for instance, you can take certain classes that don't require math while you take remedial classes in math (or not). (Not sure the remedial classes are free. And the * by FREE means that textbooks and other supplies are not covered.) Still you have junior and senior year students who are homeschoolers and getting college credit (up to an AA's worth) at the local community college.
And there is the online option -- FLVS.net -- also available in some other states. This is for high school credits only but does result in a transcript that might shut relatives up. :)
And there is a page for the state's scholarship program -- Bright Futures -- this is the page that helps you find the right course name and code to put together a transcript -- https://www.osfaffelp.org/bfiehs/fnbpcm02_CCTMain.aspx Maybe your state has a similar thing?
I'm not suggesting any of these options would be a fit for your son but staying enrolled while you figure out if there is anything out there you want to use is a good idea. Students can "graduate" when they are 16 here but it isn't necessarily a good idea because you lose access to all these choices.
Nance
Here in FL, so I don't know about where you are, children who show up at school without enough documentation are usually just placed according to age. If it really came down to that, your 17-year-old would be put in 11th grade (I would think) and then be tested and followed to see what adjustments need to be done along the way. At that grade level, there are different levels of reading/math/etc. classes and adjustments could be made.
OTOH, we also have the community/state college system. Again, it will be different for your state. Here, though, you stay enrolled wherever you are (umbrella school or county registration) and go to the community college for FREE* classes. There is a CPT (placement test) to see if you can handle college-level reading and math and placement is based on that. If you pass the English part but not the math, for instance, you can take certain classes that don't require math while you take remedial classes in math (or not). (Not sure the remedial classes are free. And the * by FREE means that textbooks and other supplies are not covered.) Still you have junior and senior year students who are homeschoolers and getting college credit (up to an AA's worth) at the local community college.
And there is the online option -- FLVS.net -- also available in some other states. This is for high school credits only but does result in a transcript that might shut relatives up. :)
And there is a page for the state's scholarship program -- Bright Futures -- this is the page that helps you find the right course name and code to put together a transcript -- https://www.osfaffelp.org/bfiehs/fnbpcm02_CCTMain.aspx Maybe your state has a similar thing?
I'm not suggesting any of these options would be a fit for your son but staying enrolled while you figure out if there is anything out there you want to use is a good idea. Students can "graduate" when they are 16 here but it isn't necessarily a good idea because you lose access to all these choices.
Nance
--- In [email protected], "Shannan Frohlich" <momfrohlich73@...> wrote:
>
> I could consider him graduated, but his mother isn't wanting to do that just yet (partly because he will loose his SSI if he isn't enrolled full time in school). His mother is supporting unschooling - mostly. She doesn't understand completely and can only see his computer time (which is most of his day) as wasted time. (She sees him as lazy) She does not want to make him go to the school and is trying to let him make his decision because as she says, he'll just not do the work anyway. HER mother though, is the one trying to make him do it.. and to keep piece with her mother, she is letting her look into this. But the school "won't talk to me" without her (grandma) knowing grade level for him. I told the grandma (after she called ME) that I wasn't comfortable discussing it with her, but if the Mom wanted me to put it together I would. In the end, I don't think anything is going to come of it. I'm thinking of writting a letter or portfolio type thing. I also think my nephew would like to see that someone does see the value of what he does and that it does translate to real learning. And who knows, maybe if grandma can see in traditional type of lingo he is learning, she'll back off.
>
> Shannan
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Debra Rossing
>
>
> At 17/18, you might also double check the laws for whether school is required or if you can just "graduate" him and let him move on in his life.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
plaidpanties666
"Shannan Frohlich" <momfrohlich73@...> wrote:
The short answer is to figure his grade level by age - so if he'll be 18 before the start of Next year's school year, he's a senior: grade 12. I've tutored high school students in the past, it doesn't matter if he's "at grade level" in anything at all.
You're caught between a rock and a hard place by not being a parent or guardian - you're the tutor, at best, and regardless of anyone's feelings on the matter that cuts you out of a good deal. I'm a stepmom, so I can relate and empathize. It helps Me to see myself as a consultant to my stepson, but not his biological mother. I don't have any "authority".
In a way, that's how unschooling works even with our "own" kids - we're their consultants, not their managers. When the child isn't "ours" we get to see just how tenuous a matter it is to be a consultant to a minor. They have few powers under law. As unschooling parents, we choose to uphold their decisions and support them, but the power is really still ours. It's something to keep in mind when thinking about things like "rights" - the rights of children are largely determined by their parents, for better or worse.
I'm not sure this is the best place for you to get advice, frankly, since you're not a parent or guardian. You could read the Teenage Liberation Handbook and suggest your nephew read it too. You can help Him negotiate with the school to some extent - give him ideas of what to say and ask and encourage him to take charge of his own "education". You can talk about adapting to circumstances as a survival trait the way prisoners are counselled (when they receive any counselling) about adapting to incarceration. You can help him look into early emancipation. But none of those things are unschooling, they're about helping him bend to or work the system. You have few real choices to offer him at this time Because he's a minor and you're not a guardian.
Have you seen this page - especially the links at the bottom? Maybe they'll have some help for you:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
some of this might help, too:
http://www.whyunschool.info/?page=inaction
If you want more help with that, contact me off-list - this is getting a little too OT, I'm afraid.
---Meredith
>But the school "won't talk to me" without her (grandma) knowing grade level for him. I told the grandma (after she called ME) that I wasn't comfortable discussing it with her, but if the Mom wanted me to put it together I would.*******************
The short answer is to figure his grade level by age - so if he'll be 18 before the start of Next year's school year, he's a senior: grade 12. I've tutored high school students in the past, it doesn't matter if he's "at grade level" in anything at all.
You're caught between a rock and a hard place by not being a parent or guardian - you're the tutor, at best, and regardless of anyone's feelings on the matter that cuts you out of a good deal. I'm a stepmom, so I can relate and empathize. It helps Me to see myself as a consultant to my stepson, but not his biological mother. I don't have any "authority".
In a way, that's how unschooling works even with our "own" kids - we're their consultants, not their managers. When the child isn't "ours" we get to see just how tenuous a matter it is to be a consultant to a minor. They have few powers under law. As unschooling parents, we choose to uphold their decisions and support them, but the power is really still ours. It's something to keep in mind when thinking about things like "rights" - the rights of children are largely determined by their parents, for better or worse.
> I could consider him graduated, but his mother isn't wanting to do that just yet (partly because he will loose his SSI if he isn't enrolled full time in school). His mother is supporting unschooling - mostly. She doesn't understand completely and can only see his computer time (which is most of his day) as wasted time.****************
I'm not sure this is the best place for you to get advice, frankly, since you're not a parent or guardian. You could read the Teenage Liberation Handbook and suggest your nephew read it too. You can help Him negotiate with the school to some extent - give him ideas of what to say and ask and encourage him to take charge of his own "education". You can talk about adapting to circumstances as a survival trait the way prisoners are counselled (when they receive any counselling) about adapting to incarceration. You can help him look into early emancipation. But none of those things are unschooling, they're about helping him bend to or work the system. You have few real choices to offer him at this time Because he's a minor and you're not a guardian.
>> I also think my nephew would like to see that someone does see the value of what he does and that it does translate to real learning. And who knows, maybe if grandma can see in traditional type of lingo he is learning, she'll back off.******************
Have you seen this page - especially the links at the bottom? Maybe they'll have some help for you:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
some of this might help, too:
http://www.whyunschool.info/?page=inaction
If you want more help with that, contact me off-list - this is getting a little too OT, I'm afraid.
---Meredith