evelyns92 <[email protected]>

Hi! It is me again, the "new member." I wonder if I caused the
Majordomo episode? I noticed it started with a reply to my post from
Majordomo. If I did it, what did I do? Also, thanks so much for the
input from Sandra and Betsy. You are so right to stop thinking
about "school." It will be hard for me for awhile to get
unconditioned to the pressure to LEARN, after what is going on with
our charter and the demands from our "Educational Specialist" (our
credentialed "teacher") Afterall, I have always thought that we are
in a learning mode everyday, every hour even if we are not "doing"
something our charter school thinks we should be doing to satisfy
someone else. Also, I was wondering if you think I would be opening a
can of worms to pull my daughter out now. Should I wait until the
Fall and be a chicken!! Cluck, cluck . . .What would you do? Are any
of you in California? Thanks again, Sara

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/15/03 12:47:29 PM, evelynsfarm@... writes:

<< I was wondering if you think I would be opening a
can of worms to pull my daughter out now. Should I wait until the
Fall and be a chicken!! Cluck, cluck . . .What would you do? >>

I'd pull her now and say you're going to go it on your own, if it were me.

<<Are any
of you in California? >>

The HSC list could give you particular California advice, if you want.
www.hsc.org

Sandra

Betsy

Hi, Sara --

Yes, I'm in California, in the Northern Bay Area.

All the people I know of that waited to take their kids out said that
they wished they had taken their kids out sooner. I guess withdrawing
from an independent study program is not exactly the same. (You kid
isn't actually "serving time" in a classroom.)

Is the school system imposing on your life and limiting your freedom in
pleasure and learning? Are you getting anything from them that you
really need?

Somewhere pretty prominently on the HSC website (www.hsc.org) there's
information about their booklet about homeschooling in California. It's
free and you can get a hard copy in the mail or read it online. It's
called From Chaos to Confidence. (Great name!) It has a thorough
section about legal issues in Calif. Once you read it you will feel
much more confident.

**It will be hard for me for awhile to get
unconditioned to the pressure to LEARN, after what is going on with
our charter and the demands from our "Educational Specialist" (our
credentialed "teacher") Afterall, I have always thought that we are
in a learning mode everyday, every hour even if we are not "doing"
something our charter school thinks we should be doing to satisfy
someone else.**

Right. You've got the key insight here. You know that learning can
take any shape or form (or be amorphous). Educators who are checking up
on you will be biased towards knowledge that is quantifiable and "flat",
that is that fits on a nice, fileable piece of paper.

Betsy

Heidi <[email protected]>

Hey Sara!

What charter school are you with? we've been in Idaho Virtual Academy
this year, using the K12 curriculum. After seven years of doing it on
my own, though I've never been an unschooler as described here, I
have been relaxed. My kids have played more than any other thing, but
I've also gotten lessons together for them using curriculum such as
KONOS.

Anyway, I sent an email to our "teacher" (educational specialist!
Love it!) yesterday, telling her our decision not to re-enroll next
year, and should we withdraw now or wait, sometimes utilizing the K12
curriculum, but not necessarily? She advised withdrawing now, if I'm
not going to mark progress with the school (which I might've or might
not...)

Why not talk to*your* State Employee...um, what SHOULD we call these
people...Intermediary Just Here to Help the Mere Moms Do It Right...

Tell her you intend to withdraw (don't say "we'd like to" Use
stronger language) and ask her advice whether now or at the end of
the year would be better.

that's what I did. I'm getting together the returnable curriculum
items over the next few days and finding out where to ship them to.
And then shipping them. HA!

Heidi


--- In [email protected], "evelyns92
<evelynsfarm@m...>" <evelynsfarm@m...> wrote:
> Hi! It is me again, the "new member." I wonder if I caused the
> Majordomo episode? I noticed it started with a reply to my post
from
> Majordomo. If I did it, what did I do? Also, thanks so much for
the
> input from Sandra and Betsy. You are so right to stop thinking
> about "school." It will be hard for me for awhile to get
> unconditioned to the pressure to LEARN, after what is going on with
> our charter and the demands from our "Educational Specialist" (our
> credentialed "teacher") Afterall, I have always thought that we
are
> in a learning mode everyday, every hour even if we are not "doing"
> something our charter school thinks we should be doing to satisfy
> someone else. Also, I was wondering if you think I would be opening
a
> can of worms to pull my daughter out now. Should I wait until the
> Fall and be a chicken!! Cluck, cluck . . .What would you do? Are
any
> of you in California? Thanks again, Sara

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/16/03 7:48:45 AM Eastern Standard Time,
bunsofaluminum60@... writes:

> Why not talk to*your* State Employee...um, what SHOULD we call these
> people...Intermediary Just Here to Help the Mere Moms Do It Right...
>
> Tell her you intend to withdraw (don't say "we'd like to" Use
> stronger language) and ask her advice whether now or at the end of
> the year would be better.
>
>
I suggest NOT asking the "state employee" for homeschooling advice. Their
position is that homeschooling is a poor second to the wonderful hard work
they do. Just do what YOU want to do.

*~*Elissa Jill*~*
unschooling Momma to 3 beautiful brilliant people
Loving partner for life to Joey
terrible guitarist, fair singer and happy woman.


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

evelyns92 <[email protected]>

--- Hi Heidi!
We have been with Horizon Instructional Systems out of Lincoln, Ca.
They are HUGE and very organized. The sites are all over and offer
many classes. We do have money to spend for materials, classes and
computers but that money of course is tied to testing, work samples
and meeting with our "educational specialist." They have become much
more restrictive and controlling. My daughter was not interested in
any of the classes this year, we already have two computers here at
home and I wanted to follow a more traditional approach to subject
matter so we have not used hardly any of our budget for curriculm
materials. So, no they have not contributed much to our home
schooling environment except pressure to produce work samples and
learning records that meet "their" (i.e. California standards)
subjective ideas. I was also asked to sign a statement that my child
would participate in the SAT 9 testing with the understanding that if
we refused to test that our enrollment in the charter next fall would
be at risk. BLACKMAIL!!! All of this is why I feel ready to jump
ship. I have been doing so much reading about my rights in Calif.
and what we can do. Then last night I went to the California
Department of Education website and the information there scared the
you know what out of me! Those of you in California let me know how
you did it and what has happened, if anything. I feel vey alone and
worrried about doing the right thing now and in the future for my
daughter. What if she decides she wants to go to high school in a few
years? Will it be hard for her to get in? Anyone been through that
issue? I love this site. You are all so involved and helpful.
Thanks so much from the "newbie." Sara

In [email protected], "Heidi
<bunsofaluminum60@h...>" <bunsofaluminum60@h...> wrote:
> Hey Sara!
>
> What charter school are you with? we've been in Idaho Virtual
Academy
> this year, using the K12 curriculum. After seven years of doing it
on
> my own, though I've never been an unschooler as described here, I
> have been relaxed. My kids have played more than any other thing,
but
> I've also gotten lessons together for them using curriculum such as
> KONOS.
>
> Anyway, I sent an email to our "teacher" (educational specialist!
> Love it!) yesterday, telling her our decision not to re-enroll next
> year, and should we withdraw now or wait, sometimes utilizing the
K12
> curriculum, but not necessarily? She advised withdrawing now, if
I'm
> not going to mark progress with the school (which I might've or
might
> not...)
>
> Why not talk to*your* State Employee...um, what SHOULD we call
these
> people...Intermediary Just Here to Help the Mere Moms Do It Right...
>
> Tell her you intend to withdraw (don't say "we'd like to" Use
> stronger language) and ask her advice whether now or at the end of
> the year would be better.
>
> that's what I did. I'm getting together the returnable curriculum
> items over the next few days and finding out where to ship them to.
> And then shipping them. HA!
>
> Heidi
>
>
> --- In [email protected], "evelyns92
> <evelynsfarm@m...>" <evelynsfarm@m...> wrote:
> > Hi! It is me again, the "new member." I wonder if I caused the
> > Majordomo episode? I noticed it started with a reply to my post
> from
> > Majordomo. If I did it, what did I do? Also, thanks so much for
> the
> > input from Sandra and Betsy. You are so right to stop thinking
> > about "school." It will be hard for me for awhile to get
> > unconditioned to the pressure to LEARN, after what is going on
with
> > our charter and the demands from our "Educational Specialist"
(our
> > credentialed "teacher") Afterall, I have always thought that we
> are
> > in a learning mode everyday, every hour even if we are
not "doing"
> > something our charter school thinks we should be doing to satisfy
> > someone else. Also, I was wondering if you think I would be
opening
> a
> > can of worms to pull my daughter out now. Should I wait until
the
> > Fall and be a chicken!! Cluck, cluck . . .What would you do? Are
> any
> > of you in California? Thanks again, Sara