Homeschooling?

I'm a 9th grade student who is fed up with Floridas public school system.

Maybe I'll show up one or two days a week if I feel like it, but I still make straight A's because the classes are ridiculously easy and move incredibly slow. When I show up for school, it's not like I missed much the days I was out. I'm also in the hardest classes my school can offer.

I was wondering if anyone on here has been homeschooled? How did it work for you? Did you enjoy it? Was it expensive? Do you get the same options for college?

Also, is anyone on here currently a parent homeschooling their children? What is your input on homeschooling? Does it work well for you and your child?

If I could get some input on this, it would be awesome. I would like to talk to my parents sometime soon about this option if I can get enough information.

Thank you. =]

I was personally not homeschooled but I had friends who were and my brother was in his senior year of high school. I would definately consider it when my husband and I have children.

My input. You do get a regular diploma just like other school so you should be able to have the same options for college. I have known a couple of people who found it harder to go to college after homeschooling but you have already been to a regular school so that should not be an issue for you. It can be kind of expensive. It's about $500 a year for books and supplies. You also have to have a parent to motivate you or, since you are older, be very self-motivated. I had a friend who worked hard and graduated almost two years early by homeschooling.  It is not for everyone and you have to make sure you find a school that will give you the curriculum that you want or need covered. (If you are not religious for example, you probably do not want to have to take a religion course.) This is all the information I have. You should be able to do an internet search and find several schools.

When you discuss it with your parents I suggest you approach it in a very adult way, with information about costs, various schools and benefits of it. Be honest and also present what you could consider to be negatives (like the lack of socialization). This will show you have researched it and are approaching it in an adult manner instead of just, I don't want to go to school.

Yarg. I typed something up, and my browser randomly went 'back.'

hgieongois

Anyway, I was saying thanks for the input, and hopefully my parents will understand and be open minded about it.

=]

Can you move up to honors or advanced placement?  Take harder classes?  The problem with homeschooling is that you aren't necessarily going to be getting more of a challenge out of it. 

Check into how homeschooling will effect your college choices - particularly with regards to scholarships.

My sons are both products of the Florida school system -  The oldest has an IB diploma - that seemed fairly challenging...perhaps you need to apply to the International Baccelaureate program near you.

I don't see how home schooling actually gives you an education. Your parents can teach you... and they don't have to be an actual teacher. It seems like bull to me. Why not move up a grade? Do AP or IB? IB is college level classes.

I was homeschooled k5-12th.  :)  I enjoyed it, but like someone else said, it's not for everyone.  Try it out and see what you think.  There are pros and cons to just about anything.  If you have more specific questions, please ask.

I'm in honors classes, which are a joke. They don't offer AP until Sophmore year, and all my school offers in AP right now is World History because my school consists of Freshman and Sophmore. It's a new school...

If the coursework isn't challenging, then I could move right through it, instead of working on the same coursework in public school, yet having to sit through class while they drag it out for an entire year. In theory, I should be able to graduate faster, right?

I looked into the IB program last year. It looked incredibly intense. My friend is in it and she says she has no time to do anything but schoolwork, and I don't know if I could go to that extreme. It was like that eighth grade year in the "gifted program." The problem with the gifted program was the work wasn't at all harder, there was just an enormous work load. I was looking for something more in the middle. I dont want to be swamped with work and give up, but I dont want to be sitting through class doing nothing.

And, alibuch, my parents would probably be better teachers then some of the teachers at my school. They'd know how to relate to me in ways that I understand, and they'd be able to move at my speed with me. If I knew how to move up a grade, I definitely would.

The books for home school are very different than traditional textbooks that you find in schools. Yes, your parents can teach you and they aren't teachers, but they basically just have to test you and make sure you do the work. The books cover everything. It helps if they have some knowledge so they can help with questions but many places offer a helpline that you can call too.

I live in Minnesota which is supposed to be a pretty good school system, but I know someone who is a teacher of high school and his daughter is homeschooled. If someone who is an actual teacher doesn't put his child into public school, to me, that doesn't say much about public school.

Does your county offer 'school choice' ?  Perhaps a more conventional school in the public system would present more of a challenge.  My youngest son went on from gifted into MEGSS in middle school which was very challenging in Math and Science. By the time he was a freshman, he was able to take honors classes and advanced math classes. Now, as a junior he is in AP classes in English and History.

So, if you a skipping classes anyway, you may as well just learn as much as you can at home and get a normal, nationally recognaize diploma rather than explain years later that your school wasn't good but your parents were.

I have a few suggestions but have to run to a meeting. In the meantime, please look here: http://www.cty.jhu.edu/

Sign up, or have your parents sign you up, for the Talent Search there. You'll have to take the SAT (yes, the regular SAT) this winter for it. Or look at Duke's TIP site (Google to find) and see what services they offer and whether they are running a talent search this fall.

Hooooo, boy, I hear your pain, and will post more later!

ohmy,

both my daughters were "blessed" to be in Florida's wonderful school system. My oldest graduated from a magnet and is now in college on the Dean's list. My youngest however was dropped through the cracks and absolutly "hates" school. Unfortunatly for both you (as one who learns easily) and her (as one who struggles) our schools are programmed to teach for the FCAT and not to address individual students and their needs. I would suggest a magnet that caters to your interests, or yes homeschooling is an option. I had 2 girls on our travel softball team who finished early, tested higher and are both in very good colleges right now. You must be a self motivator though and must be dedicated and stick to it.

I wish you luck, don't limit yourself and set your sites high, you can do anything you set your mind to.

I'd check into honors classes to finish out this year.   Once you get to your junior year if you're still looking for a challenge see about enrolling in college classes.  My cousin took all college classes her last 2 years of high school and she got her AA degree before she got her high school diploma!  Plus the state public school system pays for your credits and your books.  So when you're 18 you'll already be a junior in college AND that's 2 years of college without tons of student loans!

that doesn't say much about public school.

Maybe it's just the teacher. I went to a public high school and it was great. I was challenged, maintained great grades, went to college and now I'm in the process of applying to doctoral programs.

I think it all depends on the high school. My high school had very basic courses, College Prep, Advanced Placement and Intl. Bacc. program. I did the AP classes. I was involved in way too many other activities and had a job throughout highschool but my friends who didn't work and weren't involved in so many school activities did the IB program. They ended up testing out of so many classes in college that they could've graduated a year early (instead, they just picked up a second degree). The IB program is really not that bad. It's a lot of reading but you'll learn how to pick out the most important information which will be a great help in college.

Yes the IB program helped my son a lot with paper writing. He was able to coast through conventional classes in college because he had such a great head start.

I think teaching for the FCAT is better than teaching nothing. I think Florida's school system has such a bad wrap precisely because for years, there was no accountability. At least we have some assurance that we are graduating kids that have the ability to be accepted to college in other states.

I think the FCAT is bogus. Through middle school I was learning above grade level, so sitting through a week of standardized testing, just to tell me I scored all 5's and I'm up to the standards was a complete waste of time.

My son thought the same thing in school. Now, as an adult, looking around, he realizes it was never about him. It is about improving the abilities of our teachers, to teach. That someone, sometime has to be held accountable.

kathygator,

in palm beach, martin and st lucie we are losing our best teachers and not hiring teachers who command respect. Our good teachers are having thier hands tied with 40 kids to a class room and teaching one way and only one way. Each child learns at their own pace and in different ways, taking the learning curve out of the classroom will be detrimental in the long run.

 The problem lies not only in FCAT alone but in the "payscale" and quality of our hiring. Right now school boards are concentrating on Bodies and the quality be  dammed. It is a sad state we live in, my SIL says Alabama doesn't work this way nor did Alaska, colorado or Missouri . Of course it can also be argued that the respect level of the students has tanked as well. Without any real accountability students can pretty much do and say as they like. Our administartors are more concerned with lawsuits than real discipline and parents are in that spare the rod spoil the child mode.  

Sorry ohmy for hijacking your post. You have a lot of options, talk to your parents and have you considered tutoring?? this will give you focus and get you through this year at least.

*steps off soap box and drink large bottle of water*

sorry i come on strong when it invloves kids

I completely agree that the primary issue is pay. I think you do, indeed, get what you pay for. I think that the pay scale should be raised commensurate with ability, regardless of union seniority. I think that we should really be testing our teachers.

I strongly believe we need to down-size administration, and redirect money into teaching and into the classroom where it belongs.

I homeshcooled my kids for several years and they only went into the public school system when I had to return to work full time due to financial problems, but my oldest homeschooled herself from 8th to 10th grade until she decided to go to the high school which she did fine in until she decided she had enough and quit and got her GED.  My yoiungest we let drop out of high school on her 16th birthday and she had her GED in 4 months.  She would be a JR today in high school but now attends classes at the communtiy college.

As far as college admissions there are no bounds.  I would suggest going online and searching for "Unschooling"  also I highly recommend you get a copy of "The Teenage Liberation Handbook"  I can't remember who wrote it but I had both my girls read it.  Your parents don't have to quit their jobs.  You don't have to use a "structured" ciurriculim.  There is another book I can't remember the name of but it talks about how to log your time to get "credit hours" for subjects. 

You will need to check what the state of FL requires to homeschool.  All states are different.  AZ is very lenient and all you have to do is notify the school superintendant (sp) and that's it.

I wish you the very best and I congratulate you for knowing now that school is not a place for learning.

I know there are misspellings - my fingers type slower than my brain LOL