A couple of weeks ago, I got a request from Melissa, a long time reader. Melissa had published an article in her homeschool newsletter about a homeschooling trend that she has noticed. She feels passionately about the issue and wanted to get her thoughts out to a wider audience. Melissa doesn’t have a blog (though if she did, I’d read it) so she asked if I would publish her article here. Here you go, Melissa: Frantically Simple’s first ever community opinion piece.
Melissa is a 40-something stay-at-home wife and mom that homeschools her 9-year-old son. Her husband’s job includes a lot of extended travel which enriches their homeschooling lifestyle. Melissa pops right out of bed around 4am ready to take on the day (usually) and (usually) looks at the world via Pollyanna-inspired glasses. It’s a sweet life.
All opinions expressed and text written are Melissa’s.
A Homeschooling Trend
My family travels a lot. We live in Rhode Island but my husband’s job takes us to many states for anywhere from 1-8 months at a time. The longest time we have been in one state, thus far, was Oregon in 2008 when we were there for most of the year. We made some lifelong friends in Oregon and enjoyed the local homeschooling community. I found that homeschooling in Oregon was very much like what we had been experiencing back home in Rhode Island. Sure, some things were different. The biggest differences between homeschooling in Rhode Island and Oregon is that in Oregon you only have to send in a Letter of Intent once, then you are done forever whereas in Rhode Island we have to send in a yearly Letter of Intent along with an end of year attendance report. Oregon also requires state testing every 3 years starting in 3rd grade.
We did homeschool in New York in 2010 for much of the year but I sort of don’t count that because we were only 3 hours from home and traveling back and forth from our apartment in New York to Rhode Island almost weekly so we didn’t end up involved in New York homeschool groups at all. I think everyone has heard how difficult it is to homeschool in New York. Lots of regulations, including detailed quarterly reporting and time-on-task and evaluation. Eeeek!
So here we are currently living in California for a long while. We have found the homeschoolers to be very welcoming and fun and it’s been a very positive experience. But there are differences here that are making it very interesting to learn about the homeschooling communities.
Every homeschooling family in California has to register as a “private school”. Up until the last 5 years, that is what most people (other than those staying under the radar) were doing. But recently that has changed, dramatically. It’s a world of charter schools now. As one mom explained to me, if someone belonged to a charter school 5 years ago, they would have been looked down upon from the homeschooling community and not considered to be homeschoolers. Now, from what I have seen, it is the norm to belong to a charter. The questions homeschoolers ask each other when they meet isn’t if they are in a charter but rather which charter they are in. It’s that prevalent. Why? Money.
What Does Charter School Mean To You?
When most of the country hears “charter school” we think of a brick and mortar school, owned and run by some sort of independent organization (whether it is non-profit or a business). In most of the country, if your child gets into a charter via a lottery and you drive them to the school building and drop them off each day, then you would not ever think of calling yourself a homeschooler. Of course not. You don’t pay for school (so it’s not private). Your child’s school is mainly funded by the government. Your child is public schooled but at a charter. In simple terms.
Now go ahead and say charter school in California. It’s a whole different scene. Yes, there are traditional site-based instruction charters but there is also what is called independent study charter schools. These independent study charters are the ones that homeschoolers are using. Independent study means that there is no building that you go to, that the teachers will come to you, monthly for the most part, to check in on you. So, public schooling at home. One popular charter even mentions on their main page (as if it’s a selling point) that their teachers are trained to support the “No Child Left Behind” program.
Let’s get back to the money behind all this. Most independent study charter schools give a yearly spending amount per child. One charter, for example, last year gave each child $1,600. This money is to spend on curriculum and classes. There is a huge list of approved vendors that you can use this money to pay. Vendors range from Oak Meadow for curriculum to local tutors to the neighborhood dance studio. I counted 542 approved service vendors on one of the charter schools. And that’s just the service vendors (classes, tutors, field trips), I didn’t take the time to also count all the approved product vendors. In Sacramento County, according to two resources, there are 8 or 9 charters to choose from.
A large industry has grown out of the popularity of these charter schools. All those students…with all that money to spend. That part is nice actually. The part where you can easily find science classes, art, language and P.E. classes to sign up for. Lots of museums offering homeschool days. Homeschool resource stores!
Selling Out?
I tried to think of another way to say selling out without sounding over-the-top negative. But nothing else felt right. When I looked up the definition of selling out, here is what Wikipedia says: “Selling out” is the compromising of (or the perception of compromising) integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or “success” (however defined)…. Selling out is often seen as gaining success at the cost of credibility.
So, I guess I have to stick with that term because compromising principles in exchange for money is what I fear is happening. But, perhaps not all of these families are compromising.
I guess it depends partly on what your goals are and what the reasons are that your family is choosing to homeschool. If you simply don’t want your child to sit in a brick building five days a week for 12 years and that the only reason that you homeschool them perhaps this is a viable option and you aren’t compromising your principles. If you don’t mind the idea of public school in general but aren’t comfortable with the local school your child would be attending, then independent charters do sound like a good option. Maybe your child has social anxiety or a serious illness and cannot flourish in the mass education setting. And of course there are the parents would toy with the idea of homeschooling but never find the confidence to actually take that step. Independent study charters could be that safety net they need to get there. There are as many reasons for homeschooling as there are homeschoolers. Not all of us are trying to keep the government’s input out of our child’s education. Not all of us feel the confidence that we can, at least, do a better job at it than the government can. I get that, but at what cost?
When I first heard about this charter school trend my mouth fell open and I just couldn’t get my mind wrapped around it. Homeschoolers letting the government tell them how to educate their child in order to get $1,600 a year. Willing to be public schooled at home (yes, since all charter schools in California are public schools, so I guess legally they are not homeschoolers at all, right?). No longer being in charge (to some degree) of their child’s education. What do I mean by that? Well, along with that nice bunch of money come a whole lot of hoops. The number of hoops varies from charter to charter but basically there are guidelines that must be followed and monthly meetings with your family’s Education Specialist (a California credentialed teacher) to review each child’s progress. Some charters require specific curriculum be used (or at least the list is very limited) and other ones are much more open.
There is an actual school calendar to follow as well as report cards and yearly testing. One, admittedly extreme, story I heard about a charter was that a child turned in a required writing assignment and it was denied because it was “over grade level”. Huh? Why would homeschoolers put up with that sort of thing? It reminds me of a story I heard when I was first researching homeschooling. A little girl, Zoe, had written her name at the top of her paper in public school and she was told she was not allowed to write her name because they had not gotten to Z in their handwriting lessons yet! Oh my aching head.
Independent study charter schools are funded by the government just like brick and mortar schools are. So they are being held to all the same regulations. They are graded for “No Child Left Behind”, testing results and graduation percentages. And I see complaints that things are getting worse each year. The restrictions are growing, the requirements getting more and more constraining. Homeschoolers are jumping from one charter to the other in a grass-is-greener sort of way.
One of the questions that I asked was how do homeschoolers and unschoolers deal with the oversight charters require. The answer I received is that many of the Education Specialists take what homeschoolers do during the course of a month and turn it into “educationese”. The report that the Education Specialist turns in will have the right verbiage to sort of “play the game” that ensures the students are meeting the requirements. Some Education Specialists are more willing to bend the rules, and creatively make real situations fit requirements than others are.
A Back Door into Home Education
I haven’t been among the California homeschoolers long enough yet to have a final opinion about this charter school trend. I do see the positive aspects but my knee-jerk reaction is that the majority of them are willing to deal with the school department’s rules in exchange for chunk of money. Access to my child in exchange for cash. It’s not that I don’t understand why they’re doing it (all that money can be used to help enrich your child’s life) but it scares me that the government is going to find a way through this back door to get into all of our homes, to get into all of our lives, to get into all of our curriculum choices, and to start to define what homeschooling is. I almost feel that it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing with the money playing the part of the costume.
Why Should You Be Concerned?
I’m sure some people are reading this and wishing that independent charters were available to them as options. I admit there are those who do want, and would benefit from, the support that comes with the oversight, the hoops and the rules. I understand the desire, for some, to have guidelines, and someone to meet with to assure the parents that they are on the right path. I understand that the opportunity to spend that much money on your child for curriculum and classes each year sounds almost decadent.
If my guess is correct, no matter where you are homeschooling, this will be a choice you will be given in the coming years. These charters are businesses. They will expand.
I do want to re-iterate that not all California homeschoolers are in charters. I don’t know the percentages, not at all, but I do see a trend…a trend that could spread like wild fire all the way across the country and that worries me.
***
I hadn’t heard of this trend before. Have you? What is your opinion?
My knee jerk reaction was the opposite of yours- my first thought was “how cool is that- money and support!” But the more I thought about it, the more I came around to the other side. As I thought about what I would do if I chose to home school, I realized that this may be the type of trap that got me- I would be lured in by the idea of money and support. But having read quite a bit about different home schooling options I know that I would be the most attracted to unschooling.
I don’t think the charter thing is all bad, though, because of all the examples you listed that would fit into it. As long as they don’t start making all homeschooling families belong to a charter.
My first thought was that calling themselves homeschoolers is inaccurate, but then I decided that just because they don’t do it the way I do doesn’t make it wrong. Technically though, at least according to the laws in my state, they aren’t actually homeschooling, they are doing school at home and that’s different. As long as someone else is ultimately responsible (in this case, the support teacher and the administration of the charter school) then the parents is just helping, not directing and taking responsibility for the child’s education.
Another thought is that for a state with awful budget woes, this seems extravagant, but then I realized that here, homeschoolers save the state over 2 million annually. So maybe it’s still cheaper to do it this way, but $1600 a year per student?? That’s a lot of money.
I moved to MA from CA, and prior to moving, was in a charter there for a year. Yes, there were some requirements, but it’s not as *awful* as you are portraying it. There are limitations on what curricula the school will provide and what the school funding can be used for, but there is no restriction on what you can use your own money for, and nothing that limits what you teach beyond what is “required.” Now, granted, I’m a classical educator, so I never worried that we were going to miss any major areas of study. A more-relaxed educator than me might have a harder time, particularly when it comes to the state-mandated testing, which I also didn’t object to (I know, I know – but let’s not get into that here). I will say that it does make a difference which particular teacher is assigned to your family; however, I will add that it was good for my kids to have another adult to whom they were accountable for their work. Bottom line is, with four or five students still at home, and all in private music lessons and other activities, I’m willing to work with the system in exchange for some support, the caveat being, of course, that the system does allow for user flexibility and is not set up to be a one-size fits all program.
Sylvia, this is an interesting issue, and one I had never heard of before. It’s good to hear another side of it. I’m not sure what I would do if something similar was available here… Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Bravo Sylvia Lyons for approaching this evenhanded by remembering that education is for the children, not a vehicle for petty agendas. CA’s charters as you’ve described them: Impressive that the teacher’s unions are accepting alternatives. Impressive that dismissive parents are stepping up to be more involved. Impressive that the state is releasing a death grip on funds and returning them to the constituents.
Shame on Melissa for not applauding these advances and falling back on tinfoil hat, government conspiracy, territorial fear mongering as a disguise for the admitted self doubts she experienced (“selling out”). Far from fair and balanced. Your article quickly descends into agitprop.
There is a middle ground of teachers and parents that are dissatisfied with brick and mortar, bureaucratic public schools that will be repulsed by this sort of vitrol. Why not welcome these parties that were forced to conflict with homeschooling that now have the opportunity to take a step towards a middle ground? Instead, you have done wonders to reinforce stereotypes and send them packing back to the welcoming arms of principals.
One last item: your point on the writing assignment being over grade level, to me, stands as a testament to the parent, and, to a lesser degree, the charter. Bureaucratic will always have its headaches with regulations, but here is proof that the child is thriving beyond expectations. And in the end that is why a homeschooler might think about ‘put[ing] up’ with it. Because they can provide a fuller education for their children when provided more options and support from the village, which, remember, does include the elders (government).
The world of education is changing for the better http://www.economist.com/node/21529014
Wow, I think that is disturbing. In many states, homeschoolers have access to extracurricular activities in addition to being able to take electives (like band). Some states leave it up to the individual district.
I think that anything that uses No Child Left Behind as the “yardstick” is problematic, honestly.
I would be leery of anything that gives the gov’t an in-road into my home and my kids’ education. I definitely see this as a potential of wolf in sheep’s clothing, to be sure. Any time there is a crack, you can be sure at some time (even if it’s years down the road) there is going to be something widening it.
In my community (not in Ca), we have a part-time school (at a church) that offers a classical education. I know a lot of people who have their kids enrolled. While they consider themselves to be homeschoolers, I think at best they can really only claim to be “part-time” homeschoolers.
I think choice is good. But I think people need to be completely aware of consequences/results whenever they choose a particular route. It’s easy to see the narrow picture of how will “x” affect me right now, and not have any idea of the debate that goes on in larger homeschooling circles.
I, personally, would not choose to go this route unless it was the only one available to me.
Hi Melisa,
I just wanted to correct some items in your article. If you really want to get technical, there is no official homeschooling in California. The only way out of compulsory education is to hire a credentialed teacher to teach your child. So families in California follow three other options: creating a private school in their home (I’m not sure that is most common), joining a PSP (where you pay someone to keep your records and might get guidance on curriculum, etc.), or joining an ISP (which includes the charters you’re talking about).
I have heard of situations with some ES’ that I couldn’t believe. However, I stopped hearing those last year. I think one charter school in particular must have changed their training for their ES’. And I have to say the problems I heard were definitely anomalies.
As for charter schools becoming a “back door” to “getting to our children” — maybe. I’m sure the Department of Education has seen a growing number of families not sending their kids to the local school. And you’re right, charters are BIG business.
But like you say, we all have different reasons for homeschooling. We didn’t expect to homeschool, but are not happy with the current educational system. I see the charter schools that cater to homeschoolers as a way for families to tailor their school to their own needs.
@Kelly: California allocates $10,000 for each student each year. $1600 in a family’s pocket is not that much for a school that doesn’t have a building to maintain. However, I heard that services for special needs students are excellent.
I’d like to point out that “legally” in California there are no homeschoolers. “Legally” we have private school students, public school students and students being tutored at home by parents that are credentialed teachers.
The private school option provides the most freedom for people wanting to educate at home. This it the route people take if they are concerned about the govs input in their child’s education.
I’ve been in the state for 10 years now. I homeschool 2 boys, one 15 yo the other a graduated 19yo. We tried a charter when we first arrived thinking it would be a good way to meet others. It wasn’t, I didn’t like the oversite or the hoops, I didn’t need the funding. We spent the next 8 years as a private school doing our own thing. My older son attended a brick and mortar charter school with a focus on aviation, small class size. It was a good year, he enjoyed it, then returned to doing our own thing to wrap up his highschool years in our usual unschoolish way.
This year for the first time we are using a charter school’s independent study program (no funding, very school at homeish) for our 15 year old until now completely unschooled kid. It seemed the right thing to do with/for him. He is doing really well with someone other than I to answer too.
Everyone has different needs, I love that we have options in California. The charter schools are instrumental in encouraging more and more families to take the bold step to homeschool. Once they are out here doing something different they are exposed to more and more varied ways of raising and educating their kids.
All that said, I do worry about the possibility of the system encroaching on our rights to do our own thing through the private school option. I’m holding the vision that our watch dog orgs are on top of the legislation and will keep us all up to date on what’s going on in the mind of the state.
Choice is a lovely thing.
I find it unbearable when homeschoolers judge each other for how and why they chose to homeschool. This article was based on a judgemental premise even though it wasn’t harsh or unkind. Given the fact that we are still in the minority and still subject to crazy looks from those who have no first hand knowledge of homeschooling I find it helpful if we just support each other. I have done both- filed the r4 and am now in that charter you mention above. Sorry to say, I need that money, I want that money and I deserve that money! Its like the whole unschooling/regular homeschool debate. To each his own! I am not sure why a charter would cause anyone to raise an eyebrow. I think most of us have a goal and that is to gee our child the best education and how we get there is special to each of us! Sorry- I am just tired of people caring so much what other people do when it’s no one business.
I like to think that homeschooling mamas, like you and I, try to foster a desire to research a subject thoroughly before forming such a harsh opinion on a subject. Sell out is such a harsh and off base judgment of charter schools.
I pulled my kindergartener out of school 7 days into the school year. It was abundantly obvious that he was NOT going to get a proper education, despite our “good school district” and the “best elementary school in our district”.
I was at a loss as to how to go about homeschooling. I looked into doing our own thing and realized that cost was going to be a real issue. Of course you can do things on the cheap and still get a decent education, but when I researched charter schools and saw the abundance of resources available to us and the help and guidance that a new-to-home-school parent might wants/need, it made perfect sense to me to go that route. In addition, I’m a home owner and my property tax pays for schools, why shouldn’t we be able to take advantage of the resources squandered by the public school system? Why shouldn’t my child receive some of those funds for his education?
I can choose any curriculum I want. I don’t have to stick with it if it doesn’t work for us. I have access to a tutor if we struggle in a certain subject, we have the ability to take music, sports, arts or language classes. If it’s not on the vendor list I can request it. If they don’t have a curriculum I want to try, I can request it. If they won’t give it to us I can still buy it myself and teach it myself. So there are no limitations to charter school for us. The resource center is open for my “shopping” Monday-Thursday 9-4. I can browse row after row of books, science kits, work sheets and anything else my kindergartener could desire.
I don’t mind meeting with our education facilitator once a month. We’ve met 3 times now and she’s only offered support, encouragement and praise. It’s nice to have someone with far more experience than I have in my corner.
I can’t think of a single down side to charter school. We are not forced to use a charter school but I’m certainly glad it’s an option!
Wow, “sell out,” that’s a pretty harsh accusation, especially when you’re defending values that you believe in so strongly that you don’t even explain clearly what they are. Apparently, your value system has room for gossip and judging people. Mine doesn’t. Mama drama has been the absolute worst part of our homeschooling experience, and I’m so sad for you and your child that you are so focussed on who thinks they are better or more “with it” than who else and whether they are right. Homeschooling kids have such a small peer group as it is, and the more you criticize other homeschooling families, both where it can get back to them, and within your own family, the more you limit your child.
We all want the best education for our children. We all have the responsibility of best using the resources at our disposal to educate our kids. Your implication that people would rather have $1600 than be true to their kids is just insulting to the many families who make a family decision to do a couple things differently to afford what the kids want. You don’t get a cent of money, only experiences and materials. My education budget is $40 a month, and it’s almost all used up by parking fees for free museums and festivals in the nearby large city. If my daughter wants dance or horseback riding or gymnastics classes I will allow her to choose whether we join a charter, with total disregard for how other parents might judge my decision. I’m sad that you left out how the kids feel about it, because in my close circle, we take that into consideration in a big way. A bunch of the kids feel like it’s Christmas all over again when their materials come in, love their ESes, love their enrichment classes that allow them to see the same kids every week and have a break from mom, and/or love the field trips. These are pretty relaxed homeschooling families too. One family has a girl who didn’t learn to read until age 9. There are moms that love the resource libraries and free teacher seminars offered by some of the charters. There are other moms who I wish *would* try out a charter because they really want more info, and have done almost no research, but feel too strapped for time to do it, and their ES/charter classes would really give them the guidance they might need to remain homeschooling. So many families put their kids back in school for lack of support, guidance, or resources. One family told me their ES actually made some good suggestions on how to make the mom/kid relationship less adversarial.
We do know some families, all tending toward unschooling/Waldorf, who left charters. 2 were just didn’t feel like it was worth the money since the kids didn’t take classes, and the ESes were always asking about how they used materials, and more high end materials usually got rejected. People do get tired of being told to do more math. I’m sure I would/will too. 1 did have a very bad experience. What I know is this: the 2 families who left angry are some of the most unreliable, chronically late people I have ever met. There’s some law of attraction involved; if you are horrified by the idea of having to account for what you do during the day, but volunteer to do it anyway, when someone asks you to account for what you do during the day, and might make suggestions, then you’re likely to push the situation in the wrong direction. If you think your homeschooling is awesome, and you’re glad to have a resource available so you research charters/ESes to find the best fit, you may leave but it won’t likely be awful.
And if you do have a fairly structured program that hits the main traditional areas of study, and have a fairly set schedule, there’s little reason to not do it. Lots of the specialists are available where the enrichment classes happen or at the park before a park day. One actually walks to my friend’s house because the teacher walks by as part of her exercise routime daily already.
I don’t think the point Melissa’s making is that charters are difficult to deal with per say, but that as charters grow in popularity, state governing bodies could more readily curb homeschooling, perhaps even by moving to requiring homeschoolers to be “enrolled” somewhere that requires state oversight – like charter schools. It isn’t a far fetched premise when you consider that charters are businesses.
We live in CA. This year marks our 12th year homeschooling our kids. We’ve homeschooled both through the Dept of Ed and through a charter school.
You really are painting an inaccurate picture of charter schools. Perhaps you need to talk to people that use them.
Through the charter school that we use, the parent is free to choose whatever style of education suits them – the whole gamut from “unschooling” to “school at home.” http://www.riverspringscharter.org/about-us/our-philosophy
Some parents buy religious texts with their own money (or no texts at all) and use the school funds for classes and field trips. We use a combination of secular books purchased with school funds and religious books that we buy out of pocket. Since I’m allowed to keep anything I purchase with school funds that is in paperback, I buy as many good books as I can.
There *are* hoops to jump through – we meet with our assigned teacher (also a homeschooling mom) every 20 school days to submit attendance and a learning log. Twice a year I submit samples of our daughter’s work. Starting in 2nd grade, she is required to take a yearly standardized test – she does well in some areas and not so well in others. The response from the teacher has been “we need to work a little more on this” – not the punitive stance I’ve seen those opposed to charter schools claim.
Although we have been pleased with our school choice I don’t know that we will still be using their program in high school. We do re-evaluate their suitability for our family with every change.
I, too, am insulted by Melissa’s statements. I do not feel at all that I am being co-opted by the government or am selling out. I want to be the one supervising my children’s education, and I am thankful that the charter school system exists so that my child can take piano lessons and horseback riding lessons, participate in science workshops, take field trips, have a private Spanish tutor, learn Greek through Rosetta Stone . . . none of which I would have any money to pay for myself. I’m only sorry that the kids in site-based schools don’t get the same resources.
As has been mentioned by someone else, I pay taxes and feel I deserve the funds provided for my children’s education. And I am not restricted in any way in how I choose to educate my children or what resources I choose to use. There are trade-offs in every aspect of life; not just education. Weighing the consequences of any lifestyle decision is not selling out . . . we’re doing what we think is best for our family, and am sorry Melissa feels it necessary to judge us.
It was interesting to read a comparison of homeschooling from state to state.
I think Mia said it best. My children have opportunities (classes like gymnastics, soccer, painting, and Waldorf Eurythmy/movement) because of my state taxes coming back to us as charter school funding. We wouldn’t be able to afford those classes out of pocket.
To me, anyone doing school at home is “homeschooling,” even if they are taking some classes outside the home.
Our homeschooling charter asked how much responsibility I wanted in schooling my children. I chose 100%.
I still have a choice whether or not my 2nd grade & up children will do the state testing, but I decided to let my oldest child do the testing last year because it helps keep our charter school operating. The school needs a certain percentage of students to do state testing in order to keep their charter status.
My children love our Education Specialist. It’s nice to have someone outside of the family that they can “show off” their hard work to…someone interested in them. For a hard working mom of multiple kids (including a toddler), it’s really helpful to have someone else searching for curriculum & services, ordering the supplies & giving us positive feedback!
Meeting every 20 school days, turning in a few samples from different subject areas & doing one writing assignment (2nd & up) is not too big of a hoop to jump through considering the benefits we get in return.
As a family whose children have lived in California and homeschooled their entire lives, we’ve been on both sides of the fence rotating between complete independent homeschooling and using charter programs based on what our family was looking for at the time.
When making any big decision for our family, I base it on whether the benefits will be worth any drawbacks, and as weird as I may think another families decisions are, I try to trust them to do what’s best for their family rather than judging them.
Why did we ever use a charter? Yes, it was about money. But, before you start throwing stones, in all honesty, why do people have jobs? Hopefully people enjoy their work, but in the end, don’t they jump through hoops for money? I am always a little taken aback when people use the term “selling out” in regards to charters and wonder if they feel that all people who work are “selling out” too? Do they think their husbands are “selling out” their lives as they head out every morning? I know I’ve met countless adults who hate their jobs and seem to be “selling” a lot more of their lives for money than we ever have by using a charter program.
I also know a number of independent homeschoolers who are far more structured and use much more “set curriculum” than we have ever used, even though we have gone through a charter. In some cases, these parents have lectured me about being directed by an outside force, which I find interesting because they pay money to make their children follow another persons outline, and we pretty much do what we want when we want.
We strongly lean towards an eclectic / interest led style and would not even consider a program that wanted us to follow a set curriculum. I value our lifestyle immensely, and try to avoid time wasting, soul sucking experiences as much as possible, whether it is for me, or my kids. If ever a program didn’t meet our needs, we’d bail and move on.
Currently, my daughter loves to dance and wants to take several classes, which are expensive. In order to give her that opportunity (which she is thriving with) I could choose to work more hours away from home, or use a charter. My kids didn’t want me to work more, and frankly, neither did I. Again, I value my freedom. So, we researched and talked and found a program and facilitator that have really enriched our family. The paperwork is much less than many people do for their own portfolios and my 13 year old actually does her own. We have never been given an assignment nor have any of our samples even been questioned. She is fine with taking a once a year test at this age, as she plans to go to college, where tests are a part of life, and she feels the paperwork is worth the dance classes. She treats it like a job and actually enjoys being organized with it. Most of the time, she is really happy with the arrangement, and I would say if you are happy with your work most of the time, you are luckier than many people.
So this year, for me, using a charter actually gave me freedom to spend more time with my kids. I know some people would have no problem with their husband working extra hours at a job he hates to pay for kids classes, but will judge me for doing a bit of paperwork instead. I don’t get it, but it’s not my life or my choice- it’s theirs.
I’m sure that schools and teachers exist who try to dominate your choices, but others also exist who know the beauty of a life learning experience and enjoy helping families with enriching resources. I too am sometimes sad or worried about other families who don’t seem to be empowered enough to make their own choices, don’t know they can say no, choose their own curriculum, make learning fun etc. This isn’t limited to people who use charters though by any means.
In the end though, if people are really concerned about the government making decisions for their family, shouldn’t they honor other people’s choices with their own families too?
Hi Melissa,
I won’t attack you for expressing your opinion, but I have to say that I truly believe that the CA homeschool charter we’re involved in has been – so far- an overwhelmingly positive experience. Why?
Well, first – our ES is fabulous. Yes, she has to translate our unschooling life into ‘educationese’. Yes, next year we will be facing the conundrum of what to do about STAR testing. But on the other hand, my daughter *loves* telling people she goes to Ocean Grove – it gets her out of lots of follow-up questions from adults – AND we are able to enroll her in choir, carpentry, and piano lessons thanks to the funding. And for many families – including mine – we would not be able to offer these classes to her otherwise.
For me, it’s using the public dollars to demo a new way of doing things – of showing parents they have an option! Right now, the state uses one measure – testing – to see how successful a school is. But I hope that someday they’ll get a clue and realize that homeschool charters can be measured in a different way – by the families that help their kids grow into fully realized human beings!
Actually, I think that if more states allowed parents to take a slice of public education dollars in exchange for such minimal oversight – we would see homeschooling grow by leaps and bounds!
Warmly,
Liz
As a California homeschooler who is registered with a charter school, I’m very surprised by the analysis and conclusions Melissa has reached here. To suggest that I am “no longer in charge” of my child’s education is silly; I teach my kids exactly the way I see fit. It’s true that what they are learning overlaps with what is taught in public school (particularly in reading/writing/math; in history and other areas we do not overlap much at all), which is fine. Much of my gripe with public schools has to do with *how* kids are taught more than *what* they are taught. Furthermore, I consider my ES a friend and ally. She helps my find resources when I need them, and stays out of it when I don’t. We meet once a month for an hour. As for not letting kids perform above grade level — in my experience, that’s a ridiculous assertion. Most of the homeschooled/charter kids I know (including my own) are well above grade level in one or more topics, and it’s one of the reasons we homeschool — to go at our own pace. And as for the money, well, I consider it mine anyway. I pay into the education system through taxes, and I’m glad there’s a way for me to access some of that money and spend it as I please. I can see that charter schools may not appeal to unschoolers (for obvious reasons) but to suggest that those of us that use charters are “selling out” or somehow not homeschooling is absurd.
Luckily we all can homeschool our own families in our own style. We have joined a charter for our second year. We get free classes one day a week. As parents we choose the subjects, teachers, curriculum. We check in online once a week to mark attendance. At the end of the year the kids have testing they have to accomplish. We get money for curriculum or classes. My kids love the social time they get. Fun field trips with fun homeschoolers. The private company who runs our program is wonderful. It’s not as painful as you make it sound. I understand you must be against government schools. That’s fine. I’m not. Without government schools there are alot of children who would not get educated. Do I think changes need to be made in public schools? For sure. But times are changing and for some of us a charter homeschool option is amazing
There have been a lot of great comments that provide more info about charters than what appeared in the original article. I’d like to add another fact — each family’s experience with a charter is largely dependent on the ES’s personality. I’ve heard people complain again and again online about the same charter my daughter is enrolled in, but their complaints are a world away from our experience. Every ES is different and if you and your child don’t mesh with your ES, you *will* have a negative experience.
Our ES is great. I specifically requested her based on the recommendations of a number of moms who’ve worked with her. She’s a dedicated unschooler herself (she unschools her own daughter) and she works with each parent to translate the children’s experiences into “educationese.” We always have the choice of doing structured or free-form learning. She gives us the information and parameters and allows us to make decisions that are best for our family.
“It’s the economy, stupid.” Probably one of the biggest reasons so many families are choosing to go with charters nowadays is because of the faltering economy. Many parents are unemployed or underemployed, but our children don’t stop wanting to take classes or participate in activities. Charters are a solution to this problem. Maybe we’re “selling out” in the author’s eyes, but I think many of us view it as making the best of a difficult situation.
If a parent enrolls his/her child in a charter and starts to feel like the government is intruding in their lives, they can disenroll.
From early on I’ve had a completely different view of charter schools than the author. I’ve read articles for years lamenting the pathetic public school system and how it doesn’t come close to preparing our kids for the real world. My hope is that charters will show dyed-in-the-wool administrators that there *is* a different way to approach education, and it’s OK for kids to have fun while learning. But if those administrators continue to fixate on standardized test scores only, they will have missed the point of charter schools. The concept is meant to empower parents and their children and offer more freedom of choice in the education process. The public schools could learn a lot from homeschoolers who choose to enroll in charters.
What a load of crap! Most of these charter schools just see you once a month for an hour to see progress. You can unschool and be in one. As long as they see some samples showing progress, then you get funds for curriculum and classes. This article is crap….delete
As has already been pointed out, legally speaking there is no such thing as homeschooling in CA. However, we all know that regardless of semantics there are a lot of families who school their children at home in a variety of ways and one of those ways is through a public charter school. I happen to be of those moms using that option and I don’t in anyway feel, think or believe that I am “selling out”.
There are a variety of reasons why families choose an alternative to a brick and mortar public or private school: wanting more involvement in your children’s education, belief that a better (however you define that) education can be obtained at home, concerns about bullying or other social pressures/influences, having a child who has special needs or learns in a non-traditional manner, medical/allergy concerns, and no doubt many others. The reason for wanting to educate your children at home may influence what option you choose in doing so.
For me, it was all of the above noted reasons, not the least of which is that my son has a Prader-Willi Syndrome and therefore needs accommodations if he were to be in a brick and mortar school. Unfortunately our school district was unwilling to appropriately make those accommodations and the more I looked into alternatives the more I realized schooling my son at home would be the best option for our family. Next became the decision as to how to school him at home. Again, I looked at all the options and concluded that a public charter school was the best option for us.
My son needs various therapies and if I were to file an affidavit and establish my own private school then we would have to pay for these therapies privately or battle with our insurance company to attempt to have them provide coverage. However, going through a public charter school means that he has an IEP and receives his therapies through the charter school at no cost to me (excluding tax dollars of course).
We happen to use CAVA, which means that we have to use their set curriculum and don’t have a choice in curriculum as some charter schools have. Nor do we receive any money from them (of course I can hear you saying that I am selling out because I’m exchanging control for free therapies, but read on). However, the fact that I don’t have to research curriculums, design my own lesson plans, or set a schedule means I have more time for myself and my family. By the way, my son and I both like the curriculum.
I do however have the flexibility to supplement the curriculum or use alternative ways to meet the objectives, so while the curriculum is all laid out for me it is a tool for me to use in order for me to meet the needs of my child. I have the flexibility to make accommodations for his needs. That doesn’t sound any different to me than what a family who files an affidavit does – uses the tools available to them to teach their child.
I also have the flexibility of when to do lessons (in the morning, after dinner, etc.), when to take breaks, or when to take the afternoon off to visit a museum or zoo. We can do lessons on the floor, at a desk, at the park, etc. Again, seems to me that this sounds a lot like what families who aren’t using a charter school do.
My personality is such that the structure provided by a charter school works well. Likewise it works for my son’s personality, not to mention that a more structured environment is required for his syndrome. I imagine there are numerous parents and children who also enjoy a more structured learning environment. It’s nice then that there’s such an option, just as I’m glad there’s an option for families that thrive on the unschooling end of the continuum.
Yes, there are certain requirements that must be met, but I have not found them to be burdensome at all, and the benefits are worth it for our family (if you want to say I’m exchanging lack of control for free therapies, so be it). Given my son’s needs it is likely that I will continue using a charter school. However, as others have also noted, I can also see the benefit of a charter school for those making the change from a brick and mortar school to a home environment. It can give apprehensive parents the confidence they need and serve as a good transition.
And let’s not forget that there are benefits of a charter school that don’t exist if you file an affidavit. It’s nice having a teacher that I can consult with if I’m having difficulty with a concept – what a great resource. And as an added benefit sometimes my son is more motivated to perform well because he knows someone other than mom is looking at his progress and work (although in actuality the teacher doesn’t see all his work – just one sample per subject a quarter).
It all boils down to choice – the choice to send your child to public school or to a private school, or to school at home. Each family has to make the decision that is best for them at any given time. Just as any homeschooler (legal semantics aside) decides what and how to educate their children I explored the options and made the best choice for my son and am ensuring that he receives all the assistance (in the form of therapies and appropriate accommodations) in order to thrive. Do I consider myself a homeschooler (again, legal semantics aside)? Absolutely! As stated above I am in direct control of my son’s education and yes I chose an option that many think is too restrictive, but the key is that I chose that and I have the freedom to change that decision whenever I want. Do I consider myself a sell out to big brother? No Way!
It’s been good to hear from those actually experiencing the system and learn some details. I’d still have a problem with being accountable to someone else, but it doesn’t sound as bad as I first thought. For those that say they’re just getting their tax dollars back, wouldn’t it be nice if we simply didn’t have to pay so much in taxes in the first place? Whole different topic, I know.
I just read an email from my state’s homeschool organization and they are asking members to alert them to any advertising using the term homeschool with a program using public funds. As I stated in my first comment, by law in my state, homeschool is a non public school option so that by definition, those in CA using charter schools and public funds wouldn’t be considered homeschoolers here, but perhaps doing (public) school at home.
Kelly- There is so much variation from state to state, isn’t there? I hope we never move – I’m used to Oregon’s rules.
We considered moving a couple of years ago, and our son was just 4 and we hadn’t started hs’ing, but the hs laws in each state were a big factor in whether we’d even consider that as an option. We have some of the most relaxed requirements there are and only a handful of states have less. So yes, there are lots of variations and it’d be a challenge to adjust to new laws!
Ultimately with my responses here, it comes down to semantics. Homeschooling or “doing school at home”. Given that all property owners pay tax to support public education, it does seem that hs’ers pay out twice. Once with the tax and again buying our own curriculum, so I can see where the charter option is appealing. I’d rather simply have the option of not paying that portion of the tax though. Once again, each family needs to do what’s best for them, and we could all do well with less judging (of which I am quite guilty).