Readers Forum:
My sister-in-law is having trouble with her 16 yr. old daughter and the school she is attending. She wants to finish her schooling from home but does not have alot of money to spend on curriculm and supplies. She is a single mom and just wants to help her daughter to finish school without the interference from the cruelty of her peers at the school.
She should check first with the school and school district to find out about any alternative programs available. There may be something free that she can do, like online or independent study. Except perhaps for a small registration fee, everything is provided because it runs out of the public schools.
They may even have http://www.k12.com where she lives.
I had the same problem in high school and left because I couldn’t handle the bullying.
Check out FLVS.net it is Florida Virtual School and has real classes for students in homeschool programs or students in regular high school just looking for extra credits. I take eight classes with them online and then I go to my college campus to take three clases there through dual enrollment. FLVS is free to all florida residents. But if your not in Florida you cna still take classes wih them. It is a great progam. The classes are harder than regular high school classes because you are expected to know the information and teachers call parents once a month to discuss the students progress in the course. Your expect to do anywhere around 3 to 5 assignments a week, depending on the class your in. Also parents can access the students grades at anytime they would like to. Once students have completed the class they recieve their credit which is applied to their high school diploma, just like a regular school class. Also students are allowed 4 weeks to try the class out and if they decide it isn’t for them they can drop the class without penalty and it wont go on their transcript. I’ll say it again, it is a great program and top notch. They also have student clubs that students can join and participate in by traveling or going to competitions. Here is the list of the high school course offerings with FLVS.net (Keep in mind they also have honors credit classes and classes for middle schoolers) –
Art / Visual Arts
Adv Pl Art History
Business Systems and Technology
Web Design I
Web Design II
Adv Pl Computer Science A
Computer Programming-Basic I
Adv Pl Eng. Lang. and Composition
Adv Pl Eng. Lit. and Composition
English I
English II
English III
English IV
American Studies
Chinese 1
Latin I
Latin II
Latin III
Spanish 1
Spanish 2
Spanish 3
Adaptive Physical Education IEP or 504 Plan
Fitness Lifestyle Design
Life Management Skills
Personal Fitness
Adv Pl Calculus AB
Algebra I
Algebra I A
Algebra I B
Algebra II
Geometry
Liberal Arts Mathematics
Pre-Calculus
FCAT Prep – 10th Grade Review
FCAT Prep – 10th Grade Review
FCAT Prep – 8th Grade Review
SAT Preparation
Driver Education/Traffic Safety
Adv Pl Biology
Biology I
Chemistry I
Earth-Space Science
Marine Science
Physics I
Adv Pl Macroeconomics
Adv Pl Microeconomics
Adv Pl United States Government and Politics
Adv Pl United States History
American Government
American History
Economics
Global Studies
World History
Yes, check with the school. You’d be surprised how many states/districts have programs that can either be accessed for home or, in some cases, right at the school! I home school my son and when he was thinking about going back to public school half time (yes, you can do that too!) they suggested their after school program which enables students to take classes online at the school with a teacher in attendance for help. Some districts also have an ‘evening’ high school.
Right now we are sticking with an online high school and preparing for the GED. There are way too many resources online to be worried about having to spend a ton of money! Also check yahoo groups, there are a lot of homeschooling groups out there and networking with others in the area in the same boat is very helpful.
That peer cruelty is part of the “socialization” that home schoolers miss in there development, yes? Have the mom make friends with several librarians
– and check in to something called “home bound” programs the state may give you the textbooks your taxes pay for.
check the web for used curriculum for homeschoolers. ACE curriculum is fairly inexpensive. We pay approx. $300 for one complete year for all core subjects combined. It is straight to the point and easy to understand. This price also includes the teachers books and answer books. Have her check out the website for HSLDA and click on her state to make sure she follows the laws for that state in homeschooling because each state is different.
I have found through my own research that many states have schools -mainly high schools- that offer free tuition to residents. Some are located in California, Wisconsin, North Dakota, I think, and Florida. Hope that helps.
In some states, you can go into the high school and ask for curriculum to homeschool. It depends on the state.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.h…
This link has a list of free high school homeschooling resouces. Good luck!
http://www.jmhs.com isn’t too expensive and has a payment plan.
This depends in which state you live in. For example. In California there are many Charter Schools that do NOT charge a cent for your child to join. PLUS ALL the curriculum, field trips, testing, and even optional classes are free. Most Charter schools will provide you with ANY curriculum you choose as long as it is NOT religious. (that is illegal if the school is state funded). However don’t let THAT stop you, if you want to teach religion you can do that on your own. It is a pleasant alternative to the traditional class room, and many children who struggle under these circumstances thrive under the charter school.
I recommend checking out the websites below for more information.. along with your states requirements for homeschooling. What have ya’ got to lose? Good Luck!!!http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs…http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/conte…http://www.homeschool.com/advisors/mckee…http://homeschoolfriendlycolleges.com/..…