It is almost that time again… back to school. My daughter starts Kindergarten this year and both older kids are attending a new school. All summer I have been vacillating the public versus homeschool choice. Both kids want to attend public schools but it makes me really nervous. Our experiences thus far have not been so great.
To make matters worse my local community is at war over a school levy that just failed. 51% of the community voted it down with the full understanding that if they did, our entire district would lose all sports, band, clubs, and buses. Kids have been coming to my door all month asking for help to get this issue passed. Last week I saw kids with signs on street corners trying to motivate people to vote for Issue 2. The kids in the community worked so hard to get their sports and music programs back and their loss makes me very sad. The papers keep showing pictures of kids crying when they heard the news. :(
Students are transferring out in droves so they can play sports for another school. Lots of coaches and teachers lost their jobs. Real Estate agents are getting hit with tons of new people trying to sell their homes so they can move to another district.
I have mixed feelings about this issue and I was secretly glad that I hadn’t remembered to change my voter’s information and couldn’t vote. Voting no would mean not supporting sports and music in the local schools but voting yes would mean voting to tax my neighbors an extra $250-500 per year for the next 4 years. This is one thing I cannot stand about Ohio. In Arizona we never heard about schools having money issues or hearing they were trying to place a levy our property taxes. In Ohio you can be sure that a couple times a year at least… some educational group or school wants to get their hands in your pocket.
Times are tough and I feel the schools should get back to the basics and concentrate on academics. They should also be forced to live within their budgets. When the community passes a levy they just overspend and need more a couple years later. But will it suck to go to school in a district that has no money for extras… sports, band, chess club, field trips, etc?? But then again isn’t it really a parent’s job to provide these things and not the community’s job? Or are these things integral to a well rounded education?
All of this drama makes homeschooling look pretty darn attractive but we shall see how it goes. In the meantime I have some questions for you…
Do you homeschool or utilize public schools? How and why did you come to that decision?
I’m sorry it got voted down. I cant’ believe people don’t care more about stuff like that :(
We homeschool- I don’t have one driving reason why. I heard about homeschooling when my oldest daughter was 2 and instantly knew that was the right thing for our family. It seemed so natural and perfect.
i live in ohio, and i remember a rule my grandfather taught me “we always support our schools and we always support our libraries, even if it means we go without for a year”. i hear you. we personally homeschool, so it hurts when a levy comes up, but i would rather pay a bit more to have the children around me well educated then a bit less and have problems in the future.
Well, my son is just 6 months old, so we don’t have to think about this issue just yet. But, I can tell you that I WAS homeschooled and I loved it. From 3rd grade until I graduated HS at the age of 16. The system we had was with a group of about 20 other kids and we went to our church every Friday for testing. We also took group field trips and music/language classes. The only thing I missed was the sports, but I chose to go to a state university so I feel like I got the best of both worlds! Also, my parents gave me the choice. Each summer when I was old enough, I had to make a pro/con list and let them know if I wanted to go to public school. Every year I chose homeschool (and I don’t THINK I am too weird ;-)
Good luck!
We homeschool, for a million or so reasons. That’s so sad that the kids have to go without sports and such now. Around here all the money goes to sports, so it’s usually books and computers the kids go without while they build a brand new gym and pad the footballer players. Ah, there’s never a right answer I think.
We send our son to a private school (pre-school) where if he wants and we do not move he can attend through high school. I do not mind paying more for public schools via taxes, but in Oklahoma for example, there are public high schools with athletic facilities better than colleges and universities. That I do have a problem with. At the same time, I thinktgere is a lot to be learned from athletics, music and other program that tend to be first on the chopping block. Balance is important and I think some have lost sight of that balance.
Wow- I can’t believe that got voted down! I also can’t believe that it even came to having a vote like that. Soooo sad! I went to public school and will be sending my children to public schools, too. I am fortunate to have grown up and currently live in excellent school districts, though. I grew up in MA and live now on Long Island in NY. If my district was in the situation of yours I would probably look to private schooling.
My oldest just turned 4 but we plan to homeschool. The main reason is because my husband and I are Deaf and want our kids to be bilingual in American Sign Language and English. We also want our kids to love learning, be outside in nature as much as possible and not be a state statistic through testing. Those reasons are just a few examples.
I went to public school growing up, I taught in 2 different public school before having kids and I now have three little ones so far and all will be taught at home. I plan on taking it year by year but I hope educate them at home at least until HS if not all the way through HS. I could go on with a huge list of reasons why but mostly because I think home is the best place for them to be. Especially in the early years. I think it helps bond families together, keeps them sheltered from things until you want them introduced plus you know them best and can teach them best. There really is so much time wasted in schools where they aren’t doing anything bad but not really anything worth while either. At home they can do what needs to be done and then get out there and experience life. I don’t think that homeschooling is for everyone but it’s the right choice for us. Good luck with your decision:)
The grade school I grew up with in Canada didn’t have a lot of extra curricular actives available to it, instead adults in the area ran volunteer programs through the school. Choir, sports, and crafts after school or before school but while the staff was still onsite so we weren’t extending the schools operation hours, etc…
Most of the people volunteering to teach sports were college sport students; I’m sure they got credit for it, and it meant they were creditable with their information.
Perhaps you could suggest to the school your children are attending that they look for such volunteers.
We don’t have children yet, and we’re going to decide on what type of schooling based on their learning styles. Between my dyslexia and my husbands AHDH things could get interesting. We may end up with one child in public school, one in private, and one home schooled…. all depends.
Our daughter is 2 1/2 and we are going to homeschool her. We have a good Christian school just five minutes from us, and a school through our church that offers classes alongside homeschooling.
The homeschooler community thrives in our area because they have banded together. They offer classes a couple days a week, sports activities, field trips and so much else.
We homeschool for many reasons. Our school system is in terrible shape and tax overrides fail every time. We lost our library a few years ago as a result of people not wanting to raise taxes as well. In the end homeschooling is just the right thing for our family, but it is such a personal choice. You have to do what is right for you and your family.
I was typing on my phone last time, so sorry for the typos. I wanted to add why we chose the school my son attends. In order to do so, the background of Riverfield Country Day School is important. They utilize the Reggio Emilia concept and 120 wooded acres for ample outdoor education. They have a barnyard, pond, trails and amazing teachers. I love his school. Can you tell?
The reasons we decided on this particular private school were vast– we have friends teaching there, the music program is outstanding, language instruction begins at a young age, we can afford it, they sponsor athletic and arts programs, there are multi-age classrooms, they work with children to make sure they are challenged but not overwhelmed, the family plays a vital and key role in education, and it has a community atmosphere.
My husband and I just got pregnant a couple months ago for the first time. But I have to say this article strikes a chord with me. I have already told my husband we will be home schooling, if that is not an option I will be sending my children to a Waldorf or Montesorri School. My main reasons are because: a. I went to public school and got held back (not a grade wise but academically) because my teachers actively practiced the “No Child Left Behind” process. They followed this literally and if I wanted to move forward I got reprimanded verbally in front of the class to the point where I began sitting in the back of the class. This wasn’t all my teachers but enough of them that it effected my middle and high school experience and the amount I learned/wanted to learn. And b. I worked in the public school system after college. I love teaching and was exploring the idea of becoming a teacher. I worked in a pretty good school system but I worked with the “troubled” 9th graders and in the learning center as a tutor. I got to see from the other side of the curtain how much the public schools have turned into a babysitting service. The ninth graders that I worked with just needed someone that thought a little differently to work with them (and parent involvement at home/in their lives). They weren’t unintelligent, they just didn’t have anyone that cared or had time for them (including their teachers). They would act out and their teachers would just put them in the “troubled” kids study hall. A big kids time out.
Since those experiences I have also witnessed (in the county over from mine) children being bussed to the town hall to be vaccinated (with officers carrying automatic weapons guarding the town hall) because the school was loosing money from the local government because their attendance was down. I have read multiple articles about where schools receive funding from (the milk industry is a big one and if schools don’t meet the milk ad requirements they loose money). I could go on.
I’m sorry this is so long. Like I said, this post hit a chord! Love your blog!
xo
we moved into our town 10 yrs ago for many reaons, one being the great school system. still we choose to send our children to private (catholic) school for all it offers that the public school does not. of course i dont enjoy paying for school 2x (in taxes and tuition) but that is my choice to make and my priority. if i could no longer afford the catholic i have a plan b in my public school. if that turned out to be insufficient i would have to think hard about homeschooling myself. right now though it is not a consideration.
school decisions should not have to be so difficult. it can be so sad. :(
I’m a complete believer in public education. However, in saying that, I most likely won’t be sending my son to public school when he is ready for school (he’s 16 months now). I worked in the public system for ten years prior to staying home with my child and believe that it is one of the reasons our country is so successful–free, excellent education for our children. I was homeschooled my first 6 years of school and loved every minute of it. I hope to replicate the experiences I had for my son. I alsobelieve it’s really important to provide sports/music and field trips/activities for your kids outside of school but I recognize many parents simply don’t have the means to do so, either financially or for lack of time. Of all the things our counties/states/cities should be spending money on, I think education, including music, sports and field trips, are some of the most important. When we don’t provide for things beyond math and reading, we are losing the part of life that brings us joy–the arts, physical activity and the exploration of new places.
My older son is entering 4th grade this year. We have struggled with pro and con lists the last two years and this year we are excited to be trying MN Virtual Academy – Public School On-line. It uses the K-12 Curriculum that Tiffany had already researched so I knew it was great. I will serve the position of teacher’s assistant and we will have a teacher to give assignments and personalize my son’s education. I like this idea because I would so worry about screwing something up for my son and also, it takes a huge time burden out of the picture with planning. It is a public school, so there is no cost. We receive the books and materials by mail. I believe about 40% of his time will be spent on-line. After his assignments are done, we will have plenty of time to explore ideas that were interesting to him through his lessons and go on LOTS of field trips. Even though his personal “pro” list towards this program was extensive (as was mine), my son was nervous about trying something new but once he realized that it doesn’t have to be a permanent situation, he was excited to give it a try. I hope we both love it and that it will be a great compromise between public and home school.
My younger son is in pre-school and I am sending him to a traditional preschool and he will also attend Kindergarten at our local public school as well. Kindergarten here is still a very fun, age appropriate curriculum and I think he will have a blast! We’ll see what we do after that.
I used to be a public school teacher but have always thought it would be a fun and wonderful experience to homeschool. The schools in my area are fine. They are stuck in their curriculum and don’t do much to diversify for children who need a challenge. I know if the kids do decide to attend public school, they will get a good education in a caring community but I am so hoping for a GREAT education!
Sorry, so long, I could go on for pages and pages on this issue and I love reading everyone’s opinions! Thanks Tiffany.
The twins went to public school full-day kindergarten last year. It was disastrous! Keep in mind this is not my first rodeo, our other two are now 23 and 22 – I’ve done elementary school before. Everything from handling our daughter’s food allergies to our son’s exceptional reading skills were mishandled – if handled at all. I have plenty of stories.
This year they are going to private school. We really can NOT afford it, but like hubs said we can NOT not afford to give them an education. So we are making extreme sacrifices and saying a lot of prayers that we can keep up with the tuition.
I went to and fro between homeschool and private school. I am still slightly ambivalent about sending them. If this doesn’t work out – this is where we live now but not where we are from or where we would like to live – then I will homeschool.
My oldest son will enter 4th grade in our public school this year and our 2nd son will enter Kindergarten (1/2 day). We are blessed to have a wonderful public school system and I couldn’t be happier with the education my son has received so far. He was in Catholic School for Kindergarten before we moved and that was also fabulous. I think whatever works for you in your heart is the way to go. Our taxes are very high here and we keep voting for almost everything for the school district. As a result, we have excellent schools. I don’t think anyone loves paying taxes, but when you think about all of the other things that our taxes pay for, certainly our kids (our future) are one of the worthiest. In our area, if you look at cities that don’t pay to have arts education in the schools, you will see that many have high rates of delinquent youth – kids need more than just academics and all parents don’t have the resources (money and/or knowledge) to provide these opportunities for their children.. Often it is the arts that will give these kids a chance to like something about school for the first time and it gives them a reason to turn their life around. For that reason, I feel it is a great investment for the community.
We are lucky to live near an excellent public school and will happily send our kids there. However, my approach to education and life in general is that we will still be “homeschooling” them throughout as we enhance and supplement whatever they are doing at school as well as providing extra experiences. We travel a lot and will not hesitate to pull our kids out of school for a week or two for an occasional trip (travel experiences trump many other educational experiences if handled correctly, in my opinion). Likewise, we will continue our family visits to museums, zoos, parks,etc. with heavy doses of experiential education wherever we go. Sending my kids to school does not let me off the hook (though I do look forward to a bit of a break during the school day!!).
Public school also provides more opportunities for us to teach, particularly as our kids encounter some of the more awkward social issues. I want them to be faced with situations, attitudes, opinions, and behaviour that they are not exposed to at home. How else will they learn to deal with it as emerging adults? How else will they learn to ask tough questions, form their own opinions, and think for themselves? In the classic free range approach, I hope to be able to teach my children to navigate their way through the public school system rather than shelter them from it. (I know, easy to say when our school is top notch! But social problems and controversial situations are found everywhere.)
What will be most interesting is to see if and how my views change once our kids are actually in school!
Nicky starts Kindergarten this year. I’m nervous about it, to be honest. I was homeschooled and had such a positive experience. I hear so many negative things about public school. Hopefully it wont be a bad experience being it’s just the kindy year. Maybe by next year we’ll be able to afford private school.
I also wanted to weigh in for private schools… when my children are old enough I will send them to the best school around whether that is public, private or in my own home, but all my life my family sent me to private schools because of how bad the public schools in our area (Los Angeles) were and my mother had to work to support our family. Long story short, my family made sacrifices to pay for that private school, so we never took fancy vacations or had the hottest fashions, but all of those sacrifices for 12 years of private school when I was awarded a full-ride scholarships to one of the top universities in the nation. All that money was invested in me and (without them knowing it ahead of time) actually ended up being cheaper in the long run than paying for a private school college education!! My parents took pride in their children and their successes instead of pride in their cars/vacations/toys etc. Homeschooling would have been wonderful, but a small, loving and educationally-solid private school was an excellent alternative that has laid a marvelous foundation in my life… thanks Mama & Dad!
We utilize the public schools of Somerset, MA. I am a mom to 3- one going into 1st grade, and 2 in a private preschool. (well the 3rd one starts in the fall in preschool). We are lucky as we have a power plant in town which helps so much with the towns taxes. We so far have not lost any programs. We have a very involved PTO and that raises about 60K/year or so to pay for school programs- the arts- etc. With all those pluses it was hard to choose any other option. We could not afford private school so that was out. I’m a stay at home Mom so I could have chosen to home-school but I am leary of home-schooling because I want my kids to have a greater life experience than just learning at home. I do know that there are home-schooling groups that do wonderful and that they get the kids into so many activities but personally I wanted my kids to experience all the diversity of life including public school. I think a lot of what they learn is at home anyway and that with our guidance we can help them in every way. I think if parents read to their kids, sing with their kids, do art with their kids and do sports even just in the backyard with their kids that kids in public schools will do just fine and go onto the finest of colleges equal to any other way you educate a child. I do think its tougher in districts that cut programs and then it falls on the parents to have to pay for music lessons or art lessons or sports. I think its a very personal decision and that everyone chooses what is right for their own families and individual children’s needs. Good luck with your choice!