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Karen T
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 11:58pm | IP Logged
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We are moving to Md. DH just accepted a new job (still waiting on the start date, hopefully June or July) so we can be closer to his mother, who is in Frederick. Dh will be working in Columbia. We are hoping to move somewhere north of Columbia in order to find a more rural area, depending on the commute, etc.
Any tips on good places to start would be appreciated!
Also, I believe there are several options for compliance in homeschooling? I'm curious as to which one is used by most people and what the advantages are. Here in GA, we only have to file intent yearly and send in attendance form monthly (just check if they had 4.5 hrs of "school" each day). Testing is required every 3 yrs but doesn't have to be turned in - for our records only. It sounds like Md will be much more formal.
Karen T
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KellyJ
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 12:04pm | IP Logged
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Karen, I started a response, but it just kept getting longer and longer. I'm going to send it to you privately.
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KellyJ
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 3:05pm | IP Logged
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Karen -
Prices are especially high in Montgomery and Howard Counties. Carroll County is beautiful and both Columbia and Frederick are easily accessible from there. As you start looking, if you want to talk more, please PM me.
Peace,
Nancy
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Rachel May
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 5:02pm | IP Logged
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Our experience in PG County, MD was that even though the portfolio process sounded intimidating, it was easy. Even though one portfolio review per year is supposed to be face to face, we mailed in both of ours because we couldn't find a date that we could meet. In January, the reviewer's schedule was filled through May, and in May it was filled through Dec. 
We chose to do the portfolio review instead of joining an umbrella group because a) it was free and b) the umbrellas groups in our area were protestant affilianted and required faith statements.
Good luck!
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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guitarnan
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| Posted: April 15 2007 at 3:31pm | IP Logged
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If you want an umbrella group (they still have paperwork, but you don't have to do a portfolio twice a year), I have one in Columbia, thanks to Elizabeth. They're not cheap but they are nationally accredited. We went with them because we're now doing the high school thing...and the accreditation was important to us (it isn't to everyone, definitely!).
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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SaraP
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We're in Harford Co. just over the Baltimore Co. line and it is rural, beautiful and reasonably priced (well, at least compared to Annapolis where we used to live!).
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Mama to six on earth, two in heaven and two waiting in Russia. Foxberry Farm Almanac
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Karen T
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| Posted: April 16 2007 at 1:43pm | IP Logged
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guitarnan wrote:
| If you want an umbrella group (they still have paperwork, but you don't have to do a portfolio twice a year), I have one in Columbia, thanks to Elizabeth. They're not cheap but they are nationally accredited. We went with them because we're now doing the high school thing...and the accreditation was important to us (it isn't to everyone, definitely!). |
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I think I am leaning toward an umbrella at least for the first year. My ds will be 9th grade this fall, so we will also be doing the high school thing, and this is our first time through high school, as well as the new state.
Karen T
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Karen T
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| Posted: April 16 2007 at 1:45pm | IP Logged
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SaraP wrote:
| We're in Harford Co. just over the Baltimore Co. line and it is rural, beautiful and reasonably priced (well, at least compared to Annapolis where we used to live!). |
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Well, that is good to know! Do you know how far you are from Columbia? Dh's office will actually be in Columbia, but I believe he will be in and around Baltimore a good bit also (he's working with the FDIC)
Karen T
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Karen T
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| Posted: May 06 2007 at 8:36am | IP Logged
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We are tentatively going to stay with MIL for a few months when we first move to Maryland later this summer, in order to get to know the area better and figure out the commute for dh, etc. before buying another house (also in case ours doesn't sell quickly here)
Anyway, back to the umbrella thing - if I had ds14 enrolled with something like Kolbe, I would still need a local umbrella, right? I found a list of approved Md. umbrellas and Seton is on it, but none of the other Catholic "schools" like MODG, Kolbe, etc. We have been doing a CM eclectic approach for the last 3 yrs but I've been considering using something like Kolbe or STAA next year for more structure, just for the oldest. I'm still confused as to what the umbrella actually does, other than be someone other than the state to report to?
Karen T
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: May 06 2007 at 11:00am | IP Logged
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Karen -
In our case, at least, the best part of the umbrella is that I don't need to expose myself directly to the County school people. (Probably just a hang-up of mine, not that it is necessarily a problem). Some umbrellas offer other services such as classes that non-members can't take. Some umbrellas allow non-members to take classes, they just have 2nd priority. Our umbrella offers advice, prepares transcripts, has a College Board reporting code number (although I don't know the advantage of that), and we have a graduation and get a high school diploma (as a private school).
I hope that gives you some clarity; if you want to talk further, please PM me.
Peace,
Nancy
ETA - If you do Kolbe or something like that, you could just take the work you did as suggested by that curriculum to either the county reviewers or use an umbrella. Sometimes the county people don't think that what the program you're using requires meshes exactly with what the county/state would require, so you would have to coordinate those two sets of requirements, I guess.
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guitarnan
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Karen,
I'm with Nancy...don't want to talk directly to the county folks if possible. Our umbrella does advice, transcripts (no grades), diplomas, things like science and art fairs, etc. Using an umbrella that is accredited means I don't have to worry about ds needing to take the GED exam (he is leaning toward Coast Guard Academy, which would require a GED if we didn't have this type of umbrella).
Each county is different. I have not heard that homeschoolers have chronic problems with county portfolio reviewers. You might consider finding a Yahoo group for the areas you're looking at and just reading about their portfolio review experiences.
Harford County is lovely. I think it's a great idea to bunk in with family until you figure out where you really want to live...certainly better than renting someplace for a year. Columbia is a nice city...but you will get more for your money outside of Howard County (they have the best schools in MD, so property values are high).
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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KellyJ
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| Posted: May 08 2007 at 10:11am | IP Logged
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Karen T wrote:
| I'm still confused as to what the umbrella actually does, other than be someone other than the state to report to? |
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Exactly, Karen. As I told you through the private messenger, we've used umbrellas up till this year when we decided to try the county. We had our second and final county review for the year a couple weeks ago. It was fine. No problems either time. Really simple. No hassles. Nothing. In and out of there in about 5 minutes. Oh, and by the way, our county does reviews in various public libraries -- so no going to a school even.
We probably won't go back to an umbrella unless we want something formal for graduation (some umbrellas do fancy graduation stuff and proms too).
Though some people may have had problems going with the government reviews, I'm tempted to think that it isn't a regular problem and that a number of folks (myself included till this year) have opted for umbrellas out of fear.
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KellyJ
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SaraP
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Karen T wrote:
SaraP wrote:
We're in Harford Co. just over the Baltimore Co. line and it is rural, beautiful and reasonably priced (well, at least compared to Annapolis where we used to live!).
Well, that is good to know! Do you know how far you are from Columbia? |
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Columbia is about 45 min of highway driving from where we are. Your DH would have to go through Baltimore and through one of the tunnels under Baltimore harbor, but the trafficc isn't often too bad (my DH has to do the same because he works in Baltimore city) so that won't slow him down much.
I've had no problems with the county reviews, but this is the first year we have done them (my oldest is only kindergarten age) so obviously I don't have a lot of experience to speak from.
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Mama to six on earth, two in heaven and two waiting in Russia. Foxberry Farm Almanac
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: moving to Maryland
