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knowloveserve
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| Posted: June 25 2007 at 2:36pm | IP Logged
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I just got off the phone with a man from the public school district here; I had no idea there was a publically funded support program for homeschoolers!!! Yay, Washington state!
On one hand, I'm thrilled thinking about how I can spend the $500/year/child on ANY CURRICULUM I WANT (excluding religious books). Plus they have "enrichment" classes available (maxing out at 12 students a class) where the homeschooled kids come in and they can take classes together like ASL, music, art, tumbling, soccer, Spanish, etc.!!!
How awesome is that!
The catch is that by signing up for this the family has to submit a student learning plan and be accountable once a month to see if the student is meeting objectives.
The man was very clear to me that they aren't trying to hawk over parent's shoulders and that the objectives are created by the PARENTS themselves.
But I'm leery at the idea of having accountability in this way and of the way they'll make me artificially separate our "real life" learning into segmented classes. "For geography we did this." "For english we did this." etc.
As you know, there often isn't clear cut lines in true learning and I don't know if I'll be able to proportion things out of our very loose homeschooling structure.
And forgive my cynicism, but I'm not keen on any kind of State intervention here in my education choices.
Anyway, do any of you do this kind of thing? Because the funding would be a serious help for us... plus I'm thrilled at the idea of the kids being able to take select classes here or there with other homeschoolers. There's 160 students enrolled in that program in this district!!!! I had no idea there were so many of us!
Thoughts?
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Ellie
The Bleeding Pelican
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ann@home
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 1:47am | IP Logged
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Just an FYI-I was told that any non-consumable books or equipment you buy with that $500 is technically the school's property and you have to give it to them when you are "done" with it or if you drop out of the program. You might want to ask about this to confirm or deny.
I thought about this at first as well but decided that ultimately I did not want to be accountable to anyone and have them dictate any requirements to my child.
However, I also can see this as a great benefit in terms of meeting other hsers and creating a community if you are in need of that.
I'm not sure where you are but there may be co-op classes available in your area to take advantage of at low costs. We have a great science class 1x per week with other hsers.
And technically your child is able to take advantage of classes at the school WITHOUT being a registered student. I've heard of a few kids taking band, art, or math in the middle/upper grades. I think it can only be 2 or 3 classes max though to "qualify" as not being a part time student-which means they would have to register.
Not trying to say this program is trying to be sneaky, but they often neglect to volunteer this info because of course they WANT your child registered because it gets them a few thousand $$ each year.
In the end you have to decide what your child and your needs are and if this program will really help or hinder those goals.
You might want to ask to attend a function or class so you can talk with other parents to see/hear for yourself how it works for others too.
good luck
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Ann, Full-time Mama of a 10yr old Lego master, 7yr old DIVA, 4yr old King of the Mountain and one more in June '09!
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graciefaith
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 2:57am | IP Logged
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Yes, we have done it. This past year we were enrolled in a program called WWIDEA and it allotted me $1200 a year for my Kindergartener. I had to submit the curriculums i chose and any other extra curriculars they were in or might be in. I did have to "grade" her at the end of fall and spring semesters. That was easy. I had to state the objectives of each curriculum. Any time i bought something, when i would fill the reimbursement form, i'd have to state which subject each product would be used for. It was easy and worth it, to me. I was also free to choose any curriculum but nothing that was religious. Unfortunately, it is looking like we will not get funding this year but there is still hope. I would definitely do it again, if they do.
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Blessed wife and mom of 3 girls, Sept. '01, Dec. '02 and Oct. '07
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nicole-amdg
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 8:22am | IP Logged
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Are you a member of HSLDA? If so, you might want to check with them. I think in general they are against this kind of thing; they have fought for homeschoolers' rights to the public education funds they are entitled to, but they warn that certain programs actually bring homeschooled students into the system (more tax money for the schools) and consider them students of public education, to the extent that those students are no longer eligible as homeschoolers for membership in HSLDA.
The folks at HSLDA will probably be familar with your local public program and may be able to walk you through some pros and cons, or suggest other public alternatives.
Homeschool Legal Defense Association
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Nicole
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knowloveserve
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 10:15am | IP Logged
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Thank you, will check that link out. And yes,, the non-consumables are property of the school.
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Ellie
The Bleeding Pelican
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Jamberry77
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 10:53am | IP Logged
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From reading in old issues of Home Education magazine, I learned a basic truth: if someone gives someone else some money, they are going to want to have a say in how that person spends it. Example, older parents give their adult son a gift of $20,000 (did well with dividends). Son and wife decide to buy a new car since their old one was 11 years old. Older parents just have to comment, "Well, the car is nice, but we really wished you had ... (a) put a down payment on a house, (b) saved it for the kids' college, (c) used it to go back and get your degree." etc.
I would advise against this sort of thing as it gets public educators in the frame of mind of "we're in charge of these homeschoolers" then eventually they'll want to start thinking, "we need to be in charge of every homeschooler." This public funding of home education is a slippery slope to a loss of our freedoms, in my mind.
Kelly
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5athome
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 11:03am | IP Logged
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We were with a similar system in CA for only a year and a half and I would caution you a bit. At first, they were very "any curriculum you want" but after a year or so they started to clamp down on choices. There were delays in the curriculum you chose arriving in time for the schoolyear so they "pushed" alternatives in the meantime. It was not conducive to year round schooling if that interests you. As the months progressed, they also upped the testing required for the children and the details on where/when/how it was to be done. While the class offerings sound nice, it locks you in. For instance, your child may not thrive in the format chosen for the Spanish program or art program but you are basically locked in to that one class unless you decide to go elsewhere and pay out of pocket. I guess just beware the thought that it is "free" education.
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Margaret
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: mixed feelings; need advice
