Homeschooling questions?? Help

[3boys4me]

I have some questions for you homeschoolers please. My step son's mother is sending him to a homeschool program, that we get to pay for (over $5000 a year) This child has always been in the public school system and has adhd, for which he was on medication up until about 2 years ago. He failed the ninth grade. Every class with pitiful grades. I;m talking a 9, 27, and 40's. The best final grade was a 60 something. We have talked to one of his teachers and she said tht he didn't turn in completed class work or homework and lked to socailize in her class.
We would like to know what questions we should ask of this provider. Should this school be certified by the state, should they have a plan or special teacher to deal with the adhd? Also, should their tuition rates be on file with the state or parish government somewhere? Do the kids take tests tht are regulated by anyone other than the homeschool teacher? Any thing else that we should ask? We just want to make sure this school is legit and doing the right thing by this child, well, more that his mom is doing the right thing. Clearly she was not interested in his schooling last year, the teacher never heard from her.
Thanks for any help.

 

[3boys4me]

anyone?

 

[scrapquitler]

When you start asking questions about oversight and testing for homeschoolers, the answer TOTALLY depends on what state you are talking about. Every state has wildly varied laws. Here in CT, there is almost no oversight, but in other states, you have to be evaluated by a certified teacher, submit to annual testing, etc. So unless someone knows the laws of the state where your nephew is, they can't really answer your questions.

It sounds to me like your nephew is enrolled in either some sort of co-op or an umbrella school? I can't imagine homeschooling and then paying tuition to someone else to teach the child

 

[sparks19]

Homeschool? That costs $5000 a year? I think you need more details. Doesnt sound like homeschool. More like private school. Care to
Elaborate?

 

[dis-happy]

Need more specifics. Is he signing up for the K-12 program? I know that can cost around $5k if it's not provided through a public school program. Most homeschooling that costs that much includes teacher oversight, grades, etc. It's more like "school at home" than what is considered traditional homeschooling. If his problem is distraction in the classroom it might work well for him (as long as he is motivated to do the work).

 

[scrapquitler]

Okay. I missed the part where you mentioned the Parish. So we are talking Louisiana. Here's a summary of the requirements for Louisiana: http://www.homeschoolinginlouisiana.com/gettingstarted/legal/statelaws.aspx
I just kind of skimmed it quickly, but I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, and I'm a little brain dead tonight. It looks to me like Louisiana has a lot more stringent laws than here in CT about homeschooling, and that whatever homeschool or umbrella group he is studying with needs to submit and have the curriculum approved along with samples of his work, or a standardized test grade or an evaluation by a certified teacher. (or maybe a combination of that, like I say, I'm no lawyer).

I do think that there is a DIs-er here on the boards that homeschools in Louisiana. Maybe tomorrow she/he will pop in and clarify for you.

 

[3boys4me]

It is a Christian Homeschool. We googled the address and it is literally someones home. I wish I knew more. My husband called today to get some information and no one called him back. I wish we knew more, that's why I am looking for questions to ask, when and if they return his call. It all sounds funny to me, but I am not familiar with homeschooling at all. From what I understand it is either 12 or 14 kids in the class. I don't know if they are all the same grade or age. We don't know anything. Any suggestions on what to ask?
We are in Louisiana if that helps.

 

[dis-happy]

If it has that many kids it might fall into the status of a private school.

I'd be asking a lot of questions. Who is teaching? What curriculum is being taught? (get a list of all classes and books being used). Are they doing everything there at the school's address or doing things on-line as well? How long have they been doing this?

Start with the curriculum. Is it an on-line Christian program they are all using and perhaps meeting there for some classroom activities? Or is it all self-contained at the house?

Honestly, as a longtime homeschooler, it sounds a little strange. Get some details and post them and we can give you some feedback. FTR, you can find other homeschool programs for quite a bit less than $5k; if spending that much I'd want to make sure the student is getting what he needs.

Also, read, the LA homeschooling laws:
http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Louisiana.pdf

 

[3boys4me]

Thanks everybody. Hopefully they will return our call and I will post what I find out.

 

[disneymarie]

One of our local churches has a home school program but I do not know if there is a tuition. My dd has cyber schooled for going to the 4th year now and cost zero. THe money that would normally go to the school district is sent to the cyber school, There are a few programs. The choice we made is Connections Academy and I am in PA. They provide a laptop, and all the materials. Every month there are several local activities for socialization too.

Our daughter was school phobic and panic disorder. She was being picked on in school and got very stressful. The district would do nothing to be supportive. In cyber school there are live lessons every day for various classes. She also has Driver Ed, sign language, various computer programs.

The books are sent. The days schedule starts with opening her primary subject that day. There is a teachlet within the lesson. The book is also online so she can open and read her chapter that day. They have a built in self check quiz, and her test.

There are high school projects and reports to do. Is she needs an open time frame from her IEP, (indvidualized educational program or something like that) she actually this year will work on hr English one period as a week, then the next would be all geometry, then the science and History. This way she stays focused and then can put the subject away to be fresh for the next section.

Frankly, if Mom has not been able to work with the school district to keep the boy on top of assignments, and counseling for socialization, I am not sure home schooling will be successful either.
There needs to be some real work done to support his educational needs. Even in home schooling you have to be strongly motivated or fall behind and be dropped.

I would have "Dad" get all school records, set up a guidance meeting at his school, and see what they offered, what has been used to help his son succeed. If he has ADHD there should have been the IEP implemented; get a copy of it for last year and the year before.

What suggestions were made. Where they good suggestions and met by the school district and your step son.
BUT, I would step back and let Dad take the lead...if not you will get a lot of hostility from Mom. Don't get in the middle. Your dh has to be proactive for his son too. Can you get split custody. Who has legal custody or is it shared that the decision for school has to be mutual decision and split the payment.

It is getting close to school starting, a little late to throw a lot of questions out. Mom should have discussed this last school year.
I hope you have success in letting him have the best education to meet his needs for life training.

 

[scrapquitler]

It is a Christian Homeschool. We googled the address and it is literally someones home. I wish I knew more. My husband called today to get some information and no one called him back. I wish we knew more, that's why I am looking for questions to ask, when and if they return his call. It all sounds funny to me, but I am not familiar with homeschooling at all. From what I understand it is either 12 or 14 kids in the class. I don't know if they are all the same grade or age. We don't know anything. Any suggestions on what to ask?
We are in Louisiana if that helps.

That sounds more like a private school....paying that much tuition and going to a classroom with that many kids all day certainly doesn't fit MY description of a HOMESCHOOL. Sure, it's in someone's HOME, but....

What does your husbands custody agreement say about the child's education?