I am going to start homeschooling my 13 year old (8th grade) this school year.?

Question

We moved to FL 3 years ago from VA. Schools in VA were great. Schools in FL are a disgrace! I have decided no more of this for her. I will home school instead. I am new at this, so even after checking into it, I am still not sure about the best methods or best programs. I know I do not want a religious or Christian-based program. Not because we don't feel those things don't have a place in our lives, but I do not want her education to be based on slanted views. I want it to be based on historical and scientific facts, with openess to variying opinions and theories. (Sorry, not trying to offend anyone here). We plan to move back to VA at some point. Until then, how do I make sure she is getting the education she needs to be able to at least re-enter the public school at her correct grade level for when we get back to VA? My desire and goal for homeschooling is to improve her education, not make is suffer any more than what the FL system has already done to her.

In response to some answers I saw: Florida, at least our school district, does NOT require or provide standardized tests. They do not provide me with a curriculum. They do not require I submit an educational plan. The ONLY thing the county told me is "You're on your own". We already did the "living in Virginia with relatives" thing for the last school year, and she had to come back, as that relative was unable to keep her indefinitely, and after our house had been on the market for that entire school year and did not sell (the market is dead here), we are unable to say for sure when we will be able to move to VA.

In response to some answers I saw: Florida, at least our school district, does NOT require or provide standardized tests or any other tests. They do not provide me with a curriculum or books, or even require any particular books. They do not require I submit an educational plan. The ONLY thing the county told me is "You're on your own". We already did the "living in Virginia with relatives" thing for the last school year, and she had to come back, as that relative was unable to keep her indefinitely, and after our house had been on the market for that entire school year and did not sell (the market is dead here), we are unable to say for sure when we will be able to move to VA.

Thank you everyone for your responses. You have provided me with many ideas and web resources to check out. As for "Panama", I did not ask for your judgement of me and my abilities, as you do not know me; nor did I ask for insults. I just wanted honest guidance without personal attacks.

Answer 1

I emphathize with where you are at...I was there a year ago with my dd. I could not fathom homeschooling - I thought I was too inadequate and so I sent her back to her school with trepidation. It lasted only 2 1/2 weeks and then I pulled her out. I now found myself homeschooling her and no plan or any idea what to do next.

I cannot advise what to do in FL as I live in CA. The rules in CA may be different. I am only offering you what I discovered along the way. In CA you do not have have to register with the school district ...althought the local schools have homeschool and independent study programs and they would like the children enrolled in one so they can receive money for their attendance in the homeschool/independent study program.

There are several Charter schools set up in CA that act as schools for the homeschoolers. This has advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: You receive money and/or books, tutoring or programs for the child paid for by the charter school. As long as the program or books do not have a religious content most programs/books will fly. All these schools have an ES (Educational Specialist- teacher) who visits the child and parent to discuss curriculum, review work by the child and discuss progress or strategies. Some Charter schools are very hands off as to what you use to teach others have specific texts and curriculum. Many of these charter schools also give money to the parents to spend for the child's education including enrichment such as music lessons, dance lessons, art lessons etc. (All these wonderful things that have disappeared from the CA public schools.)
DISADVANTAGE: You must follow the rules of the Charter school for home schoolers. Some charters schools have pretty rigid curriculum and there is not much in the way of flexibility. All the Charter Schools require you take the state standardized tests - (the schools receive money for each student who tests. In addition if a certain percentage of students do not take the test then the school may loose funding and its license and credentials to continue. That is why there is so much pressure in CA public schools...its all tied to money.) What the powers that be will not tell parents is that you CAN OPT out of the standardized testing. It is afterall the USA and we still have rights. You simply write a note to the school stating that you do not want your child to be tested. I know this for a fact as I opted my son out ot the tests from 1st grade through 5th grade in public school as I disagreed with how the school district was using the tests.)

As far as what to teach to keep her up with her grade level you should be able to find state standards for each grade. In CA the state standards are king right now and you can find the standards posted on the school district websites. You might try the FL and VA school district websites for standards by grade by subject. If they are not there call the district offices and request as to how to obtain them. They should be public information. The school district office might mail them to you or direct you to the appropriate website. IF you strike out there try the state board of education for the states.

Back to the next step after I found myself homeschooling. I reached out to everyone I knew who was homeschooling to seek advise on materials. I choose to sign with a charter school so I could get funds. My particular charter school is very open and flexible - its philosophy is that parents should decide what is best for their child. It supports every method out there from unschooling, to Waldorf, to Montessori, to Classical, to traditional...plus several others I cannot remember. I would sugget that you reach out to friends and search out other local homeschoolers for help and advise. I have found other homeschoolers to be very helpful and supportive. Look on the web for local homeschool message boards and support groups. If you have friends that are teachers seek their advise too.

Figure out your strenghths and figure on teaching those subjects. Then if you can afford it, hire some one to tutor what ever you feel you cannot possible teach. In CA we have lots of businesses that teach math and reading which is often cheaper than hiring a private tutor. You can also contact the local colleges to find a student to tutor your child. But if your child is a very good student you may be able to use the homeschool texts that are available. You can buy canned curriculums by grades from several different publishers - some with a strong Christian basis and some without a religious basis. These curriculum package cover all subjects so you do not have to worry what to choose. Or you can do what I did which was piece stuff together subject materials based on advise from my daughters tutor (all of which I threw out cause it was awful) and advise from other homeschoolers which was more practical and helpful.

Just know that few homeschoolers have hit on the perfect program for every subject the first time. I was surprised and relieved when I realized that it was really ok to experiment to find what works for you and your child. (I found if I hated the program/text then my child hated it too. Its hard to teach what you do not like.) And often what works for one kid does not work for anyother. Look to your instincts when you review materials -you know your child so review the materials by asking yourself: will she would like the material and its approach, does it cover what you want her to know, do you think it is straightforward enough to implement easily, are you interested in it -does it grab you etc. Do a search on web for curriculum reviews. You will find lots of homeschoolers giving reviews of programs or books they have used or read. I have found those reviews helpful. Go to websites that sell to homeschoolers and look at what they offer or suggest. One website that I use alot is ww.RainbowResources .com They sell to homeschoolers and they have tons and tons of books, games, reference material etc. Every thing is very nicely reviewed and they often let you take a peak inside the books. I have also done searches at Amazon for books and reference materials.

Whatever you do decide it will be ok. I am sure that your daughter will be fine. If she is weak or behind in any areas -especially reading or math focus on getting those areas up to grade level. If she is doing fine at school and is at grade level then at the minimum read alot, write alot, do research papers, and most importantly keep up with the math. Everything else will fall into place.

Good luck - I hope this helps.

Answer 2

well eighth grade is for most schools a transitional year, the move from pre-algebra to algebra is good ( \none of this y=mx+b stuff anymore) try looking into local curriculums from VA. That way you'll be sure to be in the right place. Ask what books they use. This will help a lot in many smaller districts where there is only 1 or two major feeder schools. Tthe variation from district to district can also make a big difference. If there is a better district nearby, you can have yourself zoned for that district for a fee or something. Non-religious private schools are also an option. They may be expensive, but if the public school system is anything like you say, private school attendance will be high and thus the price (relatively) low. Diverse forms of education look good on a resume.

Answer 3

Since each state regulates their own schooling, this is difficult to answer, especially since you don't know how soon you'll return to VA.

As long as she is back in the school system by freshman year, just about anything you do will be fine. Most likely, when you re-enroll her, unless you have been using an accredited program, the school system will test her for grade-level assignment (just to make sure she's ready for grade-level work).

The reason freshman year is key is that this is when kids start racking up credits for high school graduation. Unless you use an accredited program for high school, the public school will likely not accept her credits and begin her as a freshman (even if she's 18) unless you submit CBEs (credit by examination) which can be costly ($25-50 per course, per semester).

As for "biased" history programs, every program I have ever seen, Christian or not, has some bias. For that reason, we use library books for our history studies. This way, *when* those discrepancies occur, we discuss perspective (how close to the time of the event was the book/document written) and personal bias.

Science is done in a similar fashion - we try to stick to known facts (laws) and when there are multiple theories, we just discuss them all and state why we believe in one over another.

EDIT: Based on the wording of your question, it sounded like you had already researched FL homeschool laws and were interested in curriculum ideas. If you need *accurate* info on FL homeschool laws, check the FL Homeschool Network info linked below.

Answer 4

Homeschooling 8th Grade

Answer 5

If you want a virtual Public school you can do in Florida Google K12, I think they do have one, your district doesn't run it though, its a state-wide program called Florida Virtual academy, or something like that, which might be where the confusion comes from if you asked at you district.

I don't necessarily agree that Christian materials are not based on fact, some would say that humanist/secular materials are slanted against religion, but regardless of that I do believe you have the right to choose a secular curriculum if you choose to.

Try looking into Teaching Textbooks at http://www.teachingtextbooks.com for math.

Also you might look into http://www.EdAnywhere.com it is a secular program.

Also, the Public Library is a great source of secular materials on science, English, just about any subject really.

There was a question posted earlier about secular materials, and someone posted a site that had a bunch, I don't know the site but if you scroll through the questions you might be able to find one on non-religious homeschool resources and look over those answers.

I just checked on K12 and yes they do have a program in Florida, go http://www.K12.com/options and then click on "Get K12" it will show you a list of states that have this option, since it is all done through internet and mail, it doesn't matter if the office is not actually in your district.

Answer 6

Laws differentiate from state to state. I would first check into your state's requirements. You will usually need to keep records and attendances. Some require testing. Some don't. You may chose to register with a school and follow their program. There may be an online state curriculum for public schools that you can access and follow loosely. There are also online homeschooling programs. If you have a homeschool association nearby or one you can locate online, check them out for answers and opinions. Homeschool associations also have conferences where you can see different programs first hand and even purchase new and used items. Check out both VA and FL requirements so you can plan accordingly. We all have different reasons for homeschooling or not. In either case the desire is the same...to provide the best we can for our children. Good luck to you and your child.

Answer 7

Here is what the State of Florida requires for homeschoolers
http://hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=FL

If you are concerned with your dd keeping up with VA you can always find out the state standards and make sure that you cover that curriculum with her.

Also find a local homeschool group in Florida that you can join up with. We have a few really great groups here and have park days, co-op classes, field trips etc and we have made some great friends along the way.

I wish you and your family the best. And maybe you'll find that your daughter excels out of the public school system that you will continue her education at home even after you move back

Answer 8

I homeschooled my daughter for two years here in CA and we did it through a charter program. This program is paid through the state, and state testing is required, but you have the option of choosing which curriculum you prefer. We had an IST (teacher) come to the house once a month to check her progress and take samples of work completed. If you are interested in this type of program, I would start with a search engine for the area you are moving to. Search for "charter home schools in ..." The other option would be to search for home school support groups in that area and contacting parents who are involved in a program already. If you are still having trouble you might want to try www.homeschoolnewslink.com - they are a great source for support and information. Good luck to you both!!!

Answer 9

First off, while you don't like the Flordia system, they do offer a FREE on-line program to Florida residents.

You can augement this if you want.

There are also school in a box programs.

There are also teaching materials you can buy at places like Barnes and Noble.

Answer 10

You will have to register with the Florida Deparment of Education and probably with the local school district. You normally need to present an education plan that will suit the state you live in. If you are moving back to VA, it would be wise to get at least some idea of the standards you will have to meet to stay on grade level. Your best bet is a combination of public school and home tutoring to stay at a level that you find comfortable.

Answer 11

To homeschool, you will need to register with the state. They will tell you what she needs to be taught that year, and will provide you with a list of tests that she will have to take (yes, even homeschooled kids have to take the standardized state tests) and will tell you what reports you have to submit to the state, how many hours she has to be taught each day, and even which books to use.

There is a lot more to homeschooling that just pulling the child out and keeping them at home. It is still regulated by the state, and failure to get registered and keep proper records will result in truancy.