Did you visit schools?

[haleyelianasmom]

I guess this is a spin-off of the thread that asked if homeschooling is ideal or second choice for your family.

I feel the general population sees homeschooling as a LAST RESORT. I even know homeschooling families who say "we lived in a horrible school district" as their reason for homeschooling.

It makes me feel like it is my duty to be able to say "yes we visited all the schools in our area, but we still chose to homeschool" if only to hush criticism and halt any arguments. I have heard "but you don't know what the schools are like because you haven't visited them yet! how can you dislike them without visiting?"

So... anyone else visit schools before deciding to homeschool? For personal reasons and/or argument's sake

[elizawill]

honestly, it never even crossed my mind to visit schools. i absolutely knew we were going to homeschool to start with. had i felt differently though, i'm sure we would have checked into things. but for us, it would have been like visiting a travel agent to plan a vacation that we were never going to take, ykwim?

[ocelotmom]

Originally Posted by haleyelianasmom

So... anyone else visit schools before deciding to homeschool? For personal reasons and/or argument's sake

Yes, I spent 14 years visiting 4 different schools in an excellent school district before deciding to homeschool.

(No, I haven't visited local schools (I no longer live where I grew up, so don't have direct personal experience with the local schools) beyond picking up my housemate's kid on occasion. However, my understanding is that they're really quite decent as far as public schools go, and a lot of parents I admire do send their kids there. I'd never say that their horribleness was a reason we decided to homeschool, because I don't think they're horrible. Just not what I want for my kid.)

[Daffodil]

I didn't (though I do know something about the public elementary school in our town, because my sister's kids went there and because I was the minute taker at their school board meetings for a while.) I think there's pretty much no chance that any ordinary public school could provide an education as good as what I can provide through homeschooling. I might possibly have considered visiting schools if I lived in an area where there were actually some out-of-the-ordinary choices (and I could afford those choices.) But I probably wouldn't have bothered even then.

[alegna]

I haven't recently visited schools I would "consider"

I am a teacher by trade and very familiar with the magnet programs I would choose to pursue should I put a child in public schools here.

The private schools I would consider are well outside of our budget, so no point visiting and taking up their time.

-Angela

[tanyalynn]

This argument can cut both ways. Depending on who you're talking to, they're sending their kids to the local school, and if you tell them you visited and it's not good enough for your child (more their interpretation than your words, I'm sure) a person who wants to get offended will do so.

Maybe this comes down more to the attitude and outlook of the person you're speaking with than any part of your actual decision-making process? I have a canned "it gives us a lot of flexibility" answer for people I don't plan to have any meaningful relationship with, though I haven't had to pull it out that many times.

FWIW, I don't even know the name of the school my DD (kindergarten age this year) would be attending. I think the district is well-regarded, but I'm fuzzy on that as well.