HS'ing a high schooler in Ca. (questions)

[mykdsmomy]

So, dd15 used K12 last year in her freshman year. This year we were going to go with another public charter school but I'm finding the guidelines for high school students to be way too strict.

The plan for DD is to take community college courses in the Spring of '11 and work towards her AA so by the time she's "graduating" high school, she can go to a cal state university.

Her goal is to be a writer (novels, not journalism) and a history teacher. The benefits of going alone is that we won't have to meet all of the criteria set forth by the state, and she can just study for the exit exam while getting her first few years of college out of the way.
The downside is that I'm worried it will not allow her to qualify for scholarships and money is tight Also, if she goes with the charter, she can have access to some pretty cool supplemental courses like Drivers Ed and training (which again, we can't afford to do it privately) and possibly dance.

So I guess I'm asking for advice and also, if you have a high schooler in Ca., how are you doing it? TIA!

[sewchris2642]

If there isn't a guidance counselor at the charter school, there will be one at the community school. Their job is to advise and guide the student in achieving their educational goals and taking the classes that will get them there. The classes needed for an AA is different than what is needed to transfer to either the UC system or the Cal state system. You'll find that information in the community school class catalog. As for driver's training (behind the wheel), that is no longer taught here (San Diego, north county) in high school. There is no money for the cars or insurance needed to teach it. If parents want their teen to drive, they have to pay for it themselves. We didn't/don't. They wait until they are 18 and then we teach them ourselves or if they have a friend who is 25 or older, they can be the licensed driver while the learner's permit is driving. That information is at the DMV. Car insurance is cheaper when the child is over 18 which was another consideration for us. Check with your car insurance carrier. For things like sporting events and dances, depending on the school, your child might be able to attend those events with friends who go to that school.

[Thystle]

Get ahold of Cal State admissions and speak with a counselor there and ask what your dd would need to enroll and qualify for fin aid and scholarships. That right there should let you figure out which course of action to take.