WA State: Kelsey Creek Homeschool vs WAVA (K12)

[lizallen]

My husband and I are trying very hard to find a better option for our son's schooling. He'll be going into 1st grade for the 2011-2012 school year and is currently going to Bennett Elementary in the Bellevue School District.

 

I was reading a little about the Kelsey Creek Homeschool and was wondering if anyone had any opinions about it or how it compares to WAVA. 

 

Thanks so much. 

[AAK]

I looked up the Kelsey Creek Homeschool.  It sounds interesting.  However, I was surprised to see that they wanted a Dec. of Intent on file for 90 days first.  Every other "Alternative Learning Experience" that I know of, lists the child as a public school student and you end up signing a form about the Alt. Learning Experience and what that means.  In order to still be a "homeschooler" you need to enroll less than a full time student.  This school confuses me because they want you to be a declared homeschool, yet they still want to make sure that you are providing 25 hours of education/week and that you submit your reports on WINGS.  Also, I find it odd that they allow monetary dispersements when you are labled as a homeschooler.  That said, I couldn't find anything that explained how often your child would be at the school or particulars about the program itself.  If they are only allowing enrollment of 18 kids, I would want to know how many of them are close to my child's age.  

I haven't heard a lot of great things about WAVA.  Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but you don't choose your own curriculum.  You get a box of materials and curriculum and use it in your home.  Your child is still technically a public school student (alternative learning experience).  

Another option in WA state that you may not be aware of is Columbia Virtual Academy (CVA).  We used CVA this year.  It is also an "Alternative Learning Experience".  You can enroll full time and be considered a public school student or you can enroll part time (we do a .9 student enrollment) and still need to declare intent.  With CVA there are two options.  You can just sign up to use their Calvert curriculum.  This is similar to WAVA in that you get a box of materials and you work on it at home.  OR you can choose your own.  This is the option that we use.  Each student has roughly $1200/year for curriculum and classes.  They won't pay for religious instruction, but that seems to be the only restriction provided that it is supported by your learning plan.  We used our funds for some curriculum, piano classes, and a few months at the YMCA in the winter.  What we really like though is the fieldtrips.  They plan several fieldtrips each year.  I look for them on WINGS, and sign my kids up for the ones that I think they will enjoy.  We like these because we get to enjoy experiences that we otherwise wouldn't and we get to meet other families that school at home too.  They do require weekly contact (email or phone) from your child.  Usually there is a weekly question that you can use (but you can also just tell them anything) like "what did you do in science this week".  I have my kids talk about it and I type it.  Also, you do log in progress monthly on WINGS.  To me, this isn't a big deal.  This is the best Alt learning experience that we have tried.  I really do feel like a "real homeschooler" with it.  The only time I don't is when I am ordering materials.  They are not efficient and you do it through a vendor order form.  However, I have never been turned down for anything I have asked for.  And, unlike other programs, the reporting is quite simple.  I didn't even have to write my own learning plan.  I looked at standard ones and changed whatever I wanted to have changed.  In some, (regarding goals) I told the advisory teacher to delete the whole thing and just put  the "table of contents" from our text in instead.  And, you don't have to meet a min. hourly requirement!

Anyways, Kelsey Creek looks neat.  Perhaps you could visit or get a list of parents enrolled that would talk to you about it.  But, if it were me, I would stay away from WAVA.  For me, the best part of homeschooling lies in the choices--I need to be able to make curriculum choices.

Amy

[milkybean]

WAVA is more like "school-at-home" vs "homeschool".  When I went to one of their ice cream socials I had to specifically ask for the paperwork the lady was clutching the whole time, and at some point she described my role to be "basically a TA".  And she KNEW that I was looking into it from a homeschooler's point of view, but still "TA" was the best she could do with the description.

It wasn't for me.  I didn't want to be part of the school district's stuff, and have paperwork and all of that (apart from the declaration of intent, which I'm not even going to file until DS is 8 anyway, just because we don't have to).  So...no WAVA.

I've never heard of Kelsey, but it sounds like the same deal to me.  Actually it sounds more complicated to me...

Columbia almost got me, because I'd been looking at Calvert curriculum, and just like with WAVA the idea of getting curriculum for FREE, plus a computer, really appealed to me.  But again, to get it free meant you had to be part of the system, and I just didn't want that.

If YOU want that, I'd definitely look into Columbia, because you get a bigger choice.  As the previous poster said, you either get Calvert, or you get funds to buy what is decided is best for your child (you have conversations with them and make a plan, and that sort of choice is fun. 

Best of luck!

[lizallen]

Thanks for all the info. We are definitely leaning the way of CVA now because I'm not really a fan of the music program at WAVA and would love the option of doing some one my own stuff (like music, "PE" and ASL). 

Have you ever heard about the Quilcene Home Exploration Program? I can't find much about it.