How hard is it?

[grethel]

to file an affadavit and keep your own records, as opposed to enrolling in a charter home study or independent study program?

We are newbies, planning on homeschooling for DD's 8th grade year. At first we were thinking we would enroll her in a public virtual school or an independent study program, because 1) I'm nervous about making sure she stays on track and doesn't fall behind in case she wants to go back to school next year, and 2) because letting someone else do all the work with the state, record keeping etc. sounded good to me as a beginner.

However, after researching the programs, I don't think DD is going to enjoy the virtual school or ISP in the area, and we both are really excited about another curriculum. But making that leap to declaring ourselves our own school, filing with the state, keeping records, doing grading myself -- it's a little scary. So - how hard is it? Can you share what you do on a daily/weekly/monthly basis to keep up with your records?

The curriculum we like offers a school enrollment program, but it costs $1,000. Is it worth that just to have them keep records instead of me? It seems not, but I need encouragement.

[domesticidyll]

Gosh, we use a charter largely because they *give* us money. I do appreciate that our charter "teacher" takes my records and turns them into educatorese, I like the access to free computer testing that DS actually enjoys, and I like the reassurance that an outside person is happy with how we are doing. But I wouldn't pay for it! $1000 could buy an enormous amount of curriculum, classes, and supplies.

My son is a rising second-grader, so I do not have the need for grades. Our focus has been less on *how* DS did and more on *what* we did--what books we read, what projects he did, what ideas I introduced (with the assumption that these ideas and periods will spiral around in more sophisticated form over time).

But here's my system. I have a learning record book with a column for each subject and a row for each day of the week. So, one small box per day per subject. I keep it open on my desk and try to jot down a few notes a few times a week (field trips, cabbage leaf indicators, conversations about leitmotifs in Star Wars, ideas covered in curriculum). (Note: not every box gets filled!) I also try to write down the library books we've read at the same time that I renew/return them. Then, each month, I type it up by subject: language arts, math, science, socials studies, art.  Also, for work samples, I have a drawer in my desk that I put interesting stuff in as it is completed. Not everything, just a few favorites. Before our monthly visit, I take it out and divide it also by subject; after our charter meeting, I file it by subject. This takes maybe an hour or so a month.

I absolutely love having the charter-imposed deadline, but it's not something I would pay for. I can't speak to the grading, but the rest of it fell into place after homeschooling friends described their systems, and I knit them together in a way that works for us.

Heather

[domesticidyll]

This is the journal I use for my records:

http://rainbowresource.com/product/sku/017347/1309469280-1330123

[grethel]

Thanks! That looks like a good journal!

There is a charter in a neighboring town that gives a little money for supplies, but the program/curriculum they use is not appealing to us. The one that is charging the tuition is a private school satellite program. I like the idea of them keeping all the records, but probably not for the price.