Mothering › Forums › Education › Learning at Home and Beyond › Online Schools
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Online Schools  

post #1 of 14
7/6/08 at 11:57am
Thread Starter 
Some time ago there was a thread posted on this forum about online schools. There have been recent threats against my family about calling DHHS because we homeschool (these people are angry with me personally and are using this as revenge). I am worried because my record keeping is horrible, and we do a balance between unschooling and curriculum based school.

I want to explore the online school option. I feel this may be a good option for us and to have records kept. I *think* there was a unschooling geared place that was mentioned as well.

Any input is welcome!
post #2 of 14
7/6/08 at 12:17pm
what state are you in?
post #3 of 14
7/6/08 at 12:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by elizawill View Post
what state are you in?

Maine
post #4 of 14
7/6/08 at 12:35pm
I don't know about an unschooling option. There are some Charter Homeschools here in California that are very flexible when it comes to curriculum, but they seem like you have to do a lot of the record keeping yourself, and they aren't online. unfortunately, it doesn't look like either Virtual Academies (k-12 curriculum) or Connections Academy (Calvert) operate in Maine. I'm not sure what other online school options there are that are free. You can buy the k-12 program yourself, but it's really expensive.
post #5 of 14
7/6/08 at 12:45pm
There was a post not too long ago asking about Clonlara. I took a look at it, but didn't think it was a good fit for us right now (budgetwise). You might think differently. It would allow you to continue unschooling/eclectic homeschooling but would keep records and offer advice, acting as a sort of umbrella school.
post #6 of 14
7/6/08 at 2:45pm
We use Time4Learning. My son likes it because it is like playing computer games the whole time. I like it because it gives me a printed record of what he has worked on that day. It scores some of the material but not all of it. You can print out the scores for the day, the week, the month, or a given period of time. As he completes each segment, I print off the scores for the whole segment and put them in a binder. It's only $19.95 per month and if you decide you don't like it you can just quit. Not contracts or penalties. I also keep a calendar that I just check off the days that we do anything school related. (Read a street sign on the way to the store, that counts. Had a playdate, that's recess.) This goes into the same binder. It helps me have records available for the day when my neighbors decide to turn me in again. So far school has not been an issue when my hateful neighbors call the state on me. It's been other stupid things, like we let him play outside. But he just turned 6 so now school could be the next issue. i want to have the records just in case.

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Kathi
post #7 of 14
7/7/08 at 11:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota's Mom View Post
We use Time4Learning. My son likes it because it is like playing computer games the whole time. I like it because it gives me a printed record of what he has worked on that day. It scores some of the material but not all of it. You can print out the scores for the day, the week, the month, or a given period of time. As he completes each segment, I print off the scores for the whole segment and put them in a binder. It's only $19.95 per month and if you decide you don't like it you can just quit. Not contracts or penalties. I also keep a calendar that I just check off the days that we do anything school related. (Read a street sign on the way to the store, that counts. Had a playdate, that's recess.) This goes into the same binder. It helps me have records available for the day when my neighbors decide to turn me in again. So far school has not been an issue when my hateful neighbors call the state on me. It's been other stupid things, like we let him play outside. But he just turned 6 so now school could be the next issue. i want to have the records just in case.

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Kathi

This sounds like something we may be interested in!

Isn't it sad that people are so hateful that they need to get your children involved when it isn't warranted! They are convinced home schooling is illegal and this is there way of "revenge" on me. Rather they follow through or not, I don't know. I just want to be prepared.

Of course I am worried even more because we are in the slow process of moving, so my house is not exactly spotless right now.
post #8 of 14
7/7/08 at 11:35am
We've had the neighbors call the state twice on us and call the police once. The police are now keeping records of the calls because it happens so often and when they come out there is nothing wrong. Our problem was we adopted our beautiful son from Guatemala. The white neighbors don't like this nonwhite child in their neighborhood. People need to just mind their own business.

Don't worry about the house. Our house is never spotless. I think they would worry more about a spotless house that had kids in it. Kids play and get messy.

Kathi
post #9 of 14
7/9/08 at 10:51am
West River Academy is an unschooling friendly umbrella school, not sure of the cost.
post #10 of 14
7/9/08 at 11:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota's Mom View Post
We've had the neighbors call the state twice on us and call the police once. The police are now keeping records of the calls because it happens so often and when they come out there is nothing wrong. Our problem was we adopted our beautiful son from Guatemala. The white neighbors don't like this nonwhite child in their neighborhood. People need to just mind their own business.

Don't worry about the house. Our house is never spotless. I think they would worry more about a spotless house that had kids in it. Kids play and get messy.

Kathi
Gosh, that sounds awful. I am so sorry your neighbors would do that to your family.
post #11 of 14
7/9/08 at 11:57am
www.mindsprinting.com is a free online curriculum. It seems to focus on math and reading only, though.
post #12 of 14
7/10/08 at 1:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by peace_momma View Post
West River Academy is an unschooling friendly umbrella school, not sure of the cost.
That was it!! Do you or anyone you know have any experience with this school? I am in Maine, I think it would take care of the need for letters of intent, and teacher reviews every year.

This in combo with time4learning would be great!
post #13 of 14
7/10/08 at 2:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by milehighmonkeys View Post
www.mindsprinting.com is a free online curriculum. It seems to focus on math and reading only, though.

Wow, another option. And free to boot! I knew I would get some answers here!
post #14 of 14
7/10/08 at 2:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota's Mom View Post
We've had the neighbors call the state twice on us and call the police once. The police are now keeping records of the calls because it happens so often and when they come out there is nothing wrong. Our problem was we adopted our beautiful son from Guatemala. The white neighbors don't like this nonwhite child in their neighborhood. People need to just mind their own business.

Don't worry about the house. Our house is never spotless. I think they would worry more about a spotless house that had kids in it. Kids play and get messy.

Kathi
The bigots in this country never cease to amaze me! My husband is 1/2 Filipino and it amazes me how rude people can be sometimes because he is obviously not white. Some make it a bit too obvious.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Learning at Home and Beyond
This thread is locked  
Mothering › Forums › Education › Learning at Home and Beyond › Online Schools