Helloooooo, everyone!! Tell me about cyber charter schools

1069 Views 11 Replies 5 Participants Last post by aniT, Apr 5, 2006

User101

Discussion Starter · Apr 4, 2006

Long time, no see!

Some of you may remember my story, but I'll recap.

After Waldorf-inspired homeschooling for kindergarten and half of first, I almost had a nervous breakdown and was ready for a divorce. We put Michael in public school, and things have been going much better.

I hate the public school system here. They have this adversarial relationship with the students. It's hard to describe.

Anyway, I have a couple issues. Katie Grace will be in kindergarten next year. DH had been pushing me to keep her home, and she's been asking as well. I said fine, as long as I had the option to keep her home after kindergarten if it was working well for us. Issue One--I have a very high need for structure, and am seriously thinking of signing up with a cyber chart school. The one I am looking at uses a mix of Calvert, Five in a Row, Saxon math, and more. Tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly about charter schools. Issue Two--how much is it going to stress my son out if he's at school and his sister isn't?

Issue Three--I'd love to bring Michael back home, but DH is totally against it. We're hoping to get enough financial aid to send him to Catholic school next year, but we can't I would rather have him home than in school. The thing is, he really does well in school. He thrives on the structure, his behavior has improved, he's happier, we're all happier. But I don't like how they treat the children. I don't like how behavior issues are everyone's business, and I don't like that he comes home measuring his own successes, failures, and behavior against the other children. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's a big part of my disatisfaction. I'm just not sure what's best to do for Michael. I miss him.

See less See more

Save

1 - 12 of 12 Posts

chalupamom

· #2 · Apr 4, 2006

AM, I've met several cyber-schooling families here in Pennsylvania and here in the southeast where I am there are several that seem to be attracting many families. I don't know a lot of the specifics and I know that they are controversial within the homeschooling "community" (aside: in my opinion, a lot of homeschooling families are treating cyber-schoolers the way that institutional-schoolers treate homeschoolers! Oh, the irony!) but the families I know who are involved with them are very happy and have no issues relative to the material. One mom told me that the cyber school her son is working with was "exactly the right balance" for him in terms of both being at home and having the right material for him.

I can find out more for you, if you'd like. One of the PA charter schools uses K-12 curricula, I believe, and another one I know of uses things like Saxon and A Beka (from a secular perspective).

As for Katie Grace and Michael, I don't know -I'm not there yet. What are your husband's motivations for wanting to educate them differently? If it's a case of treating each child as an individual, then I think you've got some grounds for discussion and possible compromise. If it's a boy/girl thing, well, I have nothing good to say about that!

See less See more

Save

User101

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 4, 2006

I adore you!

Let's see...Michael is just doing well in school. That, I think, is DH's motivation for wanting to keep him there. He loves having a teacher, he loves the "system," he loves the friends, and he's thriving under it. It's not so much that he wants to educate them differently as it is he's willing to indulge me and let me try homeschooling Katie Grace, if that makes sense. If he had his way, she'd be in school, too.

I know there's controversy about cyberschools, but I'm way beyond worrying about fitting into some perfect homeschool pattern. I tried doing everything from scratch a la Waldorf, and it just wasn't working for me. I don't have the temperment for it. I have a very high need for structure, and the unpredictability stressed me out.

These are the PA schools I have heard of and looked at:
PDELA
http://www.pdela.com/program.htm
Uses Calvert. Oh, and you can chose a laptop over a desktop, which is a bonus.

PALCS
http://www.palcs.org/home.html
Uses a mix of 5 in a row, Saxon math, Sing, Spell, Read, and Write, and some other stuff
They also have this Fine Arts Center thing going, but I can't figure out where it is.

PACVS
http://www.pavcs.org/
Uses k12, which, frankly, I'm not too crazy about. Too much video and computers

Connections
http://www.pavcs.org/
Uses Calvert and a bunch of other workbookish type things

Cyber School
http://www.wpccs.com/index.aspx
Uses Calvert

They all supply computer, printer, internet reimbursement, curriculum, manipulatives, etc.

If there are any other ones I am missing, please let me know! I'm leaning towards PALCS.

See less See more

Save

chalupamom

· #4 · Apr 4, 2006

I'm pretty sure it's PALCS and PAVCS that are garnering the most attention here. I'm on the Chester County homeschoolers yahoo group and I know there has been at least one spinoff for cyber schooling families. I'll run back and see if I can find the name of it for you. (O.K., just got back and I'm not able to find it quickly so I'll PM you when/if my rather addled brain can locate it).

There have been many information sessions for both of these schools and although I haven't yet really looked into them, I've thought about it (both have primary offices within 10 miles of me). On the one hand, I'm attracted to K12 because of the TWTM/Susan Bauer connection, but the idea of the video stuff doesn't thrill me.

I haven't run across the other schools you've mentioned. If they are getting attention in my area, it pales in comparison to the stir created by the other two. I'll keep my ear to the ground for you.

And, by the way, I admire you for knowing your own limits! Self-knowledge is a beautiful thing, baby.

See less See more

Save

chickadee79

· #5 · Apr 4, 2006

Hey! Good to see you, although sorry about the circumstances. My neighbor uses a charter school although I don't know the name but will ask next time I see her. I think she said it was from Pittsburghy area. Her dd is 7 and she enjoys it. I believe she said she used it with her older dd too. It isn't too computery she said and she is able to do her own things with it as well when she chooses.

I am glad that Michael is doing well and liking school. Good luck and I will write again when I talk to my neighbor.

Save

chalupamom

· #6 · Apr 4, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalupamom
I'm on the Chester County homeschoolers yahoo group and I know there has been at least one spinoff for cyber schooling families. I'll run back and see if I can find the name of it for you.

Just coming back to say that I cannot find that post with the name of the yahoo group on my list.

Oh, duh...I guess I could just check Yahoo:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PALCS/

and here's a whole search for PAVCS: http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query...&submit=Search

Lots like there's lots of people checking them out. And I have to say, I hadn't really considered them before, but there's something intriguing about these...

See less See more

Save

Kathryn

· #7 · Apr 4, 2006

When I was homeschooled, I used Switched On Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega. You can buy the program, do all the schooling, and be the teacher yourself or you can enroll in their online school. When you do that, you do the work and e-mail the files to the teacher. They will grade your work and answer any questions. Their site is www.aop.com.

I don't know if this is anything like what you're interested in or not. I really enjoyed it though.

Save

User101

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 4, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathryn
When I was homeschooled, I used Switched On Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega. You can buy the program, do all the schooling, and be the teacher yourself or you can enroll in their online school. When you do that, you do the work and e-mail the files to the teacher. They will grade your work and answer any questions. Their site is www.aop.com.

I don't know if this is anything like what you're interested in or not. I really enjoyed it though.

I never knew you were homeschooled!
I'll look into it.

See less See more

Save

Kathryn

· #9 · Apr 4, 2006

Yep! Never went to public school. Got out of high school at 14.

I used lifepac (also by Alpha Omega) when I was a bit younger, but I have adhd and it was VERY hard to focus on paper materials. Once I got the computer program, I was set. Straight A's all through school.

See less See more

Save

chickadee79

· #10 · Apr 5, 2006

I asked my neighbor and the one she uses is called PACCS. There is one in Pittsburg area(Midland) and the other is Philly.

Save

User101

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 5, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickadee79
I asked my neighbor and the one she uses is called PACCS. There is one in Pittsburg area(Midland) and the other is Philly.

Thanks! I'll definitely google it. And thanks for the links, Chalupamom!

Save

aniT

· #12 · Apr 5, 2006

We use ORCA which is Oregon's Connections Academy (which I saw the PA CA was on your list.)

I have to say I am not overly happy with the program and we will be putting my middle schooler back in public school next year.

For the younger grades my number one complaint is there is way way too much writing. They have 2nd graders (and first graders too) doing research projects. They had to write a fable, and do book reports (which really you draw a cartoon) all of these have to be turned into the teacher. There are many many many other writing projects with the samples having 5 paragraphs or more. Then they are supposed to do writing and editing with their spelling, on top of all this other writing. It is just too much for my daughter who absolutely hates writing!!! I have gotten to the point where I skip a lot of the writing if it doesn't have to be turned into the teacher.

Oh and often their tests are not worded age appropriately so you have to first figure out what they really want, then try to explain that to your child in language they will understand.

Most of my problems are really with their middle school program and the way things are handled, so I haven't decided if I am going to put my younger daughter back in the program next year or just home school her. I think if I wasn't totally irritated with the way they handled my other daughter I would have no problem, but I just don't want to deal with it. Ya know?

Anyway CA uses the complete Calvert curriculum for the younger grades. If you go to Calvert's site and look up the homeschooling curriculum for the grade you are in, that is what you will be getting from CA.

See less See more

Save

1 - 12 of 12 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month