Category Archives: Homeschool

Going Where the Road Takes You

We recently circulated a request to area parents asking them to complete a survey share their school choices. This is one parent’s response.

By Shauna Bracy

I would love to do the survey, if I felt I actually had a choice with schools. You see, my younger son has developmental challenges. Not exactly Autism or Aspersger’s, not quite mental retardation, but a little of this and a little of that that creates an imperfect storm of being a socially aware, adaptable, Lego-loving seven year old who has academic deficiencies and is difficult to understand. He defines the ‘I’ in IEP.

‘Choice’ is a term that makes my blood boil when you have a special son like mine, because it’s only existent to the extent you want to play roulette with your child’s education. I played. I played charter lotteries. Of course, I’ve entered every lottery since he was 4. After touring many, in my heart I knew that if he won a seat at one of the popular charters, we’d have to pass it up. Despite their or any other charter’s legal requirements to educate any child… some programs just weren’t ideal for my son’s needs. Sometimes you have to look at your hand and walk away.

I played his fate on Catholic school. It was my educational upbringing and the perfect place for my older son. Though I felt like I was sticking a roundish peg in a squarish hole, it was better for him then our local public. Two years in Catholic School proved to be to much for them. They wanted more for him (or their reputation..) then their curriculum could offer.

By now it’s 4 years worth of defeated lotteries, unsuccessful voluntary school transfer requests, school tours, principal networking, budget crunching, contemplating moving; all no dice. I played his fate in public school. He started Fall 2011 at our neighborhood public school. Despite paving a home-school communication road for 2 years knowing this day was on the back-burner, we still only felt a lack luster sense security in our ‘decision’. So he started and yup we were right. He didn’t like it, we didn’t like it. And just when you’re in the space between accepting defeat and forming a new gameplan, your phone rings at work and the charter school you’ve had your sights on since he was 4 years old calls and tells me they reached his name on the wait list and they have a spot.

Technically, I didn’t choose that charter school, they chose us and we couldn’t be happier.

Homeschooling By the Numbers [infographic]

Changing Education Paradigms [Video]

1 Reply

When I started this blog, I had hoped only to share my experiences so that other parents in Philadelphia might benefit. I never realized how much that I would learn as a result. The latest example is a totally unexpected email from a parent in Seattle.

On the advice of blogging experts, I am making an effort to make the blog more vibrant by including an image or video (or both) to every post. I dabble in photography and often use my own images, but I refer to some stock photo sites for images as well. Since I have no budget for this, I choose only photos licensed for free distribution. As a courtesy, I email the photographer to let them know when I use an image and say thank you. I usually get a response “Thanks for letting me know! Cool blog.” and that is about it. I did the same thing for my post of December 9, documenting the fact that my son was not selected in the Wissahickon Charter lottery.

The response that I got back was amazing.

The photographer, Kristine Kisky, is a Seattle parent who started her son (whose image was featured in my blog post) in Kindergarten at a Seattle Public School and then pulled him out and began homeschooling. It sounds like her experience is similar to many Philadelphia parents who are conflicted about sending their kids to city public schools. Unfortunately, Washington State doesn’t have a charter school program, so there are fewer options for her than we have here. Anyway, she is documenting her adventures on her own blog, Magnolia Preparatory Academy which is well worth reading.

That was all just a way too long introduction to this great video that she shared with me. It is an insightful lecture which would make this video compelling to watch in and of itself. However, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (RSA) that produced the video, takes audio from lectures and adds highly entertaining animations that actually contribute to the lecture’s impact. This particular video is on the topic of education reform was adapted from a talk given in the UK at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA’s Benjamin Franklin award. This video is well worth the ten minute investment, if only to put our current educational system in its proper historical context. Thanks for sharing Kristine!

Khaaaaaan! [Video]

Cooperative Education at Project Learn

2 Replies

Do you like the idea of homeschooling for being able to tailor your child’s eduction, but you are also attracted to traditional schools for the structure and support that they provide? Maybe you can do both.

A “co-op” school may offer the best of both worlds. Co-op schools require a higher level of parental involvement in the school than traditional public or private schools. Parental involvement can take the form of teaching and curriculum development to more administrative and support functions. Project Learn in Germantown on Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy [revised 1/22/11] is a small co-op school, there may be others in the region that I don’t know about. PLS has professional teaching staff and parents can (must) get involved in a variety of different ways. Beyond providing input on curriculum planning and development, parents are expected to work in their choice of roles–classroom, fundraising, office work, technology services, or even taking out the trash. I have often mentioned that I think that parental involvement is key to a good school. A cooperative school would seem to be inherently strong in that category on the concept alone.

Does anyone know–are there other cooperative schools in the area?

Philly School Search

Parents sharing the process of searching for a school in Greater Philadelphia. What kind of school are you looking for? Charter, public, private, city, suburban?