How To Start Home Schooling

Know Your State

• Home schooling is legal in every state in the United States.
• Obtain information about your state home-schooling laws.
• One source is your local school district, which can provide a packet of information concerning home schooling, including a synoptic paragraph about legal requirements. Inquiries can be made with no strings attached.
• Another source of information is your state home-school organization, which can also provide information about home schooling in your state. Other home schoolers can provide you with the proper telephone number.
• In addition, those interested in home schooling can contact the Home School Legal Defense Association, a national home-school organization that can provide information regarding legal requirements as well as membership in that organization.

Obtain Curriculum   See Requirements

• Most states expect you to obtain a reliable curriculum, although some states have the authority to approve or disapprove your choice.
• Many states expect you to teach the academic disciplines such as spelling, handwriting, English, reading, math, science, and history.
• Most state home-school organizations hold curriculum fairs during the spring or summer.
• You should purchase basic curriculum first and then add extras such as charts, globes, maps, science kits, manipulatives, and flash cards.
• You should look for a curriculum with daily lesson plans that take the guesswork out of what you need to teach your child on his grade level.
• You should purchase curriculum early (possibly 2-3 months before teaching) in order to become familiar with the format and to prepare lesson plans.

Set up your Home School

• Establish a special place in your home.
• Equip your teaching area with necessary teacher and student school supplies and resources, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.
• Use student desks or tables and chairs as well as a chalkboard or marker board.
• Organize your curriculum and resources in bookshelves.

Record Keeping

• Many states require a record-keeping system.
• Store records in a filing system by school year and child.
• Store samples of your student's work as well as standardized test results.

Organize Time

• Develop a school schedule based on the number of days your state requires.
• Consider a year-round schedule vs. a nine-month schedule as well as a daily schedule.
• Include long-term projects, seasonal activities, ministries, holidays, and vacations in your schedule.
• Develop a teaching plan based on the number of children you have.

Prepare Lessons

• Plan at least one week's lessons ahead of time, gather materials for lessons, collecting resources for lessons, preparing visuals, etc.
• Use a daily lesson plan book for lesson numbers and pages, activities, and student textbook and workbook pages.
• Review the evening before to refresh your memory and to put materials in place for the next day.

Find Support

• Attend several meetings to become acquainted with the group and its purposes.
• Assess group goals and standards to be sure they are in keeping with those you want and have for your family.
• Inquire of the group or other home schoolers about how to obtain good magazines and helpful newsletters.

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How Do You Really Know Your Child's School Is Safe?
By: Cheli Cerra

Schools are some of the safest places in our nation. As parents, we want all of our children safe. When you walk into a school, what are some visible indicators that you can look for to tell if it is safe? In a school, having the building and the surrounding property clean, well lit, and well maintained promotes a sense of safety and security. If a school is dirty or does not have well-lit corridors, take these indicators as “flags” of caution that security and safety may not be priorities.  If the walkways around the schools are also not well-lit, especially for after-school programs and evening events, there is a chance that individuals could be injured because they might not be able to see where they are walking. Worse yet, someone could come onto school property without being seen and harm the students or the premises.

It is extremely important for schools to control who has access to the campus and its students. Preventing strangers from coming onto the school grounds, who do not have any business being there, is a very important safety priority. Having the school staff, parents, and students know the school rules are a very important safety priority as well. When everyone knows what is expected, there is less of a chance that a problem will happen. An example would be the arrival and dismissal procedures for a school. Dropping off a child at school sounds like an easy task. However, when there are 1500 children and all are being dropped off at the same time, even a simple procedure such as this can create many problems. A safe school addresses the drop off and pick up procedures, as well as other important rules in a parent handbook that is given to all of the students. Does the school that your child attends have a parent handbook where rules are addressed?  A quality school will have a parent handbook that will address, school policy, procedures and rules. When everyone knows the rules, everyone knows what is expected, and there are few, if any, emergencies.

 School safety, however, goes beyond what can be seen on a tour of the school facilities.  For a school to be a safe learning environment, the faculty, staff, students, and parents involved with the school must have safety and security measures in place to handle any type of emergency that might occur.  It is your right to ask questions concerning these regulations, and it is your responsibility to make sure that if they do not exist, that with the help of the entire school community, these plans and procedures are put into place.

 IS YOUR SCHOOL SAFE? AN ESSENTIAL CHECKLIST 

School safety is everyone’s business can you say YES to the following questions?
 ·        The school appears to be clean and hazard-free. (YES/NO)
 ·        The school has a safety coordinator who is responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy environment. (YES/NO) 
·        The school has a “safe” way for students to report a conflict, crime, or crisis (especially if another student might be involved). (YES/NO)
 ·        The school has a crisis prevention plan in place. (YES/NO)
 ·        The school has procedures in place to respond quickly if and when a crisis situation occurs? And, the school has informed parents, teachers, students, and the community what the procedures are. (YES/NO) 
·        The school has a fair and consistent discipline procedure. (YES/NO)
 ·        The school has counselors and psychologists available to students in need. (YES/NO)
 ·        The school involves the community, teachers, students, staff, and parents in these safety efforts. (YES/NO)

 Investigating the answers to these questions will give you a better understanding of your child’s school.  ©2001 Eduville, Inc.

We enjoy the work that Cheli has to offer and hope you will visit her site, Eduville.com Cheli Cerra: The Principal At Your Fingertips™
 
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ALL ABOUT ADVOCACY:
How to be a strong voice in support of your child.
By: Cheli Cerra

As a parent, we must always fight for what is best for our children. In this way, we are their advocates, or representatives, and it is our job to see that all of their needs are being met. At the same time, being an advocate does not necessarily mean that you have to put on your boxing gloves. Instead, it dictates that with a little planning and preparation, your voice can go a long way toward making a difference.

Tips on being a great advocate:

Tip #1:BE INFORMED
Information is the key to your success as an advocate. If you are well-informed, your opinions will be respected. Learn all there is to know. Talk to your child’s teachers, get copies of your child’s records, etc. It is especially important to have all of the facts and figures in writing so that you have physical evidence in support of your point of view. This preparation puts power behind your perspective!

Tip #2: BE PREPARED
Know where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. Basically, as your child’s advocate, have a plan and know what you want to accomplish. Often, parents go into conferences with school staff members knowing what the problem is but not having taken the time to consider a possible solution. It is very important that as your child’s advocate you do your homework on both ends of a conflict. It is not the teacher’s job to have all of the answers. Be prepared--it will save you, and your child’s educators, time and frustration in the long run, and hopefully enable you to work as a team.

Tip #3: BE HONEST
Remember the childhood saying "cheaters never prosper"? In the same way, honesty will get you far and dishonesty will get you nowhere in the field of education. Be prepared to be honest with yourself about your child. For example, it is very hard to come to terms with a child that has a disability, a behavior problem, or some other sort of difficulty. As hard as this type of situation is, it is even harder to handle when we try to deny the fact that the child needs help. However, if you feel that your child has been unfairly labeled as a problem student, it is your responsibility to resolve this problem with the school staff. Being an effective advocate means being honest with the school so that the scope of the problem can be realized and assistance can be provided.

Tip #4: BE PERSISTENT
As your child’s advocate, go with your gut. If you are not comfortable with the way the school is working with you, say it. Do not feel pressured by the "experts" into doing something with your child that you feel is not right. Along the same lines, if you feel your child has a problem, and the school is not addressing it, say so. As a parent, you have valid insight into your child, and if you do not agree with the school’s strategy, chances are that it is not the correct solution for your child.

Tip #5: BE DIPLOMATIC
Diplomacy does not come easy for many. To be your child’s best possible advocate, put aside your anger, if you have some, and focus on the outcome of the situation: your child’s well-being. Working together with the school, in a positive way, will help build a strong educational foundation for your child.

Now that you have some “tips”, who do call when you have a problem? The following list has been put together for you as an example of key personnel at a school. Schools vary in staff from state to state. This list is intended as a guide. You should always make yourself aware of your child’s school staff and their roles.

The Teacher – Your child’s teacher should be the first person you call when you need help. He/She is the person that spends the most time with your child throughout the school day.

The Counselor – The school counselor is an invaluable resource. This is especially true if your concerns are of a sensitive nature. Examples: Divorce, Abuse, Moving to another city/state. Keep in mind that depending on the school, the counselor may not be a full-time employee—although he/she might be available for a telephone consultation, you may need to make an appointment in order to discuss an issue at length.

The Assistant Principal – If your child’s school has an assistant principal/vice principal, this person is the one to call when you feel you need extra help with the school and/or the classroom teacher. In some schools, the assistant principal is also the individual who handles discipline problems as well.

The Principal – The ultimate authority. Always try to go through any of the above school leaders before you call the principal. Directly calling the principal will get you immediate results but the teacher, counselor and/or assistant principal will also most likely be involved in resolving your concerns, so they are your initial contacts.

The Cafeteria/Playground Manager – Is your child having a problem in the cafeteria or at recess? If your school has one, contact the cafeteria/playground manager to resolve the issue. Be sure to follow any discussion up with a call to one of the following school leaders: the teacher, the counselor, or the assistant principal. It is important for them to be informed of any concerns so they can monitor activities throughout the rest of the school day for similar problems.

The AfterSchool Care Manager – Does your child attend before/after care? Do you have concerns about the program? Contact the afterschool care manager directly but again, follow up with a call to one of the following school leaders: the teacher, the counselor, or the assistant principal.

 ©2002, Cheli Cerra

We enjoy the work that Cheli has to offer and hope you will visit her site, Eduville.com Cheli Cerra: The Principal At Your Fingertips™

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Focus on: Education
Home-schooled victors raise concerns
Critics say students have unfair advantage over other pupils

By Jessica Wehrman / Scripps Howard News Service

WASHINGTON -- When home-schooled Rebecca Sealfon won the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in 1997, she launched a trend.
Since Sealfon spelled her way to triumph, two other students who have been home-schooled for all or part of their academic careers have followed her to victory.
In 2000, the final three finishers -- winner George Thampy of Maryland Heights, Mo., runner-up Sean Conley of Shakopee, Minn., and third-place finisher Alison Miller of Niskayuna, N.Y., were home-schooled. Conley -- who attended a Minnesota school the next year -- won the bee in 2001.
This year's National Spelling Bee is set for May 29-30 in Washington, D.C.
But with the trend of home-schooled champs -- Thampy was a runner-up in the National Geographic Bee, sponsored by the National Geographic Society -- has come muted criticisms from those who say home-schooled students have the advantage because they can spend more time studying spelling during their school days.
Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, said that in some instances, home-schooling parents emphasize memorization more than schools do -- another reason home-schoolers have found success in the bee.
Houston said that having a few home-schooled bee champs does not necessarily show the superiority of home-schooling. Saying one child's triumph is evidence of the success of home-schooling, he said, is like saying all North Carolina colleges are good because basketball champion Michael Jordan attended one.
"I think home-schoolers have a lot of things they can point to as successes that are far more important than whether they do well in the spelling bee," he said.
According to Scripps Howard bee rules, students must not eschew normal school activity in favor of preparation for spelling bees. Bee director Paige Kimble admits it's a hard rule to enforce, but "we have never had any single thought or occasion to believe home-schoolers or their parents were being irresponsible about their education."
"You're just talking about the nature of the beast," she said. "Of course that rankles those parents who send their kids off to public and private school. But what's the answer -- it's gross, blatant discrimination to say no home-schooled kids at all."
Kimble said that home-schooled children do have an advantage "in that their time and how it is structured is entirely up to them."
Mona Goldstein knows both sides of the debate. She has four children and three have participated in the National Spelling Bee. The youngest, Amanda, is not old enough to compete.
"I think a lot of it has to do with the kid," she said.
Her oldest child, Amy, who attended a private school, used to refer to studying her spelling as "playing." Her third child, JJ, who will compete at the national bee this year, is more interested in practicing diving. She is home-schooled.
"I don't think she has necessarily studied any more because she's home-schooled," Goldstein said, adding that most parents of bee participants are very involved in their children's education, whether the child attends home school, private school or public school.
About 2 million students across the nation are home-schooled today, and the rate is growing by 15 percent to 20 percent a year, according to Rob Ziegler, a spokesman for the Home School Legal Defense Association in Purcellville, Va. Home-schoolers have been involved in spelling bees for 20 years.
"Home-schooling works because of the great teacher-student ratio, the personal attention, the flexible schedule -- those things can help in any academic area, including spelling," he said, citing triumphs in the geography bee as another example of academic strengths. "It's pretty clear across the board that academically, it works."
Vonnie Crumpton, of the Big Country Home Educators of Abilene, Texas, said the schedule flexibility is one reason home-schooled kids succeed academically. Her son was interested in classical music, and his home-school education allotted him plenty of time to practice.
"Yes, we get math and English and grammar and everything, every day," she said, "but we had more time to dedicate to the talents that God has given him ... that's the beauty of home-schooling. You can spend more time where they have interests."