Why include transcripts under the series of “Distance Learning Options for Homeschoolers” and not under “college”? It could fit under either category because it is “the” document colleges are interested in, but the record-keeping and documentation for transcripts is done while your student is in highschool.

I chose to include it in this series, for the latter reason plus if the thought of doing a transcript paralyzes you, it could be a deciding factor in your choosing a distance learning option, simply because most distance learning schools will take care of the record–keeping and provide you with a completed transcript at graduation.

On the other hand, you can do your own transcript and there are a number of ways you can make it look “professional”. The downside is the additional record keeping you will need to do. You will need to document all the activities your highschooler does that shows that the learning took place, keep track of hours so you will know how much credit to award and assign a grade, which can be a bit of a challenge if you’re not doing the traditional textbook/test routine.

Having said that, it’s worth noting Read the rest of this entry »

Now for a look at private distance learning options. The first thing to understand is that they are not free. Private schools don’t receive government money or the inherent government strings that come with government funding. Therefore, you will need to pay for the services of private distant learning but you also receive the inherent freedom to choose the who, what, when and where of your child’s education, especially important during the high school years.

There are many wonderful private options available to homeschoolers – so many that it can leave you feeling kind of like a kid in a candy shop. However, because there are so many options, it can be a bit overwhelming to wade through all the available choices. The good news is that for the parent considering the distance learning option, there is sure to be an option that fits you and your family.

Distance learning schools can be referred to as correspondence schools, umbrella schools, cyber schools and probably others. There are also schools catering to particular faiths, “gifted” children or “learning disabled” children. There are even colleges offering high school courses and schools that allow dual credits, meaning that the student gets both a high school and college credit. Additionally, there are schools, that offer individual courses for credit. Some schools provide K-12 instruction, while others only work at the high school level.

Keeping in mind that the distinctions between different distance learning schools and options are not always black & white, let’s look at three broad option categories. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll tell you what….Homeschooling has come a long way! Oh yeah, baby! Sincere, heart-felt thanks to all of you who fought so hard for the freedom to educate our children at home, paving the way for the rest of us! Thank you!!!

Next time we’ll look at some of the various types of private distance learning options for homeschoolers – their similarities and differences. But, before we get into the specific options available, let’s talk about a common consideration in any of the private distance learning options, accreditation.

Accreditation means that the school has been evaluated by and determined to meet the standards of the (private) accrediting agency. Two such agencies are National Association of Private Schools or National Council for Private School Accreditation.

Is the distance learning school you’re considering accredited or not? How important is accreditation? Read the rest of this entry »

As promised, here’s the rest of Charter & Other Free Online Schools as a distance learning option for homeschoolers. As discussed in the Part 1 a “free” school is a public school and therefore will be controlled to varying degrees by government regulations either at the local or state level.

People choose homeschool for many reasons and in my opinion the question to ask is:

Why are you homeschooling or considering homeschool?

• You don’t agree with what was/is being taught in the public school?
• For religious reasons – you want your children to learn from a faith perspective?
• You want to remove your child from the physical environment and influences of the public school?
• For health or some other reason, your child is unable to attend school?
• Frustration with the long hours that traditional public school requires, including the homework?
• To alleviate some of the stress you are observing, particularly in you highschool student’s life because of the demands and expectations place upon them?

Having given thought to why you want to homeschool, let’s take a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of choosing an online government school or public brick & mortar charter school as a distance learning option. Read the rest of this entry »

You know, when I introduced this series on distance learning options for homeschoolers, I quickly realized that I needed to take more time to research it, because the information I was finding was confusing. Well…I’ve researched & guess what – I’m still confused!

I decided to begin with charter schools because they are such a popular topic and misunderstood, even by many homeschoolers. My plan of attack is to try to coherently share what I’ve learned, give you some questions to think about if you are considering a charter or other “free” online school and some links to resources so that you can be as confused as I am. This will probably require a two part post. Lets go.

Why were charter schools started?

Charter schools began in the early 1990’s in response to the obvious problems with our public education system. Advocates claim that the competition of charter schools will force the traditional public schools to “shape up” and produce better results in order to keep their students and the state money they receive for each student.

The premise is that charter schools can deliver programs adapted to the needs of the children and thereby provide educational excellence. According edreform.com, they “are one of the fastest and most successful growing [educational] reforms in the country”.

What is a charter school?

Simply put, charter schools are public schools, plain and simple. Read the rest of this entry »

Today I begin a series on distance learning options for homeschoolers. I thought, “I’ll start with charter schools – a common buzz word these days. That shouldn’t be too hard to pull together.” I thought I could do some research and put out a simple article explaining charter schools. Silly me!

As I began to researching charter schools, the more confused I became! But, I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. Typically, when the government gets their hands into something, it becomes complicated and since charter schools are government funded public schools, of course it will be complex. I now realize I need more time to put together information about charter schools. Read the rest of this entry »