Nicole feels

School days, school days, a time for...

Us to begin thinking about what we are going to do next (school) year.

Our kids have always been in public school until this year, and with wonderful results. It's been quite a change for them NOT to be in a traditional school - not necessarily bad, but just very different.

Well, okay, the private school stint wasn't so hot, but anyway...

Home schooling is moving along reasonably well. We have great days, horrible days, and mostly in-between days. But the fact is, the only reason we took them out of public school this year was that I accepted that position at the private school, and we had concerns about the academics of our new neighborhood's schools. Once I resigned my position it was decided that it would be best to finish out the year home schooling with the curriculum they were already using rather than put them in new schools in the middle of the school year (been there, done that, have the scars to prove it).

There are a variety of reasons we are considering putting them back into a traditional school next year. One is that the daughter will be entering high school next year, and I want her to have a full range of academics, electives, and sports/activities to choose from. Also, in the past, she has enjoyed being able to invite friends to church. She misses this; home schooling has limited her sphere of influence to the friends she already has at church. Not necessarily a bad thing, but she has a strong personality and is a leader, and we have watched her lead many public school friends to a healthy searching for (and sometimes discovery of) God.

Many of the hardcore home schooling contingency think that Christian families shouldn't be in public schools. On the contrary, Rob and I believe that we need Christian families involved in our public schools. I actually miss that involvement and the ability to make friends and acquaintances who are not Christians.

God forbid one might be challenged in their thinking or learn about another culture or religion!

So, we are applying to a public charter school for N@than next year; it has a superior academic rating and tremendous parent involvement. We will likely be put on a waiting list, as the open enrollment time is past, and I just found out the school was even there!

But it's worth a try, right?

For P@rker, our neighborhood school also has a superior rating; he will then be eligible for the charter school in 2007-2008 (it's 4-8 grade).

As for Kay...? We are still praying about how to handle her schooling. We are considering the neighborhood school, though I do not like their academic rating. A deacon at our church teaches at another local high school, and we may try to "choice" her into that one. We may even try another private school for her.

Not a lot of clarity in her situation yet.

I have nothing against home schooling, and it has been going well for us thus far and over all. We have always taken our children's education one year at a time and made our decisions based on many, many factors. My hat is off to those who do, and have, home schooled for many years. It is definitely a calling, and while I feel called to it for this year, I am uncertain that it is the best option for our family next year.

This parenting thing ain't for the faint of heart, eh?