Monday, May 31, 2010

“Homeschooling popular option in area” plus 1 more

“Homeschooling popular option in area” plus 1 more

Homeschooling popular option in area

Posted: 30 May 2010 06:41 PM PDT

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"In Etowah County, there is a lot of cooperation between coverings. It's a good place to homeschool," said Tammy Jackson, director of Pathways Academy.

In the homeschool vernacular, a "covering" is the church school a student is enrolled in.

Most Alabama families who educate their children at home take advantage of the state's "Church School Law" (Ala. Code §16-28-3).

There is not a law in Alabama that expressly permits homeschooling, and students ages 7 to 17 are required to attend school.

In order for students to be homeschooled, they must be enrolled with a church school.

Once they are, a church school enrollment form is submitted to the school district.

There are several church school coverings operating in Etowah County. Pathways Academy, part of Gadsden First United Methodist, is one such school.

Jackson said most coverings are ministries.

"Pathways is," she said. "We certainly aren't making any money off it."

This year, Pathways Academy had a graduating class of 18. Fifteen of the graduates are heading to college and 12 of those received scholarships.

"I still run into people who ask 'but can you get into college?'" said Jackson, who has been homeschooling for 12 years.

Jackson's son, Andrew, was a catalyst in her decision to homeschool. He was reading by age 4, but because of when his birthday fell, he wouldn't have begun public school until he was nearly 6 years old.

So Jackson instead began homeschooling, and Andrew was finished with the second-grade curriculum by the time he would have begun kindergarten.

"With homeschooling, kids can be at their academic age and still socialize with their (chronological) age group."

For the school year that just ended, Jackson's sons had so many social events on the calendar that they had to pick and choose which to attend.

"We're socialized half to death," she said.

Jackson said most homeschooling families are not anti-public school. "This just works for us. It's not a competition. It's not about 'my kids are better' or 'I'm a better parent.' It's about making choices for your family."

While most of the families who partner with Pathways are Christian, the academy also works with families that are not.

"Though homeschooling families may have strong Christian values, it may not be the primary reason they choose to homeschool," Jackson said.

Jackson values the opportunities her sons have to pursue their interests. "My boys can be through by lunch, if they apply themselves, and then have the afternoon free," she said.

The flexible schedule allowed by homeschooling has benefited the Jackson family well. "We always vacation in September when the rates go down," she said.

It is not always parents who initiate the homeschool choice. Jackson has fielded calls from parents who say "my kids have been begging me for a year" to homeschool.

"Parents need to make the decision when the child is younger," she said. "But as they get older, they need to be involved in the decision."

Some families choose to homeschool during the elementary grades and then re-enter the public system for high school.

"It's a year by year commitment," Jackson said.

Jackson pointed out that parents have to be willing to educate themselves in order to teach.

Homeschooling "may stretch you out of your comfort zone," she said.


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O’Neil: ‘You motivate yourself’

Posted: 30 May 2010 06:41 PM PDT

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After attending elementary school, Chrystal decided she didn't want to continue in the public school system. One of her friends homeschooled.

"It made me aware; I knew I could do that," she said.

Her parents supported her decision.

"I was glad," said her father, William O'Neil. "I thought it was a good idea."

Of her time in public school, Chrystal said, "I would be done with an assignment with 30 minutes to go, and then get bored and start talking and then get in trouble for talking."

She also didn't care for all the "drama" her classmates were beginning to exhibit.

"I wanted to get away from all that."

Chrystal said the homeschooling process has been good. "It's a little hard. You have to motivate yourself."

She does most of her school work through software, often as late as 10 p.m. "That's when I'm awake," she said.

If she finds herself in a certain "mode," she can complete a week's worth of work in one subject in a day and be done with it.

"I have always loved reading and learning," she said. "I'm a big art person."

Chrystal still has a lot of friends who attend public school, but said socializing is an important aspect that homeschooling offers.

"I get to choose who I hang out with," she said.

She participates in a lot of organizations, such as the Beta Club and 4-H. She's joining the Key Club for her senior year.

"People are always surprised when they find out I homeschool," Chrystal said. "Or they say 'oh, that makes sense, you're weird.'"

Chrystal said the stereotype of the quiet, awkward homeschool student hasn't been true of the homeschool students she has met.

"Most homeschoolers I know get into a lot of trouble," she said.

Chrystal and her family have benefited from being freed from the time constraints of the school year. Homeschooling has allowed them to travel to conferences during the school year.

"My favorite time to go the mall is during school hours," she said. "There's nobody there."

One of the next decisions she needs to make is where to attend college. She already knows what she plans to study: psychology and sociology.

"I'm a huge dork," Chrystal admitted. "But a cool dork."


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