Kendra and Joe Duggar 8: Expecting the Expected (a Boy)

[FundaMental]

46 minutes ago, HermioneSparrow said:

I love reading about your good homeschooling experiences... I was heavily bullied at Private School, at some point it was so bad the teachers suggested to sent me homework and I could get schooled at home even though homeschooling is illegal in Latin America. My mom rejected that, she wanted me to be resilient but it didn't worked... Eventually I had to change schools and it all got better but I was shy and always trying not to get noticed so I had no social life.

Really wish I was homeschooled, some kids are meant to be educated at home and it's a great thing.

I had a pretty similar experience with bullying, eventually I just couldn't face school anymore so I had to be 'home educated' where I just got sent work and did it at home. 

I honestly wish more parents looked into homeschooling rather than just send their kids to whichever school is available - I don't think all kids, particularly those who are shy or already have an anxious personality are going to thrive in a public or private school environment. I was definitely one of those, my parents believing that if they sent me to public school I would become more confident - unfortunately the result was not what they wanted and instead I withdrew. I really don't like the hate homeschooling gets - for some kids it can work wonders, although I can see where people are coming from, especially with education not moderated by the government. Unmonitored homeschooling is how fundies are made.

[Kailash]

I think many people who have no personal experience with homeschooling don’t understand all the possible advantages that homeschooling can have. Or how varied homeschooling can be. If a parent is dedicated and invested in their child’s education, it absolutely can be 100% better than public school. Every child is different though, so just because one loves being homeschooled doesn’t mean they all will, even within the same family. Obviously this is part of the huge problem with fundies. So many take the ‘one size fits all’ approach to their children. It doesn’t work that way! And don’t get me started on unschooling by the Naugler’s. That’s straight up neglect.

[FundaMental]

45 minutes ago, Kailash said:

I think many people who have no personal experience with homeschooling don’t understand all the possible advantages that homeschooling can have. Or how varied homeschooling can be. If a parent is dedicated and invested in their child’s education, it absolutely can be 100% better than public school. Every child is different though, so just because one loves being homeschooled doesn’t mean they all will, even within the same family. Obviously this is part of the huge problem with fundies. So many take the ‘one size fits all’ approach to their children. It doesn’t work that way! And don’t get me started on unschooling by the Naugler’s. That’s straight up neglect.

Exactly - just as one child may thrive being homeschooled, another may suffer and end up bored and without proper education. I think the curriculum is important, if you've got that many kids you have to have some sort of structured education plan you're following or nothing will get done. Unschooling can work alright if you have a couple of kids, but if you've got a ton of them, how are you ever supposed to give them the individual attention they need to thrive? These people see children like dogs imo. They just need to figure out the trick and they'll do it forever, they don't need anymore attention other than that. 

If I had loads of children and wanted to homeschool I would 100% set a homeschooling schedule, plan out work and have all the kids working around the same table so that I could monitor everyone's work. If you have too many children and can't follow them individually to see how they're learning then they will never learn. 

I suppose your average fundie, particularly a girl, doesn't require a real education in their eyes. As long as everything they know revolves around their religion then they'll be fine.

 

(Also, I know this is completely off topic so I apologise but I can't find the answer - can new members publish blog entires? I have written one but I press publish and it just reloads the page :/ )

[VelociRapture]

Homeschooling can be a great option for those who are capable of educating their children properly and it can be an excellent choice for children who don’t thrive in public or private schools. I don’t know much about homeschooling, but I don’t think that proper homeschooling is exactly feasible for many families in the US though. It’s difficult to homeschool if both parents have to work full-time, as many parents need to in the states. I almost consider it a luxury in some ways for parents to be able to opt for homeschooling, just like husband and I can afford the luxury of me choosing to stay home full-time with our daughter right now. 

Those who know more - can parents opt to homeschool without being the ones responsible for educating their child? Like, for instance, if you join a homeschooling co-op could one parent act as the teacher for all the kids? Or is that not allowed? 

[lizzybee]

@VelociRapture I know of two ways. There's the co-op route but I think you would still be involved to a degree and there's something called the k12 virtual academy. I unsuccessfully tried to get a job with them once. Anyway it's essentially public school curriculum done at home and your child works with virtual teachers (Like me, a then-certified professional, if I'd been hired, for example) to complete assignments and tests and get help. Last I checked, it is also completely free because you're considered part of the public school system of that area. 

ETA: There's probably more, but that just came to mind first. 

[BlondeIdol]

I was homeschooled. I loved being homeschooled growing up. Now, I still like it, I'm glad I got the opportunities, travel, the time with my family, time and interaction with lots of different people that I got through being homeschooled. My family was involved with different things. My oldest and brother right after me are involved with different sports and continued to do that through college. I was involved in soccer, swimming, plays, dance, plays later on. As I got older my family got involved with a big homeschool community with co-op classes that were taught by mostly by actual teachers or parents or sometimes parents that are actual teachers but sometimes even a older kid might have a class of younger kids too, one of my younger brothers teachers a music class. There are even classes that anyone can take, like knitting. When I was 15 I went on to community college, have done more then one program/degree through there and transferred to a 20 minute away four university at one point. A lot of homeschooling my friends did/are doing similar things. Our group through the classes had other events such as unprom, graduation, camping trips, just being a general community. I was also involved with 4-H for a while. 

My oldest brother went to public school for middle school, because it was what he wanted so my parents said okay and let him go. Ultimately he decided he wanted to go back to homeschooling. He said he missed the freedom of homeschooling. Honestly, the traveling that was involved with his swimming was easier that way. The brother after me also did a year of 8th grade at the same school and wasn't a fan. I'd always get so bummed out when he talked about everything there.

There are lots of different ways to homeschooled. I've done years of a whole formal school curriculum at home with my Mom teaching but around the time I was 12 until I went to college I only did one or two core subjects formally. Once or twice a week. Like math. Other then that I was basically unschooled and went to co-op classes. I've also had friends who did online classes and stuff.

I know I've thrived but I don't know if everyone would. I may homeschool my own children. I am thankful that my Dad was able to have a good job and support us so my Mom could work part time or from home and be with us and do all that.

[lizzybee]

I thought of a third way. I believe many homeschool curriculums also offer a program where you have virtual instructors that lead and grade lessons instead of the parents. I had a friend use this route via Abeka because she didn't want to do school herself but wanted to homeschool. I'm not exact on how that works, but Alpha Omega has that option too. 

[Rachel333]

I think homeschooling can be good, but I've also seen so many people who have the best intentions do really poorly with homeschooling their kids. When there's no one to make you stick to a schedule a lot of parents get really lax about homeschooling. They get way behind schedule and often end up never making it up. I knew so many kids who did basically nothing, and yet their parents would talk about homeschooling like they were completely on top of things, so I don't automatically believe the homeschooling parents who sound like they're doing everything right.

My parents are both very well qualified to teach and I did extremely well once I started public school in 10th grade (I had the highest gpa in my class of ~600 when I graduated) but there were still a lot of areas where I had to catch myself up. I wish I had started public school earlier. The socialization question isn't a non-issue either, despite how ardently homeschooling parents argue that it is. I've talked to a lot of former homeschoolers and most of us do feel that, even with lots of extracurriculars during homeschooling, we did end up just... different. Some adjusted easily once in college, others struggled more.

There are plenty of problems with public school too, of course, but I get tired of the whataboutism from homeschoolers. I just get frustrated by the parents who refuse to admit that there can be any issues with homeschooling even when you're not a fundie and you're doing the best you can.

On a different note, I've seen posts by black parents saying they would seriously consider homeschooling if teachers start being armed, and I would absolutely feel the same way in their position. I don't think any kids will be safer with more guns in schools, but I would be particularly worried about black kids. It just seems too easy for another Trayvon Martin situation to happen if racist teachers have guns.

[Timetostoplurking]

I have no personal experience with homeschooling, so take this story with a grain of salt.  This is just one experience, of one person(me).  In no way I’m I implying all homeschoolers are like this.   Years ago I worked at an Apple orchard for a few seasons. We had all different groups of kids coming in for tours and Apple themed events. Preschools, charter schools, private schools and homeschool groups.   It was my job to run a station that had kids apple taste testing.  It was, for the most part, pretty fun.  We had kids from poor disadvantage neighborhoods who were curios engaging and generally very well behaved.  They were excited to be there and really were a joy to be around.  The middle class suburban kids were pretty much the same.   We would all dread the day the private school kids came in because they were so demanding and all around difficult.   But the homeschooled kids....there were the worst.  It was pretty much all of the home schooled groups.  Just awful.  The kids were loud, rude and picky.  They ran around unsupervised.  The moms just ignored them .  They always asked for special treatment.   The kids seemed to have a lack of respect for basic group manners.  For example, raising your hand or following along with the group.  They wanted to use a certain bathroom that was off limits to school groups.  That bathroom was for senior citizens.  The homeschooled moms were just as bad.  They would try to cut deals all the time.  We sold cookies and baked goods also, and this one mom spent 1/2 hour trying to save a few bucks on a pie.  It really turned me off to homeschooling in general.  Of course this is just anecdotal and I’m open minded enough to know that this experience was not universal. 

[candygirl200413]

So I live in an area where my school district is in the top 5 in the state and surrounding districts are the same. My aunt "homeschooled" her daughter. I think it started with her being on top of it, but once she reached like 4th or 5th grade she just used homeschooling programs. She is very bright and smart but there was a major learning curve for her in terms of material wise that was really noticeable when she was a senior, which is went my aunt let her go to my former high school. I also think that since she has me and my siblings growing up who would drag her to various events she was about to get socialization. 

I totally understand that homeschooling can be great for many kids depending on the effort given from the parents but with my personal experience I just didn't see it.

[TheRadleyPorch]

So I've been lurking for awhile but this is my first post. I would love to hear from pro-homeschool people on this--my main issue with homeschooling is about social interaction, but not in the "what if your kid grows up to be awkward?" sort of way. I just think it's so essential for kids (of all backgrounds) to be regularly exposed to and interact with and make friends with people who are different from them and have different family backgrounds, cultures, races, religions, etc. It's a part of education that just can't be covered by top-notch academics but IMO the importance of it is severely underestimated. And homeschooling parents are disproportionately white and affluent, so hanging out with the local homeschooling co-op won't really help with that. This problem isn't restricted to homeschooling, of course. Elite private schools and de facto segregated public schools have the same issue. But public schooling does usually do a better job with this than homeschooling, even if a highly qualified homeschooling parent could do better on the academic side. Like I said, I would love to hear a good argument to the contrary--I just haven't found one yet.

[melon]

I have a two friends that "unschool" but it still involves homeschooling because sometimes the child may need help with a subject,and they use homeschooling programs.It just seems so unstructured.I am not sure about one friend but the other does have her boys on a schedule.They get up at 7:00 in the morning,they all help with the housework,and all have to eat what is served.They all seem very well behaved,from what I've seen.There was one thing I didn't agree with,but I kept silent.She has 4 boys.9,6,4,and 2.Both the 2 year old and 4 year old have birthdays soon,but back in October I was invited over.She told us she doesn't "hover",the 2 year old goes outside,unsupervised.Call me hovering,too protective,mother hen,I won't deny it,but I never would have allowed my 2 year old outside unsupervised.I sat on the porch and watched them,just me.

[RubyRei]

@TheRadleyPorch I can’t answer your question exactly as it is asked but here I go! Like I said before, I did plenty of extracurriculars and was around other people my age and older (and even sometimes younger) all the time!

People often ask “Why are homeschooled kids awkward and shy?” when the answer can, at times, be “Awkward and shy kids are homeschooled.”

For me, I fit in socially before I started homeschooling, but I found it hard to relate to my peers. I often found them immature and “annoying”. I also had intense anxiety. In the end, it was this anxiety that grew me into the socially awkward and anxious middle schooler and then high schooler and now adult I am. 

This may sound mean or maybe it’s a weird way to put it and it’s just really from my perspective but I do see a lot of people saying they were bullied and thus wish they were homeschooled. Some of us don’t fit into the mainstream world in the way others do, and that’s okay (and just how life is, sometimes unfortunately!)

Sorry if I worded anything in a way that is offensive to others on this post. I truly don’t mean to demean anyone else or insinuate something is “wrong” with them. Personally, I know I’m weird and awkward and I’ll be the first to admit it 

[TheRadleyPorch]

Not offended at all! But I am curious what you think about the issue I put forth-- my issue is NOT that homeschooled kids are "awkward and shy." There's nothing wrong with being either of those things (although sometimes when people say "awkward" they just mean accidentally rude and inconsiderate towards others). What I would potentially like to be convinced of is that homeschooled kids have just as much opportunity to be around people who have different backgrounds from them as public school kids do-- and in the majority of cases, I just don't see how that could be. I didn't fit in at school in many ways as well--and experienced some consequences of that--but overall I am very glad I went to public school and had many opportunities to meet and befriend people who's life experiences were wildly different from those of myself or my family. I'm a nurse now and I don't think I would be half as good at talking and relating to patients of all stripes without that experience, even if it was personally difficult being "different" sometimes. Though of course, everyone is "different" and I don't really like to call anyone "mainstream," tbh.

[RubyRei]

Ahhh, I see what you’re asking. Unfortunately, only being homeschooled when I was younger, I don’t have any good answers to give. I imagine others on this thread who are actively looking to homeschool might have a better answer, but the two things I can think of are finding a homeschool group that is diverse (which is definitely harder in some areas) and also making volunteering a regular part of your curriculum: homeless shelters, soup kitchens, etc. Not only do you learn communication skills with a diverse group of people, but you also learn compassion. 

I definitely see your point as I was homeschooled with mostly white, upper/upper-middle class Christians. I look forward to seeing other responses!

[LilMissMetaphor]

1 hour ago, TheRadleyPorch said:

. I just think it's so essential for kids (of all backgrounds) to be regularly exposed to and interact with and make friends with people who are different from them and have different family backgrounds, cultures, races, religions, etc. It's a part of education that just can't be covered by top-notch academics but IMO the importance of it is severely underestimated. And homeschooling parents are disproportionately white and affluent, so hanging out with the local homeschooling co-op won't really help with that. This problem isn't restricted to homeschooling, of course. Elite private schools and de facto segregated public schools have the same issue. But public schooling does usually do a better job with this than homeschooling, even if a highly qualified homeschooling parent could do better on the academic side. Like I said, I would love to hear a good argument to the contrary--I just haven't found one yet.

It depends on where you grow up, too.  My kids go to a public school in our small town where the vast majority of their classmates are from white low-to-middle-income families (like me) who have never left the province (unlike me) or for whom going to Toronto (90 min flight away) is a major event.  AFAIK, mine are the only students with Asian heritage.  There are a couple of children whose dad is black, some Anishinaabeg families, a family from Syria and one from Egypt.  So simply going to public school is no guarantee that a child will be exposed to a variety of different cultures, races, religions etc. if you are in the boonies as we are.

My kids have faced a lot of ignorance relating to their culture and race and I would assume the other families I mentioned have as well, though it's possible they haven't.  I hope they haven't.   

[Kailash]

@VelociRapture

Homeschooling differs in each state. In Kansas, there are not many rules or regulations. Basically, the child is supposed to do school work the equivalent number of hours as public school. With that in mind, each parent should ideally decide what their goal is for homeschooling.  Our goal is to get our child through the middle school years (and hopefully puberty) and then integrate her back into public high school, so that if she wants to go to college it will be an easier transition for her.  My husband and I both work full time. My sister is in charge of most of the actual home school work. We use an online curriculum that meets state guidelines , and supplement as needed. There is a set schedule for all of us. This works best for all of us because: my daughter responds better to her aunt than to either parent with regards to education. My sister is a stay at home mom on a tight budget, and we pay her to educate our child. My sister also has a 4 year old at home, allowing interaction for both children. They do some activities together, but on their own level. (Like painting, and exercising, etc. ) We talk on a daily basis, so any issues are dealt with quickly.  

Keeping an open mind and being willing to try different solutions to help your child get the best education and quality of life takes work. For all parents. Getting our child out of public school was our main priority. We were going to do whatever it took to achieve that.

[TheRadleyPorch]

@LilMissMetaphor 

That's very true, and I'm sorry your family has experienced that. I suppose the school your kids go to might fall into the "de facto segregated school" category that often has the same problem. I'm not sure what the solution is out in "the boonies" but at least in urban areas I think a good start to diversifying communities so that happens less is re-drawing school district boundaries so to create more diverse student populations--which also helps with the problem of overwhelmingly white schools getting all the funding and attention while schools in minority neighborhoods flounder. I live in a city that's pretty segregated--like almost every city in the U.S.--but I do think our school system has done a good job in this regard and I think that's slowly starting to de-segregate some of our neighborhoods. 

@RubyRei I think volunteering would be a great component in a homeschool curriculum, though I would be concerned that it could create a bit of savior complex if that was the only exposure a homeschooled kid had to economically disadvantaged people. 

[Glasgowghirl]

I am Currently studying Social Sciences at University with the hope of teaching history at high school but I can see the attraction to home schooling, I like the idea of teaching things not on the curriculum, I did feel restricted in which areas of subjects I was taught and some teachers chose topics that didn't engage me. I think I will still send any future kids to public school but teach them anything I think they should be taught at home or other topics from the curriculum that they were not taught but may be better for my child. 

The problem with some fundie home schoolers is that they refuse to teach often basic things of some subjects. Science in particular is a hard subject for them to teach because they don't want kids to question too much. I was not censored in learning things and watched a lot documentaries and read books on subjects not taught at my school. 

[Kailash]

I don’t want it to sound like there are no problems with homeschooling because there are! We struggled a full year making the transition from public school to homeschool. We tried several methods that didn’t work for us. But now that we’re on the right path (for us), we can work until she’s caught up again. Luckily, she was ahead in almost everything except math so she’s not that far behind. And we fully intend to homeschool the full year until she tests at grade level or above in every core subject. 

[JoyfulDhampir]

Thought I'd throw in my story since I was home educated for a short time when I was around 8 then again at around 11 through 13.

Stories of how I became home ed both times under the spoiler because I don't want to bore anyone with my educational history...

Spoiler

 

My mum took me and my two younger sisters out of out C of E primary school after the school gave her no end of grief in trying to get me a diagnosis, (I was misdiagnosed with dyslexia at that school and looking back on it I think they only gave me that diagnosis to shut my mother up...) and because one day when I stood in the playground downright refusing to go in the head teacher (who had also been my class teacher for a few years) showed her true colours in front of my mum (very viciously telling me that unless I went to class that instant she would personally make sure my mum went to prison among other things, which to an 8 year old whos dad was going through chemo and knew her mum had to be home to take care of him is a really terrifying threat!) I was home ed for about a year then got a place at another school (where I was correctly diagnosed with high functioning autism) for a year before going on to secondary school.

When it came to secondary school I ended up being home ed because I refused to go to school. The school supposedly had the best special needs center in the area, well if that's the best I'd hate to see the worst... I refused to go after repeatedly asking for help and being told repeatedly in an incredibly condescending tone from the head of my year and the head of the special needs department that I "needed to learn to help myself as there would be no one in life to help me" among other things... After 2 years of refusing to go and being home educated by my mother (who was threatened repeatedly by the school but she told them every time that she was not going to force me and that it was my choice, thanks mum!) I was placed in a special educational support center that was far better and I actually got the help I needed and did all the GCSEs that my former head of year told me I would never achieve and also got in to a good college and got 2 degrees (take that Mr MacDonut!)

 

My sister was home ed longer than I was (age 6-9 then 11-16) so my mum was a home ed mum for many years including GCSE years with a dyslexic child with an very short attention span. During the time we were home ed we had regular visits from an education officer to check our living conditions, our school work and to ask us questions alone (Do you like being home schooled? Do you go out and see other people? What topics have you been working on? Does your mum ever hurt you?) We were also flagged on NHS systems; my sister had a nasty illness that she had to go to the hospital for twice within 3 months because of this the nurse had a word with my sister alone to ask if she was okay and if my mum was hurting her (obviously the answer was no but my mum totally understood why the checking was necessary.)

Mum made learning fun and every lesson connected to a theme. We did the Victorian era one term so we went on day trips to museums (history,) wrote a diary and poems from the point of view of different class Victorian children (English,) worked out how much Victorian workers would earn every year (maths,) looked at the different inventions that were created during the time (science) and so many other things (including watching look and read, that show was the absolute best!) I can honestly say that when I think of what I remember from school the things I learnt while home ed are definitely the things I remember most. Also socialisation wasn't a problem I went to dance classes 3 hours a week, Girlguides, youth group and was a member of an online home ed group.

When I hear home ed horror stories it kills me inside because of the suffering caused to those involved and it gives a terrible name to those who home educate well. 

[BlondeIdol]

8 hours ago, TheRadleyPorch said:

So I've been lurking for awhile but this is my first post. I would love to hear from pro-homeschool people on this--my main issue with homeschooling is about social interaction, but not in the "what if your kid grows up to be awkward?" sort of way. I just think it's so essential for kids (of all backgrounds) to be regularly exposed to and interact with and make friends with people who are different from them and have different family backgrounds, cultures, races, religions, etc. It's a part of education that just can't be covered by top-notch academics but IMO the importance of it is severely underestimated. And homeschooling parents are disproportionately white and affluent, so hanging out with the local homeschooling co-op won't really help with that. This problem isn't restricted to homeschooling, of course. Elite private schools and de facto segregated public schools have the same issue. But public schooling does usually do a better job with this than homeschooling, even if a highly qualified homeschooling parent could do better on the academic side. Like I said, I would love to hear a good argument to the contrary--I just haven't found one yet.

I can kind of understand why this is a question but as far as my personal experiences the issue of spending time and making friends with different kinds of people wasn't ever an issue. In my personal experiences homeschool co-ops are a pretty diverse group. I've had white friends, black friends, gay friends, atheist friends, catholic friends, Muslim friends. The list goes on. Also, there are more places to meet people then school or a school setting. Even when you're young. I mean, there is a whole world out there. I had/have a lot of friends I didn't meet through homeschooling specifically. Actually, I think you'd have more opportunities to meet different people being homeschooled as long as you're out doing things just like anyone going to school would be doing anyway. 

[TheLambBeforeTime]

8 hours ago, TheRadleyPorch said:

So I've been lurking for awhile but this is my first post. I would love to hear from pro-homeschool people on this--my main issue with homeschooling is about social interaction, but not in the "what if your kid grows up to be awkward?" sort of way. 

I'm going to jump in and provide some personal experience on this one!

I was homeschooled up until my Grade 12 year. My parents put me into a local Catholic high school for Grade 12 because they wanted me to be able to have a "real graduation" and also to be able to easily obtain a high school diploma without running into any unnecessary speed bumps. 

My general opinion on home schooling is that some parents do it incredibly well and help to form well rounded, well educated human beings; while some are absolute dingbats who form even less educated dingbats. 

My Mom was an absolutely spectacular homeschooling parent. She was a teacher's aide who quit and took on a part time evening job at a book store when she decided that she wanted to homeschool. She took it incredible seriously. She would spend hours customizing curriculum for all four of her kids. None of us had the exact same coursework, and she never expected any of us to learn identically to one another. She adapted our coursework to suit individual strengths and interests. She would correct every single assignment she gave us by hand and then go over them with us so that we understood our mistakes. She would research science experiments and art techniques, most of which usually left the kitchen in absolute chaos. We had a set school schedule, and did "class" from 8:30 AM to 2 PM, Monday to Friday, unless a "field trip" to whatever museum or cultural site we were visiting that week was happening. 

As far as socializing outside of our homeschooling group (a group that was absolutely white and middle class) went, my Mom was a pro. I played basketball, soccer, rec hockey, and lacrosse on community leagues throughout my school years. We were encouraged to get part time jobs as soon as we were legally able to. I worked in a grocery store where I interacted with every kind of person from every walk of life, and built some decent college savings in the process. We took piano, karate, swimming lessons, and attended secular summer camps.

My Mom never liked homeschooling co-ops, mostly because she was eternally frustrated with the "other" kind of homeschooling parents that tend to make up the majority of those groups. These are the parents who used homeschooling to try and "shield" their kids from the world and had no real standard for actual schoolwork. And oh heck yeah, there were a whole lot of "those" homeschoolers in those co-ops. We even had some fundie light families. 

I think homeschooling is amazing if your intent is to be involved in your child's education and help them thrive as an individual. If you're willing to put in the work as both a parent and teacher, encourage personal growth, and help your child evolve into a well rounded adult, then homeschooling can definitely be for you. Where homeschooling goes wrong is when it's used to "protect" kids from the real world, when it's done sloppily and with no real intent; when it's done with the intention of keeping your kids in your own little belief bubble. It's not for everyone, and it's definitely not something that should be taken anywhere near as lightly as a lot of fundy's do, IMHO.

I'm done now.

 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

16 hours ago, lizzybee said:

@VelociRapture I know of two ways. There's the co-op route but I think you would still be involved to a degree and there's something called the k12 virtual academy. I unsuccessfully tried to get a job with them once. Anyway it's essentially public school curriculum done at home and your child works with virtual teachers (Like me, a then-certified professional, if I'd been hired, for example) to complete assignments and tests and get help. Last I checked, it is also completely free because you're considered part of the public school system of that area. 

I'm glad you mentioned virtual school.  In my state, we have several virtual schools. They are considered state funded charter schools. There are at least 2 that go from kindergarten through high school, and 4 or 5 that are high school only.

My sister started off homeschooling her kids, then switched to the k-12 virtual school. Her fifth and youngest child will be graduating this spring. The school provided books, workbooks, computers, science tools, art supplies, and more every school year. If the kids needed it for school, the school almost always supplied it. They had a good experience, as far as I can tell, including school dances and a yearbook. Most (all?) of them took classes in high school that counted as dual credit for college.

Despite my watching their good experience, I never really considered doing virtual school for my two kids. I know my weaknesses. I am not good at making a structure or a schedule and sticking to it without having an outside pressure to keep me to it. I am not naturally social, and I doubt I would get them even half of the social opportunities my nieces and nephew had.

On the other hand, I'm not doing too bad as a public school mom. I know the names of their classmates and I set playdates with their friends. I talk to their teachers fairly often. I have volunteered in one class every year. I keep them up to date on their homework and their projects. (By the way, is anyone interested in sponsoring a cute 6 year old in a read-a-thon?  )

I think that the biggest benefit to having more than one choice for schooling is that each family can (hopefully) find the option that works best in their situation.  It's too bad it doesn't always work that way. 

[justoneoftwo]

We are looking at schools for LO now (just had his pre school interview, not good).  In some ways I would love to home school him (well H would do the teaching, he is better at that kind of thing and we need my income) but I also worry about some things.  Mostly I worry because we are socially awkward and don't want to pass that on.  I also worry about taking shy or awkward kids out of school, don't they need to learn how to deal?  Maybe this is less true now, but the world is not a nice place and being shy is hard, but you can't avoid people.  How do you learn to deal with things you don't like if your parents make it easier for you?  Maybe I'm over valuing "grit" but it is something you need.  Already I can see that we have a tendency to try to make Lo happy or help him, and it may not always be for the best.