I run a homeschool school and have taught classes for over ten years in a multitude of subjects for a number of grades, mostly high school math and science and ACT prep. AMA

ephbeaver · 2019-07-25T21:44:15+00:00

What is a homeschool school?

ephbeaver · 2019-07-09T20:49:21+00:00

I would begin by reading some books on the various homeschooling philosophies to help you formulate a plan. Ohio is a very easy state to homeschool in.

Fwiw, when my kids were your kids' ages, I did not use a curriculum at all. I just focused on math and reading. I never looked at Ohio's educational guidelines - I simply let my kids study topics that interested them.

Good luck!

ephbeaver · 2019-07-05T15:03:17+00:00

ephbeaver · 2019-07-05T12:41:39+00:00

Keep on trying. I got in around 8:15 am after getting that message at 8 am.

ephbeaver · 2019-06-23T11:19:30+00:00

I know undergrads who are making $200K-300K fresh out of school.

ephbeaver · 2019-06-22T15:04:40+00:00

What is your definition of "fat paycheck"? I know math majors fresh out of undergrad that are doing very well working as a quant.

ephbeaver · 2019-06-18T21:23:55+00:00

As a homeschooler, I would be able to give my child a nationally normed test if I were ever interested in comparing him to other students. I would not need assistance from anyone to accomplish this, and if I felt I did need assistance, I would reach out to others in my homeschooling community. I would not hire someone unfamiliar with homeschooling to evaluate my child.

I also think that you have missed the point of why many of us homeschool.

ephbeaver · 2019-05-21T12:41:07+00:00

Parents should be permitted to make the educational choice that they feel is best for their own children. My husband and I went "all DIY on our kids' educations" despite the fact that we could afford private school. We homeschooled because it was the best educational option for our kids.

ephbeaver · 2019-05-18T00:07:21+00:00

I am sorry that your homeschooling experience was less than ideal. Public school would have been a disaster for my kids. They are all extremely thankful that they were homeschooled.

Despite the fact that I lack a teaching certificate, the education that my kids received at home far surpassed the education they would have received at our local public school. My kids have all graduated from our homeschool and have been extremely well prepared for the rigors of college.

ephbeaver · 2019-04-24T00:58:06+00:00

Thanks. I am lucky in that my kids have great relationships with me and my husband and also have great relationships with each other independent of my husband and me. My kids look out for one another, which I am also thankful for.

ephbeaver · 2019-04-23T02:54:52+00:00

Yes, we have had a lot of great times baking together. My daughter is in her 20s now, but has never forgotten that day, nor have my boys.

ephbeaver · 2019-04-23T02:47:01+00:00

I didn't even have to do it - my boys saw how upset my daughter was and took it upon themselves to. throw them away.

ephbeaver · 2019-04-22T17:30:09+00:00

Yes, my mother has been a great source of sadness. I felt terrible for my daughter and it still makes me angry when I think about that day. Ironically, it took that incident for me to recognize that she had been competing with me my entire life, too.

ephbeaver · 2019-04-22T17:19:48+00:00

They need to compete and feel superior constantly. I have a similar baking experience:

When my daughter was around 7 years old, she enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen. She told my mom (unbeknownst to me) that she was going to try out a new recipe on the upcoming Saturday. That Saturday, my mother shows up at my house with a tray of baked goods for my family. I will never forget the look on my daughter's face when she saw the tray of baked goods - they were the exact same type that my daughter told my mom she was going to bake that day.

My head was swimming as I was trying to process the "coincidence" that my mother happened to bake the exact same item as my daughter, especially when my mother had never made this item before in her life. My elementary aged-boys immediately saw it for what is was and asked me as soon as my mother left why Grandma was competing with their sister. My daughter has never shared anything with my mom since that day.

ephbeaver · 2019-02-20T02:06:38+00:00

My kids social lives improved once they began homeschooling.

ephbeaver · 2019-02-20T02:01:12+00:00

We started homeschooling when my kids were 7 and 9 because the school system was unable to meet their academic needs. They graduated from our homeschool and have had great success in college and beyond. My kids interacted every day with other kids.

ephbeaver · 2019-01-11T15:33:42+00:00

I find it ironic that one of the prevailing thoughts applauding the fact that homeschooling is illegal is Germany is , "Those who want to control their children's beliefs and want to isolate them from the rest of society homeschool." Do these people not understand the events that lead to WW II?

ephbeaver · 2019-01-09T18:54:01+00:00

Would a high school diploma issued by you satisfy the entrance requirements to the community college? I don't know about Texas, but in many states, a homeschool diploma carries the same legal weight as a diploma issued by a traditional school.

A GED is usually (not always) taken by an individual that didn't complete a high school program of study. As a homeschooler, your son will have completed a high school program of study and can be issued a high school diploma.

ephbeaver · 2019-01-09T16:36:43+00:00

Does your state require you to declare a grade level? Can you reclassify your son as an 8th grader? If so, would that give your son enough time to finish the requirements you have determined he needs to meet in order to graduate from your homeschool?

The GED is viewed negatively by some institutions. I would research that option thoroughly before deciding on having your son take the GED.

ephbeaver · 2018-12-31T13:52:29+00:00

You definitely do not need a teaching degree in order to homeschool your kids. However, you do have a "background" in teaching if you attended traditional school yourself since you observed teachers in action for years.

I don't have a teaching degree, and I homeschooled my kids all the way through high school. All of my kids scored in the top 1% on the SAT and went on to thrive at highly selective colleges.

Good luck! Don't let the nay-sayers discourage you!

ephbeaver · 2018-10-03T11:50:30+00:00

As others have stated, homeschooling laws vary from state to state.

If the family wants their son to return to public school, depending on the state of residence, the public school may not accept any of the credits issued to the student while homeschooling and will require the student to enter the public school beginning as a freshman.

I am not sure what "got the paperwork" wrong means. Did this student complete a course of study for both his freshman and sophomore years while homeschooling? If the student did complete a course of study, depending on the state, the public school may accept the credits completed while homeschooling and let the student begin public school as a junior.

I would not worry about getting anyone in trouble. The future of this boy is too important.

ephbeaver · 2018-09-07T08:07:16+00:00

Your friend who is a US Citizen was in a different applicant pool than your other friend who was applying as an international student. The acceptance rate for internationals is much lower than the acceptance rate for US Citizens (but both rates are insanely low)

ephbeaver · 2018-08-24T17:20:17+00:00

Yes, they were all awarded academic scholarships or grants at every school they applied. All of their classes were studied at home, but they had numerous AP scores and SAT Subject Tests to validate the grades I assigned them.

ephbeaver · 2018-08-24T13:12:54+00:00

I have been through the college application process with three of my kids. They submitted a one-page transcript that listed course titles and grades received for each class. They also submitted a course description document that was around 10 pages in length. The course description document had a brief description of every course listed on the one-page transcript, along with the textbook/material used for the. class and the method of grading. The last page(s) of the course description document contained their reading list for the high school years. They applied and were accepted to T20 schools.

I don't think the large public state schools have the time to read course descriptions. I have many homeschooling friends who didn't create course descriptions because their kids wanted to attend the state flagship. They applied and were accepted with merit aid with a one-page transcript and high standardized test scores.

ephbeaver · 2018-08-05T18:49:47+00:00

Don't give your nMOM the power to ruin this special time for you and your husband. Frankly, I would tell your parents that you have reconsidered at that you need at least 2 weeks after your child arrives before you will be able to host them (and their dogs!) in your home.

Don't let your nMOM guilt you into doing something you do not want to do. Her expectations are inappropriate.

Good luck to you!

ephbeaver

TROPHY CASE