School Starts...Evaluate now!

This week it is official. We are no longer the sole education providers for our kids. The decision to have the kids stay at home (they were a part of it) was one we struggled with a little. No one in the school system could see the need or understand our concerns. So we faced a bit of resistence, but we did what we needed to for our children's safety, sanity and well-being.

At the same time, I'm glad that the weight of their education isn't focused on myself and my partner. With us involved, the brunt seemed to keep coming back on us. The internet charter school we found is fairly new, but wonderful. They are solely responsible for their work with their classes. They have mentors to help them stay on track, they have laptops they are loaned by the school for their work, and printers and scanners as well.

It's brilliant! The kids are excited to be learning, they're bringing up conversations about all manners of things and they are doing what they need to. There is a sense of independence here that I am thrilled with.

My point is not to do as I did, but to be aware. I know it feels like one more weight added to the pile, but schools today aren't doing what they did 20 years ago, or even 5 years ago. The programs instituted by the government may, eventually, prove to be positive, but for us they weren't. For our kids, who are amazing to me, the system wasn't what they needed.

We paid attention, we noticed teachers and vice principals wielding inappropriate uses of power over our kids, actually interfering with their learning. Teachers were teaching classes they had no knowledge in, and when we tried to find tutoring help, there was no one in the school who could help him except maybe some of the other students if they were willing to help.

What do you want your children to learn? I'm hoping our kids learn that there are many ways to get where you're going, and there are many many places to go. We strive to teach them ways to be their own boss, yet help them with skills they need to work in the world they live in. And they are learning to pay attention, as well. This school over the internet is teaching about networking and support in ways we couldn't. We're grateful we lucked into this program. But if we hadn't, we would have just kept looking for what we needed.

I encourage everyone to pay attention. To ask yourself what you want your kids to learn, and then ask the school how they are teaching your children. Communication is vital in knowing what it takes to teach our children. With the world moving so fast, it's comforting to know that we're preparing them for the future.