A Home school Dad's Perspective

[THEGREENDANDY]

Outstanding post. Still think in order to play you must attend the school.

[Sparkey]

Sparkey, what were some the options that you thought you had when considering homeschooling and athletics? Did you have multiple public and private schools in your area? Did you have other schools to choose from, other then the one that was not meeting your needs? Were there any other forms of athletics available to you, such as YMCA leagues, AAU sports, or other clubs?

 

If you did have other schools available would you have tried one of them first, or was homeschooling the first alternative?

 

Just some questions that I was wondering.

 

Ram,

 

There are other public and private schools in the area. The problem is that schools are reluctant to accept tuition kids who have special needs because of the costs of providing the services they need.

 

He did play soccer on a club team from about 6 years old thru his senior year. If I have one passion above all others it is high school football. I came from a single parent home and football was the father I didn't have. We started going to games when he was in kindergarten and that passion passed from father to son. The decision would seem like an easy one to put him back into public school. But for special needs kids, struggling in the classroom take a tremendous toll on their self esteem. We decided to spend whatever time it took after school and practice to help him keep up with his school work. Most nights spending 3 to 4 hours reading to him, writing papers he dictated to us or showing him how to find answers "hidden" to him in his text books. All because I believed that football would allow him to build character and self worth. Once he started getting the services he needed our one on one tutoring time fell dramatically. He did indeed develop those qualities and many more thanks to a tremendous work ethic and GREAT coaches. I can't begin to express the gratitude I have for coaches and the influence they have on these young men. That should be a thread in itself.

 

Sparkey

[Tall Trees]

Good Post. It is about the kids.

[Sparkey]

Diamondog....if you only knew...I don't think you would call the school pathetic. The school involved here is far from pathetic. As you re-read the post, please note it was obvious to the parents themselves there were learning issues yet it still took them several years before they finally figured out the exact medical issues. Medicine is not an exact science. We all want to think there is an easy answer to the troubles we face in life and point the finger of blame when something unfortunate happens. But there are often no easy answers and no one to blame. I believe people have their hearts in the right place and want the best for others.

 

Great post Sparkey and thank you for sharing this.

 

Academically the school is excellent, except for not supporting special needs kids I am very happy with it. Our first son was a valedictorian and a national merit scholar, and we still have 3 children in the school. I will give one example of many we have and then I will let it go as I don't want this to be about bashing the school. Our daughter was in her fourth year at the school. She could not read or write. Academically she was still at the kindergarten level. Her teacher said she was not ready for the next grade. The principal said they would not hold her back because she spent two years in kindergarten. The special education director said she was sorry but our daughter was one year and ten months behind according to their testing and needed to be two full years behind before they could offer any services. Three days late we pulled her out of the school.

[Sparkey]

Sparky,

Great post and I appreciate you sharing your son's experience. After his medical issues were diagnosed did he attend high school, and if so, how did he do academically?

 

He did attend High School and is now a freshman in college. He finished school with a B average. His accommodations included books on tape, notes given to him. A person to read to him if testing and there were paragraphs to read and comprehend just to name a few. If he heard it he would remember it. Me, I would have to hear it, read it and smell it and I would still forget

These accommodations have followed him to college and give him the ability to access information that we take for granted.

[Sparkey]

To everyone,

 

Thanks for the kind remarks. There are many reasons people home school. It was never our first choice. One thing we have learned is that all children can learn but not all children learn the same way. The trick is to figure out how you child learns and then make sure that is how they are taught. I do not advocate one method over another. I only know that God has blessed my wife and I with seven wonderful children and we will do whatever is best for each and every one of them. To the teacher(s) out there we are in our 16th year at this school and have nothing but praise and thanks for all who have taught our kids.