Homeschool World Forum

[hmschooling]

My husband is considering enlisting in the Air Force after he completes his BS in Nursing. (So he'll go in as an officer). We have 3 children and hope to have more. Can anyone here tell me what homeschooling in the military is like? How does it work and what HS laws do you follow, especially if you go out of the country? In Arkansas, I just have to sign a form or two and then take state tests starting in 3rd grade...no strict rules. Are there homeschool groups and if so, are they generally secular or can they have a Christian group on base? Are there many homeschooling families to connect with in the military?
Also, what about officer housing? What is it like with for an officer with a wife and three (or more by then) children? Where we are, I have a room just for homeschooling and its out of the way of everything else. Any input is most appreciated.

[Ramona]

The only thing I know about it is that my DH used to be a civilian contractor on a Navy base in Maryland, and there were many military families on base who also homeschooled. Many of them belonged to the local (mostly Christian) support group in the town next to the base--in fact, families from the base were the mainstay of the support group many years.

Ramona

[polm20012001]

Hi you can find groups of homeschoolers usually on the base were he
is stationed If you leave the country it's best to be enrolled in a U.S.
Homeschooling School. Then there will be no hassels.

[DESmom]

If you are overseas with the military there is no need to enroll with anyone. DoD schools require nothing of homeschoolers and local SOFAs do not give local countries any control over military childern's education.
_________________
Chele
Homeschooling mom to
Katelyn, Breanna, Danelle, Morgann, Terresa, Timothy and Isabella

[AFmom]

My husband is an AF officer and that is a large part of WHY I am homeschooling -- because I don't want my kids to have holes in their education due to jumping from school to school. Also there's the issues of ... when we move, no stress over finding a house in the "right" district, no worries about 'will the curriculums align well?' and no worries about 'who is their teacher going to be?'
Re: housing -- currently we are in Wyoming -- officer housing here is FABULOUS -- tons of room, incredible! BUT that's not the norm -- typically officer housing is 1500-1600 sq ft, 3-4 bedrooms, sometimes with an unfinished basement. When we move, I fully expect to be homeschooling in the dining room! Don't expect to live on base every time, either -- the wait list can be pretty long, sometimes up to a year or more. (And the housing allowance NEVER actually fully compensates for what you'd get in base housing -- you'll always end up paying more for the same thing off-base!)
As for homeschooling in the military ... wow, I had no idea how many there were until I chose to do so. There are literally three of us on the same block, plus at least 4 others on base that I know, and I certainly don't know everyone! The backgrounds are diverse -- mostly Christian but one gal is just purely in it for academics. I think going back to what I first said -- with so many moves, it's nice to have at least one thing that is stable in our kids' lives.

[Ivonne]

I have a friend that is in the Air Force and homeschooled all of her children while traveling. She wasn't happy with the schools and wanted to control the education of her children. She did a lot of research on different programs and found materials that would meet her needs. This is becoming a popular option for many people in your situation.
_________________
Ivonne - ivonne@edchoices.us
http://www.internationalwebacademy.net