Pull out of school now or wait?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:01 pm
I am 100% sure I will be HSing my dd next year as she enters 2nd grade. My dh is probably 75% sure right now (he'll come around soon enough). I have wanted to HS her since before Kindergarten but have gone along with my DH's side of the family for the past two years (DH's parents are retired PS teachers). Long story that I can get into some other time on another board.
DD was at the top of her class when she entered K and tested into the gifted and talented program. I was unhappy, however, with her progress in K (not to mention the bullying, wasted time, etc). I was a co-room mom just so I could be sure I knew exactly what was going on in the classroom, and boy am I glad I did. While K was a sad state of educational affairs, it was nothing compared to First Grade.
We entered a lottery program and got DD into a magnet school for First that was supposed to be as close to private school as any public school can get while still being cheap (aside from the fundraisers we're expected to pay for almost EVERY month). This year, I have seen my DD's handwriting, spelling, math and love for reading decline rapidly. Distractions by bullying also set her back. We had two parent/teacher conferences with one going all the way to the Reading Specialist and the other to the principal (regarding the bullying). To what appears to be no avail.
So, I just can't imagine sending her back next year to fall farther behind, learn negative worldly habits, waste time . . . well . . . you all know the major negatives to public education. However, we initially felt it was best to let her finish out this year (2.5 mos), and slowly begin this summer.
Does that seem like a reasonable plan or am I making a mistake in not pulling her now and finishing First Grade at home? Money is an issue, of course, as I she is still above average in her class, so I wouldn't need an entire First Grade curriculum, but since they don't sell packages of, "the last two months of first grade," I would have to buy an entire year to use only a small portion of it.
I don't mind supplementing (and already have with spelling tests), but I also don't want her to have to spend all day in school only to come home to "homeschool" with mommy all over again. She's getting weary of this, and I don't blame her.
I welcome your thoughts. TY
DD was at the top of her class when she entered K and tested into the gifted and talented program. I was unhappy, however, with her progress in K (not to mention the bullying, wasted time, etc). I was a co-room mom just so I could be sure I knew exactly what was going on in the classroom, and boy am I glad I did. While K was a sad state of educational affairs, it was nothing compared to First Grade.
We entered a lottery program and got DD into a magnet school for First that was supposed to be as close to private school as any public school can get while still being cheap (aside from the fundraisers we're expected to pay for almost EVERY month). This year, I have seen my DD's handwriting, spelling, math and love for reading decline rapidly. Distractions by bullying also set her back. We had two parent/teacher conferences with one going all the way to the Reading Specialist and the other to the principal (regarding the bullying). To what appears to be no avail.
So, I just can't imagine sending her back next year to fall farther behind, learn negative worldly habits, waste time . . . well . . . you all know the major negatives to public education. However, we initially felt it was best to let her finish out this year (2.5 mos), and slowly begin this summer.
Does that seem like a reasonable plan or am I making a mistake in not pulling her now and finishing First Grade at home? Money is an issue, of course, as I she is still above average in her class, so I wouldn't need an entire First Grade curriculum, but since they don't sell packages of, "the last two months of first grade," I would have to buy an entire year to use only a small portion of it.
I don't mind supplementing (and already have with spelling tests), but I also don't want her to have to spend all day in school only to come home to "homeschool" with mommy all over again. She's getting weary of this, and I don't blame her.
I welcome your thoughts. TY