When I was a child I went to an Elementary school call M.P. Word. We always said that the M.P stood for Military Prision. Today that is what many people feel like they are sending their children off to! I have ask some fellow homeschool moms to please tell me their stories on why they choose to homeschool and tell us some of their experiences with the school systems! Here are their stories...
* Stephanie:
My daughter started ps in a small school... had a hard time learning to read... I figured she would get it eventually.. 1 day in K she came home asking me what French Kissing was!! WHAT!!???!!! (the school size is 50 kids tops!) I asked where she had heard this from, she told me the bus driver told everyone on the bus that there would be no more french kissing on the bus! ugh!! That was my first flag... so we started dropping her off and picking her up. Then that spring after school let up they closed the school cause it cost too much to keep the small town school up and also did this to a number of schools in the surrounding area! Then that fall they brought all the kids to a new school in a town about 10 min away! The school had at least 300+ kids! I was sad but didnt think there was anything I could do about it. She started the 1st grade and the teacher told me she never should have passed K because she could not read!! I mean COME ON!!! I was so upset! They put her in a learning program where they used books that had picture clues and she was supposed to read them to me.. the problem is she made up her own stories about the pics... ugh So i got even more mad. here is this kid that is getting further behind because they are not trying to see what works well for her... they were trying to fit her into their mold~! I took her home after a few weeks and started her with a phonics program the first day she was sounding out words!!! oh my I was so happy to see this!! It has had its ups and downs but I am blessed by a supporting husband! I never want to send her back!
- My Response to Stephanie:
I am glad that you found out about homeschooling sooner than later! I waited till the end of 4th grade to pull my son out and then feeling like I was stupid and not fit to teach him I sent him back to the ps...a horrible decision! I really wanted him to have the Middle school experience however, ya know with changing classes and different teachers, and lockers...I am glad he got to have the experience of those things but not so glad that he had to deal with all he did just to have the experience. Thanks so much for sharing your story!
*Suzzie: I have four boys and before my mom passed away she gave me the book Brining Up Boys by James Dobson. After reading that book I felt that I should homeschool my boys at least for a while. I also lived in Upstate New York at the time and was not impressed with what I was hearing that was being taught even in the kindergarten. It was a love hate relationship. After my mom passed away, we moved to Georgia to live in the house my dad built for her. I was so excited to move to Georgia so I could put my boys into the public school. We moved in the middle of the year and I finished the year home schooling them. The closer it got to registering them in school, I became more reserved about doing so. I have one definite special needs child and one I'm very suspicious of. I was just telling my husband this morning that the more I read and research the more I know home schooling is the right thing to do. No matter the pressure I get from others, I plan to home school my children all the way through.
-My Response to Suzzie:
Thanks so much for sharing your story with me! We live in a county that is suppose to be a good school district but...not so much! My son also has Special needs and the school system is not set up for children that have especially milder special needs. I mean, they have classes for children with severe special needs like Down Syndrome and such, and classes for kids who are gifted, but children with dyslexia, mild Aspergers...they are stuck in the regular ed. class rooms and they need smaller settings, but there is no place for them so "No Child Left Behind" really is not so simple!
*Stacey :
I have only homeschooled since February 1 ,2013. I made this choice because my son does not fit the b&m school.
I will tell you why he doesn't fit. I have said to the school,doctors, ex husband for many years,something was off about my son. Everyone said I was a over protected mother. He cried through first grade. I put him back through kindergarten to mature. First grade I picked him up every other day due to trouble. Second grade i had alot of help in school. School still saying nothing is wrong, it is you. Going through a ugly custody battle I could not take him out as much as my gut said take him home.
Third grade school said something is wrong. We are sending your son away. I did not agree, but agreed to a evaluation. The evaluation was never done. My son was at a placement for a evaluation. I hired back a advocate to get my son out of this placement. School would not accept him back. I pulled my insurance on what was paying for half off. School was forced to take him back.
In March 2012 my son did not go back to his home school. He went to there emotional placement. I finally convinced the school to pay for a independent eval. I finally got the diagnosis that I had been seeking for 6years. my son has Aspergers . School only became more of a fight. IEP's every 2 weeks, behaviors, 10hours aweek on a bus, a power center for hours a day.(a 2x5 cement closet minus a door)
I finally had enough of me being over protected and took charge. I was scheduled for a another IEP meeting. This meeting i was told to be there by director and to stop being petty.
While she was in that meeting. I was in getting my sons approval for homeschooling for my son.
In the short amount of time being home. My son has increased his reading level by 2 grades. His time for doing all his work is done with no meltdowns.
This homeschooling experience has been a gift and such a blessing to me. My son will continue to be homeschooled because he doesn't there box and I am ok with it.
I never thought 12 years ago god's gift would keep giving to me like he did when my son survived his twin passing away in utero.
I have also been blessed to meet a wonderful man that now homeschools my child with me. My sons advocate.
This is Dakotas story of surviving public school and just everyday life.
-My Response to Stacey:
My son also has Aspergers so I know exactly what you went through! There really is not a place for children who have milder special needs. Thanks so much for sharing your story with me!
*Michele
Afternoon. My name is Michele and I love this question "Why do we homeschool"...cuz we crazy!?? Okay seriously, I loved elementary school, my dear hubby did not. I began homeschooling because having epilepsy I could not drive my son to kindergarten and though it was 5 miles away, he would have ridden the bus with kids from grades K-12 for 58 minutes. That seemed excessive to this over protective mama, since kindergarten was not required I decided to keep him home for one year. Poor boy never did get to go to kindergarten and he graduated this year! When we learned of the "special" needs of our younger son, it confirmed for us that we had made the right decision.
Whenever I felt overwhelmed, my hubby would remind me of what he went through as a child and helped to encourage me to continue on. My dear sweet hubby grew up very poor in a small town and was ridiculed and kicked by his TEACHER. After failing the 4th grade, he was then held back, with the same teacher to suffer a second year of unimaginable pain and humiliation. He believed for years that he was stupid and unimportant. He was so wrong. He is truly one of the most brilliant men I have ever known and his sons are like him!
We have continued to homeschool because we believe that God has given every parent the ability to teach their children. This is my calling.
-My Reponse to Michele:
Wow, what your husband went through is horrible! My son was bullied by teachers and children alike also, not physically but in every other way just about! Thanks for sharing your story with me :)
*Danet
My
name is Danet my son his name is Haden .... his behavior disorders
started at a very young age. He was finally accepted into a school
called Ascent after being denied several times. Graduated thn proceeded
to public school K. He had a teacher that PUSHED medication. I was at
the school daily ... threw several years of testing he has been
diagnosed with ADHD,ODD,PTSD,M/D and now we are going threw testing for
autisum. I battled with public school ..... they are all about rushing
and you will either do it the teahers way or ur removed. Got him placed
in a special needs class, thn move shortly after. We moved to a VERY
SMALL TOWN, where beating ur kids into SUBMISSION is the discpline here.
The principal didnt want him so we were pushed into another direction..
This school was established for behavorial issues of every kind, while
in the school two grown men physically assisted my child to the point of
leaving a knot on his head and bruises on his arms. Punishment retrain.
I pulled him frm the school ... was battling with transportation the
school and entering him back into the school that denied him. DHS got
involved said i was in neglect of my child and thn was FORCED TO PUT HIM
INTO THE CRAPIEST THERAPY CENTER. Where the issues that need to be
addressed are ignored, because the therapist FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE. I
enter him into school with a fight, haden has triggers and meltdwns.
Principal held my son in her office for 3 hrs before calling me and
telling me haden was noncomplient and had law enforcement step in and
talk to my 6 yr old. Things went frm bad to worse and the next 6 months
my child was home with me. Over stimulated medicated wrong and
approached the wfong way. My life with a disabled child has robbed me
and my little family, BUT has replaced it with an unbreakable bond and a
firm foundation. The
positive with homeschool u r worry free of ur child gtting hurt or
bullied. negative YOU NEVER CATCH A BREAK, and are the first to go under
attack. Home school is worth it, im expecting the same result this
year. lets see how much the IDEA protects him.
-My response to Danet:
Wow! Your story is heartbreaking at best! We had lots of issues with the PS system too!
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