There is a reason why cliches are so, well, cliche. Time has been flying by. The third quarter of the school year is over and we are debating a major change for next year. I am pushing for pulling the kids out of Las Vegas Day School and doing a year of homeschooling. Yikes, I said it! It sounds crazy, I know. A few years ago I would have been the first to stand up and say that's crazy, suck it up, how bad can it be, kids need to go to school and moms need to get them out of the house, only those a few sandwiches short of picnic would homeschool their kids, etc. But now I'm not so sure. It's a combination of realizing that we need a different long term schooling solution and seeing how my homeschooling friends are thriving.
Regarding the first point, we intend to move back to the beach in a year and enroll the kids in public school, a school to which they can walk and hopefully in which they can thrive. So I essentially have one year to bridge and the question is, do I maintain the status-quo and leave them enrolled at LVDS where they are definitely learning but at a price, do I change schools for one year and then do it again next year or do I homeschool. Based on grades and friendships made, the girls are doing wonderfully at their school but I have serious questions regarding the administration's adherence to the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law, the grading system, the emphasis on worksheets rather than interactive learning, whether they are teaching the kids to think and solve problems or just to memorize and regurgitate. Everything is so structured and strict (don't dare try to use the restroom during class time or you'll get a card change) that I wonder if the kids aren't learning to please rather than pleased to be learning.
Coupled with my disenchantment with LVDS, I have homeschooling friends who are happy and normal! Their kids are well adjusted, intelligent, socially adept and so on. The parents seem to enjoy the experience, they get to create a flexible schedule and make it work on their terms. I know myself well enough to know that I couldn't make a lifestyle out of this but for a year, it seems like it could work. I want to travel to China with Jim when he goes on business, head out to see the grandparents without expecting a nasty note from the administration saying my child's promotion to the next grade is in jeopardy due to missed classes (oh, by the way, we make up all the in-class work and homework and my kids are on honor roll but we still get the notes). And best of all, I have a teacher lined up to help build and implement the curriculum with me. I really think it would be a great experience.
No final decision has been made. We have concerns over them missing out on school musicals and recesses and screeching with friends when they discover they've come to school in the same outfit. Our biggest fear may be that they won't want to go back to regular school in a year's time. Yikes! Somehow a decision will be made and we'll move forward - we are lucky to have choices.
