Participating in Discussions/ intro/ welcome
Mandi Bell
to do to add to a discussion is reply to an email. If you wish to
start a new discussion, click on "send an email to this group."
It is my hope that members will email an introduction to the group.
I am looking forward to hearing from all of you.
Mandi
Sent from my iPhone
mbell
doesn't work. In order to post, you can reply to a message or click
on "Start a new discussion." I am still hoping some of you will send
an introduction to the group:)
Mandi
Paula Ortiz
mandi bell
To what area will you be moving? Good luck with your move. I know what you mean about figuring out home schooling laws for a new state. The Tennessee laws seem somewhat convoluted to me. I found the following on the TNHomeEd.com website. It is the best, lay version of the Tennessee laws that I have found. I think option 1. is most like homeschooling in Georgia. That is what I plan to do.
Version of the Law
© Copyright Kay Brooks
Founder, TnHomeEd.com
Sometimes it helps to read a lay English version of the law as an aid to understanding the actual law itself. But since you are responsible for understanding the law you are encouraged to
To educate your child at home in Tennessee you have four options --well five if you add in civil disobedience.
- Print the law,
- read the law,
- highlight the law,
- keep the law on your desk .
1. You can register with the Local Education Agency.
Registering with the LEA is free. The registration deadline is August 1. Between August 1 and September 1 you may still register, but you may have to pay a fine of not more than $80.00/family. However, this deadline may be waived at the discretion of the local superintendent of schools. You must have a high school diploma or GED. If you want to homeschool your high schooler, you must have a BA/BS degree. You may request an exemption from the commissioner of education; historically these have been extremely difficult to have "approved". (Some would say the request itself is all that's required by law.) The LEA doesn't provide curriculum, doesn't have authority to inspect your home or approve your curriculum or your child's schoolwork, and will only require some basic information and the filing of an attendance sheet indicating you've "instructed" 4 hours per day for 180 days. Your child will be required to be tested in the 5th, 7th and 9th grades. Certain subjects will be required in high school. Your child is considered an independent homeschooler.2. You can register with a Church Related School (CRS)
Check the Blue pages of the phone book for the local school district your child is zoned for and ask for a registration packet. If you want them to mail it to you, obviously, you'll need to give your address but any other information is more than they need. You should be able to pick them up from the office without any information.
and they will act as a cover for you so that you can homeschool your child without reporting to the LEA in the lower grades and allow teaching a high schooler without a BA/BS. You must have a high school diploma or GED. High schoolers are reported to the LEA. Curriculum, tests, attendance etc. as the CRS requires. Instruction for 180 days is required. Your child is considered a homeschooler. Check the CRS Comparison Chart or with the school for what services they provide, what's expected of you and how much this all costs.3. You can "attend" a CRS and educate your child at home, which is a satellite campus.
You, the parent, are considered by the CRS as a faculty member of their school, your home a part of their campus. You aren't required to report to the LEA. Curriculum, tests, attendance, etc as the individual CRS requires. Instruction for 180 days is required. You can teach high schoolers without a BA/BS. Your child is considered privately educated according to the Jeter Memorandum.4. You can register with a Category III school's distance learning program.
Again, each CRS has their own requirements, fees and you'll want to check the CRS Comparison Chart or the school for specifics.
These schools are accredited by: AdvancEd (which is made up of the old Southern & North Central Associations), New England Association of School and Colleges, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, North West Association of Accredited Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Check their sites or with your favorite school to verify their accreditation status. Check their sites or with your favorite school to verify their accreditation status. This is also not homeschooling but private schooling.
I think weekly park days are a fantastic idea and hope that someone else will tackle this. We enjoy park days, but I have found in the last couple of years that my family doesn't have too much time on a weekly basis to do them. I went a lot when my children were younger, but with their school work, classes (co-op and orchestra), and swimming, we seem to run out of time these days. My children swim 3 days each week, I coach 3 days, and teach one. Of course when we move, we may find that we have more time. Is someone else interested in coordinating this?
Mandi
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:58:16 -0700
Subject: Re: Participating in Discussions/ intro/ welcome
From: farme...@gmail.com
To: homeschooleduca...@googlegroups.com
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Kelly Larabie
We live in Columbia (about an hour south of Nashville). We homeschool
via option 3 in the list that Mandi sent through. We are registered
with The Farm School as a satellite campus. They are the only secular
option under a CRS. We were with our LEA and while we didn't have
trouble they didn't communicate in any way in regards to their
requirements. It was just frustrating and made me not trust them for
the future.
We would love to meet up with anyone when they are in the area. :-)
Kelly
Paula Ortiz
mandi bell
I didn't mean to imply that you should take on the park days, only that I hope someone will:). I think it's great idea to have a weekly, standing park get-together. I am familiar with a lot of the areas because I actually grew up in Nashville, though a lot has changed in the many years we've been gone. I just know I cannot take this on (we won't be moving till the 1st of August). Maybe someone will volunteer:)
Mandi
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:09:51 -0700
Jacki (homeschool)
Folks are welcome to join the long standing park gathering of the Eclectic Homeschoolers at Two Rivers Park on Wednesdays.
Peace within … peace between… peace among,
Jacki
The Farm School Eclectic Homeschoolers of Middle Tennessee Nashville Learning Cooperative
List mom: Tennhomeschoolers EHSMT Farm School Satellite Campuses General interest list Alliance of Progressive and Liberal Homeschoolers in Tennessee
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 100315-0, 03/15/2010 |
mandi bell
Mandi
From: learnin...@gmail.com
To: homeschooleduca...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Park days? Folks are welcome to join ....
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:37:19 -0500
Cathy Brockway
Hi Mandi and all,
Thought I would post a quick intro; our family moved to Nashville about 5 years ago. I’m homeschooling my younger two children (12 and 10) and my older two (21 and 20) are now adults. We used to be part of two very large and active homeschool groups back in IN and NC. Since moving to TN, we’re met some incredible homeschooling families – but haven’t found a group that matches what we’ve experienced before.
Our former groups (which were both very welcoming and accepting of all types of homeschool families) met regularly; we had Park Days scheduled once a week, rotating around different parks so no family had to drive too far in one direction or another (a big consideration with a larger city;) we’ve had once a month parents-only support group meetings and ‘Meet-and Greets’ for families new to homeschooling. Field trips were organized regularly throughout the year and although we didn’t have any formal co-ops set up while I was there, our teen group was very active with clubs (Drama Club, Cooking Club, etc.)
I’m finding that the busier we get, the harder it is to actually commit to participating regularly in a homeschool group – yet at the same time, it was that commitment that made our old groups come together in a way that I’ve not found since moving here. In all honesty, my girls have made some friends, but they really need friendships that have some ‘substance’ behind them – not simply friends they look forward to seeing occasionally at Park Days. They also need opportunities for learning with their friends and not just other homeschool kids they’ve never met (we do attend lots of homeschool ‘classes’ at various places around Nashville.)
I’m very interested in hearing more about your experiences and what your vision is for this group.
Looking forward to meeting all of you,
Cathy Brockway
(mom to Kelley 12 and Corinne 10)
From: homeschooleduca...@googlegroups.com [mailto:homeschooleduca...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of mandi bell
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 12:38 PM
To: homeschooleduca...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Participating in Discussions/ intro/ welcome
Hi Paula,
I didn't mean to imply that you should take on the park days, only that I hope
someone will:). I think it's great idea to have a weekly, standing park
get-together. I am familiar with a lot of the areas because I
actually grew up in Nashville, though a lot has changed in the many years we've
been gone. I just know I cannot take this on (we won't be moving
till the 1st of August). Maybe someone will volunteer:)
Mandi
M protection. Sign up now.
mandi bell
Honestly, what I enjoy most about the co-op experience is the friends I have met. I enjoy taking my children to classes once or twice each week where they will receive instruction in an area that I am not capable of teaching or do not want to teach, such as foreign language, violin, chess, etc. My children get to meet other home schoolers and to learn from other instructors. But the most important thing for me has actually been the opportunity to meet other home schooling moms and dads. I actually get to have adult conversations, can ask questions about home schooling, can discuss books, or can read a book while my children are in class! I look forward to seeing my friends each week.
We too, have gotten busier as the children have gotten older. I find that we have to spend more time on school work in order to accomplish what I want them to get done. And then there are all of the activities- orchestra, chess club, etc. I have found however, that most of my children's constant friends come from swimming. I swam, currently coach, and teach swimming. We are at the pool a lot, especially in the summer. That's actually why we are waiting till the end of July to move.
I guess I am hoping to establish a sense of a community with this home school group, in addition to providing classes on a weekly basis where the children will see the same children and will have opportunities that I, alone, cannot provide.
Mandi
From: nim...@att.net
Hi Mandi and all,
Thought I would post a quick intro; our family moved to Nashville about 5 years ago. I’m homeschooling my younger two children (12 and 10) and my older two (21 and 20) are now adults. We used to be part of two very large and active homeschool groups back in IN and NC. Since moving to TN, we’re met some incredible homeschooling families – but haven’t found a group that matches what we’ve experienced before.
Our former groups (which were both very welcoming and accepting of all types of homeschool families) met regularly; we had Park Days scheduled once a week, rotating around different parks so no family had to drive too far in one direction or another (a big consideration with a larger city;) we’ve had once a month parents-only support group meetings and ‘Meet-and Greets’ for families new to homeschooling. Field trips were organized regularly throughout the year and although we didn’t have any formal co-ops set up while I was there, our teen group was very active with clubs (Drama Club, Cooking Club, etc.)
I’m finding that the busier we get, the harder it is to actually commit to participating regularly in a homeschool group – yet at the same time, it was that commitment that made our old groups come together in a way that I’ve not found since moving here. In all honesty, my girls have made some friends, but they really need friendships that have some ‘substance’ behind them – not simply friends they look forward to seeing occasionally at Park Days. They also need opportunities for learning with their friends and not just other homeschool kids they’ve never met (we do attend lots of homeschool ‘classes’ at various places around Nashville.)
I’m very interested in hearing more about your experiences and what your vision is for this group.
Looking forward to meeting all of you,
Cathy Brockway
(mom to Kelley 12 and Corinne 10)
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Cathy Brockway
Well, Mandi – I hope you’ll continue to teach swimming when you arrive here. I have two girls who have been to a couple different classes already but *still* can’t swim!
Smiles,
Cathy
mandi bell
I do plan to continue, but will have to find a pool where I can teach (oftentimes a struggle during the fall and winter). The YMCAs and many other pools will only pay a low hourly rate for swim instructors. That was fine when I was younger and starting out, but now that I have been teaching over 20 years, I will only teach on commission or by renting a lane. If you happen to know of a pool that would let me do that, please let me know:)
How old are your girls? Where have you tried lessons? Are they comfortable in the water? I would be happy to work with them.
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:05:26 -0500
Well, Mandi – I hope you’ll continue to teach swimming when you arrive here. I have two girls who have been to a couple different classes already but *still* can’t swim!
Smiles,
Cathy
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mandi bell
My apologies,
Mandi
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mandi bell
Cute atricle. Forwarded from another group...
(http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/007/pros_and_cons.html)
Kelly Larabie
I feel the same way!! We were part of a great group in Tampa. We
didn't have a co-op but attended classes with the same kids repeatedly
so the kids all grew very close.
I've missed that since moving to TN. I'm used to driving here &
there...even in Tampa, 30 mins was not a big deal to me. But it just
seems like I have to drive over an hour here
and the committment is missing from the groups. Very frustrating (for
adults & kids) to show up somewhere & not have anyone else there.
Kelly