Are you looking for alternatives to public school? You are not alone. As I mentioned yesterday, there is a groundswell of voices crying out for better options in education. Here’s some you may wish to consider:
Public Charter Schools- Contrary to the shrill voices of opposition, these are NOT private schools funded by tax dollars. They are PUBLIC schools and receive tax dollars just like any other public school. The difference is they are governed by an independent board and may have a specific focus or mission statement.
Google”Arizona Charter Schools” to see the wonderful variety these schools bring to the table. There are schools that focus on classical education and some that focus on the trades or technology or the arts! When we moved to AZ, we specifically chose Cottonwood, AZ because of American Heritage Academy and their focus on training leaders…we were THAT impressed with what we saw.
Private schools- Yeah, I know. You know this one already but it’s too costly for your budge. I get that. Really I do. But it’s still an option.
Start a school- Yes, this IS an option. I turn this suggestion over to education expert Marty Nemko, here.
Homeschool- Oh yawn, tell me something I don’t already know. And I can hear the reasons why this is NOT an option for you. I get that too. It isn’t for everyone. But here’s a hint…if you’re planning on recreating school in your home, it is NOT something I recommend. (Unless you enjoy stress-related health problems.)
Unschool- Before you scoff at this notion, check out some of the late John Holt’s material; you can find plenty of his books on Amazon, like this one my friend Chelsea told me about. Go on. I’m going to go fetch another cup of coffee while I wait for you.
Online- This would fall under “homeschool” however; the explosive growth of online options makes this worth mentioning as an option. Check out Kahn Academy on You Tube for absolutely free online classes. Many universities offer free online classes too. The opportunities are endless and the barriers that once held us back….have crumbled. I have a good friend whose teenaged kids have taken some pretty lofty college courses.
Free Range Education- Not quite “school” but not quite “unschool” either, this is the approach I’ve learned through many years of homeschooling. This is the “There is No Map” approach to educating your children. (If you’re a Seth Godin fan like I am, you’ll recognize the language.) This is new territory folks!
It’s an unsettling and disorienting approach in a scope and sequence dominated society. FREd uses a little of this and a little of that with the goal of finding what works for your child.
FREd is also based on the premise that your child is wired and gifted in certain areas and THAT is where you should focus your energy. My good friend Chris Davis just wrote another brilliant piece on this very thing. You may read it here.
Still finding these options don’t work for you? May I make a radical suggestion?
Move.
Yes, as in move. I am not suggesting that flippantly. We spent half of last year unemployed and know that in these times a family’s got to go where there’s work. However, if school has become such an issue for your kid (ESPECIALLY if they have special needs,) this may be something you should consider.
Crazy idea? Yes. But lately, I see this is precisely what some families are doing. I know one family who recently left Montana because of the state of affairs here in the Helena school district. Private school or homeschool wasn’t an option due to various circumstances.
American Heritage Academy in Cottonwood, AZ was a decisive factor in our move to that small city. (We would still be there had we found employment in the area.)
Indeed, I am hearing of more and more families who take this option.
Those are my suggestions. And now a question for you:
What has worked for your kids?
Filed under: education, Free Range Education, homeschooling, Public schooling, The Mother Lode Project Tagged: | Chris Davis, Education reform, FREd, free range education, John Holt, Seth Godin
We thought we’d been unschooling for years, but it’s really more like FREd. We’re not “radical unschoolers”…that’s never quite fit our style, but FREd does. Anyone who lets their kids spend the majority of their time exploring their interests, instead of wasting their time trying to cram useless bits of disconnected information into their heads, is ok in my book.
Chelsea, that’s us too. And even though we tended toward “unschooling,” I never liked that word as it evoked pictures of feral kids, messy houses and ignorance. (Yes, I have met a *few* over the years, thankfully they are in the VERY small minority.)
There is so much wasted time in school; so much fretting over stupid stuff!
Thanks for commenting my smart friend!
Hey, Theresa, I looked at the article you recommended about starting your own school, but it looks like just so much rhetoric. Do you know anyone actually doing this? My kids are almost grown, and I’m looking at retiring from the necessity of “earning a living” soon. I love to teach and am interested in learning more about this option. Let me know if you have heard any successes!
Dave- Not sure if you’ll be able to catch my reply given the lateness of it.
I DO know people who have started schools but it is an uphill battle. One of the biggest challenges is the almighty accreditation process that so many feel beholden to because of college entrance or even the availability of PELL grants for college. That challenge is only going to grow given the lock step marching toward Common Core.
Charter schools are public schools but do allow more autonomy for parents so they’re do offer a bit more flexibility.
Personally, I would love to see more private schools start. I know so many gifted and amazing teachers who would thrive, to say nothing of the benefit to the teachers.
I “stumbled” upon this website while doing a Google search for any alternatives to public school. I am trying to gather facts to assist me in making some serious choices regarding my 16 year old son. He was officially diagnosed with ADHD about 2 years ago, although I suspected this was the case since he was little, but chose to use alternative means than medication. About two years ago, while he was in Middle School, his grades were slipping and at the suggestion of the school psychologist, I tried a mild medication. It had about a 50/50 effect, so our Dr. changed the medication to Adderall. Since then, he has passing grades, but has serious anger issues, and mood swings that have been truly horrible to deal with. He has also now started to hang with a new crowd of friends that have led him down a path of bad behaviour. I have taken him off the medication, and will not be trying it again. That has relieved the anger issues, but now I am dealing with the “bad behaviour” issue. I am seriously thinking of alternative schooling, but I will not reach this decision without doing extensive research. I would truly be interested in hearing some feedback on this. Both my husband and I work Full Time during the day and would need to choose an alternative that would fit best for all involved. I would be very interested in ANY feedback you may have.. Thank you!!
Shelley- Your son is lucky to have such an involved and attentive mom. Just sorting out medication issues alone is no small task!
(My youngest is in high school. My middle will graduate from Homeschool this spring and our oldest graduated from homeschool last year.)
I found for us, dealing with issues one at a time was the best way for us to handle things and it sounds like you’ve come to the same conclusion. I think you’re wise to pick out the ‘bad behaviour” issue and focus on that right now.
If you’re not familiar with the Love and Logic parenting resources, I urge you to check out their materials. I wish I had their stuff when my kids were younger. It is SO empowering and relationship-centered. If you’re a researcher, you’ll find there’s plenty of information there to help you deal with what ever you’re struggling with.
As far as school alternatives…I really don’t have anything to add to what I posted originally. I wish there were magic solutions! But I DO know this…Kids are amazingly resilient and even a challenging school situation can be tackled when mom and dad are on board…involved with their kid, communicating with teachers and above all…working on their relationship with their child.
Of course, everyone’s situation and tolerances are so unique. I know here, my husband and I have discussed how far much we’re willing to accept with school issues because we take a different course of action but thankfully, we haven’t had the issue pushed.
I hope this helps, Shelley. Please let me know how it goes…