Alternative LearningAre you a homeschooling mama? or maybe you unschool... or maybe you are interested in another alternative learning style? or maybe you don't have any idea what i am referring to?? this forum might just be for you! share your thoughts and ideas
We are going through a cyber charter this school year... using K12. Anyway, I was wondering who else was using it.
Lauren (6) is doing
LA 1 (she should finish this about half way through the year and then move on)
Math 2
History, Art, Science 3 (combined with Adam)
Adam (8) is doing:
LA 3
Math 3 (and they said he will probably test right through to 4th grade)
History, Art, Science 3 (combined with Lauren)
Nathan (10) is doing:
LA 5
Math 5
History, Art and Science 6 (Earth Science) (combining with Austin)
Austin (12) is doing:
LA 5 (his reading... oye)
Math is preAlgebra (and the lady said she thought he would probably test out quickly)
History, Art and Science 6 (combined with Nathan)
We also have to go to the school once a week at least for other classes. I'm asking them to offer a robotics club (Lego Mindstorms/First Lego League) and a math club (Math League or something).
Ross (4th grade, 10 in Sept) will continue with our virtual academy. We can not pick/choose courses; it is the complete courseload. However, we were able to carry over History/Art/Music and then they will move us into the 4th grade materials once last years are completed.
Morgan (K) is not able to participate with our va (FL has locked out new students for 08-09), so she will be "conventionally" home-schooled this year. I do plan to utilize K12 phonics for her though.
__________________
Carey, Wife to Craig and Mom to Ross, Morgan and Abigail
We are still considering our options. We have used K12 for the past two years. I really like some aspects of it, but I am feeling a bit like I am just checking off the requirements instead of enjoying the learning process. My oldest is doing great with it- she will be a 7th grader and is using 9th grade math with it. My middle child (9 yo) was recently diagnosed with dyslexia and I need to reassess what we need to do there. The LA will not work for her. She is pretty anti-school right now, so I want to make it fun for her again.
__________________
Christine, Veggie Mom to homelearners Abigail, 10/95 Emma, 5/99 and Ingrid 11/01
Married to Rich since 9/92
oh and Hannah actually goes to the B&M school for specials. So we get to take music, art and gym off our online school. We kept the art on there last year since I loved the curriculum but it was just too much. Taking it off this year.
I have considered using K12 with one of PA's cyber charter schools, but I haven't yet found a school that will allow for acceleration in different subjects. I'd need some radical grade skips (4-6 grade levels) in at least 4 subjects, and grade skips of at least 2-3 grade levels in the rest of the subjects. I'd also need assurance that they would accommodate pacing issues if Sam completed a "year's" worth of work in less than a year...basically, I would want them to allow him to move on to the next grade level at that point. So far, I can't seem to get that arrangement. If I could, I would probably give K12 a try.
Yeah, all the PA charters have these complicated rule systems about acceleration. Getting an exception to any of the rules would require jumping through a series of flaming hoops, possibly including filing legal due process paperwork! I'm pretty sure that experience would negate any benefits of K12 being easier for me as the homeschooling parent.
The ones I've talked to said that they would do acceleration ONLY in reading and math, and ONLY up to 2 full grade levels. So even though Sam is almost done with Algebra I right now, if I enrolled him in K12, the highest grade level of math they could put him in would be 5th grade. And they do NO acceleration in other areas.
I could certainly do K12 on my own...if I wanted to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for each course. I'm already "paying" for K12 with my school tax money, so it seems sort of silly to have to buy it on my own just because the state's school won't accommodate our son's needs. Don't get me started...
dh and I have talked about what we will do when/if we end up moving again. i really have loved the K12 curriculum. If we were back in the military we'd be able to afford doing it ... at least when we just have one child in the program.
But if they are providing that curriculum already for you already... and just not working with his needs that's all kinds of messed up I agree. It's whacked as it is that they won't do anything for him in the regular school system.
How much is it? I was thinking the bulk of it was paying for the online school.
we are, for my 5th grader - same school as Tulanemama's Evan. I think it will be a good fit for my dd, she likes to be in charge so hopefully this will help with that.
__________________
wife to one, the love of my life
mama to 4, all incredibly gorgeous, smoochable and bright - taking my breath away everyday.
"Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing." - Mother Theresa
First, accessing the site is about $100/month for 6 courses. On top of that are the prices for each course.
The price depends on the course level. For high school courses, it is $350 per course per semester (so, $700 per course per school year). That is the base price and I don't think it includes any consumables.
For the elementary/middle school level courses, it depends on the subject and grade, but the ones I looked at were around, on average, about $100 per course when you include all the materials.
So, I'd be looking at about $900 for site access, about $2800 or so for the high school courses, and about $300-400 for the other courses. Of course, we pay about $2200/yr in local taxes (mostly school taxes) so it feels weird to pay more than double that in addition to our taxes....
I have considered using K12 with one of PA's cyber charter schools, but I haven't yet found a school that will allow for acceleration in different subjects. I'd need some radical grade skips (4-6 grade levels) in at least 4 subjects, and grade skips of at least 2-3 grade levels in the rest of the subjects. I'd also need assurance that they would accommodate pacing issues if Sam completed a "year's" worth of work in less than a year...basically, I would want them to allow him to move on to the next grade level at that point. So far, I can't seem to get that arrangement. If I could, I would probably give K12 a try.
Tara
Have you talked to PAVCS? That is who we used for 2 years a few years back... and we accelerated - 2-3 years for math ofr Nate... and he got a new math year midway through the year, too. We never had a problem with it. Odd.
edited:
I read the other posts now. Wow. Is he identified as gifted? If he is... you would think they could use that as a means for special education. maybe a 504 plan? hmmm. They have to abide by the same rules as a public school which means they have to (ok, I realize how silly that sounds) provide a curriculum based on the needs of a child. They make all sorts of accomodations for children who are not able to do the work, you would think they would have another side to that - kwim? So even if he were to take a placement test and score well on the algebra part, they wouldn't accomodate? How insanely frustrating.
Last edited by 3boysnagrl : 06-25-2008 at 09:38 PM.
Military wife of a deployed soldier. 
I doubt we will attend any classes at that school though we will probably do field trips and the such.
unless you go during rush hour traffic! lol
I'm already "paying" for K12 with my school tax money, so it seems sort of silly to have to buy it on my own just because the state's school won't accommodate our son's needs. Don't get me started...
Linear Mode
