I used to never think about this until my kids went to school this year.
I have always heard homeschoolers say, 'Oh so glad I homeschool because INSERT HORROR STORY'
I have said that myself.

Does anyone here help at local schools through tutoring or mentoring or?


Hope

I tutor the ESL kids once a week in my DS's classroom. I also grade papers (math and spelling, nothing subjective). I would like to be more involved, but with a younger one at home and another on the way, I don't have as much time as I hoped to.

I wish I did more, I really should, but it is hard to find sitters when Ian isn't in preschool. I have offered to do things at home several times, like prepare stuff for presentations and stuff, but she hasn't taken me up on it yet.

No...my kids need me here. If my kids were in school, I would be volunteering, but since I have made the decision to homeschool the three of them, I have to limit my outside volunteer opportunities to things that I can do with them.

I went once to sort papers with little ds in an Ergo on my back.

Also did the Christmas party the same way.

After that, I was told I wasn't needed on UMPTEEN occasions. I couldn't volunteer to save my life.

They didn't want me with the baby (who was happy on back for about an hour -- all they needed me for).

I guess the sight of a baby in a back-pack was too distracting.

Hah!

No. Anarchy is the prevailing theme in Philadelphia schools. There are rapes, riot-scale fights (2 weeks ago there was one with over 30 kids involved), prevalent drug-dealing, etc. They have mandatory metal detectors and police, even at the elementary schools. I don't want to spend time there. I know that is selfish of me, but I know my limits, and I'm giving my time in different ways.

Tara

what is the general feeling about the Quaker school in Philly?

Ritzy-schmitzy totally unaffordable?

I am interested in a local's opinion to compare with my Quaker MIL's "church-view" on the issue.

Originally posted by Brandy
No...my kids need me here. If my kids were in school, I would be volunteering, but since I have made the decision to homeschool the three of them, I have to limit my outside volunteer opportunities to things that I can do with them.

That. :thumbsup:

Originally posted by emilytoys
what is the general feeling about the Quaker school in Philly?

Ritzy-schmitzy totally unaffordable?

I am interested in a local's opinion to compare with my Quaker MIL's "church-view" on the issue.

Well, there are several Quaker schools in the city, and several more in the surrounding suburbs. (Philly is a big Quaker town.) I think they each have a different flavor. Friends Select (downtown) has the most 'elite' reputation out of all the Friends schools in the city. Friends Central (in Overbrook) and Germantown Friends don't have the same cache as Friends Select, but let's face it, they are all expensive (around $15K per year, with the lower elementary grades being closer to $10K per year). There is also Greene Street Friends, which is pretty close to me, and that is known to be more diverse and less snooty, and also a little cheaper. Out in the suburbs, the Friends schools have more of an old-money flavor and they are more expensive. One of the suburban friends schools is a boarding school after 6th grade, so that is more along the lines of a traditional new england ritzy boarding school.

If you are a member of a Quaker church, you do get a significant tuition discount.

Are you looking into Friends schools? As private schools go, I'd favor them over many of the other private schools on the main line (in terms of ritziness). If I was forced to send my child to a local school and money was no object, I'd probably choose The (non quaker) Philadelphia School. It's only through 8th grade, but they have a cool program:
http://www.thephiladelphiaschool.org/
They spend about half their time in the city campus and the other half in their 'country' campus, which is a nature preserve in the suburbs.

Tara

Sorry all, just ignore my previous reply, LOL. You were talking to HSers and I completely missed that!

Amy

No...my kids need me here. If my kids were in school, I would be volunteering, but since I have made the decision to homeschool the three of them, I have to limit my outside volunteer opportunities to things that I can do with them


:thumbsup: When my oldest two dd were in public school my dh and I were very involved when the girls were in elelmentary, but as they moved into middle school they really didn't want the parents there much (maybe a FL thing) :rolleyes: