We are going to stick with them another year.
It took me most of the year to realize I am willing to jump through the hoops in order to gain some benefits the cyber school has to offer. JT and I sat down together and made a pros and cons list for staying with the school.
PROS
- virtual enrichment classes (JT's main reason for staying with the school...these classes are non-credit fun stuff. He really enjoys them, but they are mostly fluff.)
- reimbursement for internet
- $75 a kid, per year, for PE
- free books and supplies
- free computer, printer and ink
- the school does all the reporting to the state; no portfolio to put together
- no need to deal with our local school district (if traditional homeschooling, they would be reviewing our plan and portfolio)
- Must take PSSAs every year from 3rd - 11th (homeschoolers are only required to test 3 times in their school career and parents can chose from a list of standardized tests)
- can't chose our own material (we can always supplement with our own, but often feel too strapped for time to pull it off)
- some of the curriculum we must use is inferior to what we would like to use...by a large margin
- inept grading of tests by the cyber school staff
Once we put it all down in writing I felt like I had been whining far too much. At least, I felt that way for a couple days. Then I went in my office and saw the bookcase full of the stuff I so desperately would love to teach my kids but never feel I have enough time to fit it in the schedule. I tried to broker a deal with JT. It went like this...
me: "If you would set your mind to it, we could do all the Calvert material for the week in 1 or 2 school days. Then we'd have the other 3 days to work on all the fun stuff we have wanted to do."
JT: "Okay, no problem."
Two days later...
me: "Why don't you just work through these assignments quickly so we have time for the fun stuff this week?"
JT: "I don't feel like it."
Case closed.
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