The Decision- The Reaction PART 1

So I often ask myself why I decided to homeschool. Well the answer is not cut and dry and the process of embracing the decision was not easy- yet it wasn't unnatural either.

I think it is important that I share with you that my son had requested that I homeschool him before I actually made the decision to homeschool him. Like many working mothers I had the job of also coming home and taking care of the family and also checking homework. The homework checking and discussion would almost always lead to an interrogation on my end of my son about the about the assignment. I guarantee you my questions are not the kind you are thinking-----"Did the teacher model what she wanted you to do? Did your teacher do a guided practice lesson and then allow the class to work independently before she assigned this? Where are your notes?"....etc ..(you get the picture)

Unfortunately, my answers where met with dull glares. LOL This happened so many times that it wasn't even worth my time and effort asking my son. We would do assignments and then do extra assignments to keep him interested.

My son attended what is considered one of the better neighborhood schools in Chicago---in fact the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, sent his children there. But the school kept falling short of my expectations and did not meet my son's needs.

Then he entered the 3rd grade. This was the year a new principal had been selected and the class assignments had changed and we got the teacher that they had been moving around because she was ineffective. Let's just say
Ms. F. Ryzzelle (name changed to prevent the identity of counterfeit teacher)  was horrible! The previous principal moved her from 6th grade down to 3rd grade. That year, my son had been assigned to a 3rd/4th split class of a strong teacher because he was considered an excelerated learner.

Without bashing the inept teacher anymore than saying she was horrible,  I will say it was a wasted-most-dreadful-year of my son's life--many families in that woman's class, had children who cried and broke down during the class and again when they got home. I was through with her when, after she realized she was losing the support of the parents and my respect as an educator she made the statement: "I am nationally board certified and I have experience teaching urban children." Tires screeched in my brain and I pretty much new what we were dealing with.

Several children transfered schools after that year. We however stuck it out one more year. One of the main reasons was that our son had had friends in that school since Pre-K and it was a familiar setting---and who wanted to pay tuition? The school also had extra curricular activities such as the world's greatest Latin teacher and program there. He also took Chinese culture there in the afterschool program.

Leaving him there for yet another year proved to be just what I needed to "change settings."

And we did. To a Private Christian school----paying tuition.