February 25, 2015

I hope everyone is well. I was out driving in the snow yesterday. What a mess! I saw the truck that got stuck on top of the Jersey wall on the interstate. Crazy! We are waiting for more snow tonight. Everyone stay safe!


I was very surprised at the tone of the editorial in the Virginia-Pilot on February 21, 2015 entitled, Homeschool lobby wins special privileges. The editor seems to be accusing the homeschooling community of having "a wave of entitlement" and states that we are.undercutting "...the old-fashioned notion that... everyone must make choices, and those choices have consequences."

To the editor: You are correct. I made a choice and there are consequences. I chose not to put my child in schools that are failing the state tests and losing accreditation. I will not send them to schools that have been investigated by the federal government for civil rights violations. I do not wish to entrust my children to a system that is so disorganized and unaccountable that they threw away 1.5 million dollars in federal funds because they missed a filing deadline. All of these were news items in the Virginia-Pilot which it appears the editors do not read. The feeling of entitlement seems to belong to the people in charge of the schools ( and I don't meant the classroom teachers) who think they are entitled to keep doing what they are doing and still get the support of the public.

My eldest lays Lacrosse for a local school. This school is known for academics more that sports teams. He does it because he wants to play the game. The team is happy to have him to fill out the roster. He took his SAT at a local high school that is known for athletic prowess and academic and behavioral problems. This helps to pump up their numbers in terms of how many students are taking pre-college exams. Do the editors think this is a bad idea? It seems  that this is a win-win situation.

This new law really changes nothing. We pay taxes; we don't use the resources for the schools therefore the school is not spending money on us.. The individual system and the individual school can still say no if they feel that it is not in the schools best interest. I do not have a problem with that. If there are parents who are "shopping" high schools for the best athletic opportunity for their kids, I have not met them. Most parents left the schools for a different reason and I don't believe that anything, not even playing on a championship team will bring them back.

If you wish to read the editorial for yourself you can find it here:
http://hamptonroads.com/2015/02/homeschool-lobby-wins-special-privileges

I hope to hear from you soon
T

February 15 Homebase

Hey everyone!

I hope all is well for you. We have been back in our"routine" for a while which of course means that the schedule has to change. I have added some basketball coaching to my 13 year old son's schedule (thanks to my dad who in his day was fierce on the court. He's from Indiana.). Neither of my children was interested in sports in their early years, but one is now playing Lacrosse and the other says he wants to learn B-ball. I don't care if he becomes a real competitor. I want him to find a physical activity that is good for him and that he enjoys. That way he will stick with it.

In the news:

The New Slover Library is open!
After years of destruction, shuffling collections and construction, the new Main library for the Norfolk Public Library system is open downtown. I have been down to see it and it is gorgeous! They offer tours on Thursday at noon so that patrons can become familiar with the locations and services that they offer. If you want to go, you can park at MacArthur Center and enjoy lunch at the Food Court or you can take the train. It is well worth the time.

I was shocked to say the least about the revelation that NPS (Norfolk Public Schools) threw away 1.6 million in federal money. Putting aside my disdain for federal involvement in education, how does this happen? Who dropped the ball? I hate it when I miss a coupon and it expires before I can use it.
I hope the Virginia Pilot digs into this.

Book Review

I will be bringing you reviews of books or teaching materials that I think can help you in your efforts to educate your teenager. I will try to restrict my reviews to books I can find at the library; I want you to be able to check them out yourselves for free before you buy them.

This month:
Bissionnette, Zac, Debt-Free U. :How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships or Mooching Off My Parents. Portfolio/Penguin. New York. 2010

If you have not read this, you should. So should you teenager. Maybe you should read it together. Or read it to them if you have to.  A lot of news stories recently have talked about the epidemic of student loan debt. I read about it here first. The amount of debt that Americans are racking up to go to school to get a degree that may not help them get a job is staggering. Zac Bissionnette lays it out and offers other ideas for how to get an education and not use student loans. It is an easy read and a lot of fun.

Profile:

This month I want to introduce you to EOC, The Education Opportunity Center. As homeschoolers we do not have guidance counselors, so the process of figuring out what our kids can and should do after high school can be overwhelming. The EOC can be a great resource. I talked with one of the counselors, Ms. Marianne MacKay.

EOC interview

What is the mission and history of EOC?

The Educational Opportunity Center is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education and provides free career, academic, and financial aid counseling.  EOC has been serving the Hampton Roads area since 1973.  Our main purpose is to assist adults in furthering their education or training by providing information on programs of study at post-secondary institutions, admissions information and assistance, and information on the types of financial aid, the application process, and assistance in applying for financial aid.  In addition to providing individual counseling, we also conduct workshops and presentations to community agencies and organizations.

Describe the typical client who walks in the door, or is there a typical client?

Even though our target population is economically disadvantaged adults, we serve a very diverse population that reflects the community; we do not turn anyone away.  We also work with high school students in planning and preparing for college.  Although most high school students seek our assistance in applying for financial aid, I believe homeschooled students could particularly benefit from the academic counseling too - especially since they often do not have access to a guidance counselor.

Have you had a lot of homeschool families use your programs? How would you describe your experience with these families?

I have worked with a few homeschooling families in the past and my experience with them has always been very positive.  They generally are very appreciative because they usually do not have access to the means of information dissemination through the high schools.

What areas do you serve? Who can use your services?

We serve the Hampton Roads area – both the south side (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Suffolk) and the peninsula (Newport News, Hampton, York County, and Williamsburg) .  Our main office is in Norfolk and we have satellite offices in Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, and on the Bases of Norfolk Naval Station and Little Creek.   We operate on an appointment basis and are services are open to anyone.

What services can you offer to homeschooling families?

Academic counseling in preparing for college and assistance in maneuvering through the college admissions process; information on the various post-secondary colleges, universities, community colleges, and vocational/technical school programs: information on funding post-secondary education and assistance in applying for federal student aid.  In addition, EOC can provide career counseling, such as administering interest inventories to help students identify careers of interests.   All of these services are available to high schooled students and their parents.  We would also be willing to conduct presentations or workshops to any home school groups or co-op programs on any topics that are related to the services we provide.

What would you like homeschoolers to know about EOC?

I would like to emphasize that EOC’s services are free and since home schooled students are not associated with an institutional school, they often are lacking information that is available through the high school guidance counseling offices, and in essence EOC can fill that void.  I personally would like for them to know that I am a very strong advocate of homeschooling  (my nieces and nephews were and are home schooled).

For individual appointments, please call:  Marianne McKay (757) 683-2312.

Thank you Marianne for participating in this interview.

That is all for now. Please contact me about any questions or suggestions.

Terri