There is a controversy brewing in a nearby town over how often, if at all, students in the public schools should be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Currently students in the town's elementary schools recite the Pledge once a week and there is some heated debate over that policy, according to this article.
While there are probably legitimate arguments about whether or not a national pledge should be recited in public schools, I am glad we homeschoolers get to avoid this discussion altogether. M's been reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for a long time now. We started it spontaneously when walking by the library flagpole and it has become a habit, along with singing patriotic songs like "America the Beautiful" and "You're A Grand Old Flag."
I personally feel it's very important for my kids to have a deep sense of patriotism and respect for civic responsibility, and to value the American tenets of "liberty and justice for all."
Showing posts with label city schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label city schools. Show all posts
Home-Preschooling
In light of yesterday's post regarding the kindergarten lottery, I've had some moms tell me that they may in fact consider homeschooling their kids if they don't receive a top-choice kindergarten or junior kindergarten slot this month. "I always thought that homeschooling was very structured and intimidating," said one mom, "but I see that in many ways it's what we're already doing with our kids." Yes!
While some homeschoolers choose to purchase packaged curriculum and include a lot of structure to their day, many homeschoolers choose a more eclectic, "unschooling" approach-- particularly for preschool and kindergarten. Given that compulsory attendance laws, at least in Massachusetts, don't kick-in until age 6, it may be worth experimenting with homeschooling for a year or two to see if it works for you. If nothing else, it will buy you some more time in the city and you may just discover that homeschooling fits well for your family. And if it doesn't work out, you can always try the city lottery again for kindergarten or first grade.
While some homeschoolers choose to purchase packaged curriculum and include a lot of structure to their day, many homeschoolers choose a more eclectic, "unschooling" approach-- particularly for preschool and kindergarten. Given that compulsory attendance laws, at least in Massachusetts, don't kick-in until age 6, it may be worth experimenting with homeschooling for a year or two to see if it works for you. If nothing else, it will buy you some more time in the city and you may just discover that homeschooling fits well for your family. And if it doesn't work out, you can always try the city lottery again for kindergarten or first grade.
Schools and the City
March marks the month that parents in Boston and Cambridge learn which school their kindergarteners and pre-kindergarteners will attend in the fall. Both cities, like many others, use lottery systems to try to diversify their schools, and this month parents receive a letter indicating whether or not they got one of their top-choice schools. For many parents who do not receive a top-choice school, this is also the month they reluctantly put-up the "for sale" sign and leave for the 'burbs.
Here is a Boston Globe article about Boston's lottery assignment system and the frustrations and anxieties it can cause parents who desperately want to remain city-dwellers and who the city desperately needs to retain to ensure a vibrant and diverse middle-class.
As the recent article in Boston Magazine highlights, there are options for city parents who want to remain in the city once kindergarten rolls around. I hope that an increasing number of parents will consider homeschooling as a viable option to remain in the city and uncover the endless learning possibilities the city creates for our children.
Here is a Boston Globe article about Boston's lottery assignment system and the frustrations and anxieties it can cause parents who desperately want to remain city-dwellers and who the city desperately needs to retain to ensure a vibrant and diverse middle-class.
As the recent article in Boston Magazine highlights, there are options for city parents who want to remain in the city once kindergarten rolls around. I hope that an increasing number of parents will consider homeschooling as a viable option to remain in the city and uncover the endless learning possibilities the city creates for our children.
Boston Magazine Article
Check out this month's issue of Boston Magazine, which discusses our family's commitment to homeschooling in an article written by Amy Traverso entitled: "Navigating the Boston Public School System."
"Waiting for Superman"
This weekend, some friends and I saw the new, highly-acclaimed Davis Guggenheim documentary, "Waiting for Superman," about the crisis in American public education. It was disturbing, inspiring, informative and sad. When you see images of disadvantaged six-year-olds whose future truly hinges on a slim chance at a lottery win into a high-performing public charter school, it conjures so much anger and frustration.
Neighborhood Schools
In our city, like many, there are no "neighborhood schools." While parents can specify school preferences, students are assigned to elementary schools to ensure demographically diverse schools. I think this policy is actually a huge advantage for urban homeschoolers.
I was asked recently by prospective homeschoolers if it was ever difficult to "convince" friends and relatives of our decision to homeschool. In our case, fortunately no, but I know many homeschoolers struggle with this. Homeschooling friends of mine who live in more suburban communities with well-defined neighborhood schools face much more social pressure and interrogation than we city-dwellers. Often neighbors move to a specific area to attend a specific school and in some cases much of the neighborhood community revolves around school activities. I think it would be much harder to homeschool in those close-knit communities than it is for us here where most of the kids in my neighborhood, for example, attend different public elementary schools or different private schools.
I think city schools also get a sometimes unfair bad rap, and so it's more accepted that city parents might choose an alternative schooling option for their kids, whereas elsewhere questioners would be simply perplexed that parents wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools, particularly in "nice" communities with "good" schools.
So in general I think we city homeschoolers face much less social pressure and fewer negative reactions than our suburban counterparts, which makes things a bit easier for us. But all of us, urban or suburban, choose to homeschool for many of the same reasons, like the freedom, flexibility and focus on personalized learning that homeschooling provides. It's these important educational attributes that should give us confidence when responding to critics and skeptics alike. And finding local homeschool support groups and/or activities with other homeschoolers can really help to highlight the merits of homeschooling and weaken the blow of naysayers.
I was asked recently by prospective homeschoolers if it was ever difficult to "convince" friends and relatives of our decision to homeschool. In our case, fortunately no, but I know many homeschoolers struggle with this. Homeschooling friends of mine who live in more suburban communities with well-defined neighborhood schools face much more social pressure and interrogation than we city-dwellers. Often neighbors move to a specific area to attend a specific school and in some cases much of the neighborhood community revolves around school activities. I think it would be much harder to homeschool in those close-knit communities than it is for us here where most of the kids in my neighborhood, for example, attend different public elementary schools or different private schools.
I think city schools also get a sometimes unfair bad rap, and so it's more accepted that city parents might choose an alternative schooling option for their kids, whereas elsewhere questioners would be simply perplexed that parents wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools, particularly in "nice" communities with "good" schools.
So in general I think we city homeschoolers face much less social pressure and fewer negative reactions than our suburban counterparts, which makes things a bit easier for us. But all of us, urban or suburban, choose to homeschool for many of the same reasons, like the freedom, flexibility and focus on personalized learning that homeschooling provides. It's these important educational attributes that should give us confidence when responding to critics and skeptics alike. And finding local homeschool support groups and/or activities with other homeschoolers can really help to highlight the merits of homeschooling and weaken the blow of naysayers.
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