Welcome!

Welcome to Education Resources DFW! I started this blog as a resource for families in the Dallas / Fort Worth who are looking for alternative ideas to public schooling.

Not only do I list a ton of resources on the "Database of Resources" tab, I'm also here as a resource to support you on your family's educational journey. 

A public school teacher turned homeschooling mom and advocate - that's me. 

I was a public school teacher. My kids were in the public school. I could not have imagined the freedom and flexibility we found in homeschooling! My only regret is that we didn't homeschool from the start.

It might help to read about our family's educational journey on the "My Story" section of this blog.

My Calling is To:

• Help guide and educate families on the wealth of educational opportunities (other than public school) that are out there, specifically in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and specifically about homeschooling.
  
• To share what I've learned over the years from both being in the public school and now having been a home educator for 4+ years.
  
• Share my story with as many families as I can. I tolerated and even worked in a broken system for years in hopes of change. I finally came to the realization that the system will not change but families can.

You have a choice in your child's education. Don't just accept the notion that public school is all there is.

There's a whole host of support and resources out there awaiting you and your family! And, I hope I am one of them.

It's time to take back the education of our children!


Email me, leave a comment, let me know if I can help direct your family to the education option that works best for you. 

If you have additional resources you'd like to see added to the database list, please contact me.

Here's to a new direction in education for your children!

-Christi

You Have Choices in the Education of Your Children

My kids were in part-time childcare when they were in preschool. We loved our little school - such loving and caring teachers and staff, a great big outdoor area for the kids to explore, lots of hands-on learning and creativity, and it was Christ based with God's word being taught. We couldn't have been happier.

I had always had in my head that once those few years were over, my kids would be attending public school. I had mistakenly thought that public school would be similar to the childcare center they were enjoying. (Boy was I wrong.) The plan was for me to go back to teaching wherever they attended. So, I asked a few friends where their kids attended and if they would recommend any schools in the area. I did very little research into the schools in my area but never really investigated all my options (and I have since learned that there are a lot of them out there).

As I look back, I realize I never took the time to really investigate ALL my education options out there (I honestly didn't even know I had options). I just looked at schools. I focused mainly on public schools in my area never realizing there were so many more options available to me and my family. And, any time a friend recommended a private school, I blew it off knowing that the cost would be too much (without diving deeper to find if financial aid was available).

Now I'm wondering, how many other parents approach the school years the same way? We make a short, quick attempt to find out the "best" schools in the district or the "best" districts in our area but never really uncover ALL our choices. Did you know you have a choice? A ton of choices, actually.

Just a Couple Thoughts to Consider: 

• Be open to a new way of thinking about education. Don't simply enroll your children in public school because that's "just the way it's always been". And the argument, "I attended public school and I turned out ok." has no weight here. Public school nowadays and the issues families are experiencing is no where near what it was when I was in school in the 80's and early 90's.
  
  
• Consider your definition of "education". How do you define it? What does "education" look like to you? How about "learning"? Is "learning" the same thing as "education"? We, as parents, need to define these terms and then line up our definition with the education option that fits best.
  
  
• You owe it to yourself and your family to really investigate all your options.
  
  
• If you try something for a year (or sometimes even for a semester) and it doesn't seem to be a good fit for your family, try something else. Don't just suffer through it. You are not locked into one education option. This applies to whether you're not pleased with your public school and would like to switch to something else or whether you are home educating and you'd like to change curriculum or any other education choices you're trying to make.

Here are the choices I'm covering in today's post:

• Home Educating (even under the 'home educating' umbrella are a whole host of different education options)
• Public school at home
• Private schools
• Charter schools

Home Educating
By far, my number one recommended option is to home educate. Now, let me make the point clear - being "at home" doesn't actually mean you have to be at home, solely with your children all day every day, teaching all the subjects yourself. Far from it! 

There are many wonderful resources that you can turn to for curriculum ideas, support groups, and classes. Our family is a part of several home school groups in our area and through the field trips, parties, sports activities, support groups and different clubs, we have a rich education. Beyond what I ever thought was possible when I first brought my kids home.

Resources:

• Center for Home Education in Watuaga
  If I had to pick just one place on my list of resources to recommend, the Center for Home Education is it!
  
  They offer classes, a bookstore full of curriculum and other home educating resources, a coffee shop, kids and teen events, summer camps, theater productions, family support groups and more!
  
  Both my kids have taken classes and summer camps at CHE and loved it. My son even took a dissection class there as well as a General Science class (they did a ton of experiments). Science is not my favorite subject so taking the classes at CHE was great!
  
  If you have questions about homeschooling in general, they are more than happy to help. CHE was (and still is) my "go to" place when we first started and I am so grateful for their guidance.

• University Model Schools
  Want a two-day or three-day a week program? That's where university model schools fit in. Students attend the program and then complete the teacher-prepared assignments on the other days at home under the guidance of the parent or sometimes even grandparents.
  
  The National Ministry Dedicated to University Model Schools and Families has an entire directory of schools listed by state. See what your state has to offer.
  
  Mosaic Academy is a private part-time school for home educators and many of our friends attend there and love it.
  
• Additional Options
  Be sure to take a list of the part-time and full-time class options on the Database of Resources page for even more options to fit your family. Even if you work full-time, there are places to meet your needs.
  

Many parents think that since they work full-time, they can't home educate. That is simply not true. One family I recently heard about at a conference I attended had a college-aged friend who was with the kids during the day and the parents did the schooling with the children at night. One of the speakers at the same conference is a work-from-home single mom who home schools her 4 children. If you have grandparents willing to help out, ask them. With so many options, there's sure to be a fit for you and your family.

It can be done!

Public School at Home

If you are unsure about home educating yourself, you can always give public school at home a try. This is how we started our 'at home' journey. 

We chose the Texas Virtual Academy / K12 program. All the books and curriculum were shipped directly to me, my son did his work and then logged in the time online. He had an online teacher and online classes he was required to attend.

Even though you don't get a choice about the curriculum, being at home gave us flexibility and freedom. Flexibility about when my son completed his work (and what order) and freedom for us to continue to teach our faith alongside his academics.

A few drawbacks: 

• It was difficult for me to have two kids in public school online. Each child had their own set of textbooks, topics, tests, and online classes to attend and all I did all day long was flip flop between the two of them. I was doing so much work yet I had no choice in what they were learning, when they were learning it or how they were learning it.
  
• Students still need to take the state required test (STAR test).
  
• No choice in curriculum and schedule. Textbooks are dry and boring and it was hard to really go deeper into any topics simply because we had to keep up with the schedule and check things off the list every day.

Because of these reasons, after a year of doing public school online, we decided to take the plunge and home educate 100%. Now, we get to choose which topics we want to learn more about and which topics we just read about and move on. We have the flexibility to travel when we'd like, take classes when and where we like, and set our own schedule that works for our family.

Private Schools

There are so many private schools in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Many of them provide scholarships and financial assistance. When I first started looking at school options, I dismissed many private schools based on cost alone and didn't consider asking about financial assistance.

One school I'd like to make mention of is Wedgwood Academy. They are a non-profit school for children with learning differences and ADHD (and, may I add, they are way more affordable than I'd originally thought). Had I known about them sooner, we might have made this choice for my son.

Do a search for private schools in your area and make some phone calls. You might be surprised what you find!

Charter Schools

Charter schools seem to be popping up quite a bit these days and I was curious about how they operate. In her book, They're Your Kids by Mrs. Sam Sorbo, charter schools are called the "Trojan Horse" of school reform. She continues:

"But looking more closely at the charter system, we see the government handing out money to people (that charter's board) who have no standard of accountability. Currently they'rs no requirement for elected boards for charter schools. That's called taxation without representation."

Charter schools are still also bound to state testing.

As with any option you choose, do your homework. Ask lots of questions. If you're currently considering a charter school, ask about funding and who is on the school board (and how were they selected to be on the board).

Because of the close similarities with public schooling, I felt this wasn't a good option for our family.

I hope today's post, if nothing else, has helped you to see the variety of choices open to you and your family! Public school isn't the only option any more! Thank goodness for choices!!

Happy Homeschooling,

Christi

Are You OK With That? Question #2 - Common Core

Being a Christian in a non-Christian institution is just the tip of the iceberg of problems that families face when it comes to public schools. Common Core, standardized testing, worksheets, political agendas - these all play into the lives of the children in public schools as well. (And, I haven't even touched on a whole host of other issues that face our children as they get older such as teen pregnancy, sex, drugs, peer pressure, etc.)

But, I digress. Today's "Are You OK With That?" question is about Common Core.

What is Common Core? According to her book, They're Your Kids, Mrs. Sam Sorbo defines it this way: "Common Core is the name of the new standard, and although proponents insist it is not a curriculum, it imposes conformity on curricula while promising improved learning and more standardized materials."

Mrs. Sam Sorbo also goes on to relate some interesting facts about Common Core:

• It was primarily designed by non-educators.
• It's the biggest overhaul of the education system ever.
• Forty-five states adopted it before it was written because of the money promised by the federal Race to the Top funding program. The standards were not tested first because it was adopted before they were even written.
  
  Would you pay a contractor before he completes the work you've hired him to do? What about paying him before he even submits a bid? That's just nonsense.
• Common Core also involves changing the way in which topics are taught.
  
  Mrs. Sorbo goes on to share in her book that, "Common Core insists on teaching young children very complicated ways to solve multiplication problems that older generations performed with the simpler standard algorithm." My friend shared her son's math paper on Facebook asking for someone to help her figure out the problems. I wish I could say that I was able to help her but I couldn't figure it out myself.
• With Common Core's expected level of standardization, students who move from one community to another may expect the same education - the same subjects, covering the same materials, taught the same way. 
  
  Is all this "sameness" a good thing? Just think about it. Do all kids learn at the same rate at the same time in the same way? I should think not.

Follow the Money Trail:

I recently read an article titled "When Education is All About the Money, Not the Kids" and it confirmed for me that Common Core is all about corporations making money. Follow the money trail and you'll find the real reason behind why states adopted this program before it was even published. The states were not only promised federal money (aka our tax dollars), the corporations selling the materials were making tons of money - a "$9 billion dollar revenue stream" according to the article. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was one of Common Core's key financier. They have "millions of dollars at stake in Common Core testing technology and computers".

The article also mentioned an undercover video where journalist James O'Keefe interviews a prominent publishing executive from Houghton-Mifflin who claims to "hate kids" and declaring that Common Core to be a moneymaking scheme.

This is the actual video that was published in January 2016:

James O'Keefe was also interviewed on the Alex Jones Channel. He brings up very points that all of us, as parents, need to be aware of.

I bring up these "Are You OK with That?" questions simply because families need to be informed. I know they are hard to answer because I really struggled with all these issues when we decided to take my own children out of public schools. Answering these questions may also leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed and unsure about what your choices are when it comes to your children's education. 

What Can YOU Do?
That's where I come in! You have MANY choices and you can find support, direction and encouragement throughout your education journey (it's not only your child's journey, it's yours as the parent, as well and that's exciting!).

I've begun the "Database of Resources" section of my blog to help you get started. Think outside the box a bit and realize that learning doesn't always happen 8 am until 3 pm Monday through Friday. I know of one homeschooling family whose children stay with a friend during the day since both parents work and then they school in the evening. I've also met a single mom who works from home and is homeschooling her 4 boys. There are many Christian private university model schools where the children attend two or three days a week and then they complete the work at home with the parent, friend or family member.

It's not so much what you know. It's what you're willing to do on behalf of your child. 

• Be informed.
• Research your educational options and choices.
• Be open to new ways of thinking about learning. 
• Choose a better education for your children (whether that be home school, private school, university model schools, and everything in between!)
• You can do it!

If you'd like to know more about Common Core and what you can do to stop it, read more on the Home School Legal Defense website here.

Your desire for change must be greater than your desire to stay the same. ~Unknown

Happy Homeschooling,
-Christi

Home School Benefits - Socialization

"What about socialization?" This is by far the #1 question I get asked by well-meaning parents when I tell them that we home school.

I think this question comes from simply not knowing what life is like for a homeschooling family. The word "homeschooling" has the connotation that we are home all day, every day. However, between church activities, home school PE classes, horseback riding lessons, time with friends, YMCA sports and other activities, we are out and about "socializing" with a wide variety of people. Many of the families that we get together with have many children of all ages and my kids learn how to get along with the toddler, the teenager and their parents. 

I also ask these parents to consider this question: "When in your life are you only surrounded by people your same age?" That usually gets a response of "Hmm. Good point." It's true. When you're at work, are you only surrounded by people your same age? Why, then, has socialization come to mean being surrounded by your same-age classmates?

I want to share a couple experiences that I think will bring home the point.

I was with my children at the Apple Store one afternoon trying to get my phone repaired. The kids asked if they could hang out over by the headphones while I was getting my phone issue taken care of and I told them they could. After about 15 minutes, my phone issue was complete and I started to make my way over to the headphones section. There was my son, talking to an adult and I stood back, watched and listened in to what was going on. I heard the woman say, "You're hired! Thank you so much for helping me."

At that point, I walked up and asked what he was hired for and she promptly told me how helpful my son was to help get her phone synced with the wireless headphones. She went on to say that he was very polite and well spoken and she recommended that he get a job at Apple. He was 12 at the time.

Now, I guess some might think that my son is simply outgoing and just naturally talks to people. That might be part of it. However, if he wasn't given the opportunity to be around a variety of adults (and people of all ages) on a consistent basis, I don't think he would be as willing and open to just strike up a conversation with someone or ask if they needed help.

Another experience was during our home school PE class. 

Our PE classes include children of all ages from 4-year-olds to 17-year-olds. The group does the warm-up and cool-down part of the class together. During the activity time, they are divided up in to two groups: "olders" and "youngers". My daughter is technically in the "olders" group. However, she loves to play and help with the younger group. So now, she helps lead the younger kids group and loves it. She's getting her workout for sure and she's getting an education in socializing with younger kids. I love that!

If she were in public school, would she be able to work with the younger kids during their PE time? Maybe, but highly unlikely.

According to Oliver DeMille, author of A Thomas Jefferson Education, "The actual curriculum of the public school system is about 75% social and 25% skills." So, it's no wonder that I get that question quite often. 

Let's consider the same question but at a deeper level.  DeMille offers this definition of socialization (page 28): "The highest level of socialization, the ideal, means the ability to effectively work with people of all backgrounds, stations, and positions, of really caring about them and being able to build and maintain long term, nurturing relationships." 

That's the definition I want to work and live by. How can that be accomplished when children are grouped by age and they spend all day in an environment run by adults that require respect and unfailing obedience?

This past Saturday, I attended the first Tarrant County Home School Symposium and one of the presentations, "Home School Myths Busted, given by Tricia Rosas addressed socialization. She began to list all the ways that as homeschoolers we socialize our children:

• Sports (horseback riding, gymnastics and football in our house!)
• Logic Clubs
• American Heritage Girls
• PE classes
• Home school co-ops
• Church activities
• Boy Scouts
• Horseback riding lessons
• Volunteering in the community
• Chess clubs
• Lego clubs
• Choirs
• Theater 
• Music lessons
• Field trips
• Time with family and friends
• Vacations
• And so much more!

I'm sure I'll still be asked many times "So what about socialization?" and I'm OK with that. I see it as an opportunity to share my stories and talk about all that homeschooling has to offer our family with socializing just being one of the many benefits.

If I can raise Christian communicators and leaders by achieving the goal that DeMille writes about (page 30), then I will feel our home school has been a success!

"Homeschool is natural to socializing future leaders who don't feel compelled to follow the crowd or bend to social pressure, but who do feel at ease with others and work well in society."

Happy Homeschooling!
-Christi