Updated 07/02/2010 08:35 AM
State of Education: Home education
Meet Andrew, Ivy, and Julia and their mom Susan. It's a typical day here at the Poitras household where it's another lesson in home schooling, also known these days as home educating.
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"We tried and it worked so well that we just stuck with it and the bus came and went every September and the kids weren't on it so," said Susan Poitras.
Many parents prefer the phrase home educating since their really not trying to re-create a school setting but there's still reading, writing, and arithmetic and a daily lesson plan, most of which today can be found online.
"And I usually start from there and see what I should be teaching say for ninth grade, and then I supplement with library resources and just other things such as field trips," said Poitras.
But home educating isn't simply done behind closed doors , there are rules and regulations parents need to follow, and it's particularly involved for a family in New York State.
"I have to send a letter to the school district saying that I'm going to home school again next year and then by August 15 I have to submit pretty extensive lesson plans for each one of the kids, then home educators approve and let you know you've got the green light to use it," Poitras said.
Then there's required quarterly reports on the student's progress. And speaking of students, how do they feel about their "living room" becoming a "class room"?
"With home educating there are a lot of fun ways to learn and you're very open to the different kinds of ways to learn science and math," Ivy said.
"Also if you're taking a test you can be more relaxed about it, you're not in a school situation where you're under pressure or sharing grades ," Andrew said.
But when it comes to public school, Susan say that door is still always open to her kids
"But I haven't had any takers yet so we just keep and we're a pretty happy healthy family, that speaks for itself I guess," Poitras said.
If you're considering home education, be sure to check with New York State requirements before playing that "parent-teacher" role.