Homeschooling

Posted on August 25, 2009

Yesterday began our 4th official year of homeschooling. Longer if you count the hours Melissa spent on preschool and kindergarten for both Caleb and Andrew. We have found great success in homeschooling and our boys have thrived in the close environment of a two student classroom.

But, even in today’s world of school choice and alternative education many myths surround homeschoolers and friends always have good questions. I try to never pass up the opportunity to brag on my wife and children and the benefits of homeschooling. So I have put together a small frequently asked questions section about our family and homeschooling.

Why? I always answer, why not? It has always been the parents responsibility to educate their children. The most successful students in any school are the students where the parents read to them at an early age and continue to take a large interest in their children’s education. Secondly, I answer that schools, all of them, Public, Private, Charter, Parochial and any other all suffer the same issues of over worked teachers, over crowded classrooms and the inability to give my child the attention their mother can.

Do I live in the city of Dayton? No, we live in Kettering, home to great schools and great teachers.

Do you have something against teachers? No, we have many friends who teach and administer in public, private and parochial schools here in the Miami Valley.

Do you have to be certified to teach at home? No, not in Ohio, the exact laws can be found at the Home School Legal Defense Website listed below.

What about social interaction? This is my favorite question. Anyone that asks this has never met either of my children. I first remind them of that awkward introverted kid from kindergarten. Remember that kid getting picked on in 3rd grade? Remember the same kid in 8th grade. At the dance, unfashionable and alone. Remember that same kid graduating in the middle of his class and no one remembering what happened to him. Not very social, kinda awkward, public or private school did nothing to help him be social. We all know at least one of those from our school days. My kids are in Cub Scouts, Karate, Soccer, Piano, T-Ball, Flag Football, summer Library program and YMCA day camp with your kids.

Do your kids have homework? Yes, it is all homework. We have a classroom in our house where school happens. Occasionally you will see my kids at the Y still working on assignments instead of playing in the middle of the day, but normally they are done when the neighbors get home from Kettering public and Spring Valley Academy.

How are your kids doing? My first grader tested on the Iowa Basic skills test the equivalent of your 2nd grader in the 7 month of school. My third grader tested equivalent to a normal 6th grader in the 4th month. I would say they are doing fine.

What about your poor wife, staying home with the kids year around? She likes our kids, loves them a bit too much sometimes and finds the investment in them is more important than a new mini van or larger house. I pay her only a modest salary to teach which she squanders on Diet Mountain Dew, Flip Flops from Old Navy and season passes to Kings Island for her and the boys.

What about the poor kids? They love it. They have a bit more freedom in the classroom, less evening work than their friends, the best teacher student ratio in the county and the same cool field trips to the zoo, theater, museum and they get Friday afternoons off.

Who picks the curriculum? We do, we use a blue print from a book called “A Well Trained Mind”.

Are you some crazy granola family that makes their own clothing and foodstuffs? No. We shop like everyone else.

Are you crazy Christians who hide their children from the world and teach anti evolution materials? No and No. We teach creationism and teach the THEORY of evolution. Our kids are hanging with your kids and aren’t hidden from anyone. They see movies at the theater and read books from the public library. They are just smarter than your average 2nd and 4th graders.

What about music? Art? Advanced math and science? Private piano lessons, wanna hear my boys play? Art? Most schools have ditched art in the name of budgets, we still study the masters, teach sketching and drawing. Math and Science, did I mention Melissa holds an engineering degree from a big SEC school?

The best part of all of this: we are in control of what happens in the classroom. Someday they may attend a traditional school and they will be well prepared.

Any more questions? Just leave a comment I will sure to answer as best I can.

Our resource for the legalities and procedures is the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Food

Posted on March 30, 2009

I love food. I don’t want to marry it, nor am I addicted to any one special kind of food. I just love food. Not sure I am a foodie or not. Recently attempts have been made at a food review website. Writing and food seem like a good mix. Growing up lower middle class limited my fine dining experience. I remember my first meal at the Blue Chip club in Cincinnati. Nervous about forks, my tie and what to order for the brunch meal.

These days I am happy to say that I am equally comfortable at the Oakwood Club or the Dixie Diner in New Lebanon. For all the food I love, and recently I have been eating more salads and seafood, than burgers and steak, I can not make a decision about food. This is not a problem for most people, but at least 5 times a week I am eating out with someone and a decision has to be made.

This is the one decision I hate to make. I don’t care, Asian Fusion, Classic American, Deli or Diner, Italian or Pizza joint. I don’t care. I have a friend in the same category. When we eat he is quick to eliminate the one place that we understand is sometimes not appropriate. His requirement? A good bacon cheeseburger. I may be having a great pasta dish, or a pizza, or even a good salad with seafood piled high, he wants a good bacon cheeseburger.

To avoid the decision making process I have begun to implement a new strategy. It goes like this:

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Pie Party #9

Posted on January 1, 2009

Well as is custom, here is my review of my 4th, and the 9th annual pie party. For me and my wife, this is THE social event of the year. Forget fancy balls, dinners, and various galas, we are about the pie.

We anticipate the invitation like kids wait impatient at the mall for a minute on Santa’s lap. Our mailman knows the return address for the invite and hands it to us like a letter from the President. Christmas cards clutter the side of our fridge, but room is made front and center for the invite, only the bestest magnet is used to hold that piece of paper love that reminds us of THE NYE event.

An event that began 9 years ago for family has grown to include co-workers, friends, pie stalkers and connaisseur de tourte* like myself. The event seems to have a double purpose, the first to bring home mom’s daughters for days of preparation and cooking, and secondly to bring friends and family into their warm home. Mom and her daughters didn’t let us down with old favorites and new arrivals.

Without further adieu, here is my review.

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Kettering Council

Posted on December 18, 2008

For my three readers, as I guessed weeks ago, Amy Schrimpf was selected to fill Peggy’s vacancy. Even though members of council stated they wanted to pick a woman, I really thought I had a chance.

Apparently not.

I will make a decision in January whether to accept the Mayor’s advice and run against his recent appointment and Frank Spolrich as he suggested in our phone call today.

I will keep you posted.

City Council

Posted on November 25, 2008

Recently my friend Peggy Lehner was elected to Ohio’s House of Representatives. With that election she has resigned her seat on Kettering’s city council.

Last week I formally applied to the city seeking the appointment to fill her unexpired term. If any of you, those that pray, should find time to do so, please pray on this one. This is something that I have pursued continually since summer of 2005. Remember, for those of you in Rio Linda, I ran for this very seat.  I lost in a 6 way race, for two seats, coming in 3rd place by less than 2% of the vote.

I will keep you updated. For those of you that have written letters and offered support, thank you.

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