Homeschooling, Unschooling, Parent-Participation Schools, Oh My!

In my ongoing quest to unravel the whole school thing I have taken a tumble down the rabbit hole into the world of "alternative" schooling.

It all started with an innocent chat with a friend a few weeks back. We were talking about money (or a lack thereof) and how the state budget cuts were likely weakening an already challenged California public school system. I told her what school I'd send my kids to if we won the lottery. She told me she and her husband have been going back and forth about potentially moving into a better school district. Towards the end of the chat, she mentioned she'd even been considering home schooling. We laughed and rolled our eyes and joked about donning pioneer-style gowns and living in multi-wife households. Later than night, our conversation replayed itself over and over in my head...to the extent that I could not sleep. That's how I ended up on the living room sofa at 2:00am researching homeschooling and other alternative school methods online.

Before I go any further, let me say this: in my mind, I have a happy image of my two children attending a local school (preferably one within walking distance) where they are learning all sorts of things in a fun, creative, and healthy environment. I envision young women and men teaching with boundless energy, tasty and nutritious school lunches provided, in part, by an organic school garden out back, and laughing kids of all races and creeds playing and growing together. Granted, when I reflect back on my own school experiences...I can't say they have a lot in common with this utopian fantasy. Sure, school could be fun and exciting. But more often than not, particularly from 5th grade on, it sucked. Big time. However the fact is, I went to school. My parents went to school. And I kind of want my kids to have the same experience as we did...at least on the surface, that is (I'd like to remove any of the bullying, bitchy teachers, and horrid cafeteria food that I experienced).

Which is why I'm sort of surprised to find myself looking into these alternative school methods. Because aside from the whole parent-participation thing, they do not resemble the school experience I had in any way, shape, or form.

First of all, some quick definitions.

Parent-participation schools are just that--schools where parents are heavily involved in the classroom. Most parent-participation schools require at least two hours of classroom time per week from each family. Some of these schools are public (free!) some are not (but are still cheaper than the norm). All of them give you a chance to stay tightly connected with your child(rens) education from the get-go.

Homeschooling is also self explanatory. Rather than send kids to a formal school, parents choose to keep kids at home where they teach with the help of all sorts of materials like virtual academies, field trips, tutors, community classes, etc. Some states do not allow homeschooling. Mine does. Proponents of homeschooling have lots of data points to back up the success of this education style....and almost always point out that until the last few hundred years, most children were educated at home.

Unschooling takes the whole homeschool thing a step further by not only keeping kids at home, but by not providing any sort of learning curriculum. Unschoolers believe kids learn best through life experiences...and they don't need much else.

Sooo. First of all, let me simply say that while the idea of unschooling sounds.....interesting....I can't really get behind it at all. All I can imagine is how frigging boring it would be to grow up in that sort of environment. But the other two definitely have some merit.

The parent-participation concept intrigues me. It kind of takes the whole "parent-school community involvement" to the next level and blurs the lines between school and home. I like the idea of being able to see, first hand, what my children are up to in the classroom. I also like the idea of being intimately involved with my children's teachers and the curriculum development. And I guess you'd never really have to worry about not knowing who your kids hung out with. But I also wonder what the schools do to ensure participating parents are adequately prepped and trained to interact with students during classroom time. Wouldn't the constant rotating door of parents create a lack of consistency when it comes to discipline, classroom management, etc.?

I'm also intrigued, but perhaps a little less so, by homeschooling. In theory, I can see how homeschool definitely works for some families..especially those who have children with developmental needs that go beyond what a normal school might be able to provide. And frankly, the whole "socialization" argument against homeschooling is a waste of energy...because there are myriad ways to ensure a child is getting adequately socialized with community classes, homeschooling networks, playgroups, field trips, summer camps, and more. My biggest issues with regards to homeschooling is that I, personally, am not sure I'd be up to the challenge. First of all, I suspect homeschooling only really works if one parent is not holding down a full-time job. Right now, that describes me to a T. But I have no idea how long this work hiatus will actually last. And what then? Secondly, I can barely manage through one day of dealing with both kids on my own. So I cannot imagine what it would be like to do that day in and day out only this time, I'd also be primarily responsible for their education on top of everything else. STRESSFUL. Lastly, I confess I'd feel guilty for depriving my children of that perennial American experience: going to school. Going to school doesn't just represent an educational choice for me...it also represents a cultural medium. It's a shared experience that draws kids (and adults) together. Think about it, what's the first thing grade-school and beyond kids ask of one another upon meeting? "What grade are you in?" and "What school do you go to?"

Anyway, I'm still processing all of this information and hoping that some form of inspiration drops into my lap from the heavens above (or that I win the lottery). In the mean time, what are your thoughts about alternative schooling?