Best place to raise kids (Moscow, Coeur d alene or Boise) (how much, living in)

[LadyKatie3]

Sorry Dmmhc, but homeschoolers have better test scores than public school students. Check out Idaho coalition of home educators webpage for stats.

[Forrestdreams]

Banjomike, you made me giggle 😀. "A happy medium between money and pain". That sums up so many things in life...lol!

[Gypsy EDC]

Originally Posted by Dmmhc

Not to mention, unschooling for many in Idaho is the same as no schooling. They are breeding a whole group of future welfare dwellers. “I don’t want my kids to take the state tests” is code for “they won’t pass!”

Unschooling takes a holistic approach to education, and allows children to follow subjects of passion. Yes I've run into folks who choose not to educate their children under the guise of homeschooling or unschooling, but that has been the exception not the rule.

As far as welfare goes, that requires huge reforms of it's own. I hardly think a high school diploma wards off the temptation to suckle of the tit of the taxpayer, if anything it seems to encourage it these days.

My children are getting a fantastic education in philosophy, English, basic mathematics, earth science, chemistry, as well as in welding, framing, animal husbandry, electrical, plumbing, and many other subjects.

We just don't
1. Do it by a strict schedule
2. Assume everyone has the same interest/ aptitude
3. Pretend education that occurs in artificially lit rooms while sitting at a desk for 7 hrs is superior.

[exi-cali]

My kids are home educated, I do not like the term unschool as it inspires a negative thought process... My kids learn based on their interests, and most that meet them (including my ex- in laws, who were so sure my kids would be dumb as a bag of hammers) are intrigued and surprised at their vocabulary, and the 'spark' they have in regards to imagination, creativity, and general interest in learning about everything around them.

I've seen a few posts by dmmhc now that lump 'unschoolers' into a opinionated-driven misconception. I personally know kids who are now 17-18 and were homeschooled in the un-school way (interest based learning), and they are some of the smartest kids I've ever conversed with. I think it's a shame to lump any group into a definition as you do.

[American Expat]

Originally Posted by beehivesjoe

We were planning on moving to Boise because we've heard it's the best place for home schooling and raising a family. We absolutely hate how dry it is! The air quality seems pretty low as well.

We visited Coeur d alene and absolutely loved the area and how green it is! We are from a small town of 10,000 people so we don't really like the idea of sitting in traffic which is very low in CDA.

I haven't been to Moscow but it looks like it could be a great place as well! I love the fact Pullman is nearby and they both have a small town community and the fact they have colleges there is always something going on. My only concern is during the summer it completely empties and the town pretty much goes empty. What is the population of locals there year round? Is it a good area to raise a family or is it to college oriented and not a lot of family activities?

I'll talk mostly about Moscow since I lived there for 3 years as a student. It's a very fine small town and I think having a university makes it much more appealing. It's true that Pullman and Moscow thin out over the summer but that's just a break, I don't see a problem with that and you'll have much less traffic to deal with. I wouldn't expect a major home schooling community in Moscow (if someone knows better than me, I'll retract) if that matters to you.


Cda is a beautiful community and would be less dry (except summer) than Boise in particular.


Are you bringing your job and income with you or will you need to obtain a source of income (aka a job)? If you do need to find a job, Boise is where it's at in the state of Idaho, nowhere else comes close. I honestly like all 3, if I were picking I would go with Boise (I prefer the city) and wife would go with Cda (wife wants land with views) and Moscow is nice if you have a job at the university.

[the hudge]

Only been in Moscow for 4.5 years but have been told by a home school family from CDA that there is much less in Moscow for HS support.
We home schooled in Florida and our Daughter is starting here next year with our Grandson.
It seems to be more of a small group (ie. close friends) kinda thing round these parts and I don't know if that is an easy door to open.

[Keim]

I've heard about 1/3 of local Moscow kids are homeschooled. I don't know if that is true, but I do know that a lot of people homeschool here.

As an aside, Moscow schools are usually rated as some of the best in the state. And, Moscow has been listed in magazines (can't recall which) as the best place to raise kids in Idaho.

All in all, it is a pretty decent place to live if you want a small university town.

[Dmmhc]

Originally Posted by LadyKatie3

Sorry Dmmhc, but homeschoolers have better test scores than public school students. Check out Idaho coalition of home educators webpage for stats.

Homeschoolers in Idaho aren’t tested

[Dmmhc]

Originally Posted by exi-cali

I've seen a few posts by dmmhc now that lump 'unschoolers' into a opinionated-driven misconception. I personally know kids who are now 17-18 and were homeschooled in the un-school way (interest based learning), and they are some of the smartest kids I've ever conversed with. I think it's a shame to lump any group into a definition as you do.

I think there are lots of groups of homeschoolers, each with their own caveats, who are probably falsely lumped together. I have found when people are moving from out of state and mention unschooling, they expect to find the interest based educational opportunities you are providing your children. Many larger communities have very active unschooler groups. I don’t see such an active community of unschoolers here. Those I have met here, who claim to be unschooling, are not schooling at all. Idaho allows them to fall under the radar. There are rare families like yours who are taking the concept seriously. But I don’t think anyone would argue there is an active, committed, unschooling community in this area, at least not in the true sense in which the unschooling movement was founded.

[AleeGee]

I think if a parent is a teacher him or herself, with no blemishes on their teaching record, their child(ren) will most likely graduate high school with a higher adaptability to college material.
I think public education is for the most part, deficient in English skills(I mean all of it, grammar, sentence structure,etc.) but whoa, the math and science are piled high. Yes, it is the technological age, but the smartest people are well-rounded academically.