Anyone Homeschooling in MN?

[Dylansmom]

I've been researching homeshooling options for 2 years now...I am so ready to take this step! I would like to know what tools are available for special needs children? My son has Epilepsy & cognitive disabilities. He is mainstream in classroom only 120 minutes per day at this time. His need for special ed classes exceed his need for the social part of more main streamtime. With that being said he has OCD and it's VERY difficult for him to socialize. So my concern is number one, can I as a mother educate myself enough to teach him at the highest level possible to improve his educational experience and at the same time will I be able to find social settings to help him learn to interact with his peers?

At this point he is struggling academically & socially with very little improvement. He is definately making strides but has gone from being 1 year behind peers to 2 years behind...seems I couldn't make things worse! Right? He hates school so much, his peers tease him, he's had anxiety attacks a dozen times just thinking about going to school! I HATE what he is learning from some of his peers while others have been a positive influence on him (only 2) and yet I see him struggle Monday thru Friday with the stress and pressure of it all.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I work fulltime but have a very flexible schedule and would work hard to find ways to devote the time needed to help him meet his greatest potential. As things are going now I feel that he faces another 9 years of barely getting by and no parent wants that for their child!

Thank you-Mary

[Kebinminn]

Mary

I would try a Yahoo Homeschooling group for that information, the Minnesota Homeschoolers Alliance has a Yahoo group that would work well for you, here's the link. Special Needs | MHA (http://www.homeschoolers.org/special_needs - broken link) They also have a phone number to call to answer questions.

ECHO-MN would be a good Yahoo group to consider. I know there's no fees there.

Good luck to you.

[sleepymama]

You might wish to share your insight with MACHE. That would be Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators. Their annual conference totates every year between Rochester, Duluth @ the DECC, & Minneapolis @ River Center and fill these packed stadiums & convention center yearly with home educating mothers & fathers (no children allowed). There is also a secular association. Each county has several homeschool co-ops & or homeschool support groups. There are 2 homeschool stores to my knowledge one in Elk River & one in Milaca. Minnesota area attractions offer homeschoolers discounts on memberships (such as the Science Museum, Kelly Farm, Ft. Snelling & Valley Fair) as well as many local businesses (JoAnne fabrics, the Fishing Pnd, etc.) And special clubs at Pizza Hut H Papa Murphys also offer things like book clubs. MN is an awesome state to homeschool in because we have proven ourselves & earned the respect of legislators. It is a wonderful opportunity & an awesome blessing to live in a place where every family has so many educational choices! Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by Lindenin

I didn't really think about it until I read your post, but I hardly know of anyone in MN who homeschools. I can think of 1 family, and it is a distant acquantance of my wife... couldn't tell you their name or where they live.

I think you'll find that Minnesota is a very pro-public school and pro-community education state. I'm guessing there won't be as much support for homeschool. But I could be wrong.

Ironically, most of the people I know who homeschool live in California! And they are good friends and their kids are great kids.

One nice thing about St. Cloud - there are 3 Universities nearby, St. Cloud State, St. Johns, and St. Bens. Not sure how homeschooling works, but if a taste of college classes can eventually become part of the curriculum, you'll have plenty to choose from.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[sleepymama]

MN is an awesome place to homeschool and there are many, many, many that do! Google MN homeschool associations and you should find 3. Welcome | mache.org is one place. Homeschool legal deffense association can shed more light on your questions. MN loves homeschoolers. We are under state law considered a "private school" and has the same rules as a private academy. We can also as tax payers participate in extra curricular & community ed programswithin our school district the same as public schoolers. For requirements we have to send the school district a letter of intent (available free on the mache website) and give kids 7-16 years a yearly normed standardized reference test (CAT, Iowa, Peabody, etc) that's about it praise God! In a big area like St Cloud you would have no problem finding other homeschool groups! And don't forget to check out the Paramont...they even have special homeschool days!

Originally Posted by stellar9

We're looking to move to the St. Cloud area and would like some feedback from people currently homeschooling. The regulations are more strict than in CA, where we are now. Are there problems or issues with school districts or anything specific with the St. Cloud area? Are the local support groups active?

Thanks in Advance.

[asitshouldbe]

My son has friend who was homeschooled for a year (because the son got in trouble and was going to be suspended and the mom basically had a fit and withdrew him from school the same day) the son hated it and went back to public school the next year. His mom decided to pull the two younger ones out of school and homeschools them to accomodate her work schedule and to keep her company. The rules must be very laid back because they only do a few hours of school work a few days a week and go on quite a few "field trips".

[sleepymama]

Its not so much "laid back" as it is time management. The younger the kids are, the less time it takes. In a public school classroom setting, you have to answer 15-20 kids' questions, re-tell directions, wait for everyone to go potty, get their jackets on, go outside, hang their jackets up, eat lunch, pack their backpacks, turn in papers, walk single file down the hall, clean up their desks, etc, etc, etc. All those minutes are time homeschoolers don't have to waste. We don't have to do "crowd control" or class room management. Phy ed & music are usually through play & community ed. My child are explained directions read/or read to, then answer the questions. If they know the material & do the assignment right, we move on...I don't have to reitterate everything until a crowd of kids finishes or catches up. When my 1st was 6 I thought I was doing something wrong because we were done in 2 hours (english:reading, writing, spelling, grammer, math, social studies, science, art & Bible daily) he just moved through it quickly & cooperatively. He was in basketball, soccer & hockey in the evenings & took piano lessons in the afternoon. Plus, I didn't realize how going to the grocery store with me and comparing prices & sizes, or filling the car with oil, or gardening, or community service was all educational. Things he would have missed if in school! Homeschoolers often score higher in testing & SATs so obviously a lack of time in "class" or a lack of homework, or a lax structure doesn't inhibit their learning progress. Not that there might not be a few here & there that would give homeschooling a bad name (I am sure there are those) it is reported that generally if one chooses to homeschool they worry about their kids learning a bit more (I know I felt judged & like their yearly tests were grading me! Lol) so therefore will make sure the kids are where they need to be educationally.

The majority of people choose to homeschool based on Christian reasons, or they feel its superior education (one on one & individually tailored), or their job causes them to travel, or their child has special needs or health concerns. But homeschoolers are generally very happy spending time with their children and not lazy people, so they get what needs to be done, done, & without causing test anxiety or other stresses young children face.
They are with others through the community in various ways, church, homeschool co-ops, neighbors/friends/relatives and so "socialization" isn't an issue like once believed either.
It really is an awesome opportunity & a wonderful education choice. We can never forget to be thankful to live in a country with so many educational options (public, private, charter, learning centers homeschool, on-line, etc.)its a privelage to have these freedoms.

[sleepymama]

My youngest has aspergers Mary, we tried sending him to public school & it was aweful. For many different reasons. Look up on google homeschool legal defense and it will have lots of info about homeschooling special needs kids, as well as the laws in your state. In MN we can still use special ed services at the school & homeschool. I tried that also. Was good at one school but when he got older & moved to a different building they didn't do as well with him. So now we fully homeschool & get his therapies done private. As long as you keep a consistant schedule & rules I think homeschooling him has been beneficial.

[chessgeek]

Originally Posted by sleepymama

You might wish to share your insight with MACHE. That would be Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators. Their annual conference totates every year between Rochester, Duluth @ the DECC, & Minneapolis @ River Center and fill these packed stadiums & convention center yearly with home educating mothers & fathers (no children allowed). There is also a secular association. Each county has several homeschool co-ops & or homeschool support groups. There are 2 homeschool stores to my knowledge one in Elk River & one in Milaca. Minnesota area attractions offer homeschoolers discounts on memberships (such as the Science Museum, Kelly Farm, Ft. Snelling & Valley Fair) as well as many local businesses (JoAnne fabrics, the Fishing Pnd, etc.) And special clubs at Pizza Hut H Papa Murphys also offer things like book clubs. MN is an awesome state to homeschool in because we have proven ourselves & earned the respect of legislators. It is a wonderful opportunity & an awesome blessing to live in a place where every family has so many educational choices! Hope this helps!

One contribution of homeschooling would be that the classrooms are less crowded at the public and private schools. I knew a couple that home schooled there daughter in a suburb of San Diego and she seems to be doing well these days (in her mid-twenties now). Personally, I would never choose it over a top notch school...but to each their own preference.