homeschooling/at home tutoring of special needs child? (Pittsburgh, Franklin: credit, house)

[beemajabee]

I've posted before and I think I've found the school district that fits our wallet and has the right distance to our in-laws down in Smithfield. We'd likely be interested in moving to Murrysville/Franklin Regional school district. Those things were with my school-aged 7yo DS in mind.

NOW it occurs to me that I need to think of my DD's schooling, too. I have a DD (4 1/2) who had a heart transplant. My contingency plan for here in NO VA was that if going to public school were to get her to be too sick too often (she's immune-suppressed) I'd homeschool her. I've heard that PA has the worst homeschooling laws.

My question: What type of special needs in-home tutoring by teacher's of the public school system are in place? Where is the best place to live for that special need? Do I have to put her into school first and once she gets sick the state accommodates her? Where do I research these questions?

[la_torquemada]

I don't know about your questions about what the school will do for you, but homeschooling here is not as hard as it's made out to be. You simply have to maintain a portfolio of work which is then evaluated yearly by an independent evaluator who you get to choose. There are many evaluators so you can choose one that fits your philosophy. There are also so standardized tests that must be taken in certain years.

However, if you're not interested in developing your own homeschool materials/program, PA has a number of "cyber" schools where you get curriculum, a computer and internet connection, and teacher help all for free. This might be easier than going to school and waiting to get sick. Districts are also supposed to allow home and cyber schoolers to participate in extracurricular activities, though sometimes you have to fight for this.

Finally, there are number of homeschool groups in the area. The largest secular group, based in the city proper, is PALS -- People Always Learning Something. There are also lots of Christian groups if that suits you better.

[beemajabee]

Wow, that sounds better than I imagined! My homeschooling friends here hat dire faces when I mentioned PA. Thank you!

[la_torquemada]

There's a lot more rigamarole than in most states -- but that's because most states require nothing but an affidavit saying you are going to homeschool.

Also, you do not have to enroll your child for homeschool until the start of the school year during which they will turn 8.

[Hopes]

I think PA is wonderful for families who have children who can't attend schools with other children! I know very few states have the cyber charter schools. They're free to Pennsylvania residents! The computer and everything are provided at no cost. You even get reimbursed for your internet connection at the end of the school year too!

Your VA friends who homeschool had dire faces because homeschoolers don't like that PA requires accountability. It's not done to prevent people from homeschooling, but to ensure that homeschoolers are receiving a quality education.

The reality is that many homeschooling parents in PA have switched to cyber schools because the curriculum and education is free. Attending a cyber school doesn't require any type of documentation from parents. The cyber schools are accredited schools in Pennsylvania. You daughter will have teachers who provide and are accountable for your daughter's education. Your child will receive a state diploma too---which isn't something most homeschoolers get. The only homeschoolers who out of cyber school and chose to homeschool on their own in Pennsylvania are the people with deep religious beliefs who want to completely control the information that their children receive during their education.

If your daughter can't attend school for a portion of the school year, she can be taught through the district as a homebound student. School district teachers will come to your house and provide your daughter her education. The only thing you need to get your daughter on homebound is for a physician to fill out a form (pick the form up at the guidance office) stating that your daughter can't attend school for health reasons.

If you chose to forgo homebound instruction (with your daughter taught by teachers in your home), then you can go the cyber school route. I've had my son in cyber school twice during his education (6th grade and 9th grade) because of health reasons. We used Pennsylvania Learners Online but there are many cyber schools in Pennsylvania to chose from.

[beemajabee]

Hopes, I shouldn't be surprised that you'd be knowledgable about this as well. You're one of many hats! (Speaking of hats, I just saw my misspelling from above, "hat dire faces" was obviously meant and understood as "had dire faces"...)

I think your explanation of the homeschooling option makes it even more attractive to come to Pgh. It seems there are many options to go with, and flexible depending on need.

Thank you.

[la_torquemada]

Originally Posted by Hopes

The reality is that many homeschooling parents in PA have switched to cyber schools because the curriculum and education is free. Attending a cyber school doesn't require any type of documentation from parents. The cyber schools are accredited schools in Pennsylvania. You daughter will have teachers who provide and are accountable for your daughter's education. Your child will receive a state diploma too---which isn't something most homeschoolers get.

Yes, but OTOH, depending on which curriculum you choose, your child may have to spend *many* hours on the computer each day to fulfill the compulsory attendance requirement. There are lots of different programs though, so you need to check out all the details.

Originally Posted by Hopes

The only homeschoolers who out of cyber school and chose to homeschool on their own in Pennsylvania are the people with deep religious beliefs who want to completely control the information that their children receive during their education.

Nothing could be further from the truth, Hopes. The Pittsburgh PALS group alone is a group of over 200 secular homeschooling families. There are other groups in the north and south suburbs, too. Many of these families "unschool" -- no set curriculum of any kind. Others use "classical" education methods, and others purchase curriculum for some or all subjects. Because the schools in the city aren't that great, an increasing number of famlies are choosing homeschool.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by la_torquemada

Yes, but OTOH, depending on which curriculum you choose, your child may have to spend *many* hours on the computer each day to fulfill the compulsory attendance requirement. There are lots of different programs though, so you need to check out all the details.

You'd be surprised how little time a child spends on the computer when cyber schooling. Mine would only go on the computer to obtain/turn in the assignments and to take tests. He would study his textbooks and do his worksheets offline. When in traditional school, my son spends more time on the computer playing video games than he spent on the computer when he was cyber schooled. The attendance requirement is met by simply turning in assignments on time. I've done the cyber schooling route twice so I know what I'm talking about in this regard.

Originally Posted by la_torquemada

Nothing could be further from the truth, Hopes. The Pittsburgh PALS group alone is a group of over 200 secular homeschooling families. There are other groups in the north and south suburbs, too. Many of these families "unschool" -- no set curriculum of any kind. Others use "classical" education methods, and others purchase curriculum for some or all subjects. Because the schools in the city aren't that great, an increasing number of famlies are choosing homeschool.

Many of the families in those homeschooling groups are using the cyber schools for the curriculum. I know because I tapped into the homeschooling networks in the area when my son was cyber schooled in 6th grade. I wanted him to still have socialization while being homeschooled. Those groups are wonderful! We also enjoyed doing field trips with them too!

[la_torquemada]

Well this is a silly thing to argue about, but I'm a homeschooler too and there really are a *lot* of people not using cyber school. In the group I'm in I can actually only think of one family that uses cyber school for one of their children. It's a little irritating when people assume only the devout eschew government curriculum.

[beemajabee]

It could be that Hopes was more exposed to the homeschoolers that were using the cyber schools and/or sympathetic to them, while being in PALS, and la_torquemada choosing a different type of homeschooling (like unschooling) while being in PALS. Depending on what angle you're coming from your perception of the same thing could be different.

Here in NO VA some homeschoolers overlap while some seem to be opposites and not mingle, e g heathen versus very religious and unschoolers versus fully built curriculum... I've only just touched on homeschooling here and certainly don't know about PA (that's why I posed my question) but I wouldn't want this to bring about a full-blown disagreement when you both might be right in a sense?...