Advice for an accredited homeschool program?

[court26]

Due to migraines and assumed long COVID, we are pulling DD (8th) from school with every hope it is just for a semester. We are in NY and homeschool options are just not really discussed. Anyone have any suggestions for an accredited program? School can’t recommend and I’m a teacher but know nothing about it. I’m so worried it will fall back on me should she return and be behind!

[nicolewi]

I don’t know, but there might be a Facebook group for homeschoolers in your area or even in your state. I think I would look into that. I bet they would have a lot of advice.

I’m sorry you and your daughter are dealing with this. It sounds difficult.

[UMaineTeach]

Can she go on “medical leave” or something from school and still keep all her textbooks and whatever supplies/apps and you can teach her from the school curriculum? You don’t have to try to keep up with the class, but you could do the same things.

Are there rules about requiring schools to provide access or tutoring for kids with medical conditions that prevent attendance, or is it only for kids with IEPs?

Hopefully, she can start to feel better soon.

[penguingrrl]

Can you get her district provided medical home instruction? My middle has been on that since September for agoraphobia, autism, and school refusal. A licensed teacher comes 10 hours a week and works 1:1 with her, and what she’s doing aligns with our school’s curriculum for her grade. She’s still enrolled in public school and will get her credits and everything else for graduation. It has been amazing and this year she went from having missed 3 years of school to completely caught up working with 1:1. It’s fairly easy to get with a doctor requiring it.

[beerlover]

Does her district have their own cyber program? Most in PA do but I know NY is different. You could also consider a standalone cyber school but again, not sure what's available in NY. For some reason I'm thinking the cyber options are not as plentiful there.

[court26]

Thanks everyone. Her school gave her a 504 and then offered her 2-3 hours of online tutoring everyday but it took a long time for them to offer it because we expected her to return over and over again and they won’t offer it short- term. She also feels if she commits to tutoring and can’t do it at specific times she will have to do instruction on her own anyway. It’s a huge cluster and I don’t know what to do besides make a plan and move forward. She has to drop her only accelerated class due to how far behind she was so she isn’t technically going to miss out on anything that counts for high school transcripts if she goes back in the fall. No school, no sport, no friends…what a rough end of middle school.

[court26]

Mar 13, 2024 20:28:00 GMT -5 beerlover said:

Does her district have their own cyber program? Most in PA do but I know NY is different. You could also consider a standalone cyber school but again, not sure what's available in NY. For some reason I'm thinking the cyber options are not as plentiful there.

Her district doesn’t but I will look into it. Thanks.

[daisyduck]

DH finished high school through the American School of Correspondence. I just looked and their programs start in 6th grade, so that might be a good option.

[sparty04]

I would definitely look into virtual schools. Maybe she could school of choice to a neighboring community if you don't have one through your district?

I know next to nothing about homeschooling but sometimes I run across fb posts asking about it, and most seem to have a religious connection.

[penguingrrl]

Mar 13, 2024 20:33:39 GMT -5 court26 said:

Thanks everyone. Her school gave her a 504 and then offered her 2-3 hours of online tutoring everyday but it took a long time for them to offer it because we expected her to return over and over again and they won’t offer it short- term. She also feels if she commits to tutoring and can’t do it at specific times she will have to do instruction on her own anyway. It’s a huge cluster and I don’t know what to do besides make a plan and move forward. She has to drop her only accelerated class due to how far behind she was so she isn’t technically going to miss out on anything that counts for high school transcripts if she goes back in the fall. No school, no sport, no friends…what a rough end of middle school.

I would see. Our home instructor has been incredibly flexible in timing and working with my daughter (there’s also a sleep disorder going on) and has adjusted as needed to keep things on track. Also, I forgot some states have virtual options (NJ doesn’t have one, per my district), so that might work too. I wouldn’t want to disenroll her from the district if possible. She has a guaranteed free and appropriate public education and her needs right now need to be met by the district.

[lillaguma]

Is there a virtual academy in NY? I know here it's called Virginia Virtual Academy, it's a public school but all online. I'm not sure if they do rolling admissions and would take someone mid-year, but might be worth contacting them to see.

Most homeschool curriculums are not accredited, but there are several good options out there. I'm currently homeschooling one of my children and we've found a lot of good resources, but she's only in third grade. Are you able to spend time working with her at home, or do you need something online/virtual while you work? I've liked Brave Writer resources for language arts, and I know they do have some online class options. Feel free to pm me if you'd like, or as suggested by others you can look for homeschooling facebook groups in your area for help. There are *lots* of different schools of thought about homeschooling, so you'd get a wide, wide variety of responses, and it can take a little time and digging to find your people.

[sent]

My brother got home instruction in the mid 2000s when he was knocked out by some steroid therapy and was missing tons of school. I remember the tutor used to come to our house and he had to stay on track with whatever was happening in the regular classroom. We were in NY.

I'm sorry about your DD's situation. I know homeschooling is not that popular in NY and NJ so I have you find something useful. Local FB moms usually know this stuff in my area for the small homeschooling population that does exist.

[mainelyfoolish]

Pearson, which runs the accredited Connections Academy online schools in several states, has a private pay option available. It looks like in NY you would legally be homeschooling but you can accomplish it through attending an online school.

My oldest kid completed 7th and 8th grades though our state's Connections Academy, and it was a positive experience for us. You do need to provide a moderate to high level of supervision of your child, depending on how well they work independently.

[underwaterrhymes]

Our older child has really struggled socially, so I joined a secular homeschooling group on FB. One of the virtual programs they’ve recommended and we are considering for Middle school if necessary is Prisma.

It’s not cheap (I think around $10,000/annually), but it does look like it’s accredited.

www.joinprisma.com/faqs

Good luck. ❤️

[livinitup]

I am in NY - if my intention was to pay for a homeschool curriculum with the goal of keeping my DD on track for 9th grade and later HS graduation with a regents diploma, I would pay for tutoring instead. It may be harder to find and even more expensive than a good homeschool program, but I would consider it. Definitely consider/request/push the district to provide supported (free) hours.

We have been lucky to find 2 talented tutors that also teach in public schools (locally). It’s been a game changer to have 1:1 weekly tutoring. Maybe consider that for math and one other subject? Will your child do self-guided reading from a recommended English department list? - like an 8th grade reading list, maybe even 9th.