GEORGE
GEORGE LESSONS AND SPORTS DIRECTOR JAMAL SPENCER4@4@. IT'S STILL NOT CLEAR HOW KOBE
19 WILL4@ AFFECT THE UPCOMING
SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT UNCERTAINTY HAS SOME
PARENTS CHOOSING TO KEEP THEIR
KIDS AT HOME.
THIRTE4@EN ON YOUR SIDE TO LAND
PARENTS CHOOSING TO KEEP THEIR KIDS AT HOME. THIRTE4@EN ON YOUR SIDE TO LANDA
HALL SPOKE TO SOME PARENTS WHO
ARE WORKING ON THEIR CURRICULUM
.
>> EVEN IF4@ THEIR DISTRIC4@T IS
PROVIDING AN ONLINE LEARNING
OPTION, SOME PARENTS ARE
CHOOSING TO HOMESCHOOL THEIR
KIDS FOR THE UPCOMING4@ SCHOOL
YEAR.
I WASN'T FEELING COMFORTABLE
JUST BEING IN A PLACE OF
UNCERTAINTY4@ AND NOT KNOWING
WHAT TO DO.
JESSICA YOUNG HAS DECIDED TO
HOMESCHOOL HER FIRST GRADE SON
FOR FALL4@.
SHE HAS NEVER TAUGHT HER KIDS
AT HOME BEFORE BUT WAS NOT
COMFORTABLE SENDING THEM BACK
TO THE BUILDING OR RELYING ON
AN ONLINE ONLY PROGRAM.
LAST YEAR WITH THE DISTANCE
LEARNING IN THE SPRING WE
STRUGGLED WITH4@ ZONE CALLS.
MY SON WOULD GET MAYBE HALFWAY
THROUGH A HALF HOUR ZONE CALL
WITH HIS CLASS AND COMPLETELY
LOSE INTEREST AND WANT4@ TO GET
UP AND DO SOMETHING ELSE.
SHE SPENT MANY HOURS
RESEARCHING HOME4@ SCHOOL
MATERIALS AND SUPPORT.
IN DOING SO SHE FOUND MANY
PARENTS4@ LIKE HERSELF PLANNED O
TEACH AT HOME.
THIS YEAR THERE'S THE STRESS OF
NOT KNOWING HOW TO TEACH.
THERE'S THAT4@ FINE LINE BETWEEN
BEING A MOM OR A PARENT AND
BEING A TEACHER4@4@.
OTHER PARENTS ARE LOOKING AT
OPTIONS LIKE HIRING TEACHERS OR
TUTORS SOMEONE LIKE JEANIE
DUNBAR WHO IS AN ADJUNCT
INSTRUCTOR AT GRAND4@ RAPIDS
COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SHE'S OFFERING HER SERVICES TO
PARENTS WHO ARE NAVIGATING THIS
TOUGH TIME.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE SINGLE
PARENTS WHO WORK FULL TIME WHO
MAY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
EDUCATE THEIR KIDS.
>> DOVER SAYS MANY PARENTS ARE
HESITANT TO HOMESCHOOL
ESPECIALLY TEENAGERS BECAUSE
SOME SUBJECTS MIGHT BE OUTSIDE
OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE.
THAT'S WHY SHE'S OFFERING4@ HELP
IN MATH AND SCIENCES.
>> I HAVE ABOUT THREE OR FOUR4@
PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY INTERESTED
IN NOT ONLY INDIVIDUAL TUTORING@
OR INSTRUCTION BUT ALSO GROUP
YOU KNOW, THEIR FRIENDS AND4@
PEOPLE IN THEIR ACADEMIC
APTITUDE TO KIND OF GO IN
TOGETHER.
>> DIANE HEYMAN HAS B4@EEN A
HOMESCHOOL MOM FOR 154@ YEARS.
SHE SAYS IF YOU'RE STARTING OUT
FIND A COMMUNITY GROUP FOR4@4@
SUPPORT.
ALSO PREPA4@RE YOUR STU4@DENT FR
THE CHANGE IN CURRICULUM AS
MOST HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS DO NOT
FOLLOW THE COMMON CORE.
I LOVE THE FLEXIBILITY OF A
LOVE THAT I CAN SLOW DOWN OR
SPEED UP THE CURRICULUM BUT FOR
YOUNG HOMESCHOOLING IS A
TEMPORARY PLAN.
>> SHE STILL HOPES IT'S SAFE TO@
SEND HER KIDS TO CLASS NEXT
YEAR.
WE LOVE THE HUDSON MIDDLE4@.
IT WAS NEVER OUR LONG TERM PLAN
TO HOMESCHOOL SO WE ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO SENDING OUR KIDS
BACK TO SCHOOL4@ WHEN WE FEEL
IT'S IN KENT COUNTY.
ALINA HOELESS 13 ON YOUR SID4@E
4@>> THE IDEA OF HOMESCHOOLING
EVEN PART OF THE FAMILY'S SINCE
AND SOMETHING THE MICHIGAN
EDUCATION ASSOCIATION IS
NECESSARILY DISCOURAGING MBA
VISE PRESIDENT TOLD ME EARLIER
TODAY SHE COMPLETELY
UNDERSTANDS.
BUT SHE ALSO SAID PARENTS
SHOULD KEEP SOME THINGS IN
MIND.
SHOULD THEY GO THAT ROUTE?
I WOULD ELECT ONE4@ ONLINE
PROGRAMS THAT MY LOCAL DISTRICT
IS DOING4@ BECAUSE THEN THEY
COULD ALSO PARTICIPATE IN
EXTRACURRICULARS WHETHER IT'S
ONLINE THEY COULD STILL
MAINTAIN FRIENDSHIPS WITHIN
THEIR GRADES4@ AND THEN IF THEY
FELT COMFORTABLE ENOUGH I COULD
SEND4@ RIGHT BACK NEXT YEAR.
>> MY ENTIRE INTERVIEW WITH THE
MBA4@ VISE PRESIDENT IS ON OUR
WEB SITE AND I ASKED HER
DIRECTLY IF THEY WERE HEARING4@
FROM TEACHERS WHO WERE SIMPLY
AFRAID TO GO BACK TO CLASS THIS
FALL.
>> THE STATE OF MICHIGAN DOES
NOT HAVE MANY REQUIREMENTS WHEN
IT COMES TO HOME EDUCATION.
THERE IS NO REPORTING PROCESS
FOR PARENTS.
IT4@ IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.
AND WHILE PARENTS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO KEEP RECORDS OF
THEIR CHILD'S PROGRESS, IT IS
NOT REQUIRED AND THERE ARE NO
REQUIRED TESTS FOR HOMESCHOOLED
STUDENTS4@ OVER CERTAIN SUBJECTS
ARE REQUIRED.
CHILDREN IN ALL GRADES MUST4@ DO
MATH READING, ENGLISH SCIENCE
AND SOCIAL STUDIES.
4@THE CIVICS COURSES ARE REQUIRD
FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 104@
THROUGH 12.
WITH SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY ABOUT
THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR WE
WANT TO HEAR WHAT HAS YOU
CONCERNED?
TEXT US YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE
NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN AT 6 1 6
5