Our primary concerns were:
{ quality of education }
Transitioning from one-on-one private teaching at home to a classroom full of children with one teacher is going to be a big educational adjustment for our kids. Also, not being able to advance or move slower in subjects as needed is a benefit of homeschool we will miss greatly.
2024 update: This hasn't been a concern that proved to really be an issue. My older two kids went into school “ ahead” of grade level according to the curriculum we had been using, but I had a feeling that the transition from one-on-one learning to classroom learning would neutralize any lead. It did. There have been times they have complained about being bored, but there have also been times they've complained about being challenged - and I think that's a good, realistic mix. One thing I did not anticipate was my kids being peer-pressured to do better academically. One of my kids did not want to be the worst at typing in his class, and peer-pressure motivated him to practice at home. Another kid did not want to be struggling to read, and peer-pressure motivated her to take tutoring seriously and practice every night. Another kid did not want to be having emotional outbursts around his friends because none of his other friends were. I will also add that public schooling afforded my kids challenging opportunities that I was not able to provide at home: having to partner with a student you don't really know, having to make a presentation in front of the class, participating in a large group discussion with kids with differing backgrounds and worldviews than you. Further, I've watched my kids rise to many challenges on the playground: being brave and playing sports they aren't really good at because all of their friends are, being okay playing by themselves when they don't like what their friends are playing, and my favorite: looking out for each other at recess and making friends with each other's friends.
{ worldview }
Our biggest concern entering the public school system is navigating the clash of worldviews. As a Christian family, our worldview comes from the Bible. That is often at odds with the worldview used in public schools. Unlike our faith-based homeschool co-op, public school does not guarantee friendships with kids and families that share our worldview. Being able to understand and respect other people's worldviews without abandoning your own is something we're already teaching our children - but this will be put to the test as they enter public school. Further, we don't want our kids to be bullied or ostracized for their Biblical worldview. We will likely spend the majority of our energy helping our kids navigate this aspect of public schooling.
2024 update: This concern proved to be very valid. It's no secret that the public school worldview is not inherently Christian. We were hoping for the environment at their school to be at least Christian-friendly, and that is exactly what we got. The kids’ school promotes true tolerance for all world views and faiths, and that includes Christians. We've had no problem finding Christian families and friends for our kids, as well as just really nice families and friends all around. There are a handful of Christian teachers and staff at the school as well (and really nice faculty all around). One thing I really like about their school is the emphasis on character, vs. identity: while there is room for all identities, the school emphasizes that who you are is shown but how you act, not by who you say you are. This is emphasized top to bottom, bottom to top, left and right. The kids really seem to understand that character matters - and while this sentiment is not based on biblical principles in this scenario, is very consistent with our faith.
{ time}
Time and affirmation equals influence, and we are concerned about the amount of time our kids will spend with adults that aren't us and children that aren't their siblings. This would be a concern even if we were doing private school. I'm also disappointed at how many days of the year the kids are required to be in school, and will greatly miss the freedoms that homeschooling provided our family.
2024 update: this proved to be a valid concern as well. Simply put, we get much less time with our kids. We combat this in a variety of ways: I pick them up and drop them off for school so we can get that chat time in the car, I make an earnest effort to have all of my housework and family life tasks completed by the time they get home so I am available to them after school, I volunteer in each of their classrooms once a week, Kyle does as many field trips as he can, and of course we spend evenings and weekends mostly together.
We were looking forward to:
{ richer family time }
Not spending all day everyday together will make the time we do spend together more rich. I will be downright eager to reunite with the kids after them being away all day school!
2024 update: This proved to be true! I am so happy to see them at pick up, and that lasts all the way through bedtime.
2024 update: This proved to be true! I am so happy to see them at pick up, and that lasts all the way through bedtime.
{ friendships }
I love that my kids have each other as their best friends, but I am also excited to see them develop friendships outside of our family. Especially knowing that many of these friends they will have throughout high school and beyond! I am still close with some of my friends from elementary school, and I'm happy my kids may get the same experience.
2024 update: This has been even better than we thought it would be. My kids have all made great choices with the friends they've made so far, and I'm loving getting to know so many other moms and families. We're only one year in and I'm already picturing their little friend groups at high school graduation and the lifetime of memories the kids will share with their friends between now and then.
{ community involvement }
While we were involved in our local homeschool community, I am excited to branch out of that and be involved in the local public school community. I've already met so many wonderful people, and reconnected with many people from my own public school childhood.
2024: This has also proven to be true. We feel much more involved in our local community, which has extended to extracurricular activities, sports teams, supporting fundraisers, youth groups, etc.
{ my health}
My health is going to improve by making this change, and I am so ready to put the existing energy and good health that I do have toward joining the kids in this transition and supporting them in their public school experience.
2024 update: Last year my youngest was still in half day pre-k, so we wont see the full effect of having the kids in public school until after this school year now that she has joined them in kindergarten. But I can already say with certainty that my health has, at the very least, stopped spiraling downward. I'm very thankful for this!
General reflections
I love that my kids have each other as their best friends, but I am also excited to see them develop friendships outside of our family. Especially knowing that many of these friends they will have throughout high school and beyond! I am still close with some of my friends from elementary school, and I'm happy my kids may get the same experience.
2024 update: This has been even better than we thought it would be. My kids have all made great choices with the friends they've made so far, and I'm loving getting to know so many other moms and families. We're only one year in and I'm already picturing their little friend groups at high school graduation and the lifetime of memories the kids will share with their friends between now and then.
{ community involvement }
While we were involved in our local homeschool community, I am excited to branch out of that and be involved in the local public school community. I've already met so many wonderful people, and reconnected with many people from my own public school childhood.
2024: This has also proven to be true. We feel much more involved in our local community, which has extended to extracurricular activities, sports teams, supporting fundraisers, youth groups, etc.
{ my health}
My health is going to improve by making this change, and I am so ready to put the existing energy and good health that I do have toward joining the kids in this transition and supporting them in their public school experience.
2024 update: Last year my youngest was still in half day pre-k, so we wont see the full effect of having the kids in public school until after this school year now that she has joined them in kindergarten. But I can already say with certainty that my health has, at the very least, stopped spiraling downward. I'm very thankful for this!
General reflections
Some things I know made a big difference for us:
Final thoughts: Putting our kids in public school isn't necessarily less work than homeschooling, it's just been different work. We're putting our energy into different areas so that we can stay very involved with them in this. We told our kids that they aren't going to public school, our family is going to public school - and we really wanted them to feel like that is true. And I think they do. I can confidently say that making this change did accomplish what we set out to accomplish. We've been pleasantly surprised, and we are really looking forward to this school year!
- Being in the classroom and at the school. I volunteered in each of my kids' classrooms an hour a week last year, my husband volunteered for as many field trips as he could, and we both volunteered for as many school activities as we could. Our goal was to know others and be known; I think we accomplished that, and it had the benefits we intended. We will continue this.
- I started a local Moms in Prayer chapter at our school. Praying for our kids and our kids' school is most powerful thing we can do for our kids while they are away from us, and joining together to do it with other believers is incredibly comforting. I will continue wit this!
- While our kids didn't have much homework, we are very hands-on with the homework they do have. We are also very interested in the books they brought home from the school library.
- I read any and all communication from the school, which helps me stay very much in-the-know. This also helps me know what they might be learning about in the classroom that we want to add to, or correct.
- I was open with their teachers and Principal about things I did not feel comfortable with for them. This only happened a few times, and was not a problem at all.
Final thoughts: Putting our kids in public school isn't necessarily less work than homeschooling, it's just been different work. We're putting our energy into different areas so that we can stay very involved with them in this. We told our kids that they aren't going to public school, our family is going to public school - and we really wanted them to feel like that is true. And I think they do. I can confidently say that making this change did accomplish what we set out to accomplish. We've been pleasantly surprised, and we are really looking forward to this school year!
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