Why we chose a charter

When we decided to homeschool, we chose to go through a public charter school. Since then, many homeschooling families and friends have asked me why a charter seemed like a better fit for us. After all, I am a credentialed teacher and administrator so I should be comfortable tackling this one all on my own, right?

Wrong. I knew that choosing a charter was the right option from the beginning! The biggest concern most people have about homeschooling is the "socialization". I knew my son was coming out of a traditional school setting where he was used to having tons of kids, field trips, plenty of adults and a variety of situations for interaction with others. He's an outgoing, chatty and friendly guy who is simply not happy sitting at the dining room table buried in a workbook. If we were going to make homeschooling work, we needed a support network, a social outlet and in the best case- some site based classes.

There are a variety of options in our area for charter homeschool programs. Some offer monetary value to purchase curriculum and supplies. Others allow you to check out curriculum and materials from their own library. Some have advisers that come to your house while others have you meet at a library, school site or other location. Finding the right fit for your family and your schedule is important.

I knew we were looking for a school with a site-based option, enrichment classes and a connection with other kids. We were lucky to find that we had one right in our own backyard. With more than 70 site-based class options (including dance, music, arts, writing, math, science and computer technology), a credentialed teacher adviser, library and media center, group field trips and an established program we had hit on the perfect fit! We have been using Natomas Charter School's PACT program for two years now and I'm delighted to say it has been a huge success!

There are some trade-offs for using a charter school rather than the other California option of declaring yourself a private school. We have to agree to standardized state testing. This doesn't bother us because my big hatred of standardized tests comes from the months of test-prep and practice, not the tests themselves! We also have to complete learning records and turn in work samples. These seem daunting as an idea, but even the loosest of unschoolers can handle it! You most definitely do not have to turn in boring piles of workbook pages! Photographs, video links, screen shots, notes, drawings, journal entries- if your kids are doing it, it's a work sample!

Depending on your state, the rules vary about what options you have for homeschooling. In all 50 states, no matter what rumors you've heard, homeschooling is legal in some form or another. You can check your specific homeschooling laws at the HSLDA's website.