Questions And Answers About Home School Programs High School

Sara answers:

Are you a USA expatriate? If so, then you can follow USA education laws for your "home". If you are a Mexican citizen, then you need to find out the laws on HS'ing in Mexico, which may not include credit for doing an American home school program.

I work for missionaries in Asia and their high schooler has used Northstar Academy for three years. They work with many international students:

http://www.northstar-academy.org

(the site won't come up for me - perhaps they're having server issues)

Sara answers:

First, homeschooling and online school are two different things. Homeschooling is where the parent accepts legal, financial and educational responsibility for their child's education. Homeschooling is more or less regulated by the individual states as homeschooling. You can learn more about homeschooling, look up your state's laws and find a local support group at

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com

or
www.homeedmag.com

I also recommend Grace Llewellyn's book, "Teenage Liberation Handbook, How to Quit School and Get a Life". Amazon, B&N, Borders, etc., all have it.

Online schools are either public or pirvate schools. The public ones operate as 'distance learning' under some state's laws. They are public schools, generally contracted to a school in your state. They are for profit companies providing a national curriculum. Google 'virtual academy' and 'your state' to find out if they operate in your state and what is available. They have to meet all the same state laws that public schools in your state must meet and are funded by the taxpayer.

Some private schools operate online correspondence schools. While not as regulated as public schools many are very reputable. BUT you have to do your consumer homework. One of the best is the University of Nebraska High School - http://nebraskahs.unl.edu/

As a consumer you must be careful and research any private or religious school you find online. They are - for the most part - unregulated which means anyone can find a few old textbooks, get a post office box and become a 'school'. But at the same time, many long established and reputable private schools operate online schools, too.

I think you will find homeschooling gives you the flexibility to study what you are interested in while taking advantage of opportunties outside of public school during the day. You can also enroll in your local community college and get college credit.

Good luck to both you and your mom.