We just withdrew our 11th grade daughter from public high school due to several issues including health and are looking at the next steps.

I want to get her started with an online option between now and end of year. Hopefully something well suited for continuing education at a college in Texas.

I see accredited vs non accredited and then there are different accrediting bodies too. Self paced vs on a schedule, etc. I think we would prefer accredited/self paced if that exists.

Pretty overwhelmed right now - can anyone offer guidance?

https://www.txvs.org/
Here's a link to TX online virtual.


Accredited online schools link:
https://www.txvsn.org/online-schools

maroon barchetta said:

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Search up homeschool groups in your area. The girls that used to babysit for us were all homeschooled and they participated in cheerleading and volleyball and theater and all sorts of stuff.

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only if the home district allows participation. Most do not allow it

Homeschooling isn't what it used to be (or what people think it is). Like the previous poster said, google homeschool groups/co-ops in your area. You'll find an overwhelming amount of info. Are you near a community college? You can also look into dual credit programs.

Are you/is she wanting to finish up the classes she's currently taking?

sdc177 said:

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We just withdrew our 11th grade daughter from public high school due to several issues including health and are looking at the next steps.

I want to get her started with an online option between now and end of year. Hopefully something well suited for continuing education at a college in Texas.

I see accredited vs non accredited and then there are different accrediting bodies too. Self paced vs on a schedule, etc. I think we would prefer accredited/self paced if that exists.

Pretty overwhelmed right now - can anyone offer guidance?

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Personally, I don't think this matters. Homeschooling in Texas affords lots of flexibility - which is a double-edged sword. There are lots of options but you have to be disciplined. Parents can affectively create their child's HS transcript based on what classes/curriculum they used.

Our oldest did mostly dual credit his last 2 years of HS, which helped out with his transcript. He also did really well on the SAT. That's another thing your daughter can concentrate on. SAT prep. That really helped our son with college admissions and scholarships.

We are doing Texas Tech online for our son's foreign language. It is fairly straightforward and self-paced. The instructor gives feedback on the homework and such.

We are in public school, but looked heavily into homeschool a year ago. While we are at the elementary level, we were looking for something that flowed well to high school, had grading help, tutoring, and offered report cards/transcripts, and had a competitive curriculum for high school.

Had we not transferred out of county to a really great small school, we were going to go with Seton Home Study School. It is Catholic (if that's a turn off for you), but it offered a ton of help for home schooling, had competitive curriculum, and higher than national average entrance exam scores.

histag10 said:

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We are in public school, but looked heavily into homeschool a year ago. While we are at the elementary level, we were looking for something that flowed well to high school, had grading help, tutoring, and offered report cards/transcripts, and had a competitive curriculum for high school.

Had we not transferred out of county to a really great small school, we were going to go with Seton Home Study School. It is Catholic (if that's a turn off for you), but it offered a ton of help for home schooling, had competitive curriculum, and higher than national average entrance exam scores.

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We are not Catholic - would that be an issue?

My neighbor used to teach for Texas Online Preparatory School and really seemed to like it. They are online but all of the teachers are State Certified. And because it's technically a public school assigned to Huntsville ISD, it is tuition free.

It might not be right for you, but worth checking out.

https://tops.k12.com/enrollment/how-it-works/

Not if you are okay with it having some elements of the religion in it. Some people are vehemently against it, while others dont mind.

I am amazed by "home schooling" sounds fancy but seems not practical.

I am trying to teach my kid AP Statistics in 12th grade. I have no time to read her books. If I took on all her courses, I would go mad.

Here in BCS, there is One Day Academy that helps with some of the courses parents may not feel confident in teaching. The amount of highly qualified individuals that teach courses there is insane.

histag10 said:

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Here in BCS, there is One Day Academy that helps with some of the courses parents may not feel confident in teaching. The amount of highly qualified individuals that teach courses there is insane.

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This. My 11th grader is taking statistics, physics, and literature through One Day. They are taught by people who actually know the subject matter, not just moms reading a textbook. Next year he'll probably do some combination of One Day and dual credit.

You are right that districts can deny UIL competition, but there are a lot of homeschool options.

This fall, we signed up our 11th grader for tech online but then changed our minds and switched to Liberty University because had more personal instruction. Friends of ours had a good experience. At tech kids are teaching themselves more. But tech has going to be free. No complaints so far. But we also have tutor he meets with that he has had for several years bc of his dyslexia.

Public school is a massive waste of time for kids. I figure a student spends about 2-3 hours per school day actually learning. The kids carry spine destroying backpacks, and every day they face the wrath of 100s of other insecure, unstable, scared, moody teenagers in some horrible stage of puberty. Viral disease (cold, flu) is rampant. Visual, aural, physical, and emotional stimulation is constant. Occasional fights and drug sightings, a few bat-sh** crazy teachers, the bumper car lot they call student-parking..... the stuff of nightmares.

But "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". That's almost a literal statement. I pray no kids die in public school, but each one that graduates has been through the fire at the most formative years of their lives. Regardless of grades or AP status or varsity activities, they've seen and experienced things that prepare them for the hard years to come.

I considered a small private school for my kids for all the reasons above, but with them having survived a large urban high school, I was much less worried about them going away to college.

But I certainly understand where certain health issues would necessitate homeschool for any great kid.

Philo B 93 said:

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Public school is a massive waste of time for kids. I figure a student spends about 2-3 hours per school day actually learning.

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My daughter was in a charter school all through elementary and I always felt that they managed their time very well. That being said, it was a fine arts school and her day was 7:30-4:00 because 2 hours a day was spent in her arts classes.

This year she started middle school (private) and her day is 8:45-3:00. The volume of academic work being completed has been really eye opening to how much time was being "wasted" in the charter school due to larger class size, teachers having to slow down for kids who weren't as advanced, etc. Some of that is also probably the transition from elementary to middle, but I've been really pleased with what she's accomplished with spending so much less time physically at school.

histag10 said:

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Here in BCS, there is One Day Academy that helps with some of the courses parents may not feel confident in teaching. The amount of highly qualified individuals that teach courses there is insane.

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If they are being taught outside the home, then is it still home schooling?

Yes. Just like homeschool coops exist. As the parent, you get to direct your child's education. Whether that is you teaching it all, working with a homeschool program, utilizing a coop, having kids take college classes, or anything else. Heck- even having a job can fulfill credits.