DS currently attends an independent school & has been there for several years. We are happy with his progress & he LOVES his school. He's found a home there. He fits in, he's a leader & he's stimulated. He attended public school for a few years prior to attending his current school. Suffice it to say, I will never send him back to our local school district.
So what's the problem? Thankfully, there are none this year. It's next year, when he starts middle school, that has me really worried. The middle school, essentially tossed out it's rigorous curriculum this year and implemented a poorly conceived 1:1 iPad program without a curriculum. Each student was given their own personal iPad to carry around & use all day. The iPad program is a disaster for many reasons. I'm not opposed to using technology in the classroom, but I have a big issue with them giving my then to be 11 year old unsupervised access to the internet & gaming apps all day. I'm also concerned with the unhealthy amount of screen time kids have, the decrease in 1:1 teacher interaction, and the fact that all work must be done on the iPad, including notetaking.
I'm considering homeschooling for middle school. If he's going to be using an iPad app all day in school, I'd much rather he use CTY online for core course work under my supervision. We live near a major city so we have easy access to all kinds of museums, colleges, and cultural offerings. My concern with homeschooling is that my son is a social butterfly, and as an only child, he can get very lonely. I know homeschooling networks provide social opportunities, but ds craves daily interaction with peers.
I really don't want to pull my son out of his school next year, but I can't imagine anything good coming out of the messed up middle school iPad program. To me, it is not worth the steep tuition to send him to a school for the social factor alone. It's heart breaking...
I'd appreciate any input. Anyone have experience with using CTY to homeschool? What can I expect from CTY online courses?
Thanks!
