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Raising Adults; the Importance of Character and Employable Skills PDF Print E-mail
Written by Stephen Holland   
Thursday, 02 July 2009 13:24
It is critical to ensure that children are receiving an entire education- not only the 3 R's but also the abilities necessary to become a productive and successful adult.

As homeschoolers, we value the freedom that we enjoy to teach what we judge to be the most important. In Texas, we are technically only required to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, and Civics. However, I think that most of us teach far more than is technically required as the lowest minimum standard.

Today, when I say 'life skills' I don't refer to laundry, grocery shopping, and measuring ingredients. I think more along the lines of

-independent problem solving
-managing tasks
-respect for authority
-eliminating the unnecessary info
-working alone productively
-managing deadlines
-finding solutions

When I have had job interviews, talked to managers about their employees, or read articles about 'what employers want' etc, I find common threads. The young people that we as a nation are launching into the workforce are unprepared. Even if we completely disregard their academic abilities (such as making change, writing decent memos, and other education-derived tasks) they are terribly unfit for almost any employment. They are unable to work independently, moving from task to task without lolling about on the internet or at the proverbial water cooler. If they run into an obstacle, they don't problem-solve to continue with their task. They cannot sift through extra information to find an answer, they have a short attention span when confronted with a challenge, in short they are without the training necessary to work productively.

We must be vigilant to ensure that the associated tasks of an entire education are being met (such as the list above). We must invest the time at the kitchen table going over work, doing flashcards, demanding rewrites, and raising the bar of requirements for each child's education. We are raising future adults, not children.This will ensure educational goals are met, so it becomes a lifestyle to write and meet goals, to break up tasks into manageable chunks, to pay attention, to respect authority, to solve problems.

This is what is needed today! Whether you homeschool or supplement a public education, you must own and be responsible for the shape of your child's abilities. Your child has complete freewill after he leaves the house. But before that day, you must demand that your child learns the other set of skills that makes a productive and capable worker.

by: Teresa Dear

About The Author

Teresa Dear is a homeschooling mom of four kids. She divides her time between education, the home, and stocking her storefront with handmade greeting cards.
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 July 2009 13:28
 
What is HomeLink? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Webmaster   
Thursday, 23 October 2008 16:00
HomeLink Mission Statement
Provide students an alternative learning opportunity to work toward earning a high school diploma, to foster habits of independent learning, to enhance self-esteem and expand personal goals through individual success.

Program Description

The Raymond School District HomeLink program is designed to help parents and students who do not wish to participate in the standard school program but would like access to school resources in planning curriculum. This help can take several forms; our coordinator can help find materials, recommend other people who can help or connect parents with such things as books, on-line access, field trips, etc..

HomeLink is designed and dedicated to supporting parents and students who are committed to teaching and learning at home and in the community. Home-based education is a commitment made by the family to provide a full education for their children and recognizes the parents as the principal teachers. Our role is to support that teaching, not replace it.

Enrollment Process

  • Contact the school office to schedule an interview with staff to insure the HomeLink program meets the needs of the student and family.
  • Submit an application with immunization records, transcript and out-of district waiver, if applicable
  • Meet with the HomeLink coordinator to write a learning plan

Entry Requirements and Expectations

  • Kindergarten through 12th grade Raymond Schools student (out-of-district transfers possible).
  • Parent/adult is responsible for student's education; the school’s role is to support the parent and student
  • Parent develops a course of study and works with coordinator to implement it
  • Follow course of study as outlined in learning plan
  • Devote a minimum of 25 hours per week in learning activity and record this in your activity log
  • Student and parent/adult meet weekly with program coordinator

Common Questions

The following information addresses some of the most frequent questions parents and students have about this program. Please do not hesitate to contact the school for additional information.

What do we use for textbooks? Parents can purchase their own resources or use texts provided by district. A $1,200 per year/per child curriculum allocation is provided for parents by the district.

Are high school credits recognized by Raymond School District? Yes. It is the responsibility of the HomeLink Coordinator to ensure the student's work complies with the academic standards for the courses.

How is academic achievement reported? This is up to the parent. We are willing to provide HomeLink students the same progress and grade reports as all other students. In the case of HS students, transcripts can be provided at the end of each semester.

Can HomeLink students participate in school activities? Students are Raymond School District students and can participate in student organizations, sports and other activities. HomeLink students are subject to the same behavior standards as all students.

What are the requirements for HS graduation? The requirements for graduating are the same as they are for any student enrolled at Raymond High School. The Coordinator will inform the parents and students regarding the graduation requirements.

Can a HomeLink student participate in junior/senior programs? Programs such as Running Start, college visitations, scholarships, and graduation ceremonies are all open to HomeLink students. Parents and students should stay in contact with the counseling office in order to ensure good communication.

What “in-school” time commitment is required to stay in good standing with the program? The student has two options: a workshop model or a consultant model. The workshop model requires attendance of 5 hours per week while the student receives intensive help. The consultant model requires the student to meet with the HomeLink coordinator 1 hour per week.
Last Updated on Saturday, 27 June 2009 19:19
 
Columbia Virtual Academy PDF Print E-mail
Written by Webmaster   
Wednesday, 15 April 2009 16:00

cva logo



District Increases Service and Choice Through Partnership With CVA

Raymond, WA - In its ever-vigilant search for opportunities to improve programming for student learning, the Raymond School District is now offering families greater choice and control of their child's education through Columbia Virtual Academy-Raymond (CVA-Raymond).

"We have added options, in addition to our HomeLink program, for parents who wish to have some help in designing instruction for their students, but still desire to be their children's primary teacher," explained Raymond School District Superintendent Dr. Steve Holland.

Columbia Virtual Academy, the only completely public, completely non-profit and completely shared virtual learning program in Washington, offers K-12 educational programming directly to families, or in partnership with school districts, across the state.
According to CVA's founding Superintendent Dr. Mark Selle, "Parents are the first and most important educators of their children, but no family typically has all the resources or expertise it needs to fully educate their children on their own."

That is where CVA seeks to fit in.

"Through CVA, families can access curricular resources, specialty instructors in their communities, and support for planning each child's learning," Dr. Selle explained. "Additionally, CVA staff can help parents evaluate their children's progress and help to ensure that every child has all that they need to succeed."

Dr. Selle added that, "CVA-Raymond only increases the support families across the state have to choose the kind of education they want for their children."

For its part, the Raymond School District has already worked to offer individualized learning for every student within the school system. "CVA-Raymond will help us partner with parents to reach the same goal - education anywhere at any time for any student," Dr. Holland stated. He added that the CVA partnership with 11 districts across the state will help operational efficiency for the district while making new curriculum options available to families. "Although we use Apex Curriculum now, such things as the Calvert Curriculum and the Digital Learning Commons will be new for us," Dr. Holland said. "I believe that partnering with CVA will be most important in that it gives families and students more choices."

According to CVA Director Lori Larsen, CVA-Raymond will advance Raymond's technology goals as well.
"Dr. Holland has shared with us that he would like for Raymond School District to be the technology leader in his region," Larsen said. "We look forward to assisting the district in achieving its goals in any way that we can."

CVA began in 2003 as the Valley Home Program at the Valley School District in rural northeast Washington. The program expanded to statewide operation as Columbia Virtual Academy in 2006. CVA is open to partnership to any public school district in Washington and currently partners with 11 districts. Its mission is to support Family Choice Education through the values of personalization, flexibility, choice, and control.

Additional information about CVA is available at www.columbiavirtualacademy.org
Last Updated on Friday, 17 July 2009 10:45
 


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