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Show Feb. 29,1996 What kind of schooling? Parents must make important choices from available options 15 Hilltop Times instruction is enhanced in the home. While there is no required curriculum for home schooling, the law recommends that the parent follow either state or district guidelines. State law requires parents who teach their children at home to register with the local school district, said Fred Brown of the Davis County School District Curriculum Office. State law doesn't require school districts to monitor home schooling, but the district will investigate if they receive reports of educational neglect, Brown said. Parents who choose to educate their children at home aren't left to fend for themselves. School districts will work with students with special needs to be sure those needs are met. And students are allowed to attend public schools for classes that their parents do not feel qualified to teach. Technology is providing other help for parent-teacher- s too. Educational pro-- t grams- and the World Wide Web are providing a path that appears easier for the home educator. But the parent must remain aware that children may lose interest in high-tec- h education. "After a while, kids get tired of the glitter of some of these programs. You've got to go a lot to beat Saturday morning television in terms of interest," Brown said. College is not out for children schooled at home, but it's more difficult for those who complete high school that way. Utah law does not require a high school diploma for college admission. But many d students find that they need remedial studies to meet matriculation requirements. Also students may find themselves unable to and uhivei J attend ture's facing problems." Private schools without religious affili ation are harder to find in the Hill area. Many, such as the Sylvan Learning e schools, but offer Center, aren't for who need occasionstudents hoi Education tutoring Resistance A.B. (D.A.R.E.) proRussell by the Horizon School in Hilltop Times staff gram, and many offer school- - and al help. Some, like e 1 district-baseschools with emphad and Pat Bearde to in- Ogden, are designed programs Defense Megacenter Ogden and deter these sis on different approaches toward child crease development and smaller class sizes. For most parents, en- problems. "We look at children a little different"We don't shield the kids. We try and suring that their chil- help them understand what's happening ly," said Ellie Seely, one of the founders dren get the kind of and what's on," Nixon said. "Here of Horizon School. "All our teachers education they need to at Hill Fieldgoing Elementary, I don't see kids have a real developmental background, succeed in life is a major that are oriented ... maybe one or so they understand why children are gang concern. .two, and all I've had to do is say, 'That's growing and developing when they're doruonc scnoois in not appropriate, and they don t do it ing it." ' Utah offer Parents considering sending their chilagain." curriculums and promote high levels of schools should realize, While educators often decry the limit- dren to achievement. But some parents seek ed funding of Utah public schools, state that there are some trade-offTransporother educational avenues for their chil- secondary education does have budge- tation is often a major problem. While dren. Some choose private schools, while tary advantages not available to private carpooling and the Utah Transit others opt to teach their children at and home schools. Grants for purposes Authority provide ways to get the kids homa Choosing where a child is educatranging from science to social problems to school, transportation is ultimately ed will have a permanent effect on that are available from a wide range of the parent's responsibility. Should the child's life. sources. In 1995, the Davis County day's driver get sick, the parent still needs to get the child to school. If the School District Teacher Foundation Public schools awarded more than a dozen grants for bus is late, so is the student. Most Hill AFB parents send their chil- projects that included microscopes and is a major factor. Tuition is more than $2,500. dren to public schools, and for a number a study of student life in India. of reasons this is an excellent choice. As clothing to comply with a dress code and other supplies can easischools proof of the value of Utah education, Steve Appleton, chief executive officer Parents choose private schools for ly push that minimum to well over the firm several reasons; the promise of a better $3,000 mark. There are often tuition--, of Micron Corporation (a high-tec- h in the process of building a new plant education for their children, the safety assistance programs and monthly pay- -' Lehi, Utah), said one reason his compariy0f a more highly controlled environment, ment programs that can make the ex-- 1 chose this state for thenewplant is the v reiigi0us factors are high on the "list, pense easier to bear, but it is still there. availability of Private religious schools tecprire their ; Parents can also .expect an extra drain f !1 workers. ! to take classes that include the onjtheir free time' (which is probably al- sities.lwiiV Because Hill is located; iff : Davis, doctrine of the sponsoring church. ready limited). Private schools often ask, Expense can. be a major- hurdle for expect, or demand that parents volun- those wishing to teach their children at County, many parents here' send their j Although many, like Rowland Hall-S- t. can be so children to schools in the Davis Countyr Mark's in Salt Lake City, accept children teer for activities that are taken care of home. The technology-tha- t acnooi uiscnci;. otausucs snow mat of other faiths, the teachings of that Dar- - by the staff in public schools. They may helpful is very expensive, but it is necesvis County schools rank highly comticular church (at Rowland Hall, Epis be asked to help cook and serve school sary if the child is to compete with his lunches, direct parking lot traffic during or her peers. EVen without computers, pared with public schools statewide and copal) are taught daily. nationally. Testing indicates that Davis Since the schools are funded through peak hours or serve on one of a number textbooks alone are 4 major expense. g of committees. County students are achieving at a tuition, endowments and may also be social The children, too, can face difficulties in home schooling. higher level than their peers in almost many can't afford team sports and high c schools. limited opportunity for extech labs. Because St. Joseph's High when they attend every area of study. One test used nationally to gauge stuSchool in Ogden has no football field, The limited extracurricular opportuni- tracurricular activities at best, the students' abilities is the Stanford Achievethere is no football team (St. Joseph's ties can be discouraging. And if, as many dents find themselves without the ment Test. Taking the test in fifth, does have extracurricular activities in- schools require, the child must wear a advantage of being around other eighth and 11th grades, Davis County cluding basketball, track, debate, and uniform, that can make him or her a tar- children. "Kids get quite isolated at home unstudents averaged higher than many drama). Some private schools do, get for ridicule or bullies. Also, expectaother schools in the state and the nation. however, offer a full variety of activities, tions of teachers and parents are usually less they have other avenues to have "Our results are considered high be-- . from football to ski teams to full music very high. those socializing activities," Brown said. '. But some seeking alternatives to pub-- "They learn a lot from each other by ' cause our students' middle ranking ex- programs. i ceeds the middle ranking of 50 by" as ;fe' watching each different student learn." venV on"i limited budgets! the lie school aren't concerned with transporBut Brent Ostlund does not feel that much as 16 points (in 1995),' said Judy, schools strive to provide the ' tation, volunteering or uniforms. They Nixon, principal of Hill Field Elementary ' JLi tools their students will need. teach their children at home. Home home schooling is holding his children -; Adven-tis- t ; School, schooling is legal and accepted as one of back socially. The average child is conj The tiny Deamude Seventh-Da- y fronted with the opportunity to socialSchools 'can be measured in part by for boasts example, School, eight Utah's educational choices. ize daily through community activities, test performance, but another factor is computers for their 18 students. he said. Home schooling the size of classes. Smaller class sizes can While private schools have their adA majority of children attending home provide a "major advantage over the vantages and disadvantages, most offi- ' Home schooling allows parents an oplarger classes found in Utah public cials in these schools say that safety is portunity to decide, within limits, what school do ultimately get the social schools, Nixon said. But that advantage a major benefit. Administrators of these will be emphasized in their children's benefits of public school. Most youngand it pro- sters being schooled at home return to can have two sides. Because there are schools say that the incidence of tobac education and what won't fewer children, social growth m& be co, drugs, alcohol and gangs is lower in vides a safety factor that can't be public education at some point before limited in a smaller school or a smaller: their schools because they can be selec- - achieved in any other type of schooling. completing high school, Brown said. "Most of the time, the students come Brent Ostlund of the Defense class. tive of their student population. "One of the beauties of public schools - ''We don't have to take everyone," Megacenter Ogden says there could be back into the system to go to high school is that part of the role of the student is agtA Wellington Matheson of the Dea- - a hundred reasons. to opt for home because they can't get a high school ' learning to get along socially," Nixon mudeschooL,"Ifwe have kids who won't schooling. Ostlund and his wife, Donna, diploma and they find out that's neces4 ( 6, fi 'r , i said. S behave we give them a fair chance, but decided to teach their seven children at ' sary. Also, some parents don't have the . "V . 1L i 111 they get to go somewhere else if they home for several, of those reasons. A expertise ui Keep up wim uie siuueni. VUUil Vj a- uuuuv teacher herself, Donna Ostlund wanted terms of their learning," he said. a wide assortment of won't behave." Ostlund does not believe that home activities that Still, problems do exist. While private to teach at home because she felt that increase their students' opportunity to schools have more methods to deter classes in public schools were too large, schooling is for every family. In families learn socially. Beginning with structured problems because they are bound by con- and that she could provide a more com- where both parents must work, it would and unstructured play activities in tract, rather than constitutional law, plete education for two of her children be impractical, very difficult and require extraordinary discipline. tobacco, drugs, alcohol and gangs do, at with special needs. elementary school, students can particicurriculum covers Osthinds' "a The on to their make way campus. times, Every child, every parent and every activities in sports physical pate has different needs, attitudes and said Brent of are now Ostlund, family that unfortunate subjects, myriad" "It's music such parents as and intellectual pursuits as concerned about safety as they are including math, English, history, sci- values, but most parents are dedicated and drama. their children. Being All schools, public and private, face about education, and that parents are ence, computer science, art and music. to the education of the problems of drugs, alcohol and vio- now looking for places where their stu- Each child is required to take lessons on aware of the opportunities available is the first part of making a decision that lence. Public schools offer programs that dents will be safe," Rev. John Norman, at least one musical instrument. The children attend one music lesson from a may be the most important in a child's help the students cope with these issues. principal of St. Joseph's High School, life. Most schools offer the Drug and Alco- - said. "We face problems because our cul professional teacher each week, and that full-tim- full-tim- self-estee- m - non-publ- a & Cost Private home-schoole- uj' home-schoole- d '?ffj& AVtu'dents - fund-raisin- fund-raisin- g, There non-publi- L w s'..s J . . 1 - 1 ov-w- DavlS POOR COPY |