PARENTS TURN TO HOME SCHOOLING FOR VARIETY OF REASONS

Teresa and Richard McGuire's daughter wasn't doing well in school several years ago. They decided to teach her at home.

Nan and Scott McDowell were concerned about having their son educated in a Christian environment. They were also worried because their son had allergies and was sick a lot. They, too, decided to teach him at home.

Maggie and David Probst turned to home education in order to give their children a good learning environment and the benefits of one-on-one instruction.

All three families are pleased with their decision to educate their children at home, and believe it has given their children an opportunity to learn more than they would have in a regular classroom. It has also brought the family much closer together.

There are a variety of reasons why parents decide to home school, but usually it is for a combination of reasons. Those reasons are not always dissatisfaction with the school district they live in. They are usually more deeply rooted in a desire to expand learning opportunities, insure a safe and Christian atmosphere, and many times a desire to spend as much time with children as possible.

But the three sets of parents agree home schooling requires a tremendous commitment and is not something to be done lightly. It is also something good to re-evaluate on a regular basis.

"It is a big commitment on the part of both parents, a major undertaking," Probst said. "A majority of it falls to mom because she is usually at home more, but both parents are involved some way."

Probst, who is director of the Mississippi Valley Home Educators, an organization with about 55 families home schooling in and around Cape, Bollinger, Perry and Scott counties, points out that people from all walks of life home school.

The group includes families with doctors, lawyers, construction workers, and people from all kinds of backgrounds.

Nan McDowell is a former elementary schoolteacher, but Teresa McGuire dropped out of high school during her junior year when she became a teen-age mother. She earned her G.E.D. in 1981, one year after her high school class graduated.

McDowell and McGuire said they were both surprised to find a wide range of choices for home school curriculums and books.

"It is absolutely exploding," McDowell said. "You can get your hands on anything you want. There are so many good companies providing information now."

Probst said Missouri is one of the friendlier states for home schools.

State law requires attendance of children between the ages of 6 and 16 in school.

Home school families are encouraged to notify either the superintendent's office or the county recorder's office to minimize any effort that might be made to investigate reports of children not being in school.

Home schools fall under the state's compulsory attendance laws and there are guidelines that need to be followed, defining the school year and record keeping that needs to be done.

The law requires 1,000 hours of instruction annually, with at least 600 hours in the basics such as reading, language arts, math, social studies and science. At least 400 of the 600 hours must be taught in the home.

Records must be maintained for each child and include: a daily log or plan book indicating the subjects taught and activities done with the student; a portfolio with samples of the student's academic work, and a record of evaluation of the student's progress.

Richard Bollwerk, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Cape Public Schools, said there are about 10 families registered with the office.

"Home schooling is considered similar to private or parochial schooling," Bollwerk said. "The state does not claim to have any jurisdiction over private schools. So once a person declares home schooling, they are on their own and the state does not have any jurisdiction over that school in terms of certification of teachers."

"The only time the public school would be involved is at the point of re-entry."

Bollwerk said records of children who have been in home schools are examined just like students transferring from private schools. In some cases, assessments are made to determine what grade a student should be in.

Bollwerk said he has seen some increase in home schools, probably because more people are finding out that it is a legitimate process and that it is not necessary for the child to be in a regular school.

McGuire, who lives at Old Appleton, has a 10th grader and a fifth grader in home school and has been doing it for three years.

"At first it was an adjustment getting used to each other's personalities, but it has really worked out great since then. But you have to be a strong disciplinarian," said McGuire.

"My daughter has made comments several times about how this has brought us so much closer together as a family."

For anyone considering home school, she suggests that you have to have "a desire in the heart" and be willing to make a big commitment. "There is no better teacher for children than parents," she said.

McDowell, who lives at Fruitland, considers it an honor to be able to teach her elementary-age son. She is in her third year of home school and expects to keep it up for several more years at least.

Probst of Cape Girardeau, has two children and has been home schooling for six years.

"Originally I just liked the idea of having kids at home with me," she said. "They had done so much with me and it seemed natural to continue teaching at home. We want to give the kids a Christian world view, and each year they have progressed. We have enjoyed being with the kids, watching them grow and learning with them."

The Mississippi Valley Home Educators serves as both a source of information and as a support group. It is affiliated with Families for Home Education, a statewide group designed to protect the rights of people to home school.

The Mississippi Valley group holds regular meetings, monthly field trips, provides opportunities for children to take physical education, foreign language and other classes difficult for parents to teach, holds science fairs and programs that regular schools would have.

Students are given opportunities to make presentations the same way they would if in a regular classroom.

Parents say the organization provides children an opportunity to interact with other children. Many home school families also look to their churches as an opportunity to associate with other children.