Out Loud

I'm thinking out loud here.

Before Clay was born Casey and I were already thinking about his education. About where he would go to school in the future. We both want to afford him the best opportunities in life possible and I believe that starts with a quality education.

I have researched until I have turn blue about the "best" schools in greater Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton, Bryant, and Haskell. I have looked at public, charter, private, catholic, Methodist, e-schools, and magnet. I have compared statistics from school district to school district of "pass rates," (I put that in quotes because passing seems to be a relative term - a D is not considered anywhere near passing in my book, neither does a 1.8 GPA when graduating from high school) average ACT scores, the amount of scholarships granted when graduating from high school at each school, the teacher to student ratio (yikes), and the cost of public versus private school and how that relates to the overall (perceived) success of students in the long run. And guess what...I'm not impressed. I'm quite scared to be honest.

I know that the majority of teachers/educators have the child's best interest in mind, but I also know that it must be very difficult to put 100% into each and every student - especially when your class may be comprised of 20+ students. I also commend every teacher for dedicating their lives to education - they truly may be the ONLY education a child may get. That being said, I know that the majority of a child's education starts and ends at home. The more we, as parents, put into our children, the better their outcome. (Yes, this is going somewhere, I promise.)

I am very aware of how much time during the day I spend "teaching" Clay. Even at a young age I truly believe that lessons are extremely important and will only continue to grow in importance. I also know that Casey and I are intelligent people that have a HUGE vested interest in Clay's education. (Mainly because he is brilliant already and we want him to continue to be brilliant.) We are thinking about homeschooling Clay. We will not make this decision without a lot of research and thought put into it - this will not be taken lightly. I am extremely lucky in that I only have to work 3 days a week and I work those days on the weekend - so, I am off during the week. I have every opportunity to provide a place for brilliance to happen! I have the time, the heart, and the motivation. We want what is best for him.

I know what a lot of you may be thinking. (Trust me, I have thought all of the things you are thinking also.) He will be socialized, he will have structure, he will have rules, he will have a schedule, he will get to play sports if he so chooses, he will be in a band if he wants to, he will go to dances, he will have recess, he will awesome field trips - he will also be loved, have one-on-one attention throughout his education, he will learn the best way he can and we will find what works best for him, and he will have two parents that will provide him with an outstanding education. (And help from Aunt Rita in the History department.)

Our minds are not made up - we are just looking at all of our options. There are great options and homeschooling programs out there. They suit different parents and children and cater to both.

Like I said, just thinking out loud here!