Raising the Bar: Homeschool

It has been a long time since I've updated you on Art Girl's progress, so it's time!

Actually, we had sort of a breakthrough day this past week.  It's all about Raising the Bar.

After testing last spring, I decided to just buy the next level of homeschool books and proceed along the same path we had been taking.

I was unsatisfied post-testing because we had no diagnosis, but I still knew there were some things about the way she learns that were not addressed.  They were not even a concern on the educational psychologist's radar.  She said to practice writing more and work on spelling.  Well...DUH!

(Can I say that?  Is that too 90's?  Well, I was a teen in the 90's, so I'm owning it.
I may even throw in a "Holy Cow!")


There were also concerns about math, not being able to memorize, not understanding directions, shutting down in the middle of lessons...my list went on and on, but they were not convinced there was a serious enough problem to be considered.

I guess after that ho-hum result, reached by extreme effort on my part and nonchalance on the part of the school district, I thought it would be best to resign myself to working on her weaknesses one at a time, hoping to meet with peers' performance by about 8th grade.

That was my goal.  Really.  I didn't know what else to do.

And then, I had an enlightening conversation with another mom from our homeschool group.  She said their family's evaluations were done by a woman who pioneered homeschool laws in Pennyslvania, and whose degrees are in child psychology and special education.  They raised their own children, homeschooling them, then raised a number of foster children in the same way.

Christian people who had served as missionaries overseas - could their experience be any more convincing?  The Special Education degree really jumped out at me.  In fact, my friend informed me, she specializes in helping families homeschool whose kids require special education.

Ha!  Light bulb!

You mean there's actually someone in the homeschool world who not only has heard of and experienced a child with special education needs, but someone who specializes in it?  Who can really help us?  Eureka!! 

This was an answer to prayer!  One of those prayers I never even prayed because I didn't know what I was looking for.

When you "stumble on" to a perfect solution to something that's been on your heart and mind for two years, it's God's doing.  No doubt about it.

So, my next question was, "Where do I sign up?"

One snafu, though - this woman is paring down her client list and preparing to retire in the next decade.  She told her clients that she wasn't taking any new clients on, unless there was a special case.

I tell you what - I mustered my best, most professional writing skills and went at it.  Middle School Education Language Arts major, don't fail me now!!  I wrote the most convicing letter I could construct.  I carefully, yet succinctly explained our situation and asked her to consider taking us on.   I wanted to add "Please, oh pleeeeease!," but I held back.  Sounding too desperate wouldn't help.

I had to sound "with it."  Professional.  Cool, calm and collected.

And then...two days later (drumroll, please!)

I opened an e-mail from the much-sought after evaluator.  She had reviewed our case and she decided to take us on.  Hallelujah!  I was ecstatic.

Someone who could finally help us - who knows PA's laws, is an experienced homeschool instructor, and can guide us through the hoops we need to jump through to establish a special education plan.

And then...she e-mailed me again and said I needed to bring Art Girl (of course!) our portfolio, this year's lesson plans, and our curriculum.

Mayday!  Mayday!  

I don't usually prepare that stuff until May.  It usually takes me a week or more, just to put one portfolio together.  I gave up on making lesson plans our first year of homeschooling.  So I spent the dibs and dabs of time I have at the beginning and end of each day assembling what we needed.  I tried not to stress.  I had about 4 days to get it done.

I did what I could, and like magic, the morning of the evaluation came.  I was so nervous, felt like I was going to barf, but we'd be okay.  We'd get through this.  I didn't know what to expect.  I had high hopes, but didn't want to be disappointed.

I was not as prepared as I would like, but it was GO TIME!

Despite winter weather warnings, we drove 45 minutes away, further and further out into the country until we reached a gravel driveway that wound up a hill.  The drive was covered with snow, but this had to be it.  We crept up the winding drive and parked at a rustic log cabin house.  Our evaluator came out to greet us - and whaddya know?  She looked like a normal person.

She had a cozy little office set just beside the entrance way, neatly closed off with some western- themed doors.  We spent the next hour and a half getting acquainted, discussing what we had done, what we were doing, and what we needed to start doing.  She interviewed Art Girl, reviewed her test scores, and portfolio entries.

By the end of the meeting, I knew we had made the right decision.  She was firm, but kind.  Encouraging, but challenging.  And hopeful.

That was the best part of all.  She was encouraging and...she never said high school work would be too difficult, or that college would be out of reach.  We're going to knuckle down and work hard and Art Girl will one day be able to do whatever it is she wants to try.

Such good for this mom's heart.  I needed to hear this.  I am so thankful!

I now have a long list of things I need to look up, purchase, and implement, and I realllly need to step up my record keeping and planning (which was non-existent), but I have a feeling good things are coming.  We're on the right track now.  This is such a good place to be in.

I feel like I could fly!