High School Homeschool Question - Part Two

high school is the period that strikes terror into homeschooling parents' hearts. so many of the kids in our homeschool co-ops and groups ended up in PS for high school because the parents freaked.
i'm really glad you're looking askance at the school-at-home option. you are absolutely correct- academically it won't be any better than just sending her. for kids getting bullied, or who are into the drug crowd or something, it could be an improvement, but for most kids it's just more drudgery, only now without friends around to share the mizry.
the problem with picking up a curriculum in high school is that they almost always assume a background with that particular curriculum that your kid won't have. it IS hard to come up with your own lesson plans, though, especially at the beginning.
so what i'd do in your situation is bite the bullet and get a curriculum, but remain open to the very real and present likelihood that you'll end up taking what you like from it and discarding a fair bit.
i really like clonlara and oak meadow, really any of the waldorf programs. but that's a matter of personal preference. singapore has a great math syllabus. we ended up using primarily saxon and barron's for math, though.
go over the curricula with your daughter and let her have a big say in it. that doesn't guarantee a program that she'll love, but it gives you a much better chance that a lot of it will work.
breathe.
stay flexible.
trust your kid.
the lack of accreditation in my cobbled-together curriculum really scared me for a long time, but it ended up being a total non-issue. my boys went to community college and got their associates' degrees, and then it's a moot point. neither had the slightest problem getting accepted at multiple universities. no high school transcript. no SATs. once they had their AA they were good to go.
good luck, and pm me if you want to chat!
khairete
S.

:)

Hi! I have two teens who have never been to school. I don't think too much of those school at home things either, I've heard a lot of people complain about them. We've always done a mix and match thing. The amount of curriculum available now is overwhelming. I wouldn't run out to buy anything but spend some time with her looking at what is out there. Check out http://clickschooling.com/ Diane has tons of websites listed and while many of them are for younger kids there is still a lot there your daughter can learn from. Also check out your local groups for activities. My daughter just finished a Land Use class (through Mass Audubon) she loved so much she wants to do it again. There are so many things to do. Just because you work doesn't mean she can't do them. Let her take public transportation or just ask another mom to help you out. Sarah's best bud is homeschooled and his mom works. If I'm going anyway, I'm happy to include Ben. And Ben's mom reciprocates when and how she can.
What might work for your circumstance is Switched on Schoolhouse. You can buy the whole package or just choose specific subjects. We used it for years and we all loved it. The kids feel very independent using it but it has lots of oversight for parents.
Welcome to the journey! Take lots of deep breaths and don't be afraid to ask questions.

I have several homeschool friends here in Austin that utilize One Day Academy. My oldest will begin Jr. High in a few years, and I think this is the direction I play to go. (I KNOW that I'm not organized enough to plan our own curriculum.) You can pick and choose what classes to take, and though the bulk of the work is done at home, you still have the benefit of a teacher (I believe most of them are college professors) setting up the curriculum and assignments.

http://onedayacademy.com/

Good luck and best wishes!

Look into Orion High School online. The kids do all the work online at there pace. You don't have to do lesson plans!!! My nephew just got out of public HS and got into Orion and is doing great!!

We use K12, I liked that it was pretty much spelled out for me everyday. No way would I have the patience to do the curriculum on my own.