What is the Portfolio?
The 2015 Pennsylvania law that affected homeschooling made significant changes to the Portfolio Requirement. You still have to do one, but you will NOT turn it in to the school district! That will be a big relief to the school districts to not have to handle and review all those folders. But that also means […]
Which diploma program is right for your teen?
I work with the PHAA, Susquehanna Valley, and Mason-Dixon Diploma Programs for highschoolers in Pennsylvania. Each program has a unique niche and slightly (or dramatically) different requirements. Most of the differences have to do with what is required for English credit each year. In order to keep it all straight myself, I created a table summarizing […]
Teaching Boys Differently than Girls
Two summers ago I read some books by Dr. Leonard Sax, M.D. about dealing with boys in the classroom. Though he is not a believer, his observations and recommendations resonated with me. I have since put together a workshop presentation that I have taught a few times now. The homeschool moms and lady teachers seem […]
Book review about the Crisis of Teen Girls
Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls From Sax’s introduction to this book: “Early on I began to understand that girls are not the winners in this story. Both the girls and boys are disadvantaged, but they’re disadvantaged in different ways. More and more boys are developing an epicurean […]
Review of “Boys Adrift”
Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men Reviewed by Timothy Anger, M.S. Recently I read “Boys Adrift” – a book by Dr. Leonard Sax, a pediatrician and psychologist in Exton, Pennsylvania. As a result of writing the book, he is now a speaker in very high demand […]
How should I do my logbook?
The homeschool law of 2015 means that the school district office will no longer see your logbook. You do NOT turn in your logbook to the school district any more – just my year-end evaluation report. But that also means that as your evaluator I am required by law to make sure that you have […]
Should I still use a diploma agency?
In Pennsylvania parents are now able to issue their own diploma and transcript (signed by their senior year evaluator). Is there still a reason to pursue getting a diploma through an agency like PHAA, Mason-Dixon, or Susquehanna? I personally will recommend that homeschoolers consider using a diploma program rather than issue their own for several reasons: […]
How the Homeshool Law Changed in 2015
How the Homeschool Law changed in 2015: 1. You no longer turn in your portfolio to your school district. Instead, by June 30 you just turn in the evaluation letter written by your evaluator. 2. You no longer turn in your test scores. If you tested your children, your test scores go into your portfolio which is not turned in to your […]
Why homeschool your high schooler
Why homeschool your high schooler Challenging your teens instead of seeing them as a challenge By SARITA HOLZMANN Posted Nov. 8, 2014, 08:45 a.m. at World Magazine (see link below) Teenagers often earn a bad rap. If you picture all teens as flirting, gossiping, self-centered bundles of raging hormones, it’s no wonder homeschooling high school can be […]
What are Colleges looking for?
I just returned from this summer’s PHAA Conference and learned some great things about what colleges are looking for when the screens students. One session I attended was about the College Interview and covered what to do, and what not to do, and how to prepare. Very informative and interesting! Mr. Laszlo Pasztor, a PHAA […]