The hectichomeschooler reason for k12 Top 10... Part 2

9. Worksheet material is provided. Everything considered a reproducible worksheet or black-line master is provided for the convenience of your family. All worksheets are bound in books titled by subject and grade. Workbooks are even color coded by subject, therefore allowing parents and children to pull the appropriate material from the homeschooling bookshelves for the correct subject. Children who choose to loose material books can simply locate them by color.

I will always know science is green, math is blue, and language is purple. Fortunately, nothing is coded in pretty-girl pink, mauve, or lavender. I realize those are very good colors for girls. Anything feminine responds well to pink, lavender, and mauve quite well. On the other hand, I can't say testosterone-infused brains fair nearly as well. By the intelligence given by God, the k12 organizers chose much more gender neutral colors for the program. I am a firm believer in education equality. Yes, that means you cater to everyone, not just a certain group of people.

Since Bigfoot and Beadgirl like to loose everything, workbooks aren't always readily available. k12 knows my kids very well. All of their workbooks are fully available on the Internet for printing. When Bigfoot decides he "can't" find his student pages, everything he needs is readily available. Just click "print" and make sure there is still paper and ink for the printer. Out come all needed pages for the day's work. Now I just wish he'd just get into the habit of looking for the books first. My Costco case of paper if half-full and ink for the printer isn't cheap.

Oh well. At least we've eliminated his lack-of-materials excuse for not doing his work.

And My Top 10 Reasons for Using k12 Are... Part 1 of 10

10. It's "free" to use, as a courtesy of my school property tax dollars. Personally, I'd like to see property tax allowances for families who homeschool. Thus allowing parents to spend on their own children the money they would have paid the school district for less than quality programs and teachers who don't really care about kids in the first place.

Most of your education alloted tax dollars don't buy program. They buy teachers. How many of these teachers do you actually trust? I've heard enough union whining I'm not convinced these people really want to bother working in schools.

Teachers whine over anything they can. I've heard about class size.

The classes are too big. I have 20+ kids in this room. I can't keep track of everything that goes on in here. I just don't have the time for your child's needs. He needs to enter special programs.

I thank God you don't work in business, retail, or food service, especially management. You'd never survive. If you can't handle 20 kids, you'd be eaten alive in the adult world.

I've heard it all about ADHD.

Johnny is a brilliant kid, but he's so out of control. I want you to make him behave in my classroom. I just can't handle him. What am I supposed to do? You need to take him in for an evaluation. I really think he needs medication.

What did you go to college for? Pizza and beer? My boy was born with more testosterone than estrogen by God's will. I don't expect him to behave like a girl. Why should you? Don't even think about mentioning medication. I can haul your tush into the principal's office and have a nice legal/disciplinary chat about medication. I already told you his doctor is not recommending it. You're the one with the college eduction. Act like it.

I've heard it all over personal salary.

I just don't make enough in this job. I can't live on this job alone.

I have several things to say here. First off, I do realize teachers don't get paid well compared to everything else that requires a BS or BA for entry level work. I also realize teachers are pushed in MA programs to a point I feel the MA in Education has lost its core value. I'm not opposed to salary increases for teachers. I don't dig the whining over it.

In the real world, no one is ever paid what they're worth. If your income is supported by tax problems and you have a problem with that, I suggest you get another source of income. Try owning a business where you have to sign someone else's paychecks. You may learn something about your school district income. Besides, why should your income be an issue? Isn't the greatest reward in education the satisfaction of teaching kids?

Your tax supported income is a matter of perspective. I realize living under your means is not always easy. Toys and bling are tempting. I know. But if I can go without stuff simply because I don't have the CASH, why can't you?

I've heard it over expectations.

I have all this stuff I'm told to cover. They want it covered this way. I have to teach the material using this method. I can't just veer from the program. We all have to do exactly the same thing. Even if what your child is doing makes no common sense what so ever, I can't make any exceptions to the rules. I have to stick to what I'm told.

Do you do any thinking for yourself? Are you even teaching my child HOW to think? Or is it more like WHAT to think? No wonder America is so messed up in the head. We quit developing thought processes.

Whining makes me sick as it is. I don't need my kids being sent to whining class just because someone has a personal issue with her job.