History of Homeschooling in Nebraska 

Learning about other parents who had to fight for homeschooling rights and what they had to go through has made me grateful for the homeschool freedoms we enjoy today. 

 

Homeschooling wasn't always legal in Nebraska. In the 1970s and early 1980s, some parents were concerned with their children's education and chose to homeschool. However, Nebraska's state laws required schools to have state accreditation and approval. In addition, all teachers had to be certified. As a result, some homeschool parents faced prosecution. Thankfully, the State Board of Education approved Rule 13 in 1984, which enabled parents to homeschool, provided periodic testing and visitation. In 1987, homeschools became exempt from state accreditation, approval, testing, and home visits.

Which state guarantees the right to homeschool as part of its state constitution?

 

If you guessed Oklahoma, you would be correct!

 

In 1907, language was added to Article 13, Section 4 of the Oklahoma State Constitution, for the specific purpose of protecting parents’ right to choose to homeschool their children. So, it would make sense that Oklahoma’s home education laws are straightforward and easy to follow. 

Should my child skip a grade? It's an honest question. We all want our children to succeed and go as far as they can go. When buying curriculum, parents often talk about skipping a level in a subject or even skipping a grade. However, BJU Press Homeschool curriculum makes it easy to keep our children challenged without skipping a grade level.

Homeschooling with dad. Wait, what? Isn’t that mom’s job? I better get this right before I wind up sleeping on the couch. In my home, as in most homeschooler’s homes, mom is the primary educator for our children. Where does that leave me, the dad? Well, you do have a job and it is a very important job. You hold several different titles. You are the principal, janitor, hall monitor, and substitute teacher just to name a few. Most importantly, you are there to encourage and support both your wife and your children.

My eldest daughter was in a crisis many years ago. She had been categorized as a special needs student. We didn’t have any answers at the time, but she had been labeled as learning disabled. We later found out that she was dyslexic and developmentally delayed. The school was pulling her out of the classroom multiple times a day. By her third-grade year, she had an all-A report card, but she could barely put two syllables together when she read. Each year, we could see the teachers repeating a pattern of allowing her to get further and further behind. This was covered by her special needs label.

Over twelve years ago, I was filled with excitement at the prospect of homeschooling my oldest child. Flowers and sunshine seemed to frame my vision of reading and learning together with her. Soon thereafter, however, anxiety set in. You see, I didn't own a computer, and I didn't know where to start. With all the unknowns ahead of me, I felt like I was carving out a new path.

My name is Kristi Lawrence. My husband Dan and I have been married 15 years now. We live in Salem, Oregon. The Pacific Northwest is beautiful and my husband loves to be out in nature hunting, fishing, and anything else with our boys. I on the other hand am usually found home curled up next to the fireplace with a good book. We have 3 amazing kids. Our oldest Tommy is 13 and in 8th grade. His favorite subject is Pre-Algebra and is interested in drawing. Isaac is 10 in 5th grade. He has ADHD and likes to say that he doesn’t like any school but he is always showing me cool facts and funny things from his lessons so there must be something good. Then there is Sarah, age 6. She loves reading and has taken off in her schooling and finished up most of her 1st grade subjects very quickly. The freedom of homeschool allowed us to let her go at her own pace and move straight into 2nd grade already.

I have recently heard some moms discussing their balance to be "Fun Mom" instead of just "Homeschool Mom." The fact is, as Mom, we are also a Schedule-keeper mom, Cook-and-housekeeper Mom, Spouse-to-your-husband Mom, Family-member Mom, Neighbor Mom, Church Member Mom, possibly Working-a -job-while-homeschooling-Mom, and more. It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of responsibility to keep your children and yourself on task. We have a great blog post written by a homeschooling mom that shares some great tips for maintaining that balance as Fun Mom. But what about the rest?

When I taught fifth grade in a Christian school, we rarely finished a textbook in a year. Teachers deal with interruptions all the time: two-hour delays, wasps in the classroom, special assemblies, lice checks, field trips, behavior issues, holiday parties, and vomit, to name a few. And then there's the pace. Some students need more assistance and review than others. Teachers do what they can, but when the school year is done, it is done.

Are you stressed out about the amount of time it takes to finish the homeschool work each day? Consider this helpful illustration from one of my favorite video teachers, Evanna Walker. BJU Press Homeschool is like a buffet. It's full of wonderful choices for your child. There are activities for every learning style as well as options for different skill levels. And while you should feel free to pile your plate high with educational goodness, remember that no one ever eats everything on the buffet.