Home schooling a positive alternative for kids and parents

I've watched the Principal Darlene Hale story unfold with interest. May I make a suggestion to parents who feel that Conejo Valley Unified School District is a political beast more interested in the personal power of the operators than in the education and personal growth of students?

Home school.

In October 2000, my son, who had been at Meadows Elementary for six years and had just started sixth grade at Colina, asked to be home-schooled.

The reason was that his friend up the street was home schooling and was done with school by noon each day. In contrast, my son was in school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and came home to three hours of homework each night. (Okay, he dragged it out to three hours.) He hated school.

We enrolled in the Somis Home Study program and never looked back.

Today my son is a high school senior, still home-schooling through Somis Academy Charter High School and is looking forward to graduating with a 3.5 GPA. He's polite, intelligent, industrious, self-confident and holds conversations with adults using full sentences and eye contact. He has a diverse collection of friends from both home school and public schools and through Scouting and religious youth programs. He has received a well-rounded education, thanks to the guidance of his teachers at Somis Home Study and Somis Academy.

He looks forward to attending Moorpark College for two years, then transferring to a university to pursue a career in law enforcement. I enjoy a remarkable relationship with my teenage son in that we actually like each other and enjoy each other's company.

He's a fine young man of character, and I believe the reason is that he had the opportunity to learn in a safe, calm, comfortable environment free of the peer pressure and politics of traditional public school.

We have spent thousands of hours together in the last seven years and have had hundreds of hours of conversation on every topic under the sun.

A big difference from the dynamic I have seen in some families where parents and kids converse less than 10 minutes a day.

"How was school today?" "Fine." "What did you learn?" "Nothing." Sadly, it's true. Some parents spend less than 10 minutes daily talking to their kids.

Those of you who feel your children are being shortchanged in CVUSD would be well advised to consider the home school alternative. Support systems like Somis Home Study and Somis Academy Charter High School--both public schools and therefore free--give you the curriculum, materials, teacher guidance and extra enrichment programs unlike any you'll find in traditional public schools.
Sharon Branigan
Thousand Oaks