Several days after the evaluations we had our appointment to follow up with the school to get their findings. I fully expected them to be as amazed with this child as my wife and I both were.

We were invited into the small conference room into which a table meant for a larger room had been placed. We squeezed into the comfortable chairs which were too close to the tables. My wife and I, the principal, a teacher, and a counselor all grinned at each other.

However, then with a serious tone we were told, "We believe your son is not quite ready for Kindergarten." I was shocked! Looking at Barbara I could see she was also.

I explained, "I know he is very intelligent, and he is quite polite around people, I dont' understand why you believe he is not ready."

Here was the even more shocking answer. This was the reasoning put together by these 4 school employees, whose combined income was over $200,000.00 per year.

I was not breathing as I waited. And the answer came.

"Your son could not open a milk carton. Also he said the word "poop" and all the other children were just aghast! Therefore we feel he needs to return next year when he is more prepared to start Kindergarten."

My ears started ringing from the blood that was rushing to my head being pushed by the sudden adrenlin rush I was feeling. I kept my composure and I thanked them. Barbara and I left.

Barbara and I believed that all the characteristics of all the previous 6 children from our family had gone before our 7th child and smacked him right in the face. We were going to find another alternative. We were not sending our son back to preschool where he was not happy. We could not afford private school at the time and I was not even sure that private schools would give us what we wanted for a very intelligent creative child.

Homeschooling was one option we considered but to do that you had to find all your own curriculum, file papers with the school district, arrange testing periods, quite a bit of work. We did not believe that we could run our businesses and homeschool and add the responsiblity of all the additional paperwork and meetings.

Then by some miraculous chance, (not sure it was chance), I was speaking with my good friends Kenly and Mary. Mary told me that just this year a new charter school was coming to Ohio called K12.com.

This school would provide all the curriculum, the school testing, the monitoring, the paperwork, lifting a big burden from the shoulders of the parents. However, since the schooling was being provided over the internet the parents would do the teaching at home.

Parents were to teach the children at home following lesson schedules over the internet and using materials shipped to their home including books, science kits, music supplies, everything the child needed for a complete education.

There were only a few days left to register and the parents had to attend a meeting that was being held. I was able to rush down and catch the last meeting of the year.

This glorious person told of how Nobel Prize winners and other such magnificent achievers were putting together the curriculum. She went on explaining how we could work with our children on our own schedules. It all seemed perfect to me.

Many of us were concerned as to how much of our time teaching would be required. We were told that because of eliminating most of the distractions that were in classes with many children about most students completed work in less time than the average public school student.

In addition every child got one on one teaching. The parent teaching the child. This was something that you could only get otherwise in a very expensive private school.

The school also required the classes to be completed. If we completed them early fine. If it took longer fine. In public schools at the end of the year is when the class is finished. By time not by what was accomplished. (Of course that is not completely accurate but to some degree it is).

I was starting to hear heavenly choirs of angels singing. At least I felt I should have been.

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This is a 5 part series. This is the end of part 3.

Authored by Timothy L. Drobnick Sr. August, 2008.

Copyright 2008 Timothy L. Drobnick Sr.

No part of this story may be replicated without express written consent of Timothy L. Drobnick Sr.

Call Tim at these numbers:

1(800) 313-0377 24 hour recorded for Portal Directors & connect with Tim on his cell phone

1(866)571-1602 24 hour recorded for Avalanche Money System & connect with Tim on his cell phone

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