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Not Back-To-School
Homeschooling trend continues to grow around Intown
By Grace Huseth
School is back in session, but that doesn’t
mean that every student is headed to a classroom
each morning. Thanks to organized groups,
enrichment classes and the city’s many resources,
Atlanta continues to have a thriving community
of homeschooled students.
“About a third of the parents I talk to seem to
be considering homeschooling on some level, at
some point. Many never act on that, but there’s
a lot of interest growing,” said Esther Graff-
Radford, group facilitator at Atlanta Homeschool |
Co-op.
Georgia’s homeschooling growth rate is
slightly higher than its public school student
population growth. Since 2012, homeschooling
has grown 3.5 percent compared to 2.7 percent
for the public school student growth rate.
Homeschooling allows parents to be
intimately involved in their child’s education.
The education progresses at the child’s actual
comprehension rate and the child understands
the material more thoroughly. Many children art
often more acclimated and successful through
homeschooling than in traditional educational
settings, according to experts.
Blair Marino has been homeschooling her
11th grade son and 7th grade daughter for almost
eight years. Marino now serves as Board President of LEAD (Learners and Educators of Atlanta
and Decatur), an inclusive, secular, not-for-profit homeschool group that has offered support
and classes to homeschoolers since 2000.
“Atlanta has embraced the homeschooling movement, and the opportunities for the kids
have expanded in the last four to five years,” Marino said.
LEAD hosts more than 80 weekly, members-only academic and enrichment classes for ages
preschool through adults. The classes meet Monday through Thursday with no set curriculum,
allowing parents to choose classes that complement their own homeschool curriculum.
Some trickier subjects that parents find intimidating to teach can be taught by homeschool
academies. Homeschool groups including Veritas Classical Schools, Atlanta Homeschool
Cooperative and Kid Cultivators Homeschool Community offer classes ranging from
composition to chemistry.
“It’s nice to have different options and to supplement classes,” Marino said. “Our children
have picked classes that they enjoy, but as they get older I started becoming an advocate for
their education and making sure they take classes that they need.”
LEAD offers science and math classes as well some extracurricular, and eclectic, classes.
“The Art of the Journal” uses exercises in free form writing while “Lego: Mine, Craft and Build
Survival Game” uses the popular computer game and building blocks to teach resourcefulness,
creativity and cooperation.
‘The great thing about homeschooling is that the classes have no grades, so the pressure is
off and they can try things,” Marino commented. “The grade is not the end all be all.”
To become a homeschooling family, parents must submit a declaration of intent to
the Georgia Department of Education. The law requires all children to learn mathematics,
English and language arts, science, social studies and reading. Children must take a national
standardized achievement test every three years beginning at the end of the third grade, but test
scores are not required to be submitted to public school authorities.
For more information, visit atlantahomeschoolcoop.org and leadhomeschool.org. QD
Blair Marino
A LEAD student studies pond water at Fern-
bank Science Center.
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September 2016 I iNtown 39