The plan for Upper Chetco Charter School (1999-2006) included a program that the original board of directors called Homeschool Away from Home. Our intent was to work with local homeschooling families in order to learn from them as they learned from us. Upper Chetco Charter School
Even though a later board took the school in a more traditional direction, I know that the vision we held over a decade ago is still alive and well. Programs like ours are functioning in other charter schools, home school groups, and private schools across the country. My hope for this website is that it will connect and provide support for those who share in our vision for education.
Ten years later, as I return to these ideas, I realize that my true passion is public education. I learned a great deal from my time with private and charter schools, but my commitment is, and has always been to public education. So that is what “Homeschool Away from Home” is all about. The classroom must be a “home away from home” for our children because that’s where they spend most of their waking hours during the school year. If they do not feel connected, nurtured, and emotionally safe in their classrooms, how can we be surprised when they look for acceptance outside of our societal norms?
When I visit the school in Redwood City where my grandchildren spend their days I am grateful beyond belief! Adelante Spanish Immersion Elementary School is truly a family – perhaps even a “Homeschool Away from Home.”