Just a quick post to update our situation here. 

The school that Chandler should be attending has just closed due to swine flu.  A local High School has also closed.  I realize this may be a sigh of relief that it is not Chandler’s school, but all the children in our area (rural, dirt roads) attend the school that has closed.  Creepy.

As I understand it the attendance in some of the classes at Chandler’s school is dramatically down (I drive her to school in a neighboring town, it is approx 20 miles away, 45-50 minutes round trip, twice a day).  We will see about sending her next week.  Her preference would be to stay home with me and Taylor and enroll in a home-school program.  Frankly, since we have not been informed of her acceptance for the school year 09-10, this could be the reality for us.  The school that she should be attending (the one that is now closed) has some of the worst test scores in the Valley, though they are making the most impressive improvements every year and will be a contender in the future.   But, we will not be going there.  And private school?  Yeah, I’ll just sell a kidney. Come to think of it, that might be easier and less painful than homeschooling…  Just kidding.  Or am I? 

 We knew when we moved from our old neighborhood five years ago (walking distance to a fantastic pre-school, and high ranking elementary, and middle schools and the top high school in the valley) that we were moving to a lesser school district with busing to the worst schools in the valley and that homeschooling was a possibility (wait, why did we move again?).  I guess that’s why it does not scare me much.  In fact  the idea that I could have control over her education and having the flexibility to learn on our terms, in our time-frame, and with no restrictions on attendance is refreshing.  I mean with classes at a 20 to 1 ratio now and class sizes expected to rise, how much time is really spent on task?  It’s not for everyone.  It may not be for us.  Honestly, I don’t know whether I want to see that acceptance letter or not.  But mostly, I just love the look on her face when she “gets” something.  It kinda sucks that the teacher that a student is randomly placed with gets to experience this instead of family.  And I miss her when she’s at school.  Usually.  Sometimes.  Mostly.

Now I have to go so I can do 12 loads of laundry, collect chicken eggs and scrub toilets.  That’s code for “I’m gonna watch tv and eat brownies until I go to pick her up”.  Just kidding again.  Or am I?