THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
You may have heard that I am currently a homeschooling parent. If not, let me say it here: I am a homeschooling parent.
It was never my intention to homeschool; I am a public school educator, and we moved to Sudbury with every intention of utilizing the top-rated schools.
As my daughter grew and reached preschool age, she and I more-or-less fell into what I came to realize was a homeschool routine. We built a personalized learning experience out of classes and learning experiences that we enjoyed together. We tackled academic subjects because she was bursting with questions about them. We read widely. Academically, I had to admit that the personalized learning approach of homeschooling was a great match for her.
When it came time for Kindergarten, my daughter expressed an interest in attending school and having the school experience. She attended half-day Kindergarten in the Sudbury Public Schools and we both enjoyed the experience immensely. She was fortunate to attend Noyes, where Annette Doyle and her team have done an incredible job of creating a culture of community. My daughter loved being a part of that community. Her teachers cared deeply about the students and brought their best to school every day.
At the close of the year, my daughter had a choice: she could continue in the Sudbury Public Schools, or she could homeschool. She chose to homeschool. She felt that the personalized learning experience of homeschooling afforded her the academic challenge that she craved, the freedom to pursue and develop her strengths and interests, and also allowed her ample time for enrichment activities.
As I talk with parents in the community, I have been surprised that many have said to me, “I have considered homeschooling as well.” For a wide variety of reasons, parents are eager for their children to have a more personalized learning experience that allows their children to follow their interests, develop their talents, and to grow in their areas of challenge. I hope that we can offer a personalized learning experience to all of our students within our schools.
Homeschooling has given me a front row seat to explore the power and potential of personalized learning. Districts like Boston are beginning to embrace their homeschool communities as “innovation labs” for exploring and learning about personalized learning and for selecting strategies that they can take to scale.
As you can see from the values expressed in my platform and the videos posted to my site, I believe that when we examine closely the needs of the students we are not fully reaching, we gain new insights that will help us to grow and serve the needs of all of our students. When we design an educational system that gives voice to all students and is flexible and responsive to a wide variety of needs, we create better access to learning for everyone.
Nothing can replace the experience of attending public school in your hometown. It is an experience of community that bonds you deeply to others. I hope that I can have the opportunity to be a part of the team contributing to education in Sudbury, giving voice to its learners, supporting its education professionals, and helping it to grow so that we can nurture each student’s individual potential to the fullest.
Whether or not you choose me as your candidate, please make your voice heard by voting on March 28th.