Just Getting Started?
Our Best advice!
To New Potential Homeschoolers,
We are a Christian based homeschooling organization in NY. HomeschoolNY - BuffaloNorthtowns is only one chapter of LEAH, the largest homeschooling community in NY State.
Question #1 - I am not a Christian. May I join LEAH? Yes!
LEAH is a Christian Homeschool organization, and as such adheres to Christian principles and precepts. We ask all our group (chapter) leaders to sign the Statement of Faith. Some chapters also require each member to sign the Statement of Faith indicating agreement with it. Other chapters do not have this requirement, or may simply ask that you understand and respect the Christian basis of LEAH. HomeschoolNY - BuffaloNorthtowns only asks that you understand that we are coming from a Christian perspective and respect that as a member.
The Homeschooling Mindset
With that formality out of the way, hopefully we can help you out. You can do this! BUT, it would be really helpful if you understood the general homeschooling mindset, I think that this will help you avoid frustration and issues that might arise.
NY is not Free!
We are not Anti-NY, but we are the MOST regulated homeschooling State in the country. The right to homeschool has been a very difficult and hard fought battle. We have only had homeschooling legislation since 1980. Do NOT take this for granted. As a person coming from public education many believe that the right to homeschool is just another option like private school...IT IS NOT! Socialism and communism REQUIRE state run education. Homeschooling is illegal in most countries. Here is a great interview with some of the founders of LEAH and the homeschooling movement in NY. Everyone should hear what they have to say. Sharon Grimes & Alice Blackwelder
We are a Christian based homeschooling organization in NY. HomeschoolNY - BuffaloNorthtowns is only one chapter of LEAH, the largest homeschooling community in NY State.
Question #1 - I am not a Christian. May I join LEAH? Yes!
LEAH is a Christian Homeschool organization, and as such adheres to Christian principles and precepts. We ask all our group (chapter) leaders to sign the Statement of Faith. Some chapters also require each member to sign the Statement of Faith indicating agreement with it. Other chapters do not have this requirement, or may simply ask that you understand and respect the Christian basis of LEAH. HomeschoolNY - BuffaloNorthtowns only asks that you understand that we are coming from a Christian perspective and respect that as a member.
The Homeschooling Mindset
With that formality out of the way, hopefully we can help you out. You can do this! BUT, it would be really helpful if you understood the general homeschooling mindset, I think that this will help you avoid frustration and issues that might arise.
- We teach our children out of Love. We believe that the education and raising of our children is our responsibility ...
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV): Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
If you feel feel that the children today are under educated, ill equipped, unskilled, and all around a mess, it is the parents fault! We as parents are responsible with who trains up our children. We can out source, but the quality of education falls to the parents. - We generally do not homeschool because we are "anti" anything. Recently, there has been an influx of "antivaxxers", that's great! Many of our longtime members are antivaxxers. Many of us are generally anti-regulation, we have a libertarian bent to us. We REALLY like freedom! BUT, we believe that a positive conviction to educate and raise our children will sustain you better through the difficult times.
- To that point, we are not anti-public school. We believe that every parent should provide the best educational opportunity available to them. Public School, Private School, Charter School, for us it is Homeschool. We love our children so much and we believe in education so much that we are willing to sacrifice complete incomes for our children. We assume that all parents do the same within their means.
NY is not Free!
We are not Anti-NY, but we are the MOST regulated homeschooling State in the country. The right to homeschool has been a very difficult and hard fought battle. We have only had homeschooling legislation since 1980. Do NOT take this for granted. As a person coming from public education many believe that the right to homeschool is just another option like private school...IT IS NOT! Socialism and communism REQUIRE state run education. Homeschooling is illegal in most countries. Here is a great interview with some of the founders of LEAH and the homeschooling movement in NY. Everyone should hear what they have to say. Sharon Grimes & Alice Blackwelder