Homeschooling in New York City

by Diane Goettel

In their tiny Brooklyn apartment, Charissa and David are raising and educating their three children. Metrophonus, a pre-teen who plays baseball and is showing great promise as a young writer, can speak in detail about the eight wonders of the world. His knowledge comes from books that he has read with his parents and numerous trips to museums and special events around Brooklyn and Manhattan. Ephrosinia, who turns six this summer, is a ballerina and has been reading chapter books with her parents for over a year now. Ivan, almost three, is mostly focused on becoming a cowboy when he grows up.

Many people feel that New York City is a dangerous place and prohibits raising healthy, well-adjusted kids. David and Charissa are proving these people wrong. New York City public schools, they decided, were not an option for their family. Private schools, on the other hand, were out of the question because of high tuition rates. David works at Matador records by day and does educational activities with his children after dinner. Charissa is a stay-at-home Mom and carts the kids to choir rehearsals, sports practices, and play dates. She is also responsible for overseeing their morning course work.

“We just get so much done,” says Charissa. Every morning, Metrophonus and Ephrosinia spend three hours at the kitchen table reading, completing workbook activities, and working with Charissa on school projects. The walls surrounding their work space show evidence of the children’s efforts. Just one wall displays a home-made multiplication table, another in-progress chart for Metrophonus’ current science projects, and original artworks by Ivan. Above all of these, the room is ringed by the alphabet, which Ephrosinia made out of construction paper last year.

David and Charissa are quick to explain that they are not against public education. “If my children were in public school, I would be very involved in their school and keep up regular contact with their teachers,” says Charissa. She and her husband do not feel, however, that New York public schools can address the needs of their children. Issues such as overcrowded class rooms and maxed out resources are a serious concern. By homeschooling, they feel that they can specifically address the needs of each of their children and create an educational program that is tailored to each of their strengths and weaknesses.

While the public schools in New York City present a number of problems that David and Charissa are not interested in tackling, the city itself presents a myriad of learning tools for their children. At least once a week, the family makes an outing to a museum, exhibit, or event that corresponds with something that one of the children is presently studying or has shown an interest in. The Brooklyn Children’s Museum presents wonderful exhibits and events. Just last summer Metrophonus learned about the biology of snails while participating in an event in the museum’s exploratory garden. Another fabulous resource is The Natural History Museum in Manhattan where the children can learn about archeology, evolution, and marine biology to cite just a few examples. The Bronx Zoo has been an important part of Metrophunus’ and Ephrosinia’s lives. Just last summer they visited the new butterfly house and were taught about the different varieties of the creatures.

David has a sister who is also homeschooling her children. She and her family live in a very small town in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Her experience with homeschooling has also been quite positive. She and her husband are raising their children in a safe environment with lots of outdoors space for them to explore. The most important aspect of their success, however, is their vibrant homeschooling community. David and Charissa echo his sister’s feelings about homeschooling communities. In addition to all of the learning opportunities that the city and it’s boroughs present, New York also contains a very supportive network of homeschoolers. There are regular group events and tours for families that homeschool.

The community of other parents who are engaged in the same efforts with their children, Charissa tells me, is an indispensable resource. Getting involved in a homeschooling group, she believes, is very important. In addition to finding a local group, the entire city of New York is connected through NYCHEA (New York City Home Educators Alliance), which can be visited at http://www.nychea.com/

Are Charissa and David worried about raising their children in a place like New York City? Of course they are. For every fabulous aspect of New York, there is something sinister lurking in its underbelly. They have to worry about crime, drugs, the simple and serious peril of crossing the street during a busy traffic hour. Despite these worries, would they live anywhere else? Not a chance. For them, the positive aspects of living and homeschooling in Brooklyn far outweigh the negatives. They keep close watch of their kids and have made sure that they know how to stay safe in the city.

Charissa has some words of advice for parents who are considering homeschooling within the boroughs of New York City:

• Have regular play dates for your kids.
• Get involved with a homeschooling group.
• Make sure to really use the city. Pick up calendars of children’s activities at libraries, museums, parks, and any other institution that presents a subject that your child has shown interest in. Ger out of the house and let your kids enjoy and learn from everything that the city has to offer.
• Extracurriculars are great. And there are lots of free options in and around the city. Look into public sports and arts programs.

All of Charissa’s advice, of course, could be useful to any parent planning on homeschooling in a major metropolis. But she does have one more piece of advice applicable to home educators everywhere: Trust your instincts as a parent and, in so doing, fulfill the needs and learning requests of your children. No matter where you are, homeschooling can be a positive and beneficial choice for your family. Every locale has unique attributes. As long as parents are aware of the positive and negative aspects of their community and know how to work with them, homeschooling can be an incredibly enriching experience.

About the author:
Diane Goettel is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College. As an undergraduate, she studied at Oxford University under the tutelage of Jamie McKendrick. She currently lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan's Fashion District. Diane is also the Managing Editor of Black Lawrence Press. Some of her favorite authors include John Steinbeck, Lorrie Moore, Willa Cather, and Harper Lee. She may be reached at diane@blacklawrencepress.com.