My parents allowed my youngest brother to be “homeschooled”, and I’m angry
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Anonymous
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My youngest brother turned 17 in the fall, and is (or I should say, is supposed to be) a junior in high school. Both of my parents’ highest level of education is an associates degree. They have never cared for formal education or academic achievement. My brother has always hated school and gotten terrible grades. He has a history of refusing to attend school. In the school district he’s located in, kids who are homeschooled have the right to play on their local high school’s sports teams and participate in its clubs. Well, in January, they decided to pull him out and filled out the forms for him to be homeschooled. They said the reasoning is so that he can practice sports more. Many of their friends have done similar things, and it’s also become common where they live to repeat 8th grade for sports. The problem is that no schooling is going on. My parents work full-time and my brother just sleeps in, goes to the gym, watches TV and then goes to practice at night. He is not on the path to becoming a D1 college or professional athlete in either of his sports.
What disappoints me is that he isn’t even receiving the level of education that would be necessary to score well on the ASVAB or a community college math & english placement test. Is there anything I can do about this? |
Anonymous
| No |
Anonymous
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Did you post about this before? It sounds very familiar.
There is nothing you can do apart from persuading your brother to re-enroll, and selling him on the benefits of a college education. However, is there money for college? Even community college? Also, do special needs run in your family? Any untreated ADHD or dyslexia? |
Anonymous
OP talked about the ASVAB, so I'm pretty sure she's away college is not in the cards. |
Anonymous
| Honestly, what difference does it make? You said he's always hated school. He isn't going to community college. His best bet is job training. He may consider joining a union where there is OTJ training (pipefitters, sprinkler fitters, etc.). Or try to join a construction team, or be a personal trainer. Those are all perfectly valid and OK. |
Anonymous
| Call the school system and report it. Depending on where you live, he legally needs to be in school or be following an approved homeschool program. |
Anonymous
| If he has a history of refusing to go to school and also gets terrible grades, I think it was smart of our parents to pull him out. I did the same for my HS senior for those exact reasons. Are you sure he's not doing the work? The program my kid is in doesen't have class hours, they were just given the work and have to complete it by the deadline. And I told my kid, I already completed HS and have a diploma, this is up to him. I'm not gong to micro-manage, I'm not going to hound him and look over his shoulder. I told him this is his responsibility and he needs to step up to the plate. Now i do still check-up on him but to an extent. I also told him he will always have a place to live as long as I'm alive and as LONG as he is holding up his end of the bargain. I'm not supporting an unemployed 25-year-old who plays video games all day and smokes weed. And I mean that, he will not be living under my roof in that scenario. As long as he is working (or in school) and making choices to better himself and become independent, I'll always have his back. Your parents need to have a come to jesus conversation with your brother. You should also talk to him, if you're close like that. |
Anonymous
That’s really dumb advice, and the school has zero authority to talk to some random woman about a non-student. |
Anonymous
| You can help him get his GED. |
Anonymous
| Help him find a vocation that suits his interests and help steer him on that path. Plenty of contractors do very well, especially the ones who start young, apprentice and then start their own business. The person who I know who did this eventually went to community college to get an associates degree in accounting solely to run the business. The business eventually outgrew his accounting skills and he hired that out. It was netting him well over $1m a year for 30+ years. |
Anonymous
+1 I'm poster 15:18 who pulled my kid out of in person, and he's doing virtual (not homeschool like OP, but a similar situation). I've helped my kid research different trades, and we are looking into an apprenticeship program. If you really want to help your brother, help him figure this out. |
Anonymous
NP. Why no? I would intervene if it was my brother. Just saying… |
Anonymous
| You can start by MYOB |
Anonymous
| Talk to him about his career plans. I don’t think the last couple years of high school education are meaningful for someone who is hating it. He can always get a GED/community college for business stuff later if he eventually wants it. But he needs to have a plan for work and eventually retirement: union jobs are best for that. |
Anonymous
I'm not the OP but I guess it depends on what kind of family dynamic you have. In my family, my underage brother is my business. |