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Beach High School

www2.cruzio.com

21–30 of 75 posts

Re: Beach High School

#21
post #3

> I'm often asked a question like, "How are you able to award a diploma on the basis of nothing other than an essay and a letter of support?" The answer to this very reasonable question has two parts. First, I'm in a legal position to offer a diploma on this basis simply because there are no mandated requirements, in California law or anywhere else, for graduation from a private high school. (California law sets many…

Ask yourself what is the point and value of credential you award yourself?

Re: Beach High School

#22
post #8

In California one can also take the CHSPE: https://www.cde.ca.gov/Ta/tg/sp/ Many of my homeschooled peers took the CHSPE at 16 then enrolled in a local Jr College and graduated at 18 with an AA

That sounds great. This option is something that should be publicized more widely, and perhaps even encouraged by junior colleges. I think students in California would greatly benefit from 1) knowing that there are multiple educational options and 2) having the freedom to choose among them.

Or get a GED.

I've never met anyone in the US of at least high school age who wasn't aware that there exist way(s) to test out, including but not limited to the GED.

Re: Beach High School

#23

I tested out of high school at 15 by way of the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE). I was free to enroll in Jr. college and to work full time. I even bought my own car at 16. Both of my kids did the same thing, but today the minimum age for taking the test is 16, so they had to suffer one year more than I did.

One of my sons took it and passed it when he was 12, because the community college wouldn’t enroll him without it. We were homeschooling, so we had a california home private school - so we just had to certify that he had completed the 10th grade in our school, which he had.

Re: Beach High School

#24
post #3

> I'm often asked a question like, "How are you able to award a diploma on the basis of nothing other than an essay and a letter of support?" The answer to this very reasonable question has two parts. First, I'm in a legal position to offer a diploma on this basis simply because there are no mandated requirements, in California law or anywhere else, for graduation from a private high school. (California law sets many…

When deciding to home school our children for a year or two whilst living in Colorado - we considered paying some of these registered "setup-your-own-curriculum private home school service providers". When discussing on the phone with them - not one was ever able to give me a meaningful answer to "do your service actually provides anything that I could not do myself for free in a few minutes?"

Re: Beach High School

#25
post #3

> I'm often asked a question like, "How are you able to award a diploma on the basis of nothing other than an essay and a letter of support?" The answer to this very reasonable question has two parts. First, I'm in a legal position to offer a diploma on this basis simply because there are no mandated requirements, in California law or anywhere else, for graduation from a private high school. (California law sets many…

Ask yourself what is the point and value of credential you award yourself?

The point in this case is to satisfy the state's requirements. The value? (Whatever the state says it is) + (increase in earnings) - (bureaucratic overhead)

Re: Beach High School

#26

I tested out of high school at 15 by way of the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE). I was free to enroll in Jr. college and to work full time. I even bought my own car at 16. Both of my kids did the same thing, but today the minimum age for taking the test is 16, so they had to suffer one year more than I did.

This is the route that I took as well. I dropped out, realized I needed a GED to start community college, realized I needed to be 18 to get a GED, then took the CHSPE and everything worked out.

Re: Beach High School

#27
post #3

> I'm often asked a question like, "How are you able to award a diploma on the basis of nothing other than an essay and a letter of support?" The answer to this very reasonable question has two parts. First, I'm in a legal position to offer a diploma on this basis simply because there are no mandated requirements, in California law or anywhere else, for graduation from a private high school. (California law sets many…

Completing high school is one of those things that isn't a big deal for some people who are already on a good track, are broadly intelligent. But I'm going to guess the overwhelming majority of people who think it isn't for them actually need it quite a bit. I also think for self motivated intellectual kids, completing high school anyways really isn't much of a roadblock or time waster.

Some people have a learning style that is not compatible with public high school. This is true for both me and my kids. All of us had problems in school and were evaluated to see if we had learning disabilities. We all tested above the 98 percentile and were in AT/GATE programs. Also, we all tested out of high school via the CHSPE.

For me, it was a choice that I have never regretted (except for not going to the prom). It put me on a career track where I was years ahead of my peers.

For my kids, not so much. They had such bad experiences in high school that they are sour on higher education. I am still working on convincing them to finish a college degree, but I feel like a hypocrite because I did not get mine until age 50. Back when I was their age, I was lucky to work in jobs were nobody cared whether or not I had a degree. Today it's impossible to get a "professional" job without a degree.

Re: Beach High School

#28

> Copyright 2002, 2004, 2010 Wes Beach Is this still a thing? Does anyone know how it worked out for any of those kids?

I graduated from Beach High School about 18 years ago. Without going into detail too much, the public school system failed me, and Beach High School was the stepping stone that allowed me to go to college. I would be living a very different life right now if Beach High School didn't exist.

Re: Beach High School

#29
post #3

> I'm often asked a question like, "How are you able to award a diploma on the basis of nothing other than an essay and a letter of support?" The answer to this very reasonable question has two parts. First, I'm in a legal position to offer a diploma on this basis simply because there are no mandated requirements, in California law or anywhere else, for graduation from a private high school. (California law sets many…

Ask yourself what is the point and value of credential you award yourself?

Subversion of the credentialing system.

Re: Beach High School

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completing high school is one of those things that isn't a big deal for some people who are already on a good track, are broadly intelligent. But I'm going to guess the overwhelming majority of people who think it isn't for them actually need it quite a bit. I also think for self motivated intellectual kids, completing high school anyways really isn't much of a roadblock or time waster.

Some people have a learning style that is not compatible with public high school. This is true for both me and my kids. All of us had problems in school and were evaluated to see if we had learning disabilities. We all tested above the 98 percentile and were in AT/GATE programs. Also, we all tested out of high school via the CHSPE. For me, it was a choice that I have never regretted (except for not going to the prom)…

Honestly sounds like you, and to a lesser extent your children, needed high school for non-academic reasons as much as most people need it for academic reasons. If you have problems in school and test in the top 2% of intelligence, you have problems in other areas that need to be addressed, and can be in a social classroom. Speaking from experience.
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