One Among Many

The HS conference was GREAT. I was amazed to see so many like minded families attending. I would have to say there were hundreds of families. And the main thing that I noticed that although they were all doing the HS thing EVERYONE did it differently. That's actually heartening to know that there isn't one way to HS. Everyone does what is best for them.
Its was really reassuring to see so many people that have come to the smae conclusion as we have about their child's education. At the conference I was made aware of a new much smaller Catholic co-op starting up in my area that sounds just like my speed. some of the co-op members invited me to come for a visit so I'll definitely be doing that. It's nice to have options!

Resources Everywhere

The good thing about schools is that all the resources are there for you. Program, curriculum, teachers, books, computers, teaching supplies, you name it...the school (for the most part) have it. So having decided to take the homeschool route I have found a couple of resources to be invaluable in discerning what I need to know and how to go about finding it.
The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a great place to start. It has a mountain of information from legal requirements to co-ops and support groups in each state.
The HSLDA pointed me in the direction of a local homeschool co-op - the Valley Home Scholars. When I contacted them I was so surprised to find what an established homeschool infrastructure was right on my doorstep. They offer all sorts of classes from high school science, to Spanish and Latin, Literature, debate and even a homeschool band. So it was just like having the resources of a school with none of the school bureacracy.