I am from Kenmore WA. What kind of alternative high school are you considering? Public traditional high school just doesn't work for many kids. It didn't fit my two teenagers, either. We have a great alternative high school in our school district, but neither child wanted to go that route. My 16 year old is now in an online public high school (Insight of Washington) and my 18 year old is at a technical college. Neither has followed the traditional public school path. My 16 year old dropped out of traditional school when he was 13. He found the local school too noisy, too smelly, too crowded and way too large. He is thriving in his online high school. My 18 year old struggled academically. He didn't do well in a traditional classroom, he was bored and tuned out, so he never quite knew what was going on or what he should be doing. We did all the tests available and determined he has a few learning issues that make sitting and trying to learn in a classroom setting difficult. He is a hands on kind of guy who has to be moving. Despite his academic troubles, he has always been one of the most popular, well-liked kids around. He came home one day in the middle of his junior year and said he wanted to drop-out, get his GED, and go to a diesel mechanic program in the fall. Yikes! After much discussion, we let him pursue his plan. It seemed like the best way to go, given the fact that he was doing so poorly at school and that he finally found something he was interested in pursuing. We talked with his school counselor about it and he agreed that this alternate route might be just the ticket. Well, my son went through a community college program and earned his GED, went off to a diesel mechanic school in Wyoming, and flunked out after 6 weeks. He just wasn't mature enough or ready to apply himself. What he was really interested in was moving out, getting some freedom, and partying. Following that little adventure, he spent the next year doing odd jobs and maturing. He is just starting Round 2. He is still focused on diesel mechanics, but this time at a local community college. We have our fingers crossed!

My advice is to take a deep breath and truly listen to what your child wants to do and why. Without this soul searching, you might find that your child runs into the same (or worse) problems at an alternative high school. Focus on the issues and then follow your gut. Best of luck to you!