How to Choose a Homeschool Program (Not Curriculum)
Oh my goodness golly! Every time I tried to Google, “How to pick a homeschool?” or “What to look for in a homeschool?” I got curriculum reviews upon curriculum reviews. That’s not what I wanted. I was debating between three homeschool support programs, trying to decide which one was best to enroll my daughter for Kindergarten. The closet I got to an answer was, most people choose the program with the highest allotment.
While that is lovely, I didn’t know how much I would be spending. If I didn’t need all the money, what other resources would be offered to my daughter. The office ladies at the school I did end up going with for homeschooling gave me this lovely list of things to consider to help me make my decision.
Here are some things to consider when deciding which homeschool program to enroll in.
1. ALLOTMENT
How much money does the school offer per student? Is there an allotment for younger children in preschool? Does any of the money roll over into the next school year? If so, up to how much? Though most people go where the most money is, that doesn’t mean it will be easy to spend. Some schools only allow you to spend the money with certain vendors.
2. OFFICE LOCATION
How far away is the main building from your home? Is there more than one location? You may need to pop into the main office once in a while to return items/pick up items, participate in clubs, receive testing, or turn in receipts.
3. CLUBS
Does the school offer clubs or other extra curricular activities to participate? Are they free or do they come out of the allotment? How often are they offered? How long do the clubs run?
4. TUTORING
Will my child have access to tutoring services or is tutoring an outside service paid for by the allotment money? If tutoring is offered, what subjects can my child receive tutoring services for?
5. VENDORS
Where am I able to purchase curriculum and extracurricular services like music lessons or horseback riding lessons etc.? Some schools only allow you to choose from services and vendors that the school has vetted. Other schools give families freedom to choose any vendor. Most schools will not pay for religious curriculum.
6. TEACHER TO FAMILY RATIO
Depending on how involved you want your teacher advisor to be, knowing how many families they are overseeing might be beneficial. A teacher with many families may not be able to be as involved compared to a teacher with less. However, it could go either way depending on the needs of families.
7. NATIONWIDE LOCATIONS
If you are a military family, this might be helpful to know. IDEA Homeschool is all over the USA so it might be easier to get plugged in if you had to move compared to a local home school program.
8. TRANSCRIPT
Will your child receive a transcript for their academics? Homeschool programs are associated with a school district so you should receive an academic transcript. If you choose to not be part of a homeschool program, my understanding is you would have to hire someone to create an academic transcript for you.
9. TECHNOLOGY
Will they receive a chromebook or laptop? How often are you able to purchase new technology with your allotment money? Our homeschool is through the city’s school district but we do not have access to the district’s chromebooks. Purchasing technology has to go through our allotment. I don’t believe this is the case for all homeschool programs though, so check!
Is there anything I missed? Write it in the comments!
xo L.
