By Marisa Pullan This blog is specific to the Hutto Homeschool Co-op, but anyone can use our framework if it helps!
The way the co-op runs... Our co-op runs for approximately 8 weeks in the fall and 8 weeks in the spring. We try and take field trips throughout the school year, too, on weeks that we aren't actively in class. The purpose is to keep the kids together and give them the opportunity to hang out with their friends. For the fall, we start some time in October and go through December, taking time off for Thanksgiving. On the last day, we usually do something a little special whether it is a parent day to invite parents to see what the kids have done throughout the semester and/or a party for the kids, usually a Christmas party. In the spring, we start some time in February or early March and typically run through the end of April. The spring semester works similar to the fall, complete with a showcase of sorts at the end or an end of the semester party. About Classes and Teachers Classes are on Wednesday afternoons at Hutto Discovery United Methodist Church in their Discovery Center and start at noon and goes until 3pm. Parents are not required to stay so long as we have enough adults on-site to assist. This isn't typically an issue, but parents are made known up front that they may be asked to help out on a given day due to various reasons. It's actually a question on the registration form. If a parent can't help due to other circumstances, that is perfectly fine, so long as we know up front. As far as enrollment, children are not required to take all classes. If there is only one that they would like to participate in for the semester, that is perfectly okay, too! Class content varies because it is whatever the parent or adult wants to teach, so it is completely normal to not have any classes repeat over the course of a school year. In fact, I don't think we've had more than a couple of different topics repeat although the classes have never actually repeated! Teachers are typically parents of children within the homeschool co-op or adults with teaching experience that simply want to make a difference because they love to teach. If someone wants to teach but doesn't know what to teach, we have a catalog of classes to choose from that cover a myriad of topics. Perks to teachers include that we do our best to provide for their insurance fees as well as insurance fees up to three children. Teachers are also guaranteed slots within the co-op for their children. Dedicated assistants receive similar perks, but the limit is an adult and up to 2 children covered by the co-op. Tuition & Fees So this is going to vary, but this will give you an idea of what to expect. Classes typically range from $10-$45 in supply fees depending on the class and materials associated with it. As an example, a dissection studies class is going to have a higher supply fee than maybe a Spanish class. Each teacher is responsible for establishing their own class supply fee based on their course. We operate at cost as best we can because we understand that co-ops and other opportunities can be expensive, and we want to make the experience available to as many children as possible. The only other fee that parents are responsible for are insurance fees because as per HDUMC policy, we need to have insurance coverage that is specific to the co-op. This comes out to $14 per child participant for per semester. Keep in mind that the insurance fee is subject to change depending on what the insurance company charges us for coverage. Future Goals One day, we hope to incorporate into a 501.3(c) to be able to request sponsors and donations so that we can cover insurance costs or at least the majority of insurance costs to be able to reduce costs to parents. If you know someone or are someone that has the time to dedicate themselves to making this happen, please let us know! If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out and let us know!
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By Marisa Pullan We all know that home education is entirely, 100% legal, right? Even still, as parents trying to make sure we do the best for our children, we want to make sure we do it correctly so we don't have issues like truancy officers showing up at our house during a Math lesson. But where do you start? The first step is going to be getting to know the law for where you are. Here in Texas, requirements are minimal and notifications don't exist beyond the withdrawal form you submit to your child's current school. If your child has never been in the public school system, no notifications are necessary. To legally home school in Texas, here are the state-mandated requirements: 1. Instruction must be bona fide (i.e. not a sham) 2. Curriculum must be in visual form (e.g. books, workbooks, videos, etc) 3. Curriculum must include reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship. If you desire to do so, you may also allow other parents or tutors to teach your children so long as they are meeting the state-mandated minimums. Yep, that's it. Seriously. What about curriculum and attendance? This is an important distinction between home education and public schools. "Texas home schools are private schools for the purpose of compulsory attendance. As such, home schools are not regulated, do not require teacher certification or third-party curriculum approval, and they are exempt from compulsory attendance laws," according to the Texas Home School Coalition. At the same time, and this is equally important, public school officials can in fact make what is considered a "reasonable inquiry" to know for sure that your child is in a private school (a.k.a. home school). This comes up more often, though, if your child has been enrolled in a public school previously. Okay, great, now how do you withdraw from public school? The process is pretty simple, but be sure that when you withdraw your child or children, you get a copy of the form that is turned into the school. Every school has a withdrawal form. You fill it out with your name, your child(ren)'s name(s) and where they are transferring. In this instance, instead of transferring to a different public school, you would write in that you are choosing to home school. Sign it and you're done. Here are some other options you can choose to use, too: Via email: Send a withdrawal email to the necessary officials: principal, counselor, and person in charge attendance. Essentially, that's it, BUT the school may ask you to come in and sign something. Truly, it is your choice to do it at that point, but at the same time, it's not terribly difficult to run up to the school for a few minutes and sign the paperwork. It's more for the school to cover themselves than anything else. Keep in mind that signing the paperwork at the school can keep everyone happy and make sure you don't have truancy officers showing up on your doorstep. Via letter: Send a withdrawal letter explaining your intentions. The letter needs to reach the principal, registrar, and counselor at the very least. Mail the letter via certified mail so you can be sure to get a return receipt. You may still hear from the school about their form, but the letter should be enough to keep them from contacting you. Something else to remember, before you withdraw your child(ren) from public school, make sure there are NO OUTSTANDING BALANCES that are owed on behalf of your child(ren). That can cause problems down the road. Outstanding balances include lunch bills, library fees, tech fees, required text replacement if a book was lost, etc. All in all, withdrawal is not difficult as long as you follow your p's and q's and make sure to dot your i's and cross your t's. If you need help, there are organizations like THSC that can offer assistance, too. Please keep in mind that this is NOT legal advice and that the Co-op in no way, shape, or form condones or objects to personal choices as to approach organizations like THSC for assistance. If you need legal advice, you are encouraged to reach out to an organization equipped to handle legal situations.
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January 2021
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