Homeschool Co-Ops

What about socialization? and How do I teach a subject I'm not good at? These are some of the most common questions people have about homeschooling. The simple answer is to join a co-op. You can choose the type of people you (and your children) associate with. And parents work together for the betterment of all their kids. You may be good at gardening while someone else is good at math. Working together both families benefit.

Parent Led Co-Op

A parent-led co-op is a group where parents work together to share teaching and other responsibilities for their children's education and socialization. These groups can be very flexible with age range and curriculum. Parents teach various subjects that they are knowledgeable about or help organize activities like field trips and library days. These groups can meet for extra curricular activities leaving the main learning environment in the home, or they can meet everyday where each parent teaching a different subject. These types of co-ops are as unique as the families that create them.

Some co-ops are faith based, while others are strictly secular. Some charge fees to cover the cost of supplies while others have no cost at all. Each parent led co-op is different. Find the one (or two) that fits your family, or create one.

Board Led Co-Op

Board-led co-ops consist of larger groups of families that use a group of parents to make decisions about curriculum and activities. An example is a commonwealth school.

A "commonwealth" in a homeschooling context refers to a model where families work together to create a learning community, often with a shared, once-a-week school structure. These co-ops can provide structure, social opportunities, and a shared educational philosophy, while the families still handle most of the day-to-day learning at home.

Many commonwealth co-ops follow the TjEd (Thomas Jefferson Education) philosophy of homeschooling. Some are designed for young children while others focus on teenaged scholars. One example of a teenager based commonwealth is Fire Canyon Academy.

Micro-schools and Homeschool Pods

A micro-school is a business, like a private school, with its own staff and curriculum.. The class is led by a certified teacher and consists of students broken into small groups.

A homeschool pod is a more flexible, decentralized group, often formed by parents who pool resources or share teaching duties. The group can be led by a professional teacher/tutor, or parent(s) who take on teaching duties. Pods have established curriculum that may or may not follow the public school. This type of co-op became popular during the pandemic.