If you’re a homeschool parent and are considering forming a homeschool cooperative, you will quickly discover that there are dozens of ways you can structure your co-op to best serve its members. Generally speaking, homeschool co-ops are made up of families who share a variety of common interests that might include:
- Academic goals,
- Religious beliefs,
- Social behaviors, or
- Moral structures.
Additionally, homeschool co-ops are often formed around a structure that can be based on a variety of organizational formats such as:
- Parents and students come together to evaluate and share their approach to homeschooling;
- Individual parent members teach workshops or classes based on their own academic background and skills;
- A classroom co-op that combines the efforts of all the member parents where parents stay on site and take turns teaching lessons; and
- Parents and students meet together for the purpose of providing socialization opportunities for students.
Once you have identified your reason for forming a homeschool co-op and have settled on an organizational format, it’s time to create a day-to-day structure for your group. The following seven sample structures are meant to provide suggestions for your group:
1. Meeting Frequency: once per week during school year
Hours: 9AM to Noon, split into three one-hour sessions
Parental Involvement: Required
Academic Focus: anything a parent wishes to teach as long as it is in line with the co-op guidelines
Discipline Issues: Common respect guidelines are followed, but issues are taken to the parent(s)
Safety: Pre-established safety guidelines are followed
2. Meeting Frequency: once every other week at various licensed locations
Hours: 9:45AM – 1:30PM
Parental Involvement: Required
Academic Focus: Main office holds a private school license; each family teaches their own children at home using curriculum and methods of their choice
Discipline Issues: Main office establishes guidelines for behavior, acceptable dress code as well as parent and student responsibilities
Safety: Pre-established safety guidelines are followed
3. Meeting Frequency: Every Friday during the school year except for holiday breaks
Hours: Same as public schools
Parental Involvement: Each parent participates in creating weekly lesson plans and also teaches two class sessions during the school year
Academic Focus: Parent members meet in the summer to plan subjects to be taught
Discipline Issues: Method of dealing with issues determined by full parent group
Safety: Pre-established safety guidelines are followed
4. Meeting Frequency: Daily during school year
Hours: 9AM to Noon
Parental Involvement: Required
Academic Focus: Day starts with a short general assembly and the rest of the morning is divided into three sections with rotating classes. Day always includes a Physical Education class followed by two classes pre-determined by members.
Discipline Issues: Each member family signs a contract outlining expected behavior and the consequences of bad choices
Safety: Pre-established safety guidelines are followed
5. Meeting Frequency: Once per week during school year
Hours: 9:30AM – 2PM including one morning class and one afternoon class
Parental Involvement: All parents are required to participate. The co-op has a constitution and board of directors that changes yearly, so parents have the opportunity to participate as board members or organizers.
Academic Focus: Format is based on the principles of Leadership Education also known as Thomas Jefferson Education Philosophy by Oliver DeMille.
Discipline Issues: Students and parents sign a contract that outlines behavior expectations
Safety: Pre-established safety guidelines are followed
6. Meeting Frequency: Two meetings per month plus two field trips per month (field trips are optional)
Hours: 9AM – 12:15PM
Parental Involvement: Required
Academic Focus: Classes are selected by members and teachers are hired to teach the classes. Classes rotate by age so 1st-3rd graders are together, 4th-5th graders are together and 6th – 8th graders are together. The Co-op also sponsors a high school group which is led by moms. Moms stay for all co-op meetings.
Discipline Issues: Handled by discussions of appropriate behavior led by member parents.
Safety: Pre-established safety guidelines are followed
7. Meeting Frequency: Every Friday during school year
Hours: 9AM – Noon followed by a group lunch until about 1PM
Parental Involvement: Parents are asked to teach, but are not required to do so. Co-op is managed by a board of directors and parents have the opportunity to be board members.
Academic Focus: Parents who want to teach submit proposals for a semester-long class. Subjects vary each semester. Generally, classes offered at the co-op are considered by parents to be “extra-curricular” and are used to supplement regular homeschool classes.
Discipline Issues: The co-op has established guidelines and bylaws and the Board of Directors deals with any disciplinary issues that come up.
Safety: Pre-established safety guidelines are followed
In closing, Homeschool Cooperatives can be a great way to supplement an ongoing homeschool curriculum or can be structured to include a full homeschool experience. Co-ops can be an excellent opportunity for like-minded families to create a safe learning environment and to expand socialization opportunities for their children. The idea that all parents have the opportunity or requirement to help out with co-op administration and activities serves to bond the group and open up learning experiences for homeschooled children.