Starting a Homeschooling Co-op

Where are you located? I have homeschooled for years, but never been a part of a co-op. I do tend to be a loner, but I've realized that many times just being together and swapping ideas is helpful. If you are close, I'd love to meet you. Also....do you teach belly dancing?!!! I've always wanted to learn!

R.,

I don't know about starting a co-op, but you should definitely investigate the Ohio Virtual Academy. It is a free public charter school, and provides a loaner computer and printer, the entire curriculum by K12 (a nationwide company), the teaching materials, and personal support. OHVA hosts many group outings and encourages member interaction. See more details at www.OHVA.org and maybe find a much easier way for you to begin homeschooling. Ask me any questions you like.

Best wishes,
K.

I've been homeschooling now for 9 years and when we first started we were part of a co-op. We met every Wednesday morning.Each month one mother taught on the subject of her choice and planned a field trip at the end of the month that went along with her lessons. There were no fees because each mother just paid for all the materials needed for her lessons. It worked out well. All the mothers stayed and talked and had a few hours "off" while another mother taught. We helped the teaching mother, of course, if she needed us. We also did holiday parties...Christmas, Valentine's, etc. We were apart of that co-op many years ago and we still talk regularly to the one family!

Hi R.,
my friend and I started a homeschool co-op a couple of years ago. We keep our group small and personal.
We used yahoogroups to start ours up and we used to meet at each-others homes, but now we meet at public locations. if you have any questions I would be happy to help you out!

We meet once a week and we charge nothing. We meet a the library usually and we all pretty much take care of our own art supplies and such. We go on occasional field trips and meet at parks in the summer. We started the group specifically as a gentle discipline group, we all come from different walks of life, different religions, different curriculum choices, but we do have that one thing in common...we agree on gentle discipline tactics when raising our children.

C.

R.,
I am the director of a co-op just north of Cincinnati. We have a website www.masoncoop.org with a lot of our forms and information available on it. Also, my friend has written a book about starting homeschool co-ops that is very helpful. http://homeschoolcpa.com/

We meet once a week on Fridays (any more and you interfere with getting lessons done at home.) We have 2 semesters that are 14 weeks long. Most of our teachers are our own parents (we actually have a dad who teaches chemistry, taking Friday mornings off to do it.) We have some teachers (art, Spanish and guitar) who are professionals that our parents pay directly. We have about 140 students from the nursery through 12th grade who rotate classes in 3 hours.

We charge $75/family/semester with a discount for teaching a class. This, along with the Kroger card and Box Tops for Education, covers our rent at the church and class expenses.

I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me again if you have any specific questions after checking out the website.
M.

There is a coop that meets at my church that I am planning to join. You could look at the website and maybe contact the directors to ask questions about getting started. Here is the address: http://www.wisdomsway.org/ It's in Milford, Ohio (Cincinnati area).

Sorry I can't help but I will ask some Moms I know who homeschool and get back to you.

Start by looking on the internet, our local library has a meeting every 2nd wednesday of the month for parents.They share stuff they dont need ask for help when they need it. Very nice caring group of parents.)It cost nothing. Its a support group. I took my friend there because she didnt want to send her son to school. She got signed up on the internet from a state agency. They sent her a computer, she has a teacher in the area she meets with. She has tons of books, learning guides and resources for her teach her son at home. She also has a teenage son who recently started home schooling they did the same for him. There is alot of help out there, shop around. The states have thier own programs.(that are free) There a couple of good ones in ohio.

Not sure where you are, but if you don't get any response, let me know and I'll try & put you in contact w/ a gal who has home schooled for YEARS. I'll want to get her permission, but I'm sure it won't be a problem. I'm in the Fishers/Carmel area in Indiana.

hi R., i am a product of a homeschooling co-op. i dont know all of the financial details or how things got started,but i had the experience of being taught there. we met at a church office(the pastor's daughter was also homeschooled. the teachers were parents and people that attended that church, if they had enough knowledge to teach they were permitted to. im sure they were compensated, but im not sure as to how or how much. there may have been a registration fee that helped cover text books. our class had about 12 students ranging from 12-16. we did a spanish course, bible course, geography, american government, english lit, classical music, biology, a shop class. we met twice a week for three hours. all that i can say is good luck and keep looking for people to help or that have some info to help. where are you located?

Dear R.,

Here is an option you need to understand. The Robinson Cirriculum is used by over 60,000 students and it works. Best part is that it is self-teaching so the children learn how to learn and don't need a teacher all the way. Look here for more information - http://www.oism.org/s32p28.htm

God Bless,

S.