A Poll: Co op - love it/hate it

[74Heaven]

My co op experiences have been very good. Not perfect, but very good. I have had great ladies/men to work with; nice students (not perfect); good academics; good teachers, etc.

 

Talking about your most recent; or current; or just now beginning (I realize that is subjective since it hasn't actually started), how are your co op experiences been?

[74Heaven]

Oops, last choice should be:

 

I despise(d) my co op; it has *not* been great (bad experience).

 

Vote as close to your choice as possible. Feel free to explain.

 

This is poll is *NOT* about public school programs; but rather it is meant to get information about your experience in/with independent home school co ops. (No govt. oversight or support of any kind.)

 

Note, this is my first poll! I can already see how I can improve my polling.

[Dmmetler]

The first semester, it was really ...meh...DD enjoyed it, but because they'd placed her with the PK/K kids due to age,when she'd already HAD a year of PS K, she ended up doing a lot of things she'd already done. It was fun from the social side, but in many ways she would have been better off with a playgroup.

 

The second semester, we only HAD one age group, so she was with all the kids of all ages, and she was much, much happier with the content.

 

This year, they're dividing by age groups again, but she's in the 1st-5th grade group by age, so I think she'll enjoy it.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Ours isn't really a co-op, but I figured Classical Conversations would count. :) Great (but not perfect).

[curlylocks]

I've been involved with 3 different co-ops over the years...none were what I'd call "good" experiences.

 

These are some of my "gripes":

 

- late arrivals to EVERY co-op related event

- discipline issues

- children unprepared for class

- general disregard for other families

 

I've pretty much given up on co-ops... ;)

[JoJo]

I think the only frustration that I have with our co-op is that we don't have more group field trips. There's a monthly support meeting and a couple 'parties' throughout the year. They used to organize more field trips, but it was the 'if you have an idea, make it happen', kinda thing, and not all Mom's want to do the actual 'planning' so it's really dwindled over the years. A few of the Mom's have taken it upon themselves to arrange park days so there's still lots of 'socialization' opportunities :D

[JoJo]

Hmmmmm. Just read through the other replies. Maybe I'm talking about our homeschool 'group', versus a co-op :confused:

[Heather in Neverland]

I've been involved with 3 different co-ops over the years...none were what I'd call "good" experiences.

 

These are some of my "gripes":

 

- late arrivals to EVERY co-op related event

- discipline issues

- children unprepared for class

- general disregard for other families

 

I've pretty much given up on co-ops... ;)

 

:iagree:

[Denisemomof4]

I appreciate the co-op, REALLY appreciate all the leader does for everyone, but it's not perfect. I almost put that I *LOVE* my co-op, and I do, but I really think appreciate applies more now.

 

I love my friends there. It's always hard when someone leaves/moves away. :sad:

 

Dd11 also has made TERRIFIC friends! Dd8, she struggles.

[Denisemomof4]

I've been involved with 3 different co-ops over the years...none were what I'd call "good" experiences.

 

These are some of my "gripes":

 

- late arrivals to EVERY co-op related event

- discipline issues

- children unprepared for class

- general disregard for other families

 

I've pretty much given up on co-ops... ;)

 

our leader is FANTASTIC. She would never allow the above. She expects kids AND parents to be up to par. If not, they're asked to leave. It makes for a WONDERFUL environment.

[MamaJo]

I am not currently involved in one because I didn't really like it when I was. It seemed like a huge waste of time and I dreaded going.

[KungFuPanda]

We've always home schooled, but never tried a co-op until last year when my kids were in 4th and 8th grade. It was JUST what we needed. It meets one day a week and has a mixture of academic and fun/social classes. I REALLY appreciated that the co-op took a few classes off my plate. I had to oversee my 4th graders homework, but I was completely off the hook for science for BOTH kids and literature for my youngest. The programs were complete enough that I didn't need to supplement and my 8th grader did more dissections in her class than I did my whole high school career. I gave her a high school science credit for the course because it was honestly that challenging.

 

We start back up in a few weeks and my 9th grader will do Latin, Lit., and P.E. My 5th grader will get science and history there, and I will be teaching two dance classes this year. Both kids have a few fub/social classes too. There are five 75 minute periods and families can come for all or part of the day.

 

The things I really like about the co-op is that every parent is required to teach or assist in a class and they must stay on the premises while their child attends class. NO drop-and-run families seems to up the commitment level overall. I like that you pay the teachers directly by the class and the fees are usually supplies only, or supplies plus $10-$20. Teachers have the freedom to set their own fees and oust troublemakers/slackers from their classes. I like that I get to have conversations with other homeschooling moms while my kids are in class. I REALLY liked that my daughter took a class from a pastry chef and learned to make amazing things. This co-op is 4 miles from my house and starts at 9:30 a.m., so it's doable even though we're not morning people.

 

At this point in our homeschooling journey, this is a good fit and we're enjoying it. I was one of the last in line to get the chore list, so I didn't get my first choice, but it's a hassle that only comes up 3 times during the year, so I'll live.

[catz]

The things I really like about the co-op is that every parent is required to teach or assist in a class and they must stay on the premises while their child attends class. NO drop-and-run families seems to up the commitment level overall. I like that you pay the teachers directly by the class and the fees are usually supplies only, or supplies plus $10-$20. Teachers have the freedom to set their own fees and oust troublemakers/slackers from their classes. I like that I get to have conversations with other homeschooling moms while my kids are in class. I REALLY liked that my daughter took a class from a pastry chef and learned to make amazing things. This co-op is 4 miles from my house and starts at 9:30 a.m., so it's doable even though we're not morning people.

 

This is actually what made me NOT like our co-op. The quality of the parent lead classes varied widely. I often felt like I could do a better job at home. So kudos to your program! If I thought I could drop a subject going to a co-op, I'd be there.

 

I do love outside classes for some things. My kids go to a book club, art club, one off classes all the time. There is a good secular co-op here but it's a 30-40 minute drive. We're urbanites, so I refuse to make that drive weekly all year unless I need to! Especially when we have 3 museums, a theater, and a zoo offering homeschooling programs within 10 miles of home. And I have happily dropped science at home when we're doing outside science classes.

[MariannNOVA]

I voted that our family loves our co-op.

 

I did not ever think I would join one, but when I met the woman who runs it and her assistant, I knew I had found the group for us. AND, I am SO NOT A JOINER.

 

My kids love the friends they have made, my dh gets along well with the other husbands, and our entire family has been blessed by these folks.

 

I've interviewed other co-ops/groups, and I always felt like I couldn't get away from them fast enough.

 

I am thankful that we are in this group. I am totally aware that our experience is somewhat unique.

[Lily_Grace]

I love ours. It just was started up last year so things are still being worked out, but it's been wonderful. Nice, enthusiastic kids, great parents...I can't wait until we start up again in a few weeks!

[Rosy]

I love mine!! LOVE it. I've been going for 4 1/2 years and teach 2-3 classes a semester. Most of my best friends are there. That said, it is a huge time commitment (especially the way I do it) so I always breathe a sigh of relief when we break for summer.

[mom2att]

I love mine!! LOVE it. I've been going for 4 1/2 years and teach 2-3 classes a semester. Most of my best friends are there. That said, it is a huge time commitment (especially the way I do it) so I always breathe a sigh of relief when we break for summer.

 

This, almost. Our group is beginning it's 10th year, with several of us having been with the group since the beginning. Our kids have grown up together, our families have gotten to know one another really well, and we've built a supportive and encouraging community of homeschoolers. We generally have a great variety of classes for all ages, things I wouldn't necessarily get to at home, so making the time in our school week for a day off on co-op day is very worthwhile. Sometimes I think I do it more for myself than my kids, though--I've made the best friends of my life through co-op and would have likely had a very different homeschool experience without it.

[Alice]

I love ours. I was hesitant to join and give up a day each week (I work also so we already have a tight schedule). But I think it was really the best thing we did last year.

 

Ours is very large and very organized. It's run by a pastor at the church that sponsors it and he really dedicates a lot of energy and time to it. I think that makes it work well. Everyone who joins is expected to teach and the expectation is that the teaching will be well done. I also like that the younger age classes are mostly "extra stuff" (PE, Art, Drama, Music). It's stuff that is harder to do on our own at home and it doesn't overlap with what we are already doing. For the older grades, I like that the kids can either choose pretty meaty academic classes to fulfill requirements (chemistry, biology, foreign language) or they can take all electives like cooking and art and drama. It meas we can really make it what we want.

 

It's a fantastic group. We've made a lot of friends, all of us.

[shanvan]

I've been involved with 3 different co-ops over the years...none were what I'd call "good" experiences.

 

These are some of my "gripes":

 

- late arrivals to EVERY co-op related event

- discipline issues

- children unprepared for class

- general disregard for other families

 

I've pretty much given up on co-ops... ;)

 

:iagree:too! I now wish I could have back the time we spent at co-ops. I can remember planning and doing a lot of fun activities with my co-op classes. It took up a lot of my time, especially the constant discipline issues. Then, finally I realized one day, as I looked at my dd (5 at the time) that she would love to be doing these things with me.

 

If I hadn't wasted so much time trying to make our co-op work we would have been able to do more of the things that make homeschool unique to our family and build family relationships.

 

I'm sure there are good co-ops out there, and I don't want to put down those who enjoy them, but sometimes I wonder if we homeschooling moms are buying into public school mentality by thinking our young children somehow need co-ops for proper socialization (which is what I hear from so many moms of very young children).

 

Shannon

[Mommamia]

:iagree:too!

 

I'm sure there are good co-ops out there, and I don't want to put down those who enjoy them, but sometimes I wonder if we homeschooling moms are buying into public school mentality by thinking our young children somehow need co-ops for proper socialization (which is what I hear from so many moms of very young children).

 

Shannon

 

:iagree:

[2cents]

I put I don't really appreciate/enjoy my co op; lots of "cons", a few "pros."

 

I have found that the coops in our area are too expensive for what you get. Most of the classes promise great things but turn out to be mostly hype. I can do a lot better on my own for a lot less time, effort and stress. I noticed that many of the classes have wide age ranges and that has led to older children being in with very young and that has compromised the learning potential for the olders. I also grew very dissatisfied with a general lack of class control and parent accountability for any homework assigned. I'd have mine do the homework and then find out that it was never collected, never discussed and most of the other kids never even did it. I just got fed up and stopped going to any of them. I'll pay for science museum classes because they are taught by people who are skilled with class control and are accountable and hold the students accountable too. I never went to coop for social reasons and with the educational quality questionable as well, it was an easy decision to stop going to any. ;)

[Lily_Grace]

I mostly did away with the discipline issues last year with one rule: find yo mama!

 

:lol:

 

Seriously, my class went from chaos to organized, educational chaos when I implemented that. There's one warning and then I ban them from the class until they go tell their parent and have calmed down enough to work again. No one wanted to have to miss out AND tell their parent why they were missing!

[MariannNOVA]

:iagree:too! I now wish I could have back the time we spent at co-ops. I can remember planning and doing a lot of fun activities with my co-op classes. It took up a lot of my time, especially the constant discipline issues. Then, finally I realized one day, as I looked at my dd (5 at the time) that she would love to be doing these things with me.

 

If I hadn't wasted so much time trying to make our co-op work we would have been able to do more of the things that make homeschool unique to our family and build family relationships.

 

I'm sure there are good co-ops out there, and I don't want to put down those who enjoy them, but sometimes I wonder if we homeschooling moms are buying into public school mentality by thinking our young children somehow need co-ops for proper socialization (which is what I hear from so many moms of very young children).

 

Shannon

 

 

In red, just wanted to say that we interviewed our co-op because they had an award winning Odyssey of the Mind team and a few of the moms here had raved about OM so we wanted to give it a try. It was an unbelievable experience (I ended up coaching a new team) and was the ONLY reason we joined the co-op. I laugh and tell them we came for OM but we stayed because of all of them.:D