Social Homeschooling--anyone ever hear of this?

[Halcyon]

I am going to an informational meeting tonight for something called "social homeschooling". I really have no idea what it is. It sounds like homeschooling with other kids around you, supervised by a teacher, and you pay for it. But it's not school (that's what they say). You can choose to go a couple days, or more. 

 

Anyone ever hear of this? Here's the website for the group that's running it: http://www.findspaceofmind.com/

[Halcyon]

okay just noticed that there's a DEPOSIT of 2500 required. A DEPOSIT of $2500. Hmmm, me thinks it isn't for me. But they'll be holding the info session at a local restaurant/bar, so I guess I'll go. :)

[Halcyon]

TO me, it looks like virtual public schooling done in a group setting. They make reference to kids "working in their virtual learning environments" meaning online, but having lunch together. 

 

This is weird.

[AimeeM]

Very weird. Private school tuition for virtual homeschooling done in a group setting? Lol!

[Halcyon]

tha'ts what it seems! I can't figure out what they're doing. There's an article written about the woman who started it singing her praises, so i am curious. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Good to see that "parent's can get a report card"  - It's always good to know that the people who will take a bunch of money to educate my child are up on their grammar!   ;)  :D

 

(Sorry, I shouldn't be snarky, but doesn't it bug you when educational websites have grammar errors?  Or is it just me?  :D )

[Farrar]

Sounds like daycare for virtual k12 students. Bleh.

[mom2att]

Looks like a fancy umbrella school to me.  You sign up for whatever schooling program works for you, report to them for grades, approval, etc., and your child's transcript/diploma comes from "Space of Mind."  The added feature is that they have an actual "storefront" where kids can study, get homework help, have an actual peer group (though presumably no one would be ever working on the same material), etc.

 

I suppose there must be a need for that somewhere . . . virtual school can get lonely . . . but of course it comes at a price.  I'm pretty much an independent homeschooler anyway and have never felt the need for the oversight of an umbrella school, so this would definitely not be for me.  Plus we're heavily involved in the homeschool community in our area, so we're good on the "social homeschooling" part already.

 

Interesting thought, though.  Never heard of it before now!

[Pen]

I am going to an informational meeting tonight for something called "social homeschooling". I really have no idea what it is. It sounds like homeschooling with other kids around you, supervised by a teacher, and you pay for it. But it's not school (that's what they say). You can choose to go a couple days, or more. 

 

Anyone ever hear of this? Here's the website for the group that's running it: http://www.findspaceofmind.com/

 

 

Our area --in the city nearish anyway -- there is something a bit like that. It is a charter school technically, where the kids mostly do their work at home, but also have some programs and social time available at a physical school location, not just virtual school online system.

 

Looks like the one you have would put the kids in K12 or some such online, and then provide art and other social outlets on site????  It is sort of a narrow view of the idea of homeschool from my POV where they write:

 

 

"Like homeschool, students are enrolled in accredited virtual programs, and they matriculate all the way through school. They have an online teacher, classmates,  and report cards just like any other student. BUT, unlike any other homeschool, they also have the responsibility of coming to the building everyday, they have access to coaches and staff for one-on-one help, they have the opportunity to engage in social programs, they get their physical education credits, and best of all- they make friendships that last a lifetime."

 

ETA: narrow--or as Ellie wrote, not what most of us think of as home school at all.

[Desert Strawberry]

Homeschooling is completely independent here. No umbrella schools, no oversight. Virtual school is only in it's second year.

There is a lot of demand for "someone else" to homeschool the children of parents who are unwilling or unable to do it themselves. There are a few homeschooling schools-which to me look like small private schools-and people who teach other people's kids. 

I can see something like this being quite popular here.

[Halcyon]

well, i'll report back after tonight. if nothing else, i'll get to have a beer with a friend ;)

[Farrar]

Yeah, I'll be curious to hear.  Sounds...  weird.  I met a woman once who had four kids with her and I was like, oh do you homeschool.  She said yes, but none of the kids were hers.  They were all doing k12.  She had been hired to watch them and oversee their studies all day.  It seemed like she was doing a good job...  she was a former teacher, she had organized pe things for them and they took field trips sometimes...  it just struck me as odd.

[Ellie]

Yeah, I'll be curious to hear.  Sounds...  weird.  I met a woman once who had four kids with her and I was like, oh do you homeschool.  She said yes, but none of the kids were hers.  They were all doing k12.  She had been hired to watch them and oversee their studies all day.  It seemed like she was doing a good job...  she was a former teacher, she had organized pe things for them and they took field trips sometimes...  it just struck me as odd.

 

In which case there was no "homeschooling" going on. ::face palm::

[Farrar]

In which case there was no "homeschooling" going on. ::face palm::

 

Yeah, I just sort of nodded and then walked away.

[Halcyon]

well, i had a good friend in nyc who "homeschooled" but really just hired a tutor for her 3 kids. Actually, probably was a lot cheaper than sending them all to private school, now that I think about it. 

[Halcyon]

and this isn't homeschooling either.. i don't know what it should be called, but it's not homeschooling. "Collective virtual schooling"? catchy, huh?

[IsabelC]

Sounds like a marketing ploy in which parents pay big bucks to have their Socializing fears assuaged.

[Kathryn]

and this isn't homeschooling either.. i don't know what it should be called, but it's not homeschooling. "Collective virtual schooling"? catchy, huh?

That does describe it a lot better. I'm interested to know just how much they're going to charge for this.

[Ellie]

and this isn't homeschooling either.. i don't know what it should be called, but it's not homeschooling. "Collective virtual schooling"? catchy, huh?

 

And I'm really offended that they decided to abscond with a term that is recognized and legal to describe something that may be legal but is certainly NOT HOMESCHOOLING, not unless they instruct the parents in complying with their state's homeschool laws (or private school laws, as the case might be in California), which I doubt that they do.

 

I cannot get the site to load in either Firefox or EI, so I can't read it for myself. :cursing:

[MeaganS]

well, i had a good friend in nyc who "homeschooled" but really just hired a tutor for her 3 kids. Actually, probably was a lot cheaper than sending them all to private school, now that I think about it. 

Isn't that just a governess? 

[LibraryLover]

well, i had a good friend in nyc who "homeschooled" but really just hired a tutor for her 3 kids. Actually, probably was a lot cheaper than sending them all to private school, now that I think about it. 

 

That is exactly how wealthy folks were educated in the deep past. Thomas Jefferson, Alexander the Great, QE I & II etc., weren't  taught by mom, but they frequently show up on lists as People Who Were Homeschooled.

 

I'd probably call what the OP posted 'alternative schooling'. 

[Dmmetler]

We have a homeschool MDO program-basically, parents are supposed to send a packed lunch and work for their kids, and then the kids have an art project, recess, and a lesson on some subject, interspersed with independent work time, a couple of days a week. The mom I know who sent her DC was doing so because she wanted time to work with her high school student, so sent her K and 2nd grade kids-who normally don't do much structured work while at home, and then was disappointed that her kids didn't do much at "school" except play outside and do the craft.

[JennyD]

Sounds like daycare for virtual k12 students. Bleh.

 

That's what it looks like to me, too. But what's with the daily "collection of old cell phones"?: 

 

"Our day usually begins with a family meeting, collection of old cell phones, and a discussion regarding what each student plans to accomplish that day."

[Mimm]

There's a couple part time private schools here. You go two days a week and the other three you do whatever homework is assigned. There's tuition, classrooms, teachers, uniforms and everything. I've heard good things and bad things about them. Here in Missouri, we have to track hours and a certain number of those hours need to be in the home in order for it to legally count as homeschooling.

 

I kind of like the idea of getting together with other moms a few days a week and teaching together, maybe rotating locations or something. Kind of like a co-op but on a small scale and meeting very frequently. It seems like it could work if all the moms had very similar educational philosophies and lived near each other and had different subjects they were good at teaching and had children in a similar age range. So, a pretty narrow and specific situation. :) That's what popped into my head when I read the thread title.

 

ETA: And I realize my post is slightly off topic but sort of about out of the home, homeschool/other school hybrid ideas. :)

[EmilyGF]

When we lived in the Boston area, there was a single mom homeschooler there who sort of ran a "daycare" for homeschooled kids. The parents could send their kids for 1 or more days per week with assignments and she ran a sort of classroom/structured environment/minor tutoring help center for them. I think she couldn't homeschool without that income and the parents sometimes needed a few days a week to work. It seemed to work OK for them. Every year there would be an email announcing that year's openings. 

 

Emily

[Crimson Wife]

There is a private school near me that runs on a tutorial model. It's roughly $4k per course, and students can enroll full-time (with a diploma issued by the school) or on an a la carte basis. It offers a supervised homework center for students to work at while they aren't at their tutorials. But they don't pretend that it's "homeschooling" of any sort.

[Artichoke]

 

Looks like the one you have would put the kids in K12 or some such online, and then provide art and other social outlets on site???? It is sort of a narrow view of the idea of homeschool from my POV where they write:

 

"Like homeschool, students are enrolled in accredited virtual programs, and they matriculate all the way through school. They have an online teacher, classmates, and report cards just like any other student. BUT, unlike any other homeschool, they also have the responsibility of coming to the building everyday, they have access to coaches and staff for one-on-one help, they have the opportunity to engage in social programs, they get their physical education credits, and best of all- they make friendships that last a lifetime."

 

While I disagree with this idea as a homeschooling philosophy, I certainly see the market for it. Our area is much like this, except instead of k-12, it's one day a week tutorials. Many parents work full time and lament that they can't oversee their children's homework from the tutorials.

 

 

Eta: I have no idea what happened to the formatting and no idea how to fix it!

[IsabelC]

When we lived in the Boston area, there was a single mom homeschooler there who sort of ran a "daycare" for homeschooled kids. The parents could send their kids for 1 or more days per week with assignments and she ran a sort of classroom/structured environment/minor tutoring help center for them. I think she couldn't homeschool without that income and the parents sometimes needed a few days a week to work. It seemed to work OK for them. Every year there would be an email announcing that year's openings. 

 

Emily

 

I would totally use this for a day or a half a day per week if we had such a thing and I had the money to pay for it.

 

Likewise I would totally employ a tutor / governess to work with me as a kind of teacher-mothers-helper.

 

I agree that things ought not to be advertised as home schooling if they aren't homeschooling, but semantics aside, I think it has got to be a positive thing when parents and students have a greater array of choices. I have often lamented that my only choices are full time public school or full time home schooling.

[Paige]

It doesn't seem so bad to me. I know people who say they would like to homeschool but no adult is available during the day to be with the child. A homeschool daycare is not a terrible idea. It can be hard to find care for school aged children outside of traditional schools. It's not for me, but if I had to work during the day, I may consider something like that if my kids were interested. It seems like they'd be flexible w/ whatever curriculum you want to send but usually use online schools. It's cheaper than any private school around here.

[Ellie]

It doesn't seem so bad to me. I know people who say they would like to homeschool but no adult is available during the day to be with the child. A homeschool daycare is not a terrible idea. It can be hard to find care for school aged children outside of traditional schools. It's not for me, but if I had to work during the day, I may consider something like that if my kids were interested. It seems like they'd be flexible w/ whatever curriculum you want to send but usually use online schools. It's cheaper than any private school around here.

 

But if this goes on regularly, then it isn't really *homeschooling.* Call it "tutoring," but not "homeschooling."

[skeeterbug]

But if this goes on regularly, then it isn't really *homeschooling.* Call it "tutoring," but not "homeschooling."

 

That's what I was thinking...call it 'Tutor School' or something.

 

If I were in a situation where I could no longer homeschool I'd go for this over public school.

[Ellie]

 

Looks like the one you have would put the kids in K12 or some such online, and then provide art and other social outlets on site???? It is sort of a narrow view of the idea of homeschool from my POV where they write:

 

 

"Like homeschool, students are enrolled in accredited virtual programs, and they matriculate all the way through school. They have an online teacher, classmates, and report cards just like any other student. BUT, unlike any other homeschool, they also have the responsibility of coming to the building everyday, they have access to coaches and staff for one-on-one help, they have the opportunity to engage in social programs, they get their physical education credits, and best of all- they make friendships that last a lifetime."

 

While I disagree with this idea as a homeschooling philosophy, I certainly see the market for it. Our area is much like this, except instead of k-12, it's one day a week tutorials. Many parents work full time and lament that they can't oversee their children's homework from the tutorials.

 

 

Eta: I have no idea what happened to the formatting and no idea how to fix it!

 

This is by any definition *NOT* homeschooling. ::bangs head on keyboard::  If anything, it's a private school--parents pay big bucks for it, apparently (I cannot open the site so I cannot see for myself), so it isn't a public school. Kudos to the people who devised the program, because I'm sure there's a market for it, but I'd really like to smack them for calling it "homeschool."

[Halcyon]

Well, I attended the info session last night. The women who run it were nice, and seemed genuinely into their students. IMO, they're modeling the program after the Free School movement, which is big in NYC and other areas. YOu can google Brooklyn Free School for more info. It incorporates some of the unschooling philosophy, some child-directed. It has elements of "homeschooling" in that they tailor the curriculum to the child, and they can switch things up that aren't working. Lots of field trips, because they only have 25 students from k-12. I might be interested in a part-time option, which they were vaguely open to, until I hear the cost. They want 28,000 a year. Organic lunches, field trips to europe, 3:1 teacher student ratio. There's a market for this, but I don't think it's here in our community. 

[Katy]

I always thought that if someone would open a private school that worked to mastery, purely at a child's own speed and per their learning style, provided all the extra subjects that are difficult to teach on my own, had social time, and we could afford it, I'd probably pay for private school.   When you said "social homeschool" that's what I was picturing.

[ErinE]

Well, I attended the info session last night. The women who run it were nice, and seemed genuinely into their students. IMO, they're modeling the program after the Free School movement, which is big in NYC and other areas. YOu can google Brooklyn Free School for more info. It incorporates some of the unschooling philosophy, some child-directed. It has elements of "homeschooling" in that they tailor the curriculum to the child, and they can switch things up that aren't working. Lots of field trips, because they only have 25 students from k-12. I might be interested in a part-time option, which they were vaguely open to, until I hear the cost. They want 28,000 a year. Organic lunches, field trips to europe, 3:1 teacher student ratio. There's a market for this, but I don't think it's here in our community. 

 

Wow.

[shinyhappypeople]

Well, I attended the info session last night. The women who run it were nice, and seemed genuinely into their students. IMO, they're modeling the program after the Free School movement, which is big in NYC and other areas. YOu can google Brooklyn Free School for more info. It incorporates some of the unschooling philosophy, some child-directed. It has elements of "homeschooling" in that they tailor the curriculum to the child, and they can switch things up that aren't working. Lots of field trips, because they only have 25 students from k-12. I might be interested in a part-time option, which they were vaguely open to, until I hear the cost. They want 28,000 a year. Organic lunches, field trips to europe, 3:1 teacher student ratio. There's a market for this, but I don't think it's here in our community. 

 

Well.  Bless their hearts.

 

OTOH, I do like alternative education models, it clearly it meets a need and there are families that can afford it, but.. wow.

 

I'm trying to imagine what it would be like to be in a position where I cold drop 56k (for 2 kids) a year on my kids' education (that's 20k more than we even make...)

[73349]

  It has elements of "homeschooling" in that they tailor the curriculum to the child, and they can switch things up that aren't working.

 

That's not homeschooling. It's called differentiated instruction. Schools are often able to do that with small classes.

 

http://www.nyhen.org/SED-QA.htm specifies that Where groups of parents organize to provide group instruction by a tutor for a majority of the instructional program, they are operating a nonpublic school and are no longer providing home instruction.

 

It's odd to me that they would label a Sudbury-type school "social homeschooling." But hey, for those who like it and can pay for it, it could be an interesting opportunity.

[Kathryn]

Wow on the price tag! I assume that doesn't actually include the cost of the field trips to Europe and whatnot.

[Ellie]

Well, I attended the info session last night. The women who run it were nice, and seemed genuinely into their students. IMO, they're modeling the program after the Free School movement, which is big in NYC and other areas. YOu can google Brooklyn Free School for more info. It incorporates some of the unschooling philosophy, some child-directed. It has elements of "homeschooling" in that they tailor the curriculum to the child, and they can switch things up that aren't working. Lots of field trips, because they only have 25 students from k-12. I might be interested in a part-time option, which they were vaguely open to, until I hear the cost. They want 28,000 a year. Organic lunches, field trips to europe, 3:1 teacher student ratio. There's a market for this, but I don't think it's here in our community. 

 

It sounds like a good option for some...but OMG it is NOT homeschooling, not unless the parents write IHIPS and NOI and the whole thing. It is a private school. The end.

[shawthorne44]

So, you were at an info session for something costing 28K a year.  Did they give you champagne and expensive organic food to nibble on?  

 

Although, a friend of mine is moving and the preschool will cost 20K a year.  So, maybe if you are willing to spend 20K on preschool, 28K on 3rd grade might seen reasonable.  

This costs several times my mortgage, so to afford this for one kid, we'd have to sell our house and move into the school.  So, I guess, that would make it "homeschool"?

[Crimson Wife]

Well, I attended the info session last night. The women who run it were nice, and seemed genuinely into their students. IMO, they're modeling the program after the Free School movement, which is big in NYC and other areas. YOu can google Brooklyn Free School for more info. It incorporates some of the unschooling philosophy, some child-directed. It has elements of "homeschooling" in that they tailor the curriculum to the child, and they can switch things up that aren't working. Lots of field trips, because they only have 25 students from k-12. I might be interested in a part-time option, which they were vaguely open to, until I hear the cost. They want 28,000 a year. Organic lunches, field trips to europe, 3:1 teacher student ratio. There's a market for this, but I don't think it's here in our community. 

 

You should tell them to pack up from FL and come out here to the S.F. Bay Area. They could probably add $15k to their tuition and still have more interested families than spaces available.

[mom2scouts]

This costs several times my mortgage, so to afford this for one kid, we'd have to sell our house and move into the school.  So, I guess, that would make it "homeschool"?

 

 

:lol: :lol:

[ErinE]

Well, I attended the info session last night. The women who run it were nice, and seemed genuinely into their students. IMO, they're modeling the program after the Free School movement, which is big in NYC and other areas. YOu can google Brooklyn Free School for more info. It incorporates some of the unschooling philosophy, some child-directed. It has elements of "homeschooling" in that they tailor the curriculum to the child, and they can switch things up that aren't working. Lots of field trips, because they only have 25 students from k-12. I might be interested in a part-time option, which they were vaguely open to, until I hear the cost. They want 28,000 a year. Organic lunches, field trips to europe, 3:1 teacher student ratio. There's a market for this, but I don't think it's here in our community.

I forgot to ask the really important question: how was the beer?

[JennyD]

It sounds like a good option for some...but OMG it is NOT homeschooling, not unless the parents write IHIPS and NOI and the whole thing. It is a private school. The end.

 

No, it certainly isn't homeschooling, but it isn't a private school either.  They say this right on their website.  (In the FAQ, under "Do you accept financial aid?") It isn't any kind of schooling at all.   It's a private, for-profit business that offers coaching and child care for students who are enrolled in online education.  The CEO and founder of this place isn't an educator; she's an organizational expert/personal coach who is branching out in this direction:

 

[video deleted]

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against this business model – if it works for everyone, more power to her -- but I think it's safe to say that it is a whole 'nother thing from the Brooklyn Free School, which is an actual school built around an unschooling philosophy.

 

As for pricing, of course she can charge what the market will bear, but I wonder how she set that $28,000 number.  What do private schools in Delray Beach charge?  I looked it up and full tuition at the Brooklyn Free School  is $22,000 for high school and $20,000.  I find these numbers notable not because they are high in absolute terms (which of course they are) but because they are very low for a private school in NYC.   Highly desirable, very competitive NYC private schools charge in the $35,000 - $40,000 per year range.  This suggests that even in a market where there is a huge demand for private schooling and plenty of people with lots of money to spend, the Brooklyn Free School can only charge about half of what the most desirable schools are charging.   

 

I think it's great for families to have different options, but I would want to ask lots of lots of questions before getting involved in this one.  If she's really charging (and getting) private school prices to take care of kids doing virtual school, I'd be concerned that the core clientele might be heavy on wealthy kids with behavioral problems.  

 

[Um_2_4]

WOW!! This woman has made a business out of my back up plan :lol: . I did this for 1 year for a girl I knew doing K12 (tutoring and supervision). If I needed an income there are a lot of families that would sign up for this (full time care/tutoring while kid does online schooling). Not sure if it would be $28K a year here, but maybe $800-1000 per month. (full time care for a preschooler here is $1000/month and tutors run $20-25 per hour for elementary subjects, so I am ball parking it here LOL). But of course I would not be providing organic lunches and trips to Europe  :laugh: .

All joking about price aside, I think that more options are better, and looking at the web side, seems like they've got about a dozen "coaches" (no one with a title of "teacher"), and about two dozen students, so that's bound to be expensive to run.  It seems like there is some legal reason they can't call themselves a school.  It's unclear to me, but do the kids get to sign up for K12 for free under this arrangement, so technically they are enrolled in public school, and if this institution were to call itself a "school", then they kids couldn't enroll in K12?  Don't know what the rules in Florida are about this.

 

One aspect that I do like about this is that it reinforces that idea that most virtual schools still require parental (or "coach") involvement.  So many parents I've talked to think that they can just plonk their kids down in front of the computer and the schooling is 100% taken care of.

[Halcyon]

It sounds like a good option for some...but OMG it is NOT homeschooling, not unless the parents write IHIPS and NOI and the whole thing. It is a private school. The end.

Well, all the students need to be "registered homeschoolers" with the state of Florida in order to apply. And they refuse to call themselves a "school" and they don't accept scholarship money or any grants that schools might. 

[Ellie]

All joking about price aside, I think that more options are better, and looking at the web side, seems like they've got about a dozen "coaches" (no one with a title of "teacher"), and about two dozen students, so that's bound to be expensive to run.  It seems like there is some legal reason they can't call themselves a school.  It's unclear to me, but do the kids get to sign up for K12 for free under this arrangement, so technically they are enrolled in public school, and if this institution were to call itself a "school", then they kids couldn't enroll in K12?  Don't know what the rules in Florida are about this.

 

One aspect that I do like about this is that it reinforces that idea that most virtual schools still require parental (or "coach") involvement.  So many parents I've talked to think that they can just plonk their kids down in front of the computer and the schooling is 100% taken care of.

 

ITA that there should be as many options as possible. But people need to be very careful about what words they use to describe what they do.

 

"Homeschool" is a specific legal thing in NY. If you are homeschooling, you must follow  NY regs, which include sending in a Notice of Intent, then an IHIP for each child, then quarterly reports, then an end-of-year assessment, and standardized testing every other year beginning with fourth grade. If the parents who are using this...whatever it is...are not doing those things, then they are NOT homeschooling.

 

If the children are enrolled in a publicly funded virtual school, then they are legally public school students. That should be right out there in front. There's nothing "homeschool" about it, and there's nothing wrong with there being nothing homeschool about it. It's a perfectly good option. And there's nothing wrong with the service those people are offering (other than the fact that I can't believe how much they charge, but, you know, if parents are willing to pay for it, good for them), but *everyone involved* needs to be using the same terminology as the rest of the world. "Homeschooling" it most definitely is not.

 

ETA: Ok...I'm confused. What state are we actually talking about?

 

In any case, it isn't homeschooling if the parents are not having to comply with the homeschool laws wherever it is they live.

[Halcyon]

It's Florida, and all the students in this "program" are registered homeschoolers, with these people providing "coaching" and social stuff, games, trip, etc.