Gripe: Just tell me WHERE

[Farrar]

I swear, this is my number one complaint about people posting classes and events on homeschool lists. Like, I'm on some lists for an entire state and others for the neighboring county that takes well over an hour to drive from one end to the other. And yet probably half of the "come check out our co-op" and "I'm offering this class/group" posts do not give any clue as to where it takes place. And for a large portion of those, clicking on the website link doesn't say either. Like, why do you make an entire page for your class/group/co-op and never once give an address. Or, if it's your personal address and you don't want to post it, at least give what town you're in? Your general area?

Ugh.

[Farrar]

Related gripe: We got a very detailed flyer about our block having a block party for the first time in ages, with lots of information about how to participate, what do to, etc. And no date given. We still have no clue when this block party is happening. It'll just be a surprise, I guess. Oh, look, we can't drive up the street and there's a bounce house!

[Katy]

4 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Related gripe: We got a very detailed flyer about our block having a block party for the first time in ages, with lots of information about how to participate, what do to, etc. And no date given. We still have no clue when this block party is happening. It'll just be a surprise, I guess. Oh, look, we can't drive up the street and there's a bounce house!

 

That has to be a mistake.

[Farrar]

7 minutes ago, Katy said:

 

That has to be a mistake.

Yeah, clearly. And such an ANC (our little neighborhood government thing) one too.

The lack of location posting on homeschool groups seems almost intentional. Maybe to get more inquiries? Sigh.

Or maybe they all just assume everyone knows. People often think everyone else knows the things they now.

[athena1277]

10 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I swear, this is my number one complaint about people posting classes and events on homeschool lists. Like, I'm on some lists for an entire state and others for the neighboring county that takes well over an hour to drive from one end to the other. And yet probably half of the "come check out our co-op" and "I'm offering this class/group" posts do not give any clue as to where it takes place. And for a large portion of those, clicking on the website link doesn't say either. Like, why do you make an entire page for your class/group/co-op and never once give an address. Or, if it's your personal address and you don't want to post it, at least give what town you're in? Your general area?

Ugh.

My gripe is that they won’t give the price up front.  Yes, your class/club/whatever sounds awesome, but I have better things to do than spending time searching your website, only to find out it’s way out of my budget.

[happi duck]

I've noticed missing vital information more frequently also.  I wonder why?

[Farrar]

Just now, athena1277 said:

My gripe is that they won’t give the price up front.  Yes, your class/club/whatever sounds awesome, but I have better things to do than spending time searching your website, only to find out it’s way out of my budget.

Ugh. Yes.

Like, treat it like an old fashioned children's birthday invitations. Time, day, location, price. Basics, people.

[Katy]

I always wonder if people leave vital information off of flyers and web pages if it's an intentional way to get more inquiries, or if they are just not intelligent enough to know they need to provide the necessary information.  In which case I probably don't want them educating my child.

[Garga]

Ooo.  Leaving the price off of homeschool classes really bugs me.  That should be right up front on the first page you see.  I hate having to drill down through a website to figure out that the class will cost me $860, not including textbooks and supplies.  It’s not like I’m dumb enough to get excited about the class before checking the price. Instead I just get angry at them for making me search for the price before I bother reading all their propaganda about how wonderful their class is.  

 

[Farrar]

I'm willing to let people make an honest mistake. I mean, you think everyone knows where Green Street Co-op is because everyone in your orbit does. But then, when you're posting on a group for the entire state about extra spaces, it still doesn't occur to you to say? And then... how do you think your website doesn't need to say? How does that even happen?

I think they leave the price off on purpose. Like an expensive boutique. I hate that.

[vonfirmath]

25 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Ugh. Yes.

Like, treat it like an old fashioned children's birthday invitations. Time, day, location, price. Basics, people.

 

One organization I am part of does not allow us to post both the date and the place of an event at the same time online. It is to protect the children meeting there at that time. I wonder if some of the homeschool organizations are thinking the same? (or being advised by their lawyers)

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by vonfirmath

[Farrar]

Yeah, we do classes at a person's home. Her website says "at my home in townname, state." That's fine. I get that. At least then I know generally. But saying in county name, state... the county is huge! It's too big to know if you'll drive ten minutes or an hour.

[prairiewindmomma]

Preach! I see this a ton and it drives me crazy!

[Desert Strawberry]

This happens to me all the time. My organization covers the entire state of Arizona. People post like it's limited to just their own neighborhood. Arizona is BIG. Narrow it down. 

 

[Shoeless]

There's a local co-op that will not tell you what classes they offer until after you pay your membership fee. How do I know if I want to join if I don't know what you are offering?!  

[MarieCurie]

I see this all the time too. Like please tell me your coop is three hours away before I spend a lot of time digging through your website.

[dirty ethel rackham]

1 hour ago, vonfirmath said:

 

One organization I am part of does not allow us to post both the date and the place of an event at the same time online. It is to protect the children meeting there at that time. I wonder if some of the homeschool organizations are thinking the same? (or being advised by their lawyers)

 

It's not that hard to say ABCTown near a major intersection/point of interest.  Really, not hard.  I had subscribed to a bunch of statewide groups and promptly unsubscribed because they were flooded with notices for events, classes, coops that would not even give you a general region of the state, let alone county, city, or general vicinity in a town.  

I have a friend who runs a coschool out of her house.  She gives the price options up front on her website, lists all the offerings, and tells them that it is held in a private home and gives the town, and general area of the town (near some landmarks) so people make a decision on whether or not they are still interested without wasting their time and hers with inquiries from people who would never sign up.  

I had stayed in some groups who made it a requirement to list the town and price of the offering before being allowed to post.  I love moderators like that.  

[73349]

This! Name a town! If it's a big town, tell what part! Don't make me click through and dig until I find out it's four hours away.

[MEmama]

Equally infuriating to me is when you DO give ALL the information and people still ask for the details you already provided. Like, it’s all RIGHT THERE in this VERY email thread! Did you even bother to read past the subject name?

I run into this all.the.time at work. People have no idea how much extra time and energy their inattention costs others.

[ScoutTN]

2 hours ago, Farrar said:

Related gripe: We got a very detailed flyer about our block having a block party for the first time in ages, with lots of information about how to participate, what do to, etc. And no date given. We still have no clue when this block party is happening. It'll just be a surprise, I guess. Oh, look, we can't drive up the street and there's a bounce house!

Labor Day? 

[Guest]

45 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

There's a local co-op that will not tell you what classes they offer until after you pay your membership fee. How do I know if I want to join if I don't know what you are offering?!  

Well...this is sort of true for the co-op I was part of for many years. You become a member in the spring/early summer. But the class offerings for that fall are not in yet; sign up for classes happens in late summer. You can attend a tour when you’re considering becoming a member; at that time, you can see what classes they have that semester and can witness the other aspects in person. But there is never a guarantee that, because you saw, say, a sewing class when you toured there will definitely be a sewing class again once you’ve signed up. 

There isn’t another way of doing it that I know of, because the classes will be chosen and scheduled based on what is needed in the membership and what the membes propose to teach.

[Farrar]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

Labor Day? 

Maybe. The inner workings of a block party are mysterious. Hopefully not the same day as the street fair and festival the next block up. But who knows.

[Farrar]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

Well...this is sort of true for the co-op I was part of for many years. You become a member in the spring/early summer. But the class offerings for that fall are not in yet; sign up for classes happens in late summer. You can attend a tour when you’re considering becoming a member; at that time, you can see what classes they have that semester and can witness the other aspects in person. But there is never a guarantee that, because you saw, say, a sewing class when you toured there will definitely be a sewing class again once you’ve signed up. 

There isn’t another way of doing it that I know of, because the classes will be chosen and scheduled based on what is needed in the membership and what the membes propose to teach.

Oh, I do know a co-op like that. If membership wasn’t competitive, it wouldn’t work that way, but if you can get a slot, people try to take it. But it’s not a co-op that’s really about the classes, if you know what I mean.

[Shoeless]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

Well...this is sort of true for the co-op I was part of for many years. You become a member in the spring/early summer. But the class offerings for that fall are not in yet; sign up for classes happens in late summer. You can attend a tour when you’re considering becoming a member; at that time, you can see what classes they have that semester and can witness the other aspects in person. But there is never a guarantee that, because you saw, say, a sewing class when you toured there will definitely be a sewing class again once you’ve signed up. 

There isn’t another way of doing it that I know of, because the classes will be chosen and scheduled based on what is needed in the membership and what the membes propose to teach.

 

So for this local group, you become a member in August.  Pay the membership fee and then get added to the Facebook group that tells you what classes have been decided for the semester starting in September. Membership opens back up again in December.  Pay the fee, then you find out what classes are offered for the spring semester after you get added to the secret group.  The membership fee is separate from the class fee.  If you ask about what the classes are, you are told they've already been determined and scheduled and you'll find out what they are and when they meet after you pay your membership fee. 

I don't really know who decides what classes are offered, but it didn't appear to be based on member input when we were (briefly) members. 

 

[Wheres Toto]

I don't mind if you have to go to a website to find the information but lately it seems half the groups around me make you send a pm with your email and then they send you the information.  Why can't you at least give the basic information - general location, price, what classes you are offering, etc.   Instead I have to give out my information in order to get even the basics, and then I have to put up with getting emails or text messages or personal messages all the time.  

[alisoncooks]

Yes! Especially re: price. It's like they assume I have limitless financial resources and will commit to a class/activity without knowing the cost. Please, people...I have to pay for groceries this week. And next week, too, surprise!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, MissLemon said:

 

So for this local group, you become a member in August.  Pay the membership fee and then get added to the Facebook group that tells you what classes have been decided for the semester starting in September. Membership opens back up again in December.  Pay the fee, then you find out what classes are offered for the spring semester after you get added to the secret group.  The membership fee is separate from the class fee.  If you ask about what the classes are, you are told they've already been determined and scheduled and you'll find out what they are and when they meet after you pay your membership fee. 

I don't really know who decides what classes are offered, but it didn't appear to be based on member input when we were (briefly) members. 

 

That does sound stangely secretive. 

Ours is unlike that. For us, there’s no secret when you sign up; it’s just the class schedule has not been made for the next semester yet, so you can’t know exactly what classes are on offer the coming semester at the time you enroll. You can have a general idea, and some classes repeat year after year, but the classes are a la carte and aren’t set until a month or so before classes begin. 

[Tap]

5 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I see posts like that sometimes as well as posts for events that are just online. Sign up on Zoom. Ehh 

I need to get the address for the woman hosting a potluck at her home next month. I guess I will send her a PM. It’s a homeschool group and the city is listed under event details but not an address. I can see why they may do that, though. 

I’m directionally challenged so I do like addresses or landmarks rather than general cities. I pull it up on a map to see what’s nearby in case I want to combine errands, etc. 

People often do this on purpose so they can figure out how many people are attending.  Since so many people don't RSVP, it is a tricky way to get a head count. 

[Shoeless]

4 minutes ago, Quill said:

That does sound stangely secretive. 

Ours is unlike that. For us, there’s no secret when you sign up; it’s just the class schedule has not been made for the next semester yet, so you can’t know exactly what classes are on offer the coming semester at the time you enroll. You can have a general idea, and some classes repeat year after year, but the classes are a la carte and aren’t set until a month or so before classes begin. 

 

It's interesting how other co-ops and groups function.  There are a lot of groups in this area, but I always feel like I don't know the secret handshake to get in. It's off-putting.  Maybe that's the goal, lol. 

[Farrar]

I get that things can be cliqueish. It's not always intentional. Sometimes groups are small, no one is doing real admin, it's informal... But sometimes it seems rather intentional. Ugh. Every once in awhile I run up against that sort of mean girls crap as an adult and it's just so weird and horrible.

[teachermom2834]

I moved to a smaller town about four years ago (opposite to your situation). My gripe is that info is inaccessible without someone to personally vouch for you. Everyone running every event is so concerned about predators and other bad actors that you cannot find out about co-ops etc without a personal reference. Can't even get added to the local homeschool FB page (which is super general interest info for the whole area). Recently I tried to join a local FB homeschool swap group and I had to list three members I knew.

Now, I get that people try to scam people and all that. But, honestly, alot of bad actors can know people in a group. Just saying "hey I know Jane Doe" is hardly a character reference.

Being new in town and trying to plug into a community is hard enough without having to already know people to get info. I was involved in a huge co-op in my previous location and they had a website with info and how to register. I don't believe that co-op had any more or any fewer discipline or non-payment issues than these groups that require someone to vouch for you. I know some pretty flaky people that know tons of people.

I have tried explaining to people how frustrating and unwelcoming that is to perfectly nice people that are simply new to town. The response is generally that they are unwilling to put their children at risk to make people feel welcome. And that I am supposed to go to stuff to meet people to vouch for me. That is pretty tough when you can't find anything out to start with. 

ETA- there is one group in town that does allow people to access info about park days and co-op registration without knowing someone. I don't necessarily fit in great with the group for other reasons but I so appreciate that they do allow newcomers. I don't participate in much with them but I really value that they are able to extend a welcome even though they are not desperate for members. 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2019 by teachermom2834