Homeschooling with a Charter School

This post is all about the pros and cons of homeschooling with a charter school.

A few weeks ago, I polled Instagram to see if there were any questions regarding homeschooling with a charter school. Some high levels of curiosity followed, which I’m happy to address.

With the different options to homeschooling legally in your state, choosing the charter school route can be intimidating without enough information. Knowing the potential of what you’re walking into prior to applying will be helpful.

I have homeschooled with a charter school for 7 years now, and can share the pros and cons from our own experience. Without too many details online, practically speaking, this is an avenue I hope to shed more light on so you can make an informed decision.

[RELATED POST: Where to Begin with Homeschooling?]

What is a Charter School

Charter schools are public schools that independently operating and managed from a school district. However, they do operate similarly to a public school in that they are tuition-free, non-religious, and not-for-profit. Most require some form of state testing that align with state standards. Additionally, they must serve all students, and accommodate for special needs education.

Each charter school has a variance in their offerings and rules, but this is just to provide a general idea of how they may operate in your local area.

Pros of Homeschooling with a Charter School

Guidance

One thing I have valued in homeschooling with a charter school is having a teacher provide guidance. It has been a blessing that the teacher I have is a friend I had known beforehand, and we share the same foundation and beliefs in our why for homeschooling. I know not every teacher is guaranteed to be helpful in that way, but if you can find the right fit, it makes this whole process much easier.

The school provides virtual learning and encouragement for me as a homeschool teacher. Their middle school and high school guidance has been especially helpful in considering the next steps. Many of the teachers have children who have graduated homeschoolers or are at least a few steps ahead of me. In turn, they are able to offer great counsel from the perspective of experience.

Assessments

This may sound like a con in your mind, but state assessments have been an unexpected pro! In the early elementary years, our charter school has us take an early literacy and math assessment at the beginning of the year, and again at the end of the year. While test scores come with so much subjectivity, I value seeing a general idea of their growth in those areas.

In 5th grade, our school administers a physical fitness test, which is really like a get outdoors kind of event. They run a timed mile, and have 4 stations of simple exercises to measure stamina, flexibility, and strength. Our kids have enjoyed these days very much.

Charter School Freebies

I had no idea there were so many freebies offered! Here are just a few that I’ve been offered. Some I have used, and some I didn’t need, but it was nice to know it was available.

• Technology: this can include laptops, e-readers, Chrome books, and iPads.
• Online Subscriptions: they offer access to some annual subscriptions to education programs like IXL, BrainPop, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Grammarly.
• Field Trips: teachers within the school will organize group field trips for all ages and interests each month. These can include whale watching trips, baseball stadium tours, professional musical performances, museum, zoo, and barn visits. Most require a fee, which you can use your funding for, but the planning is all done for you.

Charter School Funding

Public charter schools typically offer funding for each student. The amount ranges by grade level, but can be $2000-$4000 per student per school year. The amount provided is held in an account where you can request to spend on approved educational products or services.

Educational products

Examples of educational products you can use your funding on is wide and varied. The school’s approved vendors (including Amazon) make it easy to narrow it down. Keep in mind that anything that is non-consumable like books or an Osmo must be returned to the school upon withdrawal. So, I try to keep it to consumable products to not have to worry about remembering to return it. Real life products our family has used funding for:

• common school supplies: notebooks, 3-ring binders, writing tools, glue sticks, watercolor paint and paper, scissors
• printer ink
• workbooks for reinforcement (i.e., Explode the Code, Mad Libs, Summer workbooks)
• curriculum: non-religious curriculum can be purchased through approved vendors (i.e., Fix It Grammar, Beautiful Feet literature packs, and science lab kits from Nature’s Workshop)

educational services

Personally, I prefer to use our funding on services to avoid the hassle of returning a non-consumable item. This has been a blessing! The school has a comprehensive list of approved educational vendors where you can request to use your funding. Real life services we have accessed with funding:

• music classes
• dance classes
• swimming lessons
• art classes
• foreign language online subscription

Formalities

Being under an umbrella school like this has offered a few benefits of the school formalities. We get a student ID and help with additional homeschool discounts and perks. My graduating middle schooler has the opportunity to walk in a middle school graduation, which we will be participating in. There are

High School Years

As I am planning for my first child to enter high school, I am finding a lot of guidance and counsel for how to navigate this season. I am not certain we will continue with a charter school all thoughout our homeschool journey, but we are committed to seeing what it is like for the upcoming freshman year.

I have attended 2 virtual meetings for high school preparation, and have been able to ask all my questions. You get assigned to a specific high school counselor, who can help with your student’s individual career or college track plans.

Cons of Homeschooling with a Charter School

You Have Accountability

Most of my pros and cons can be seen as a pro or a con, depending on where you are at. Accountability comes in the form of turning in monthly attendance, work samples, and check ins. Elementary and middle school grades require one subject work sample per month (determined by the school), while high school requires a work sample for every subject per month.

You Have Rules

One thing most homeschoolers value is freedom, so I can totally understand not wanting to have rules in education. Being a part of a school comes with their set of standards and formalities. We do our best to abide by the rules of the school, and have not had any issue.

Faith-based products or services are not allowed to be purchased with funding, but it doesn’t change that our family and personal life is very much lived in pursuit of following Jesus. If we use faith based curricula or study the Bible together, that is always out of pocket. No complaints, but I can see how some families would prefer no rules.

Everything Comes at a Cost

As with any decision, the path you choose has a cost. For elementary and middle school so far, the cost has been worthy of the choice. We’ll see how high school fares as I know the requirements increase significantly.

This post is all about the pros and cons of homeschooling with a charter school.

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