Umbrella Schools & Co-ops
Umbrella Schools
Umbrella schools, sometimes known as “600 Schools” are private schools which vary in cost and substance. Some of these are private schools who offer homeschoolers the option of attending certain classes on their campus. Some of these are known as virtual schools or distance learning schools.
There are many reasons why families choose the umbrella school option. Here are just a few:
“I like the idea that my attendance, my grades and other record keeping is being taken care of for me. I don’t have time for all that.”
“I want my boys to be able to participate in school sports, and that is why we chose the private school umbrella option.”
“My kids get to attend classes two days a week at our umbrella school. This gives them the opportunity to learn from someone other than myself.”
“I’m considering using the services of a local umbrella school, because I’m really not certain that homeschooling will work for us. This will give us the best of both worlds option while we’re testing the waters.”
There are other reasons, of course, and I include this option here because many homeschoolers use it, although technically, if you are registered with an umbrella school in Florida, your children are considered private school students and not homeschooled students.
There are many different options to choose from. Check your local area and/or the virtual school and distance learning options if you think this might be right for you.
Homeschool Co-Ops
In my area of Central Florida there are several homeschool co-ops that are going strong. They vary in size and scope as well. Homeschool co-ops provide support, friendship and inspiration. Many co-ops plan regular outings which are posted online and you can pick and choose which ones you’d like to attend.
Some of our local co-ops offer structured classes for a fee. Others are more free-form and meet only for socializing and support a few times a month.
The best way to find a local homeschool co-op is to ask around at local parks, libraries, or do a simple google search. A lot of our local co-ops communicate via yahoo groups, so you might want to search there too.