Free Public Homeschooling Programs

Homeschooling is moving into the mainstream. More families are choosing homeschooling due to:

• Concerns about educational quality at their local public schools
• Concerns about bullying or violence in their local schools
• A lack of programs for special needs or gifted students in their local schools
• Increased class sizes and budget cuts

For a lot of these families, especially two-income or single parent households, homeschooling may seem overwhelming. Where do you start? What curriculum should you use? Will your child learn everything they need to learn? What about accountability? What about the expense of buying materials? What do you do if you run into material you don’t understand? These are very valid concerns.

If you want to homeschool but don’t want to figure out everything for yourself, you can look into online public schools or other free public homeschooling programs. Your local school district may offer a homeschooling program. Many charter schools also offer homeschooling options. K12.com and Connections Academy offer online public schooling in many states.

The nice thing about these programs is that they have already developed a curriculum or will work with you to customize a curriculum. You will be provided with most required materials for free. You will also have a teacher assigned to monitor your child’s progress and help you with any difficulties you encounter. Public homeschooling programs require regular visits with the assigned teacher to monitor progress. Because these are public school options, your child will have to take all mandated state tests.

K12.com and Connections Academy have lists of areas served on their websites. Charter schools with homeschooling options may be more difficult to find. Try websites like greatschools.org to find charters in your area and contact them to see if they have a homeschooling program. Contact your local school district to find out if they have a homeschooling program.