Distance Learning/ Broker/Private Homeschool Options
(Information provided by Carie Valentine)
Make sure to call your local School District to verify the information below as it can change at any time
Dual Enrollment Programs through Public Education- If your student is not enrolled in any other publicly funded program they may participate in any course work offered at your local public school. You simply go to the school and register them as a home school student interested in dual enrollment and decide which courses you want them to take. My son is taking wood shop at our local Jr. High this year and another son did Driver's Education last semester. You pay whatever the cost is for the class that any other public school student would be responsible for. You work through the school counselor for enrollment.
County Community School Courses-This is usually designed for adults but my kids have enjoyed taking these classes. Generally they are offered in the spring and the fall and included all kinds of various subjects; a course list comes in the mail. Most recently my daughter took Guitar 1 and 2 courses that were offered and she got a kick out of being the only kid in a class with adults. It was a very positive experience for her. The teacher was very nice and I stayed the first few classes to make sure she was ok. I highly recommend your children take courses this way. It is a great way to do tech classes, cooking classes, or other fun things like guitar. You can also contact the teacher's of these classes and see if they would be interested in teaching to a home school group. This is how I found the biology teacher.
Online schools- Online schools are essentially charter schools. You enroll the same way you would through a brick and mortar school and they send you all the materials, supplies, and books needed for the year. Your child is subject to the standardized testing and you have to keep track of attendance. It is basically public school at home. I did this through Utah Virtual Academy for the first two years I home schooled because I felt too insecure to venture off on my own. This was a good starting point for our family but we grew out of it quickly and I tired of the constant need to report to the school on what we were doing all the time. I also found my kids were on the computer way too much and we were stressed out all the time because we had to keep up with the lessons to finish for the year. It was not the kind of home school experience I wanted for my kids. I also didn't like having to report to the teacher all the time about what we were doing or why we were behind in a particular area. Many people have had a positive experience with online ed but I found it was too restrictive for our family. I appreciated the support when I started, the outings were great, and the kids liked some of the materials we got. Overall, we have been happier without the stress of reporting everyday what we were doing.
You do have the option with some of these online schools of just doing one or two classes of your choosing. I have heard good things about this approach and there is much less oversight. I believe Washington Online offers courses this way for all grades and then UTVA and others will do dual enrollment if your student is enrolled in public school full time. Basically, they take some courses at school and some courses online at home.
Broker Schools- These schools include My Tech High and Harmony Ed. They basically broker for other charter schools based on your interest areas. Some of the online schools are private schools and the broker helps cover the cost of the courses and also offers a rebate on educational supplies for each student enrolled. The rebate is generally your tax dollars coming back to you because you are covering the cost of that subject for schooling rather than using the public school for that experience. These schools are monitored by the state and are required to do SAGE testing just like any other publicly funded school. I have heard mixed reviews about these programs and personally decided not to take advantage of them because I didn't want to be connected to public ed and the testing. Now that parent's can opt out of the testing, I think they may be more popular than ever simply because of the financial help for families. Do your homework and understand what you are getting into before participating with these.
Make sure to call your local School District to verify the information below as it can change at any time
Dual Enrollment Programs through Public Education- If your student is not enrolled in any other publicly funded program they may participate in any course work offered at your local public school. You simply go to the school and register them as a home school student interested in dual enrollment and decide which courses you want them to take. My son is taking wood shop at our local Jr. High this year and another son did Driver's Education last semester. You pay whatever the cost is for the class that any other public school student would be responsible for. You work through the school counselor for enrollment.
County Community School Courses-This is usually designed for adults but my kids have enjoyed taking these classes. Generally they are offered in the spring and the fall and included all kinds of various subjects; a course list comes in the mail. Most recently my daughter took Guitar 1 and 2 courses that were offered and she got a kick out of being the only kid in a class with adults. It was a very positive experience for her. The teacher was very nice and I stayed the first few classes to make sure she was ok. I highly recommend your children take courses this way. It is a great way to do tech classes, cooking classes, or other fun things like guitar. You can also contact the teacher's of these classes and see if they would be interested in teaching to a home school group. This is how I found the biology teacher.
Online schools- Online schools are essentially charter schools. You enroll the same way you would through a brick and mortar school and they send you all the materials, supplies, and books needed for the year. Your child is subject to the standardized testing and you have to keep track of attendance. It is basically public school at home. I did this through Utah Virtual Academy for the first two years I home schooled because I felt too insecure to venture off on my own. This was a good starting point for our family but we grew out of it quickly and I tired of the constant need to report to the school on what we were doing all the time. I also found my kids were on the computer way too much and we were stressed out all the time because we had to keep up with the lessons to finish for the year. It was not the kind of home school experience I wanted for my kids. I also didn't like having to report to the teacher all the time about what we were doing or why we were behind in a particular area. Many people have had a positive experience with online ed but I found it was too restrictive for our family. I appreciated the support when I started, the outings were great, and the kids liked some of the materials we got. Overall, we have been happier without the stress of reporting everyday what we were doing.
You do have the option with some of these online schools of just doing one or two classes of your choosing. I have heard good things about this approach and there is much less oversight. I believe Washington Online offers courses this way for all grades and then UTVA and others will do dual enrollment if your student is enrolled in public school full time. Basically, they take some courses at school and some courses online at home.
Broker Schools- These schools include My Tech High and Harmony Ed. They basically broker for other charter schools based on your interest areas. Some of the online schools are private schools and the broker helps cover the cost of the courses and also offers a rebate on educational supplies for each student enrolled. The rebate is generally your tax dollars coming back to you because you are covering the cost of that subject for schooling rather than using the public school for that experience. These schools are monitored by the state and are required to do SAGE testing just like any other publicly funded school. I have heard mixed reviews about these programs and personally decided not to take advantage of them because I didn't want to be connected to public ed and the testing. Now that parent's can opt out of the testing, I think they may be more popular than ever simply because of the financial help for families. Do your homework and understand what you are getting into before participating with these.
List of Broker Schools
Cost- Free
Grades- K-12
Website- https://harmonyed.com/utah/
Grades- K-12
Website- https://harmonyed.com/utah/
Cost- FREE
Grades- 7-12
Website- https://mytechhigh.com/
Grades- 7-12
Website- https://mytechhigh.com/
List of Private Schools geared toward Homeschoolers
Benjamin Franklin Academy
Website- http://bfautah.org/
Grades- Pre-K - 12
Location- Salt Lake City
Phone- 385-202-3753
Liberty Hills Academy (New Fall 2014)
Website- http://www.libertyhillsacademy.org/
Grades- Pre-K - 8th
Location- Bountiful
Phone- 385-202-3753
Liberty Hills Academy is a Family Education Center that provides instruction to Preschool through 8th Grade students in an atmosphere that is focused on the teachings of the Savior. Our primary function is to support parents in their responsibility of educating their children, and to strengthen the core values taught at home in the classroom.
Liahona Academy
Website- https://www.liahonaeducation.com/index.html
Grades- K-12
Location- Pleasant Grove
They have a building in Pleasant Grove, Utah for grades K-12 and they have a distance learning option as well.
Family Lyceum
Website- http://www.familylyceum.com/
Grades- ALL
Location- Layton
Family Lyceum offers families the tools, inspiration, and community to homeschool in a family-centered, Leadership Education model, by providing classes, mentoring, activities, and resources.
Website- http://bfautah.org/
Grades- Pre-K - 12
Location- Salt Lake City
Phone- 385-202-3753
Liberty Hills Academy (New Fall 2014)
Website- http://www.libertyhillsacademy.org/
Grades- Pre-K - 8th
Location- Bountiful
Phone- 385-202-3753
Liberty Hills Academy is a Family Education Center that provides instruction to Preschool through 8th Grade students in an atmosphere that is focused on the teachings of the Savior. Our primary function is to support parents in their responsibility of educating their children, and to strengthen the core values taught at home in the classroom.
Liahona Academy
Website- https://www.liahonaeducation.com/index.html
Grades- K-12
Location- Pleasant Grove
They have a building in Pleasant Grove, Utah for grades K-12 and they have a distance learning option as well.
Family Lyceum
Website- http://www.familylyceum.com/
Grades- ALL
Location- Layton
Family Lyceum offers families the tools, inspiration, and community to homeschool in a family-centered, Leadership Education model, by providing classes, mentoring, activities, and resources.
Distance Learning Charter Schools
Cost- Free
Website- http://davinciacademy.org/
Grades- K-6 and 7-12 (different programs)
Location- Ogden and Farmington
They will purchase all your supplies and curriculum. You have the option to sign your child up for elective courses Tues/Thurs in Ogden or Wednesday in Farmington.
Website- http://davinciacademy.org/
Grades- K-6 and 7-12 (different programs)
Location- Ogden and Farmington
They will purchase all your supplies and curriculum. You have the option to sign your child up for elective courses Tues/Thurs in Ogden or Wednesday in Farmington.
Cost- Free
Website- http://careerpathhigh.org/
Grades- 9-12
Location- Kaysville
Distance Learning- You can learn at home online or come in and take classes. In 9th and 10th grade you focus on your high school credits. In 11th and 12th grade you take a track through the DATC and graduate with an associates degree with DATC. If you continue on to Weber State, they will count that as 30 credit hours towards your generals.
Website- http://careerpathhigh.org/
Grades- 9-12
Location- Kaysville
Distance Learning- You can learn at home online or come in and take classes. In 9th and 10th grade you focus on your high school credits. In 11th and 12th grade you take a track through the DATC and graduate with an associates degree with DATC. If you continue on to Weber State, they will count that as 30 credit hours towards your generals.
Cost- Free
Website- http://www.canyongrove.com/distance-learning-2/
Grades: K-8
Location- Distance Learning
Our FREE distance learning program is perfect for home-schooling families who want part-time support from a licensed teacher or those home-school families looking to participate in group social activities such as field trips, music classes and service projects. Each enrolled student receives a $150 allowance for supplies such as paper, pencils, crayons or notebooks and a $300 allowance to purchase individualized curriculum. (Kindergarten students will receive $150 allowance for supplies and $150 to purchase individualized curriculum.)
Website- http://www.canyongrove.com/distance-learning-2/
Grades: K-8
Location- Distance Learning
Our FREE distance learning program is perfect for home-schooling families who want part-time support from a licensed teacher or those home-school families looking to participate in group social activities such as field trips, music classes and service projects. Each enrolled student receives a $150 allowance for supplies such as paper, pencils, crayons or notebooks and a $300 allowance to purchase individualized curriculum. (Kindergarten students will receive $150 allowance for supplies and $150 to purchase individualized curriculum.)