Educational Options For Children
The number of families choosing to educate their children at home has dramatically increased over the last 10 years. In Colorado it is legal for parents to teach their children at home using any curriculum they deem appropriate. Parents who choose home schooling are not required to hold a teaching certificate nor are they required to possess a college degree. Parents must advise the school district of their choice of their intent to home school their children, provide a minimum number of days of instruction and students are required to take standardized tests every other year beginning in third grade.
ACADEMICS
HOME SCHOOL
The most frequently cited advantages for home schooling are:
- The ability of parents to shape and influence their children’s education based upon moral and religious convictions
- The opportunity for home schooled students to socialize & interact with people of all ages versus the public school model of age segregation
- The ability to tailor learning to a specific student’s learning style, pace and areas of interest. Standardized testing has shown that this level of customization in learning leads to academic excellence and supreme readiness for college.
- Drastically increased family time. Instead of spending 8 hours a day, five days a week, 9months a year with peers and teachers, home schooled children get to spend that time with family and friends. Also, family vacations, trips and outings are not dictated by the school calendar.
- Home schooling virtually eliminates the threat of violence and bullying for a student
Parents that choose to home school are not necessarily alone in their effort. Several organizations in Colorado offer home schooling support including links to curriculum, dates and locations for standardized testing, record keeping, group classes and field trips with other home-schoolers.
In addition, several “umbrella schools” that are accredited as private schools by the state help eliminate the need for parents to have any contact or provide any notification to public school districts. These umbrella schools offer record keeping, testing and group classes to home schooling families.
Local support groups for home schooling families provide opportunities for sharing information and ideas as well as encouragement and friendship.
SUPPORT
C.H.E.C
Christian Home Educators of Colorado
720-842-4852
Toll Free: 877-842-2432
Umbrella School & Resource Program
C.H.E.S.S
Colorado Heritage Education School System
1300 9th St,
Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 346-0099
Umbrella School, Diploma Program & Group classes
H.E.F
Home Educators Fellowship
Kelly 970-313-8198 greeleyhef@gmail.com
Support Group
SAMPLE OF EVENTS OPEN TO COLORADO HOME SCHOOL STUDENT PARTICIPATION
The National Spelling Bee
National Geographic Geography Bee
Odyssey Of The Mind
Civil War Ball
Home School Day At The Capitol
Home School Day At Elitch Gardens
State Speech & Debate Contests
High School Athletics
LEGAL RESOURCES
-
Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children and to protect family freedoms. We provide homeschooling-related legal advice and representation to our 84,000+ member families, promote homeschool-friendly legislation at the state and federal levels, and offer information and resources to encourage and support all homeschoolers.
-
-
540-338-5600
Home School Success Stories
The home-schooled whiz kid from Halifax who last year became the youngest professor hired by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has won a MacArthur Fellowship, better known as The Genius Award.
For more home school success stories
Wimbleton champs are home- schooled, Jehovah's Witnesses and African-American, with a ghetto background far from the posh country clubs where most tennis kids grow up.
