I am considering homeschooling and I don’t really know where to begin. I have certification in Ohio to teach in a non-tax supported school. I would be team teaching in my home with one, and possibly two, other mothers. We would be teaching our own children, as well as children from one other family in which the parents both work. There would be 7-9 children. My children would be in 4th and 2nd grades. I would be teaching the children in 8th and 9th grades, and possibly teaching part time the 4th grade children.
Faye in Ohio
I have so many questions! Is this legal? Do we need to establish an organization and if so, what kind?
Thank you!
Is this your business?; Do you want control and the ability to keep the profits for yourself? Or do you want to form an educational nonprofit and have the program run by a board of directors?
Micro school or homeschool group?
As for what type of organization to set up, it probably depends on how the other parents view this arrangement and your future plans. Are the parents legally homeschooling according to your state laws? Or should your program be registered as a private (micro) school in your state.
The type of organization to set up (nonprofit or for-profit, micro school, or homeschool program) also depends on who owns or controls the organization, the amount of money trading hands (if any), and the amount of time spent in this shared arrangement.
If the parents are legally homeschooling (a big if), I would recommend limiting the shared teaching to no more than 2 or 3 days a week; that way the parents remain the primary educators, as Ohio homeschool law requires. This would be a homeschool group. The rest of the time the students should be learning at home with their parent’s supervising them or the older students working independently. Be very cautious about taking on the responsibility of educational duties that belong to the parents such as granting a grade, creating a transcript, or awarding high school credit.
If you are proposing to teach in this arrangement for 5 days a week (i.e, 100% of the children’s school time), then you would be running a micro school for those children. It’s time to look into the legal and business aspects of running a micro school.
You are walking a fine line between homeschooling and running a micro school. It can begin to blur and get confusing very quickly.
My book, Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out would be a great help if you want to run this as a homeschool co-op.
Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out will give you ideas, inspiration, tips, wisdom and the tools you need to start a homeschool co-op, run it, and not burn out! Written specifically for homeschool groups.
HomeschoolCPA’s Recommended Consultants can help advise homeschool organizations. These qualified, experts in homeschool groups offers consultations to homeschool leaders. Some of the consultants also help homeschool groups apply for 501c3 tax exempt status.
