1) Can you tell me about some other education choice (i.e. Full-time Tutoring, University-Model School, Arkansas Virtual Academy - ARVA, Charter School, Public School, Private School, etc.)?
Home Ed is a homeschool support group and has a singular focus on homeschool issues. If you want information about these other (non-homeschooling) educational choices, you might want to contact the Arkansas Department of Education.

2) Can you promote my non-homeschool educational institution?
No. Home Ed is an advocate for homeschooling only. While we recognize that other educational choices can be a great match for many families, as advocates for homeschooling, we must stay true to our mission - keenly focused and promoting homeschooling.

3) How does Home Ed relate to Arkansas Virtual Academy - ARVA?
Is ARVA homeschooling?
ARVA is not homeschooling. Home Ed is not a support group for ARVA students.
Please review the following:
Home Ed, Homeschooling, and ARVA
Compare - ARVA, Homeschooling, Truancy
Note: Any family who is homeschooling AT LEAST ONE CHILD is eligible to be a member of Home Ed, regardless of where their other children are enrolled.

4) What conduct expectations exist for Home Ed members?
Home Ed takes the supervision and safety of children very seriously. Parents are to take responsibility for their children. Guidelines have been established in order to maintain an academically, morally, and socially healthy atmosphere for your children at all Home Ed activities. These guidelines are non-negotiable.

5) Can someone else homeschool my child for me?
No. Homeschooling is when the parent/guardian takes both the legal and practical responsibility for their child's education - grades, curriculum selection, teaching, etc. Homeschool law does not allow non-custodial adults to homeschool other people's children.

Dr. Brian Ray, President of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) says this, "Homeschooling, by definition, is family-based, home-based, and usually parent-led—with parents in charge of the child’s education. If a parent wants another parent to do all the teaching and be in charge of the child, then it is probably not homeschooling. Maybe it is a small private school or a dame school. There are, however, many ways in which parents do not do all the teaching of their own children.

This is a key point. In homeschooling, parents recognize their own responsibility and right to direct the education and upbringing of their child. As both discussed and alluded to in earlier sections of The Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling however, parents and children may choose from many learning opportunities, classes, field trips, and so forth to be a part of the children’s education.

Often classes for a specific subject are taught by someone other than the child’s parent. Someone else may teach science, advanced mathematics, computer programming, Latin, or piano. This is a common, legitimate, and philosophically agreeable practice in the context of homeschooling. It is also common for a group of families to develop more elaborate systems of helping one another homeschool. For example, some families use cooperatives."

6) I'm trying to locate an Arkansas homeschool group somewhere near me (or near where I'll be moving). Can you help me?
or...
Can you help me find a homeschool group elsewhere in Arkansas? Your web site was easy to find and I don't know anyone else to ask.
For homeschool information elsewhere in Arkansas, you need to interact with an organization that has a state-wide focus. Try our state-level homeschool organization (The Education Alliance). They even have a list of homeschool groups around the state.

7) I need some information to help me better understand the success of homeschooling...or to demonstrate homeschooling results to others. Do you know of anything that could be available?
Try downloading this document (132k PDF) from the Home School Legal Defense Association. It's quite thorough.

8) Can I put my child in your "enrichment" school, taxi them to lots of your events and still successfully homeschool?
No. While Home Ed provides a variety of enrichment activities, and while these are all good options, you CAN NOT successfully homeschool your child if you do not actually spend time teaching.

9) Can I offer "tutoring" to your homeschool members?
Homeschoolers often obtain supplemental education from other sources. Homeschool parents/guardians must provide the core education for their children. If you wish to provide tutoring support to home school students, you can advertise your services in our newsletter.

10) How can I make a presentation to your group for my business? I think it has a focus that would be of interest to homeschoolers.
Given the size of our group, preparation efforts and facility requirements are challenging. This prevents us from having regular all-member meetings that provide an ongoing forum for presentations. We suggest that you establish your presentation (including finding a meeting location, setting a date, setting beginning and ending times, estimating attendance and interest in your offering, etc.) Then advertise your presentation in our newsletter...and be sure to include any other pertinent information such as - who should attend, what to bring, any costs, any pre-registration need, web site address, and contact information.

11) Is Home Ed a non-profit?
No. We're an association of homeschoolers. We are not established as a non-profit organization.

12) Have you considered participating in some of the corporate "money for schools" programs (cereal companies, retail stores, etc.)?
We have considered these programs. Traditionally, homeschool groups don't qualify. Many times the details eliminate us as we are not an "accredited" school, a non-profit organization, etc.

13) How can I learn to homeschool?
RESEARCH! There are many great resources available to help you get started. Search the Internet. Go to the library or your local bookstore for books on homeschool topics. Talk to experienced homeschoolers - they are usually very willing to answer any questions. You may also be interested in attending some of our Parent's Support meetings during the school year (check the newsletter for dates, times and locations). To get started, you might want to check out these popular books and magazines.

14) How do I choose a curriculum?
Choosing a curriculum can be one of the most overwhelming aspects of homeschooling. Every homeschool parent will need to research the different choices available. There are many different types of curriculum to choose from. Some of the most popular include A Beka, Sonlight, Bob Jones, Alpha Omega, and Saxon Math. Most of the popular curriculum choices are very good, but these may or may not fit the learning style of your children or the teaching approach you would like to use. The best approach is to know your child, know how they learn, and tailor a curriculum to meet their individual needs. You might want to go to this web site that reviews and discusses homeschool curriculum. Contact us and we'll try to help you decide what could be a best match for your child. To research curriculum choices online, go to Google and enter specific curriculum names.

15) Where can I get books?
New books can be purchased from homeschool catalogs, directly from book publishers (like those listed in "How do I choose a curriculum" above), at the annual state homeschool convention (usually held in May), on the Internet (use Google to search the Internet or try Amazon). Local stores with curriculum are LifeWay Bookstores, Mardel Bookstores, Barnes and Noble, and Knowledge Tree.

Used books can be purchased at the annual state homeschool convention (usually held in May), at the Home Ed Used Book Sale (usually held in June) or on used book web sites. If you are looking for specific books, as a Home Ed member you can run a classified in the newsletter.

16) Where can I get a membership number for a discount membership from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)?
Home Ed doesn't have a membership number. You can get one from our state homeschool organization, The Education Alliance.

17) Can I be a part of Home Ed given my child is a Pre-K (under age 5)?
At this age, your child would not technically or legally be a homeschooler. You would not be required to register in any educational option – including homeschooling.

You are welcome to join our group (it will give you a feel for the local homeschool community). Unfortunately, you probably won't find many activities geared for children younger than kindergarten age. However, you would be welcome to attend anything that is helpful (like parent support meetings) or age-appropriate events.

Many parents start educating their children at a young age. Most experienced homeschool moms would tell you to mainly have fun at the Pre-K level. Use lots of interactive, hands-on activities and don't focus a whole lot on structured, academic lessons. Many 4-year olds are not cognitively ready for abstract learning, but do well with a more fun “play” approach. It also helps prevent burn-out as they move into more structure later on. They are a lot of fun at this age – and those first few years of teaching are also lots of fun!

18) Can I homeschool as a working parent?
Your ability to work and homeschool depends on the age of your children and the type of job you have (how flexible your hours are, etc.) Homeschooling does require a full-time commitment on the part of the parents – it is not a part-time endeavor. The real issue is one of supervision. Although school work can actually be done at any time of day, your children will still need adult supervision during the day. In homeschool families where both parents work, they usually:

• Have teenage children who are expected to have their school work done by the time the parents get home (We don't recommend leaving children of any age alone and unsupervised all day).
• Have another family member who stays with the students and monitors the schoolwork.
• Have flexible schedules so that one parent is home while the other works.
• Have one parent that works from home, but also monitors schoolwork and takes children to activities.

19) I am creating (or have) a separate group / organization that I want to regularly promote in your newsletter (as a separate sub-group or related organization). Can I get in your newsletter and on your web site?
Home Ed tries to be very purposeful in our promotion. Home Ed’s sub-groups and related organizations share consistent philosophies in these areas: definition of homeschooling, how a group is managed, how communication occurs, Home Ed’s role and relationship with the group / organization, leadership's participation in Home Ed, etc. We don’t actively seek additional sub-groups or related organizations, but we would be happy to discuss a relationship if you are interested.

More FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Education Alliance has more FAQs at their web site.