Making Positive Connections With Homeschoolers

By Request...January 2000

Working Together: Building Successful Relationships with Homeschool Families

Few would deny that over the past two decades, relationships between schools and homeschoolers have often been rocky, if not purely adversarial. Moving from this type of relationship to one that is both cooperative and productive may not be easy (Mayberry et al., 1995). The first step to building a mutual trust with homeschooling parents and building successful relationships with them is to respect their choice to educate their children at home (Mirochnik & McIntire, 1991). Whether or not educators feel that homeschooling is an appropriate or effective method of educating children is not pertinent. It is important to acknowledge parents' right to make that decision for themselves.

Next, it is important to understand parents' needs, attitudes, and motivations for teaching their children at home (Dahm, 1996). Contrary to common belief, the decision to homeschool is not limited to religious individuals or members of "fringe" groups�homeschooling parents across the country represent all income brackets, education levels, races, and political and religious affiliations (Hawkins, 1996; Mayberry et al., 1995; Wagenaar, 1997). Dahm (1996) notes that many homeschooling families, for whatever reason, simply do not trust public schools to teach their children and provide a safe learning environment for them. The lack of trust may center around issues of school violence and safety, conflicting moral values, class sizes, school standards, or other issues around teaching methodology (Dahm, 1996; Simmons, 1994).

Most parents who homeschool:

Are willing to collaborate with schools in some capacity to provide children with the best education possible
Want to be treated not just as parents, but as educators
Want to be in control of their children's education
Want to exercise their moral and religious beliefs without interference from schools
May be suspicious of school programs and may be concerned that their rights are in jeopardy when working with school personnel (Mirochnik & McIntire, 1991)

In order for school-homeschool partnerships to be effective, students and parents must feel that programs address their needs and respect their boundaries (Mayberry et al., 1995). For the greatest chances of success, teachers and administrators working with homeschooling families should remember the following guidelines:

Treat parents with respect (Mirochnik & McIntire, 1991)
Be flexible; allow parents to choose their own curriculum, make decisions about evaluation and assessment methods, and maintain primary control over their children's involvement in the program (Dahm, 1996; Mayberry et al., 1995)
Be clear with parents about what participation in school programs will entail, letting them know what will be expected of them, what obligations they will have to the school district, and what rules and policies they must agree to, etc. (Mayberry et al., 1995)
Make an effort to include homeschool families in all areas of school activities and decisionmaking (Mirochnik & McIntire, 1991)
Keep lines of communication open. Distributing a monthly newsletter is a good way to keep parents informed about classes and services available to them, program changes, and student achievements (Mayberry et al., 1995). Asking parents to regularly evaluate the program is another way to ensure that the program continues to meet parents' and students' needs.