Utterly Meaningless » Blog Archive » CO-OP OR CO-OPT?

    • CO-OP OR CO-OPT?

    Filed at 12:35 pm under by dcobranchi

    Interesting description of what is claimed to be a home education co-op:

    Township zoning officer Michael Wylie testified that, after Anthony appealed the notice of violation, he visited the church recently and observed about 30 students working in groups with adults on classroom activities.

    The students, ranging in age from 5 to 17, were dressed in uniforms, Wylie said.

    …Anthony acknowledged that 30 is normal attendance, and that most students attend weekdays during the school year. The academy employs four or five teachers or tutors. The curriculum includes language arts, history, science, math, music and art. It charges tuition of about $6,600 per year.

    A five day per week “co-op” where the kids wear uniforms. Riiiiight!

    5 comments »

    5 Responses to “CO-OP OR CO-OPT?”


    Comment by
    Chris
    April 28th, 2005
    at 1:02 pm

    They are in PA – the parents probably do think this is homeschooling 😉

    Comment by
    Bec Thomas
    April 28th, 2005
    at 10:19 pm

    I’ve seen this becoming more and more common, a way for private schools to get you of private school laws.

    Comment by
    maryalice - PA
    April 29th, 2005
    at 12:55 am

    This is the most biXarre thing that I have seen in PA; on the other hand, it is in PA. 😉

    Chris: ” the parents probably do think this is homeschooling ;)” If they have to comply with the homeschool law, they know it is homeschooling. If they are not complying, then the kids would be truant.

    Bec:”a way for private schools to get you of private school laws.” The non-public school laws are so minimal. That is what every homeschooler wishes they had. It is about 1 paragraph of what the state can not do. So, they are not doing it to avoid the non-pub law.

    There must be something else here…but I can’t put my finger on it. The zoning laws ???

    As written, it doesn’t make any logical sense.

    Comment by
    maryalice
    April 29th, 2005
    at 1:21 am

    Very strange….
    The “school” does all of the paperwork for the parents. but the question is, why not a non-pub shcool?

    And right from their website:
    theame...on.htm
    The American Academy is a home-schooling cooperative.  It is organized according to the regulations of 24 PS 13 – 1327.1, as a “home educaton program.”  The Academy assists each family in the requirements of registering each of their children as Pennsylvania Homeschoolers, and provides the end-of-the- year portfolio of student work which is submitted to the student’s school district. The parent or guardian, as the home education supervisor, is responsible for their own child’s Pennsylvania academic requirements, according to this Home Education Act.    

    Comment by
    Chris
    April 29th, 2005
    at 7:48 am

    If they are a private school, they may not have to answer to to the educrats, but wouldn’t they then be subject to zoning, public accessibility laws, fire code issues, the Americans with Disabilities Act, etc? Not having to be up to code on a ll that stuff is probably very good for the “schools” bottom line.