South Carolina’s Homeschool Moms Are Creating Community Through Co-Ops
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Rheam
By Rebekah McCubbins
For Elizabeth Rheam, building community has always been an essential part of homeschooling. She didn’t set out to homeschool her kids. Her homeschooling journey began as a necessity when she realized that her oldest daughter’s educational needs weren’t being met in South Carolina’s traditional public school setting. “When she started kindergarten, it was the same curriculum as it was in pre-K. She was getting in trouble for not sleeping, and for reading during naptime,” Rheam shares. “I didn’t see the point in her getting in trouble for reading.”
As her family adjusted to homeschooling, finding new ways to socialize with other kids and find community was a natural part of the process. Today, she is an active member of a co-op homeschooling group, Colleton County Homeschool Co-Op. The co-op organizes classes, events, and activities for homeschool families in their community.
Rheam says that homeschooling empowers the parents in her co-op to craft each child’s education around their unique needs: structuring lessons around their preferred learning styles, and putting extra emphasis on the subjects they show interest in. And this approach extends to the co-op itself. They plan classes that allow the students to expand their understanding of core subjects through real-world applications. “Our upper class are actually working with someone who has a forensic science degree. Last month they [learned about] fire and arson; the month before they did blood spatter analysis; they’ve done fingerprint analysis,” she says. They also plan a diverse range of field trips, including farms, state parks, and the local serpentarium.
Parents who homeschool their children are often asked about socialization. But Rheam says that in her experience, many homeschooled students have richer social lives than their publicly-schooled counterparts. “In public school, you’re not on recess for the eight hours you’re sitting there. My kids get up at 6 o’clock in the morning, and they’re done [with their lessons] by 10 o’clock,” she explains. “And then they have the rest of the day. Whether they go to a job, or to co-op, or a sport, there’s so much opportunity for them to meet other people.” Rheam says her children stay busy, taking jiu-jitsu and career technology classes, participating in team sports, and more.
But the community their co-op is building isn’t only important for their kids. The regular meetings give homeschooling parents an opportunity to connect with each other. “Everyone has different ideologies,” Rheam shares. “But that’s just everyday life.” The co-op structure means that parents are expected to be involved, sticking around while their children participate. “Because it’s a mom-led group, the parents stay and talk; they socialize and mingle; they get to know each other,” she says. “And there are moms inside the group that click. They hang out, and do other things. That’s what I like. They’re able to get together, their kids get together, and it’s good.”
Socialization isn’t the only misconception about homeschooling families. Rheam says that she wants people to know that, “it’s not that we don’t trust the school system; it’s just that we know there’s something better for our kids.” Her children still participate in certain activities through the public school system. “It’s not necessarily [about] the adults that are in charge. It’s just the overall generalized standard testing; what they’re not teaching them. And I’m always open to talk and compare notes. I do look at the grade levels, and where the kids should be, and make sure mine are there or past it.”
To parents considering homeschooling, Rheam says, “Take the jump.” She believes that successful homeschooling is all about getting to know your child. “Every child learns differently. They’re not all going to learn the same.” She acknowledges that there are challenges, but that if it’s the best option for your child, it’s worth it. “It’s going to get hard,” she says. “It’s going to get frustrating. You’re going to want to give up. Your child’s going to want to give up. Y’all are going to argue. And you’re going to change your curriculum, and change the way you teach. Because you’re going to learn how your child learns best.”
