HOMESCHOOLING

Going further than homeschooling to venture into starting one's own elementary or latter year private school is a romantic thought, but oh so daunting for the mountain of work it requires. To make that homeschooling idea into something forged to gain an income by including children of others is creating that so often mentioned mountain out of a molehill.

Take the First Steps

FOCUS...

Decide on your philosophy of education. ...

Hire your principal or administrator. ...

Articulate your mission. ...

Determine whether enrollment will be open or closed. ...

Establish your standards.

Investigate local and state laws. ...

Evaluate facilities and furnishings.

In spite of the foundation of her PhD in education, my cousin threw it all out of her lap and walked away after over thirty years of operating as clergy and education administrator for her own combined ethic facility and private school partially as a compliment to her grandparents. She wanted to do something grand and so, birthed IMMANUEL HENRY ACADEMY. It lasted that long but with frequent relocations, marital upheavals and often scrapping for materials to work from. Leasing space from a regulated educational facility such as a college or university in the first year, and from a well-seated combined ethic facility in the second year gave her the foundation needed to gain a foothold in her project. The determination to endure the struggle from start to finish of each school year with a summer program offered as well bought notice from the community of combined ethic facility goers, friends, and family. That attention gained referrals for additional enrollees. From there the problem became holding enough educators and providing appropriate salaries to compete with local public school districts. When she did muster enough enrolled students she did well enough to buy a land site and hire teachers for elementary through high school. Adherence to the state's department of educational standards and maintaining documentation depicting her as an ACCREDITED PRIVATE SCHOOL.

Take the First Steps

HOPE you can handle the stress chosen for a career. Many persons dive into a glamor business based upon university studies and the idea that they can do as well or better than any other in the same path, and with a better plan. FOCUS, the professionals say, and stay with the courage of those convictions...

Decide on your philosophy of education with a drawn out plan or outline. Guidelines for assembling most businesses are readily available, but determination to follow your own vision is also important. Perhaps you see that something missing in the approach of teaching your selected population.

Hire your principal or administrator to perform a successful and unbiased directorship of your facility and program. While you perform as founder, provide a safe hatch and sounding board via that add-on individual who can see beyond the need to pinch a dollar.

Articulate your mission in community and to parents of your focal group. The educational community surrounding your site and those with similar views will be your support system, springboard and in some cases, defense for choosing to operate in the manner selected... rationale support.

Determine whether enrollment will be open or closed for ease of day to day and year to year accounting, record keeping, and program scheduling.

Establish your standards.

Investigate local and state laws as in every regulated profession there are rules of performance that must be adhered to for your protection and the protection of those your business serves.

Evaluate facilities and furnishings to assure you have selected a safe and sanitary environment, accessibility to clients, and distanced from hazards or negative environments such as liquor or smoking establishments. Be observant enough to note that furnishings do not contain health hazards and that they are conducive to the age of clients being serviced.

Then again, as she said, ... HOPE a lot. There is so much that can go wrong in a venture such as this, some of it generated by hecklers in the community; other issues stem from basic human behaviors of the part of the population chosen to assist. Children will be children and each one a determined little individual.

Members of fraternal religion organizations were most beneficial to the development of her school. Her mate was an initial support base and her closest ally, her mother. The motto? HOPE a lot. HOPE, because the frustration could cause an eruption of other words not conducive to corraling affection and trust of parents and their children.

Taking the repeated advice of consultants as mentioned above (after the initial affirmation that it will get done) a good business plan is helpful. There are consultants who validate their success rate with establishing a guideline and getting any new private school up and running successfully, after an initial investment of $20,000 in personal funds.

FOCUS and be so determined to be successful.