Current reviews of charter homeschool options?? Alameda county

Hello, BPN community!

We just pulled out 4th grader (10 yrs old) from his BUSD public school, due to a combination of health needs /recovery (long story, including a post-concussion care plan as well as a 504 plan for ADHD, the school was trying to follow them but was not able to be consistent.. It was just not working), as well as worsening bullying issues at school which were not being appropriately resolved even after many months of giving them the benefit of the doubt and constant communication. We know they were trying, but with limited resources, and there were still serious problems. So, we had to put our son's needs first as his mental and physical health were suffering. We struggled with the decision (never really seriously considered homeschooling before now, and we otherwise totally support public education. We also have a teen at Berkeley High who is doing well there), but have come to the conclusion that this is indeed the best choice for our 4th grader, and, of course, every kid is different. Our LO is already thriving at home, loosening up/anxiety improving, looking forward to our daily homeschool lessons (which we schedule around medical appointments and how he is feeling, i.e. we ease up if his headaches are worse on a given day), etc.  

My husband and I are now looking at next school year and considering various homeschool charter school options that serve Alameda County. We would appreciate any parents who can please share reviews, experiences, pros/cons, about any of the following: Connecting Waters, Valley View (part of Pacific Charter Institute), Hickman, and Vista Oaks. We are applying for/turning in interest forms at least a couple of them right now so we can at least get the process started and get into the lottery. Those are the main ones we're currently interested in, but if you know of others, please do share! We are especially interested in Valley View and Connecting Waters, maybe also Vista Oaks, as they seem like they'd be a good fit for our son, they seem to have the best funding for parents as far as we can tell, and their vendor lists seem more extensive plus have some class/tutoring options we are very interested in. Hickman looks really awesome, but it's our understanding that they provide much less parent funding per year... and that could be a problem for us personally, unfortunately. We are really interested in some local classes and micro-school programs plus several one-on-one tutoring options, and will need the financial bump up the other charter homeschools seem like they'd be more able to provide. We also heard about COIL Charter School, but it looks like they provide NO funding to parents, and that wouldn't work for us no matter how great they otherwise might be.  

We're interested in hearing all reviews and experiences about any homeschool charter school programs you've worked with for your kids, please -- the good, the bad, the ugly/not so good, any info on current funding they provide per school year or per semester, any tips and advice, etc. 

If it matters -- I thought I should mention that we are not worried about our son academically. Though he has ADHD, executive function difficulty plus other typical ADHD struggles, and some current health issues, his reading comprehension is above high school level and he is very bright. We are confident we'll be able to help him catch up in math and writing. We just need a school support option that will be a better fit overall.

Thank you in advance!

Parent Replies

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Have you looked into California Online Public School (formerly California Connections Academy)? 

We’re an unexpected homeschooling family after realizing during COVID, when we were forced into it, that things about traditional schooling were not working for our children (one with ADHD) and things about remote were. We’re in our 3rd year there and kids have no desire to return to a traditional environment. The program works well for us as they provide curriculum (something we didn’t feel prepared or could manage as working parents) as well as all materials. We also like that our kids have actual teachers who they’re responsible to, with virtual classroom, live lessons and check ins. We also have flexibility to work ahead or catchup for appointments, travel, other activities, etc.

I get it. We had to pull my daughter out of BUSD in 2nd grade because of social bullying (it was made worse by her intense rejection sensitivity/self esteem ) and anxiety. She has inattentive  ADHD, but it didn't affect her academics. I remember the feeling of relief we all felt as she slowly unwound. 

We went through Valley View for 4th. For various reasons, we may not continue next year for 5th. But if we don't continue, it's not because we didn't like it. Just logistics, etc. 

Few takeaways...

--The funding is good, not amazing. 

--They seem to be adding more hoops next year, from what our assigned teacher said. You have to select a curriculum for math and English. This year, I winged the English bc my kid is a very strong reader. I was told that next year I couldn't take it as lightly. In fifth you have to start a science curriculum and they get tested on it. We bought the Singapore math curriculum w the funding we received (it was only a few hundred total) and weren't thrilled by it. If you can look at curriculum before purchasing, I highly recommend it. If you start going to meetups, someone will probably show you/offer advice. 

--You have to test 3 times per year. I liked the accountability and testing.  But I wasn't expecting 3  big tests. My daughter thought it was fun. Another kid might not. 

--You'll probably get in over the summer. A lot of parents change their plans in June/July and spaces open.

--I was surprised to find in February that we had to have spent or pre-paid for classes until the end of the year by mid-March--or we'd lose the funds. I had to scramble because we had a chunk of budget left. 

-I highly recommend Outschool classes. We have used it for serious tutoring as well as fun classes. Valley View appreciated seeing my kid was taking specific math, essay ,etc classes and reimbursed for all. A lot of homeschooling parents are not interested in traditional learning or testing and stretch the limits of what qualifies for reimbursement, or so we were told. 

-Apparently VV is hiring art teachers or something, but I don't know how that'll work. I never felt like we were in a real school system or had a lot of support. The teacher you're assigned to is really just making sure you're doing work and filling out the right forms. 

-Socializing would be my main concern. Many parents don't think it's a big deal, but I would have found it really hard if we hadn't been in a special situation that couldn't be replicated. But talk to other parents about what they do. 

-There are weekly general meetups in Berkeley. I just found out how to sign up for their list serve by word of mouth.  If you're on Facebook, there's an "east bay homeschoolers" group. Post and ask for Berkeley meetups--someone will point you in the right direction.  The group looked great and really friendly. 

Good luck!