WARWICK — Parents of elementary-age students are developing a proposal for a home-schooling cooperative that would gather part time in the coming school year.
The proposal, developed by members of the Warwick Education Committee, Warwick Education Advisory Committee and students’ parents, incorporates outdoor learning space at the Warwick Community School building as well as club activities.
Warwick Education Committee Chair Adam Holloway said the home-schooling plan developed as a way to keep elementary education in town following the Pioneer Valley Regional School District School Committee’s January vote to end use of Warwick Community School as part of the district. Students who choose to remain in the district at the elementary level will be bused to Northfield Elementary School this fall.
“There’s some strong support within the community,” Holloway said of the home-schooling cooperative.
During a June Selectboard meeting, Holloway said the cooperative would follow a curriculum based on that of the Oak Meadow School in Brattleboro, Vt. Holloway said a Warwick resident is a teacher there and she shared the curriculum with the Warwick Education Committee. The committee also met with officials from Oak Meadow School to discuss using the curriculum.
According to a draft plan, the home-schooling cooperative would focus on promoting “education of the arts and life skills,” and providing a “supportive environment for children to obtain much-needed physical activity and social time.” The plan states “it is understood that children will primarily receive their formal education outside of this environment and this co-op’s purpose is more in line with augmentation and enrichment of education.”
The classroom environment will also provide children and families with a location for collaborative learning or tutoring. One or two classrooms will be designated as independent study rooms for parents and tutors, based on the draft plan. Tutor-led activities would support overarching weekly lesson themes.
Designated rooms would be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Virtual learning spaces will also be created for learning outside of those hours.
To start, the program will be volunteer-based. Without money to pay staff, Holloway said the home-schooling cooperative will begin as a small, part-time program that will build over time. According to Holloway, the cooperative would be open to all Warwick children and any previous School Choice students who attended Warwick Community School. For nonresidents, Holloway said participation depends on available space.
Holloway said there will be further planning and conversation with town officials in the coming weeks.
One major hurdle is planning amid the uncertainty of COVID-19’s lasting presence. Holloway said the Warwick Education Committee is considering ways to create a covered outdoor learning space on the school grounds. According to the draft plan, clubs and learning activities may include homesteading, outdoor and nature activities, and arts and music.
“It’s amazing how many kids are going to be home-schooled next year,” he said.
Due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, Holloway said parents across the country are choosing to home-school their children instead of sending them to schools with in-person classes. He said parents have had a “test drive” of having their children home, making the option seem more feasible.
At the Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, Warwick residents voted to withdraw from the Pioneer Valley Regional School District “as expeditiously as possible.” Holloway said this would likely take effect, at the earliest, for fall 2021.
Holloway also said town officials met with the district Monday to discuss a tuition agreement that has busing costs built in for middle and high school students who wish to continue at Pioneer after the coming school year.
“I would have characterized the meeting as very positive,” Holloway said Tuesday. “Everybody walked away with a to-do list and things to work toward.”
Co-op Business Plan – 6-27-20 Updated Draft by Zachary DeLuca on Scribd
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.