Are Rural Homeschoolers Getting Left Behind?

Colorado's homeschool enrichment programs are facing another round of uncertainty as the state begins developing new rules governing how these programs can operate.In this episode of Learning Curve, Erin Brantley and Ross Izard examine two of the biggest issues emerging from the rulemaking process: general availability and private benefit.One key question is whether homeschool enrichment programs should be allowed to offer services that aren't already available through the public school district where they operate. If the state takes a narrow approach, students in larger districts with extensive programming could have significantly more opportunities than homeschool students in smaller or rural districts.Erin and Ross also discuss Colorado's developing interpretation of "private benefit" and what it could mean for enrichment programs that contract with outside organizations for educational services. Schools routinely use outside vendors for everything from special education and therapy to athletics and extracurricular activities, raising questions about whether part-time homeschool programs could be treated differently.They also explain the upcoming rulemaking process, when final rules could arrive, and how Colorado parents can make their voices heard.