You may have heard the phrase hybrid schooling (or hybrid homeschooling) thrown around here and there . . . and it especially seems to be a hot topic lately as more and more parents look for public school alternatives for their children.
But, what does hybrid schooling really mean?
What is Hybrid Homeschool? A Hybrid School Definition
Hybrid school is sometimes called part time school for homeschoolers. With hybrid homeschooling, students will split their time between a traditional brick-n-mortar school setting and home learning. An example of a hybrid school schedule is Tuesday and Thursday in a traditional school setting and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at home completing studies.
Can you homeschool and go to public school?
Hybrid schooling is a way to allow students to home school and go to public school. However, be aware that hybrid schooling affiliated with a public school system is not true homeschooling. It is attending public school, but completing all or part of the work from home. This means that your child will be following the same rules, regulations, and testing standards as your local public school. So, if you want true homeschooling, you do not want to choose a hybrid school that is affiliated with a public school system.
There are some hybrid schools that are created as a home school alternative and act more as a private school option.
These work the same way as any other hybrid schooling option—kids attend a physical school location part of the week and complete work from home the rest of the time.
They just aren’t affiliated with the local public school system.
However, there are many homeschool parents who believe that this is not true homeschooling because it takes control away from the parents on what and how children are learning at home.
You need to decide how much control you want to have over your homeschooling and what kind of homeschooling best meets your needs.
TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING VS PUBLIC SCHOOL, READ THIS NEXT:
Homeschooling vs Public School: Which Is Better?
What is the difference between hybrid and online class?
Sometimes hybrid schooling is mistaken for online classes. Although hybrid schools may use online classes, they are not the necessarily the same thing. There are stand alone online classes that homeschoolers may take from home that are not affiliated with any hybrid or school system. For example, a homeschooler may follow a specific curriculum for math, but then take an online course for Spanish. Conversely, many hybrid school systems today incorporate a mix of online classes and in-person classes. A student may complete work with textbooks while they are in the physical class and then complete online classes on the days they are at home.
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• CONCLUSION •
Hybrid schooling is a valid option for education, but just be aware that it is often not considered true homeschooling.
Also, you need to be clear if you want to be affiliated with the local public school or not.
So, when choosing a hybrid school be sure to understand if it is a public school that offers learning from home or if it is a privately run school as a home school option.
Which one you choose will depend on how much control and input you want to have over your homeschooling.