Orland library releases “Homeschooling 101” program as families consider schooling options

The Orland Park Public Library’s program garners historical viewership as Orland school districts finalize their reopening plans

School will look different this upcoming academic year, no matter which path of instruction. 

Most Orland Park families are being offered optionality by Orland School District 135 and Consolidated High School District 230: Students can stick to remote learning for the fall, or they can partake in blended learning models ranging from one to two in-person days per week. 

But there’s another, oft-forgotten option: homeschooling. 

Earlier this month, the Orland Park Public Library rolled out a series of instructional videos on homeschooling as part of a new program dedicated to informing parents who are considering the alternative schooling method for their children. Library Communications Manager Jackie Boyd said the series’ first video, “Homeschooling 101: Getting Started,” was the library’s all-time most watched video on its Facebook page. 

The Orland Park Public Library’s homeschooling resources are for families looking at various options for schooling amid the coronavirus pandemic. | Screenshot of OPPL’s Homeschooling webpage.

Since the program’s debut video struck such a chord with patrons and other libraries asking if they can direct their members to the program, the Orland Park Public Library decided to release the remainder of the series well ahead of the last video’s scheduled release of Aug. 14, Boyd said. The videos serve as a way for parents unfamiliar with homeschooling to learn about how it works, Youth Services Reference Librarian Alejandra Menendez said. 

In the program’s videos, Menendez and fellow librarian Darnetta Bolton describe how to get started with the alternative instructional method, the differences between homeschooling and online schooling, legal issues, the different philosophies and styles of homeschooling and how to choose a curriculum that’s right for your situation. 

There’s “truly no right solution for everybody” when it comes to school amid the pandemic, Menendez said. The librarian said she hopes the program “might help somebody make a decision that maybe otherwise they wouldn’t feel comfortable making.” 

Menendez said she and Bolton began brainstorming program ideas in early June knowing the 2020-21 academic year would likely be impacted by the pandemic. Bolton homeschools her children, and Menendez wasn’t familiar with many aspects of homeschooling, so the pair worked together to create a program. Menendez said she wouldn’t have known where to look for homeschooling resources, so her outsider perspective combined with Bolton’s firsthand knowledge led the two librarians to bring the original idea to fruition.  

In addition to the videos, the library has put together a “Homeschooling Curriculum Guide” and “Books for Homeschooling Parents” reference documents. The library also provides information for 16 regional homeschooling groups and co-ops on its website. 

In the coming weeks, the library will also have a Q&A to address questions that patrons might still have, Menendez said, noting the video series didn’t capture everything there is to know about homeschooling. Patrons can submit questions to the email address askoppl@orlandparklibrary.org, the librarian said. 

Menendez has heard from a patron who said they came across the program in various homeschooling Facebook groups. The patron said she’s switching her children to homeschooling for at least this academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on school reopening plans, Menendez said. 

The Orland Park Public Library | Photo submitted by OPPL

While the reopening plans for D230 and D135 were both approved on July 23, there’s no telling whether the unpredictable coronavirus pandemic will cause disruption. Yesterday, District 230’s plan was put into question by the district’s Teachers’ Association. The union demands the district scrap the hybrid model and switch to fully remote learning, as previously reported. 

Given the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and school reopening plans, having homeschooling as another option might be useful to families.

“We aren’t saying that families should leave the local schools, and we aren’t saying there is anything wrong with any of the options parents have in front of them,” Boyd said. “But parents are wanting to look at all their options now that one parent might be out of work or working from home, or both parents work and they need to find a 5-day per week solution.” 

Facebook groups dedicated to homeschool co-ops have popped up and grown rapidly, including “Pandemic Pods,” which has already grown to over 20,000 members, Boyd said.

No matter which option parents choose — in-person/hybrid, fully remote, online academy, parochial school, homeschooling, pandemic pod co-op, etc. — Boyd said the library will be there to support students and parents with various resources.