Leading the Next Generation Through Homeschooling with Alisha Neddo | #LeadWithLegacy | Episode 32

What does leadership look like inside the home, the classroom, and the community?

In Episode 32 of the Lead with Legacy™ Podcast, Amanda Chambers and Sloane Lott welcome Alisha Neddo, homeschooling mom and director of the Batesville Homeschool Co-op, for a heartfelt conversation about faith, family, education, and servant leadership.

Together they discuss the importance of building strong homeschool communities, investing in the next generation, creating meaningful educational opportunities, and leading with purpose through service to families. Alisha shares how homeschooling, mentorship, and community have shaped her own life and why creating safe, encouraging environments for children continues to be her passion.

Whether you're a homeschooling family, an educator, a community leader, or simply someone who believes in investing in the next generation, this episode offers practical encouragement and hope.

🔔 Subscribe for leadership insights, honest conversations, and practical wisdom you can apply immediately.

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Learn more about the Batesville Homeschool Co-op:
https://batesvillehomeschool.org/

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Lead with Legacy, the official podcast of IOL Global. Here we will explore leadership that outlives titles and trends. Through conversations with faith-based and marketplace leaders, we will discuss integrity, conviction, and purpose. To learn more about us, visit us at iOLglobal.com.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Welcome to the Lead with Legacy Podcast. Thank you for being with us again on another episode. I am so honored. We are both so honored, Sloan and I, to be here with Alicia Netto. We're going to tell you a little bit about who she is and why we have her on the show. But before we do, we just kindly ask that you would like and subscribe and comment if you comment on things that helps us to get more reach. Also, we are on iHeartRadio, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Apple Podcasts. And you can get on, you can just search for us on all those, or you can go to our website at iolglobal.com and you can click on whichever one is your favorite. Without any more delay, I am going to introduce Alicia. Um, Alicia and I have known each other for gosh a while now. And you've known Sloan for a while now. Sloan's our director of operations. And so the way that we know each other is because we are homeschool moms. And so um, and Sloan was at the library for a long time here. And so we all got to come in and see her, and she's incredible. And then I stole her away for as long as I can keep her. And so we all kind of have ties there. And what we're talking about today is we have here, we're very, very blessed to have here a homeschool co-op. Um, and so we're gonna talk a little bit about what that is and what we do with that. Um, and hopefully give some people some more information in our town so that maybe if they homeschool, they might want to join us um and in other towns that if you know they needed some information about how to start a co-op or something that they could reach out and we could certainly help them with that. I'm also doubly honored that I get to serve on the board of our co-op. I'm not sure that most of the members are really happy about that because I'm honored, but no, I'm kidding. Has bring balance. What a nice way to put that. I bring balance.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

It actually is really good. You do a great one.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

Yeah, we have a great, great team. Yeah, it's a wonderful team. We're very blessed. We're all very, very different, but it we really compliment each other and everyone is brilliant and we work really, really fantastic together. So Alicia, why don't you tell us a little bit about who you are, where you're from, and why you're involved in homeschool co-op.

SPEAKER_03 2:23

Hey, all right. So my name's Alicia Neto. So I originally I'm from San Antonio, Texas. I actually I was homeschooled growing up all the way, graduated and all that, and I was involved in multiple co-ops as a kid, and some of those co-ops really were influential in my development and put me on career paths later in life. Fast forward a little bit, I might come back to that stuff. Fast forward when we had kids and we were here in Batesville, my husband is a coach at the local college, and um, we realized if if we signed up our kids to the public school, they would not see each other. The his schedule is counter to public school schedules. Um and so that was what really led us to look at homeschooling our own kids was just the fact that if we didn't, they wouldn't get any time with their daddy except like summer break a little bit and Christmas.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Right.

SPEAKER_03 3:28

And that just wasn't what we wanted as a family, and so we started homeschooling here and it's been wonderful. And then they Rachel Kemp and Valerie Gunter started a co-op here in this area. Um and we got involved with that when my kids were pretty young and just loved it, and it just brought back all the just the richness that co-ops can bring to a homeschooling community. And then when they were after starting it and running it for a few years, they were tired and ready to pass on the baton. And so I stepped in with uh Kimberly Dawkins and we started leading the co-op and we I've been doing that for finished a third year now. So and in that process, so there was a lot of I don't know if I'm supposed to get into this now. The changes of our co-op and whatever. Sure. Okay, with the EFA. So with the with me stepping on, it's been it's been three years of just a lot of changes for our co-op, for homeschooling in Arkansas. And so it's been it's been a giant learning curve and trying to grow this to a point where it's healthy and sustainable, right, and can really reach our community where it's at and be available for as many people as we can.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Yeah, so so let me lead into that a little bit. So what we're talking about is the education freedom account. So Arkansas, a couple years ago, um, we got kind of adopted into um that program so that we have school choice, which we've always had school choice, but not only do we now have school choice, we have funds to kind of back those choices, whether it's a microschool or a private school or homeschooling. It takes approximately the numbers are about 16,000 to 18,000 to put a child through one year of public school. And so as homeschool parents or private school parents, we get funds to be able to buy curriculum. Um so for us as homeschool parents, we get funds to buy the curriculum that we want to use and to utilize services like the co-op, more extracurriculars and things like that that we wouldn't, we were still, we were already doing a lot of us were already doing this in a part of this program, but it gives us a wider breadth of opportunities that we can utilize. Um it gives us, gives the co-op a lot more availability to offer a lot more than we were doing before. Um and so it's been a really, in my opinion, I know yours too, it's been an incredible asset to all of us. And and to public schools or I'm sorry, private schools too, because they have been able to, you know, offer that availability to where they weren't able to do that before. And so that's opened up and that's very controversial.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

So we wanna we won't go too far down that rabbit hole, but it's offered I want to say we don't get that 16,000 that you mentioned that it's we do not.

SPEAKER_01 6:24

You're right. I'm sorry, I was gonna cut, we do not get that. No, we don't get that. That's we don't even get half right. We don't even we get we get like between six and seven thousand dollars per child. However, I want to be very, very clear that it is very difficult to spend. Um, there's a lot, a lot of restrictions on it. Um, we can we don't just get to go to Disney World or do whatever we want. There's a lot of restrictions, and everything is very, very accounted for. Um, I think there's some misconception by people who don't know anything about the system that don't know that it's actually it's it's in learning phases and we've come a long way. We were one of the first ones in the program the first year that it was open, and it's come a long way, but there's still a lot of growing pains going on, and we certainly as families of EFA funds do not get to just buy whatever we want. In fact, tightly regulated. Yes, yep, yes, very much so. But in a good way, as it should.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

As it should.

SPEAKER_01 7:21

I I am so glad that it's so tightly regulated, but it has given us the availability at the co-op to more kids can come and be a part of that now because the funds are available for it, and we're able to have more teachers, wider variety of opportunities that we do. So we're gonna talk, I'm gonna let Sloane take over for a little bit, and we're gonna talk a little bit about what do, you know, what classes do we have, what do we do when we're there? She's had a unique opportunity with me to be able to come alongside and kind of see some of the things that we're doing as well and how we've grown and things that we've done, and then watch these kids for years and years. So, Sloane, I'll let you take it for a little bit. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

So, like Amina said, I've had the unique opportunity to get to come and see the co-op in action. But Alicia, how would you explain the co-op, what it is, what you're doing to someone who has not seen a co-op in action or been a part of a co-op?

SPEAKER_03 8:15

So we are, and let me preface this: every co-op looks different. And that's part of the beauty of them. Um, is you can kind of build and construct them for the needs that you see in your area. So ours focuses on building community and providing classes and re classes and workshops that focus on things that are hard to teach either by yourself or in small groups. So things like choir. You can't have a choir with just your, you know, two kids. Unless you got a huge family, yeah, you need a group of kids for that. Art class. Um that's just not a lot of parents' strength, is teaching art. And so we try to hit some of those difficult things to provide just quality teaching in them. Um and then also we try to do a variety of things that way kids can't, especially for our older kids, it's a chance for them to explore and try different things and see if they're interested in engineering, to see if they're interested in baking and home economics and stuff like that. Uh so that's kind of what we're trying to do. And then just that community aspect of it is you get connected and you make friends who have similar schedules and who are living similar lives, and it just makes it easy to network and find those friend groups and then plan all the social things that kids love. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

Yeah, it it's we try to have a wide variety of things that the kids can do. Now, the younger kids, one of the things that we've kind of protected and kept kind of safe is that the younger kids only do right now, or this past year, um, they were doing taekwondo, they were doing art, and they were doing chorus. And the reason is is when they they get to do their movement, get some physical activity, they get art, which we all feel um is extremely beneficial. Um, and then we also feel that the music is extremely beneficial for a multitude of reasons. And so they go from we actually have like pre-K all the way through, is it fourth? They have to go through third, and then they can start doing what's common engineering.

SPEAKER_04 10:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Yeah. So they can start choosing some other stuff, which is really nice because I think we kind of went back and forth on that for a little while. Like, should we let them all do everything? And then we really came to the conclusion, like, really, we should protect this time as they're little to do these things. Because when they get older, they may not pick art, but it's so important. And I want you to talk a little bit about that too, because art is really dear to your heart. And so tell us why that's so important.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

So for me, Ithier, this goes back to the co-ops that I was involved with as a kid and got to try things. And one of the classes I took was an art class, and I fell in love. And I basically would sign up for any and as many art classes I could after that. To the point where when I hit high school, the art teacher uh hired me as an assistant. She had not only did she teach at the co-op, but she also had multiple like after-school programs, like in Hobby Lobbies or Michaels and some in public schools. And so she hired me because I knew all of her style and her curriculum, because I had been trained under her for years. And so that was my first outside the family job in high school, making really good money, being an assistant art teacher. And then I went off to college and stuff, and I got my associates in art and then my bachelor's in something else. But she told me when I left town, she was like, When you come back, if you do, she's like, You have a job when you come home if you want it. And so I did when I came back at some point. I walked into a great job with her teaching art at after school programs and co-ops, and I just loved it. And so from taking one co-op class led to a whole kind of career and path for me that I have now used just not only in like teaching for her at after school programs and stuff, but I've been able to do private lessons. I've been able to use it internationally on mission trips and in camps and stuff. And it's really been a skill and a resource that's been just wonderful in my life. And so I'm very passionate about co-ops, just the what it can do and how it can shape our kids. And um, and that was just that was just a skill that it gave me. It also, those co-ops had so much like community and friends group, and just the I knew those were safe places to go hang out and be with my friends, and I looked forward to it, and it was just really good. And then it was really helpful for my mom too, because those co-ops provided things that she couldn't teach. Right. So I took my biology dissection lab. It's where my brother did his, you know, Spanish class and you know, stuff like that that she kind of struggled, you know, it was harder for her to teach, especially when we hit high school. It was fun when we were little, like it was fun and it was enjoyable, but it really became essential when we hit high school. And that's one of the things we've since I've become a director here, uh, one of the things we were really trying to do is grow with our group and start expanding higher and higher and start offering more classes to those older kids because yeah, you know, it's fun and it's good development for the younger kids, but it can be really essential to some of those high schoolers needing those credits and needing those labs or the Spanish, you know, the language credit and things like that. And so that's what we've been slowly trying to grow towards, you know, over the years. So that's part of our vision is continue to offer those things and those resources to the families and to the kids. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Yeah. So let's talk a little bit about too. Um, I'm gonna let Sloane introduce that too, because I'm gonna mess that up. But so we have our facility that we get to be at for the co-op and all of that. So then I'll let you talk to us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

So the thing about all three of us is none of us are from here. We're all transplants, and so we drew straws to see who was going to say town names and last names uh close to us. So I drew the short straw. No, here we go. So the co-op actually takes place at Dechey Baptist Church, and they are they're just the best hosts. And we have uh Pastor Josh and his wife Carrie Sweeney, and they are they're great. And I've seen them host, and and he's there interacting with the kids, and she's there, and it's fabulous. You can tell you don't feel like you're intruding on their space. They are happy to have the co-op there, and the co-op is happy to be there. And I said all that right. I just want everybody to know.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

You she did, she nailed it. That's why I let her do it because I was gonna totally watch it because I have totally different names in my head for the way I call it, so because I am not from around here. Um, no, it's incredible. Um, we get to walk in there and just be at home, and we have a great reciprocal relationship. We make sure that we are very respectful to them as well. We're very grateful for everything, and they give us kind of like free run of the place. One thing I want to talk about too, because you know me, Alicia, this is very dear to my heart. It is a co-op, and that means that we are all supposed to be a part of it. I mean, that that's that's probably what they sucked me into the board for because I will die on the hill. Um, so what that means to me, anyways. So we have a requirement of our parents, um, and it is a requirement that if your kids are are in our program, um, that you have to be a part of that program in some way, shape, or form. And that typically means that throughout the semester, you're going to come and you're gonna spend an afternoon with us taking care of these kiddos, um, usually a couple times. And so there is an investment. Now, you do get the opportunities the other days that if you don't want to be there, you don't have to. Some parents do stay all the time, every time we're we have the co-op open. And other ones, like me who are yeah, and we love it. Yes, absolutely. And then there's some of us who are working too. Um, and so, like for me, I usually plan my days at the beginning and the end of the semester, and then they call me if there's an emergency or something like that. And so we're really good to work with everybody. Uh, Amy, who does who's on our board and does all our scheduling, I don't know how she does it. She's incredible. Absolutely amazing. Um, but she somehow makes it fair and good and equitable for everyone. And um, but it is um the reason that I I stand on that hill is because I think it's so important that we be involved with our kids. Um, that's one of the reasons that I homeschool, um, is because I want to be a part of my kids' life. And so it's not just a drop off and go. Um, there are some days that you can do that, but there's gonna be some days when you're gonna be in the thick of it. And I'm gonna tell you why it's a hard job. It is a those days. I'm so tired when I come home from co-op. I just like, I just want to go to bed. But the kids are phenomenal. What amazing kids. So smart, so bright. And so I'm gonna brag on them a little bit because most homeschool kids are ahead, not all, but they're also doing a lot of these other things, like, you know, these these co-ops and extracurriculars. Some of the kids in our cup, they they blow my mind because they're like, we're studying Shakespeare, and they're like this tall, you know. And I'm like, what? You know, but they have they have phenomenal parents um and and they do amazing things. Um and I have been really blessed to learn from so many of you about different things that work and don't work and what to do and what not to do. Um, and another quick thing that we have opportunity of is at the Shea Baptist, um, they have a um a morning, um, Tuesdays and Thursdays that you can also utilize your EFA funds. And so they have we have a homeschool group that comes and learns together and they help each other, they help one another, they have teachers and they're kind of facilitating with them. And it's a really beautiful thing. So we typically have co-op on Thursdays. So Thursday is like a full day. They get a whole day where they get to go out, be with their friends, they get to play in a playground and eat lunch together. And so the the whole um idea and myth about oh, homeschooled kids never get to be around other kids. It's not true. Our kids are around kids all the time. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:30

And this is what that I will have to say this because newer new to homeschooling or parents who are considering it, this is one of the biggest like concerns that they they come to us with is like the social. And that is by far the easiest side of homeschooling, I feel like, is the social and the activities and stuff. The actually sitting down and making them do their bookwork is the hard part. Like, especially in the world. That's why I have flown. Especially in a town like Batesville, like there's so many families who are homeschooling, there's so many resources and things like that, and we're trying to make them more available and out there, but there's the social is the easy part.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Yeah, yeah, I would agree with you wholeheartedly on that because by the time we have co-op and Mother's Day out in church, and I like Gus is just like, I'm done, I don't want to see people, let me go home, you know. I want to be around with people. And I have a I have a unique opportunity to have Sloan in, and Sloan's incredible, and she helps with the book work. So it's great. We kind of switch off, like he'll get tired of one or the other of us, and so we can kind of switch off. But we played bad cop pretty well. Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_03 19:38

So, Sloan, did you know that was part of your job description when you came?

SPEAKER_02 19:41

No, I did not. I assumed and I was fingers crossed hoping for it that I would get to help out, and so it just kind of morphed into, hey, she's busy, let me help you. And then now I'm like, I'll leave you a note to let you know where what he needs to do tomorrow. So I think a big misconception about homeschooling is how isolating it can be, right? And I have to say, with the family here, we're very blessed in our community. We have a very active homeschool community. You would have to work very hard to be isolated in our community. I mean, you would have to make it a purpose to just be home and not see anybody.

SPEAKER_03 20:18

Some people like that. Some people are homebodies and they want to stay home, but it's it's definitely you're only as isolated as you want to be here. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

That's the same. That goes the same for church, right? Like you're only as isolated in a church as you choose to be. You can serve, people want you to serve. Um, you can be uh, you know, friends with people and be around people. And then that probably spans across a whole lot of different genres. Um, but yeah, I feel I feel the same. I don't feel like and I was not homeschooled. I I I was actually private schooled for a long time, only by proxy because my parents worked there. And then um later on I was in public school in Marietta, Georgia, which is a massive place compared to here. I think we had 400 and something in our graduating class alone. And so I was around a ton of people. Um and now I see things and and things are different, right? Things have shifted, things have changed. We won't get into the politics of all that because we don't want to like start a riot on the thread or anything like that. But things are different now, and so you know, we make different choices based on that, based on what our family's needs are. We also live in in a what I consider to be a pretty rural place, and so choices are different here. And a lot of people around here do choose to homeschool. It's a it's it's not very taboo where we live. And there's other places that it that I understand that it is to a to an extent, but here it's it's we're not abnormal here as much as some places.

SPEAKER_04 21:42

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

All right, so what else you got for us, Sloane? What does a typical co-op day look like? That's a good question.

SPEAKER_03 21:49

Typical co op day. All right. So we start with opening, like assembly, announcements, devotion, and prayer, and then we dismiss all the kids. And the way we're running it right now is we've got three class periods. And the kids rotate in their for the younger kids, third grade and younger, rotate through different classes each period. And the older kids do as well. They're just, since they get choices, they their schedule, they don't necessarily stay with a grade group. They're just rotating through their three different classes they've picked. And so, like, for example, like the third graders might start first in taekwondo. And so they'll go over to our gym. We've got a phenomenal taekwondo instructor. This is this is also one of the blessings we've had at our co-op is we've had phenomenally skilled teachers and instructors available to us. Like our taekwondo instructor, he drives over an hour from Jackson. Jacksonville, Jacksonville, yeah. Jacksonville. And he comes just for us, and he's phenomenal. He's a two-time Olympian. Um, and he's just great with the kids.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

And he comes out and he's hilarious, absolutely hilarious. He's great.

SPEAKER_03 23:04

One of those working with kids is his gift. You can tell.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

He is an absolute gem to the point that, like, this year, no pun intended, but this year, he has some other things going on this upcoming year. We're like, whatever we gotta do to keep you. Like, we just well, we'll turn the world upside down. We love you. You're amazing. But they're all really like that. Miss Nancy with art.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

I mean, like, there's not just been teaching art. And yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like, all of our teachers that we have are just phenomenal. Our acquire, our art, our home, like our engineering. They are just like, that's either like their field of study or they're so passionate about it that they know everything about it. I mean, they've been doing it for like 30 something years, and it's just we've been really, really blessed with some phenomenal teachers.

SPEAKER_01 23:49

I mean, this year we have Miss Whitney bringing cows into the thing for, you know, our kids are not missing out.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Mm-mm. Mm-mm. Yeah. Yes. When when when I'm having to chase a goat through the parking lot for home at class, that takes it to a new level.

SPEAKER_02 24:05

That's really important too. These aren't volunteers with a Pinterest board, right? These are, like you said, these are experts who have been doing that. And listen, I've been the volunteer with a Pinterest board. You do what you have to do. But that's not what this is. This is an expert-led session.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

And this has been also part of why the EFA has been such a blessing, is now we can actually afford and families can afford to bring in these type of teachers and make it worth their while to come and teach and things like that. Um, so, anyways, back to the schedule. So, like, for example, third grade might start off in Taekwondo, and they go in there and they do their taekwondo session. Um, usually with our PE, we tack on like a 10-minute snack break afterwards. We provide the snacks because those kids get hangry, you know, you know, gotta the snacks. Right. Um, so we do taekwondo, they have their snacks, they get changed out of their uniforms, and then they go next class period, they then rotate into art. And so they're in the art classroom, and like our art instructor, she's phenomenal. They might be doing like some. Usually she doesn't just teach the technique and stuff, she teaches like the whole. So, like if they're doing nature studies, they're learning about brown bears and their habitats and their habits and all of this. Plus, they are doing a charcoal drawing of a brown bear and all of the stuff. Um, and so they'll do art and then they'll rotate to their third class period, which would be probably which would be choir. And they go in there and she's teaching them music theory, they're working on songs, and it's been it's been great. And so that's what like the younger grades would look like. Our older grades would look like similar type thing. Three class periods they rotate through, but they might have picked, you know, maybe first period they might be signed up for home economics, second period, they might be signed up for the engineering class, and then third period, they might be in choir.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:06

So they get to kind of pick and choose, and we do our best, you know. Obviously, we can't guarantee any class, but we do our best to give them their top choices and stuff because we really want to plug the kids into what their interests are and where they're passionate and stuff like that. Or as in the case with my daughter, where her friends are. So, you know.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

Exactly. Well, and another great thing is we can be a bit flexible as well. And we, you know, we we can't bend all the roles. We do have a lot of roles, and you do an amazing job by just setting out the schedule, how we're doing this, how we're doing that. It's a very safe environment. We have safety, we have walkie-talkies, we have megaphones. Of course, they they they always grab me for some reason because that I don't need a megaphone. They're like, Will you yell at the kids? So I always have to be the bad guy. Uh, but no, you guys, you you do a really phenomenal job. It's very, very organized. Everybody knows what they're doing, where they're supposed to be, where they're going. No kid is ever left by themselves ever. There's always a teacher and a teacher's helper in every single room at a minimum. I mean, so they're never left alone. They're never left with an instructor or even other children. And it's it's a really beautiful setup.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

Yeah, we try to, I mean, we want the kids to be safe. We want this to be a safe environment. Um, and this is part of where those parent volunteers come in. Yes, because we always want to be at least two adults deep in every classroom. We also want backups and floaters in the hallway and things like that. And so either you are hiring somebody and paying them full time to be there, or you get parent volunteers. And then with the parent volunteers, you also get so not only do you get the the two deep adults in the classrooms and things like that, but now as you as their parent get to see who are their friends, how are they interacting, what are they learning, things like that. You get to keep your finger on the pulse of your kids' classrooms, who they're hanging out with, without also being overbearing. You're not there every week hovering over them, you know? You're just checking out.

SPEAKER_01 28:03

So a lot of times when when it's my turn to volunteer or whatever, I'm there, a lot, I'll I'll usually ask if I can be in Taekwondo just because I love it, because it's fun. But I've served I've served everywhere in art, in uh music, all that. Not everywhere, because I don't I haven't been an engineering in STM yet. But I but my point is is that you might see your kid in one period, but you're you know, if you're serving in Taekwondo, you're in Taekwondo all day. Um so your kid, if your kid is in Taekwondo, you're gonna see them one period, and then you're gonna have the other kids. But it's also a really good idea, like you said, and I'm glad you touched on that. Like I I get to know the other kids. And so if my kid is talking about so-and-so and what they've been doing, and they're you know going to Disney or what, I know who he's talking about, and I can relate to that. And I know their parents, um, and we all get along really, really well. And and I've never seen any problems. I I'm sure maybe before, I don't know. I don't, but I've never seen any issues with parents or anything like that. Anytime there's been any concern, it's taken care of like immediately. Maybe if somebody's acting up, but it's very rare because these are really good kids. So it it doesn't happen often.

SPEAKER_03 29:09

And I and I think that's that's part of also having the volunteers. If you're invested in something with your time and your energy, you're less likely to complain, just from a director for it. Like, you know, if you're involved and you see something not being done right, like you're you're there, so you fix it, you know, like yeah. And and you also it cuts down on the like the complaints that aren't really based in anything, you know, because they are there, they're hands-on, they're seeing it. Um, it's not just hearsay. Yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

I think that all the parents get a a good voice in it too, though, right? If like if you had something to say, we we could say it and it's listened to um and it's taken into account. And then when we come to board meetings, we discuss those things. Um, we have good, good discussions about them and we weigh the options on things and we say, okay, what's the best? And we have a really um a really good rounded group of board members that are really invested in their kids and in this program and what we're doing. Um and so from an outsider's outsider insider, because Sloan's an insider now, she is she is by proxy a homeschool mommy, whether she likes it or not, because she's she's doing the thing. Um, but Sloan, um, from an outsider's perspective, so we have we have end of semester hoop laws, I don't know what we call them. Um they're they're kind of programmed. Yeah, we have events that we have at the end of every semester. We all come together. Um, so at Christmas, we have like a Christmas, um, they they sing songs and due chorus, and then um at the end of each semester too for taekwondo, they're all testing for their next belt. Um, so they have to do testing for that and they get their certificate and their next color belt um and all that. So let's hear your perspective from the from the outside in, because you've been to several of these now. Um, what's it like?

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Okay. So I really enjoy getting to be a part of it. I'm jealous that I can't do taekwondo. I think they're having a great time, and I want to do it. But this is what you're going to see in a typical public or private school setting. They are performing, their families are there, their friends are there, there is a kindergarten graduation, there is the end of the year where they all get up and sing, and it's it's really good. And another thing that I want to say that's similar to public or private school is these kids are taking proctored exams. This is not just uh wish you the best of luck, we don't know how things are going. These homeschool kids are taking exams that are reported to the state of Arkansas.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

And and they did amazing this year, by the way. All of them. Congratulations. Good job. They all tested out very, very well this year. And so yeah, you know, uh, again, like there's a lot of controversy back and forth about a lot of things, whether it be homeschooling, whether it be private schooling, whether it's co-op, not co-op, your kids are isolated, whatever. Um, should you use EFA, should you not? Should we do that? Should we not? There's a lot of questions. All we can tell you is our experience. I think that I can attest to our family's experience has been a very positive one. Um, with and without EFA, I will tell you this. Um, I made a comment on something the other day. I'm like, even if it went away, this is still what we would do. This is what our family enjoys, this is what we like to do, this is what we believe in, this is our stance. So if there was no EFA, this is exactly what we would do. We did it before there was EFA and we would do it after. However, are we forever and and and so very grateful for the EFA funds? Yeah, it's absolutely opened some opportunities. It's helped our our personal budgets a little bit because we we were all paying out of pocket for this co-op. And so it and go ahead, finish. I was gonna say, like it's this is not a situation, and this is something that we talked about too collectively was, you know, oh well, but just because we're getting EFA, we're not hiking the prices through the roof. Now, we did raise a little bit, but we also added a lot of assets this last year that we were able to, and it was a very, very minor raising.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

And so and we we had a lot of teachers that we said, please wait, please wait. We will pay you a decent amount in a few years when we can afford it. And yeah, because Dr. Web Very teachers that they they knew and they understood that they were in it for the kids, but at the same time, I had so many of those teachers come to me this last year and said, Thank you so much for for raising what you're paying us. Like it's been such a blessing to them that we can actually we can actually pay them a decent wage, you know? Like and and they're not getting rich off it. We're not, we're not raising, we're not trying to gouge and take advantage and take all the EFA money. No, it's we're trying to be fair and pay our teachers what they're worth and cover all the operating costs that we now have as a bigger group and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 33:49

Yeah, because for all intents and purposes, Dr. Weston, Miss Nancy, um, you know, Master Almari, they were they were not the first several years, they were not they're not getting rich now, but they were not definitely not. They were really just more volunteering than anything else.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

I mean, Almari wasn't, I don't think he was making any the first year because he was just covering his gas cost of coming to school.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

He drives so far, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:15

Well, and we were paying so little. Yeah, with the EFA stuff, it has been a huge pressure. Like you said, like we were homeschooling beforehand, we will continue to homeschool regardless, but because of the EFA, like so many families, it it's made it financially doable. So instead of penny pinching and second guessing everything and being like, oh, we can't, you know, like when I was buying my kids' curriculum this last year, like it was like the extra readers that go along with the curriculum. It was like, yes, we can buy those extra readers.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:48

Cause I'm not having to like, you know, just get the bare minimum.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:54

You know, both of my boys have really showed they love building and they're getting into just engineering and designing. And my oldest is wanting to learn coding and stuff because of the FA, I can now afford some of those very pricey STEM engineering classes and kits. And yes, they're loving it. And it's and it's so fun to see them so excited and invested in that. And that was not something that I could really, unless the library was offering it for free, it was not, you know, or I could get an engineering teacher at the co-op, it was not something we could afford, you know. And so so much of that stuff, like my youngest son wanted to even with so I know sports is one of those controversial things, like within the EFA, like it's very touchy. I just want to say a lot of us are using it for basic stuff. Like my youngest son, he just we were struggling to find something he was passionate about. But it's like you need to move your body, like your five-year-old boy, you gotta move, like, you know, just try some things. So we were able to just try some different things and not worry about all the you know, the extra cost of registering and stuff like that. And he found some things that he absolutely loves, you know, he loves doing this ninja gymnastics class, like he and he's excelling at it, and he's doing phenomenal. And it's like that was not something financially that we could have really like jumped into. Speaking of, yeah, son.

SPEAKER_04 36:27

Okay, thank you, bud.

SPEAKER_03 36:30

So yeah, it's made so much more resources available to us that we can do, and I can really just help them grow and in their interests and their passions and stuff and be able to provide those things. So yeah, it's been the EFA has been such a blessing.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

Yeah, I I I wholeheartedly agree, and I second that. Um I I understand that there's gonna be naysayers and everything, right? I get that, and and skepticism, and I I understand that too. I I probably was one of the more I was on the very first like town hall, they have little meetings online. I was on the very first one, people asking them billion trillion questions and and all this stuff. And like literally one lady was like, Can we go to Disney? And we're like, and I I was thinking at the time, I was like, please don't let this become a program like that, because it's going to ruin it for all of us that really, really want to do this and do it well. And no, you cannot go to Disney on EFA. Um nor should you, yeah. But it has, it has, like you said, opened some doors. Like we do um piano and singing lessons outside of the co-op as well. Um, it's given us an opportunity to do that. Whereas I don't know, I don't know if we would be able to do that or not. I I think it has definitely motivated us to kind of step out of our comfort zone a little bit because we are home bodies, right?

SPEAKER_03 37:47

Yeah, and try things.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. That we normally wouldn't. So yeah. All right, where are we at, Sloan?

SPEAKER_03 37:55

So one thing I kind of want to tack on to the whole like trying stuff and getting exposure and and with the co-op. So this is one of the things that the co-op does hit. That's also one of the reasons we wanted it to be available to a wide right range of kids' ages and not just like this is for you know kinder through third grade or something like that. Because we want the whole family to be able to come and have resources and have community and the whole family. So it's like at the co-op, I can go one place on Thursday, all three of my kids get art, music, PE, and like all these things instead of me being what trying to run around town and hit all of these different things at different times, one location, and it's phenomenal, you know? Yeah, I wouldn't. And it's also just like my you know, my eight-year-old son, you know, on our performance day, he tested for his taekwondo belt. He advanced. He then got up and played his piano piece for the recite, you know. Amazingly, by the way. And he did a phenomenal job. He's getting practice being up in front of people and not scared and can be on stage. He then got up and his choir sang. He then had artwork on display around, you know, the hall at the end. Like it was just like it was neat to see just the well-roundedness and the variety of what he's been able to take and develop over this last year and stuff. And that goes for all three of my kids, you know. It's just it's I would say the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

We've been able to see a lot of growth and a lot of development in a lot of different areas. And I like that you said that too, because for you know, I we we're all understanding uh that you know, there's people who have to go to a quote unquote like an office or whatever work during the day, and we get that. We do kind of make amends if there's a situation like, hey, I really want my kids in the program, but I cannot volunteer. We have some options there. It's not our preference because we want you to be involved in it. We want you to be a part of it, but we also don't want you to stay out because that's an issue. And and we can make some make some arrangements there, but it is our preference that parents be involved. But what I would say is like for someone like me that works from home and then I have the opportunity to be at home, it's really, really great for me too, in that same respect. Like I get to let the kids go and they get all the things that you know, all the all of those different well-rounded things every single week. And it's just really amazing and get to have friends and get to have fun. And we didn't talk very much about um we there's also a theater program, it's an add-on. So it's not a part of the it is, but it isn't Yeah, that was that was the other part. He got up there and did performed in a theater play. Yeah. Yeah. That was great. And so they have opportunity, they can be a part of that, so they can actually stay longer on Thursdays and and be in that class as well. And so there's a lot of options there for them. It's it's not just, oh, there's only one thing that we get to do.

SPEAKER_03 40:52

So and and also kind of back to the EFA stuff, like it is a choice. And and homeschooling is all about choices, right? And Arkansas is very much about choices. You know, we love we love that freedom. And so we don't want to force our co-op doesn't want to force anybody into taking the EFA if they don't want to. And we do have some families who, for different reasons or whatever, choose not to. And so that case, what we have said is, you know, here's our price, but we never want finances to keep kids from coming. And so we have a scholarship fund set up for those families who might, you know, might not take EFA or whatever, and they but they can't afford to send like their four kids. We have those scholarships and we will work with them to make something possible and doable and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 41:42

Which has been a huge blessing too, because that that we're we have the availability now to have that. It's really opened up some some avenues and some doors for all of us um that weren't there before. So it's it's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 41:54

Sloane, did we miss anything? We didn't, but it is time for me to say that uh it is I want to respect everybody's time. Here I've got three more hours of work and we still have musical multiplication to do because we had vacation Bible school this morning. We did. So yeah, so we're not done. Typically, we're done with the homeschool day by this time. Today is not a typical day. So we've got two questions that we ask all of our guests. And uh, even though you were here to share about the co-op and let uh families know if they were they were wondering if this was for them or or where what you know what is available to them, we're still gonna ask you these same questions. So the first one, I want you to name a leader you admire and share briefly what you admire about them. How do they influence you?

SPEAKER_03 42:37

Say, I'm gonna name, for especially for this thing, I'm gonna name my mom as the leader that because like she, when she was in college, you know, when she was young lady, like she was not in it, she was not planning to have family. But when she got married and she did have a family, like she was in it wholeheartedly. Like it's one of those, like, if I'm gonna do this, I am gonna do this right and I'm gonna do it well. And she poured into us, she poured into our co-ops, and it was she was like, God has given me kids, and this is my mission field, and this is my purpose right now. And she really liked she saw, you know, like she loved on all of our friends so much, you know, like our home was the safe place, they could come hang out, they could get a hot dinner if they needed that resource, things like that, and then she would throw them all in the car and take them to youth group and things like that, you know, and and she was very invested into the co-ops and the homeschool community and helping make it and build it and make it better and stuff. And so I really admired that leadership. Like, if we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this right, and we're gonna pour ourselves into it. Like, this is you know, we're not gonna do this halfway. Um, we're gonna this is what God has given us, this is where He's put us right now. Let's do our best. So, yes.

SPEAKER_01 43:57

I I have had the honor and the pleasure of meeting your mama. We're talking to your mom several times. She's a beautiful person. It is no surprise at all that you have come out the way you have. She, I could sit and talk for her to her for days and days and days and never get bored. And and well, let me real quick before I ask the last question. I I obviously I don't know if it's obvious or not, but the co-op is a faith-based co-op. What that means is that our principles and our values are faith-based on Christian values. And so I just wanted to kind of put that out there as well. I didn't want anybody to get surprised about that. I don't think it's a surprise, seeing as how we're we're hosting it in a church, but I just wanted to be clear about that. I didn't want surprises. Alicia, you have been such an incredible leader, and I have admired you so much. What I watch a lot of people and how they do things, and I watch you a lot and the things that you do. You are an incredible leader, not only to the children in this co-op, I mean the other things you do, because you coach soccer and do all kinds of other crazy stuff, but you're an incredible leader to the kids, but also to us as families, as parents. Um you always make sure that we're included and that we're not left out. Um, you always make sure that everybody has a voice in what we're doing. Um, I think that's a a massive sign of a fantastic leader, is someone who makes sure that everyone is heard and that their side of things is taken into account. You don't get caught up in drama, you don't get caught up in a whole bunch of mess of things. We don't have that in the in this co-op. And I love that. It's so great. We get to come in. We get it's like, it's like when you're going home. You know, you're just when you get there, it's like, okay, we're comfortable, put your stuff here, we're good, let's do, you know, everybody knows what they're doing. And so first I want to thank you for your leadership because it and I'm not blowing smoke, it's it's an honor, or I it wouldn't be something I kept coming to. It's it's really been amazing. Highly, highly recommend it. If not this co-op, because not everybody's here in this town. Um, another one. And if you need help, um, again, like I said in the beginning, like setting up a co-op, what do we do? How do we do that?

SPEAKER_03 46:00

Feel free at actually. I just had a phone conversation with a lady from another county here in Arkansas who reached out to me and we sat on the phone for an hour and discussed setup and structure and things like that. So yeah, we have a website. If you just Google Batesville Homeschool and Co-op will come up, and there's a comment section you can reach out to us, and we will be glad to help. Definitely learn from our mistakes so you don't have to remake.

SPEAKER_01 46:25

That's right. That's right. Um, for sure. All right. Well, last question, and then we'll kind of wrap it up. When you think about your legacy as a leader in this community that we're in, uh, and the lasting impact that you hope you have on the co-op, although we think we should keep you there for absolute ever. But I think you've already kind of begun this journey. But when you look at that, what do you hope you're going to leave as a legacy?

SPEAKER_03 46:47

You know, honestly, I I hadn't really thought about it until you, you know, brought this whole thing up and sent me the questions and stuff. I think, I think just a legacy of like there was a great community to be involved with, and it was a blessing to be involved with. You know, like when the kids look back and their childhood and being homeschooled, like, not that they remember me, but that they remember the co-op and just the impact it made, the friends that they had, and that it was not a place of drama and the parents fighting and bickering and gossiping and all of that stuff, but it was it was truly a place of joy and blessing, and that really helped shake them.

SPEAKER_01 47:28

And so that's like that's I think you've already nailed it because it's already and I know we've had some greats come before too as well, Rachel and Kimberly, and I didn't get to the honor of knowing Valerie, but I know they set the stage for a lot of this, but I think that I have seen so much growth from you and through you these last couple of years, you kind of taking it on, and it was a little apprehensive. You had a little bit of imposter syndrome, I think, it for a while there, which I've had in a lot of places in my life too. But you've done amazing. You've done really, really well with this. And and again, I reiterate that I think one of the things, one of the things that makes you such a great leader is because you are so you're very good at delegating, you are very good at handoffs, you are very good at hey, you do this and you do that, and everybody does their thing, and um and you don't micromanage. And again, it's just it's a really good, happy environment. We're all happy to be there together, to get along, to work together. Um so yeah, if you're looking for a co-op in the area, this is the one we recommend. If you're not in our area, we recommend that you get a co-op. Um, and so yeah, it's Sloan, thank you. Thank you for being on. Thank you for helping to homeschool. Um, thank you for being a part of of all the things that we do and supporting all these kids as well. I I think Sloan knows more of the kids at the co-op than I do.

SPEAKER_02 48:44

Well, when you work at the public library, you get to know all of the homeschool families. That's just that's where they're at. And so if you're looking for the homeschool families, just go hang out at your library.

SPEAKER_01 48:53

You're gonna meet them. Yeah, that is true. That is true. Well, Alicia, thank you so much. So, what we're gonna do is that the below this video, we'll put all the contact information to get a hold of everybody on the co. I think there's a Facebook page that you can go to, and then there's the website, Batesville Homeschool Co-op. Sign ups are we'll start signing up in a couple months, I guess. Oh, they're open. I should have known that, right?

SPEAKER_04 49:16

Are you signed up?

SPEAKER_01 49:18

I will be after this. Go to the website, the link to our sign up form is there. I don't know if I did or I know it. We were playing with the form, and so now I can't remember, so now you got me stressed out about that. I'll I'll check when we get off the when I can let me know. If I didn't do it, then I definitely need to. Um yeah, so absolutely. Thanks for being on with us. Thanks for your time. I appreciate you very good for hosting me.