Charter Family Information

If you are a family interested in the Thrive Program and you will also be part of a charter school program, please read this information to become educated regarding your responsibilities.

Homeschooling comes in all different shapes and sizes and many families choose to be part of a public charter school as part of their homeschool journey. Starting any homeschool journey, especially one that partners with a charter school, can be confusing and we want to help in any way we can. We especially want to clarify the complex relationship between Thrive, Charter Schools, Vendors, and Families. Please read below for some basics. We also have created a more in-depth document for you here as well: CLICK HERE

Clarifying Relationships

Thrive Community Program is an independent program that is not affiliated with charter schools. Rather, our vendors work directly with charter schools and with you, the parent; Thrive is not involved.

Thrive is structured as an After School Program. We provide community opportunities such as fieldtrips, lunch games, dances and other fun community events. We also provide transportation and safe passage to and from other programs your student may be a part of if you need that. We ensure your student will make it to soccer or their math tutor if they have that planned. Anytime your student is not in the care of another provider we will ensure they are safe and in our care until you pick them up. Thrive does not provide educational services, we do not interact with your providers and cannot work with providers on issues that are between you and their services. (*imagine asking us to call Target or your Football coach on your behalf :)

If you choose to take classes with a vendor associated with your charter, the vendor and charter will manage all their own registrations and payments. Families like you, with a charter, can pay with charter funds if your vendor is approved by your charter. Again, though, this is between you, the charter, and the vendor. For legal reasons, Thrive can't be involved. To do this, go to your charter's website to find your vendor's class and submit a request. Ask your HST if you need help. 

Charter School's Requirements of Vendors

Charter Schools are responsible for approving Educational Service Vendors to ensure that such services align with the charter's expectations and the student’s course of study. Requirements on vendors include, but are not limited to:

• Vendors cannot require or provide religious services or anything discriminatory. A vendor will not require chapel, prayer etc.
• Vendors must comply with the public charter school's standards created by the government. 
• Vendors cannot be affiliated with private schools, co-ops, learning centers, etc.  (While Thrive does our best to provide community through our programs to meet the social needs of homeschooled families, we are not a school, private school, co-op, or learning center. Rather, Thrive is a community program offering homeschool partnership and after/in-between education care when needed. 
• Vendors cannot require volunteering to attend their program. However, many welcome you to be part of their classes if you want to. Programs cannot discriminate through tryouts or auditions or testing requirements, etc. 

Vendor's Requirements of Families

Many of Thrive's vendors have worked hard to become approved by charter schools and are therefore protective of their relationship with them. For that reason, please pledge to understand the complexities of Thrive/Charter/Vendor interactions. Please especially abide within the confines of these when you communicate with your charter. The charter agreement linked here is required by many of our vendors and seeks to give even more detailed information. Please read it carefully and sign at the end, promising that you understand and will communicate accordingly.  CLICK HERE.

Additional Items Important to Note:

* If you are with a charter, your student is legally a public school student. This probably won't affect you much until applying to college; at that time, they will not apply as a homeschooler, but as a public school student.

* A charter student who seeks to take individual classes with any charter-approved vendor is not required to be a Thrive Community Program member or participate in Thrive Community Program requirements. Any students wishing to take stand alone classes with vendors should reach out to the vendor directly.