Knoxville parents who choose to homeschool their children don’t have to go it alone; they can use the resources of the school district, and from an association for home school parents, to supplement what they teach on their own.

The Knoxville Homeschool Assistance Program is a district-sponsored association which gives home students access to specialized courses of study; parents can choose to have teachers in the program instruct their children in subjects ranging from writing and literature to art and science.

Stacy Picard is with the program; she herself is a homeschooling mother, and she and other instructors in the assistance program are licensed teachers. She tells KNIA/KRLS News parents which opt for homeschooling are often able to spend more time with their families and focus them on the subjects of particular interest to each child.

“And we have enjoyed the benefits of flexibility as far as our children’s curriculum goes, being able to pursue their academic interests and their interests outside the home,” Picard says. “And it offers a lot of flexibility in where you can have one-on-one time…you maximize the benefit that you’re getting out of the time that you’re spending when you’re working one-on-one with your child.”

Picard says participation in the Knoxville Homeschool Assistance Program is entirely voluntary, and is not meant to take the place of what parents have chosen to teach.

Those outside the Knoxville district who don’t have access to a similar program are allowed to open enroll; the deadline to do so this year is March 1st.