A new vision for Brevard Public Schools to combine home and public education

BPS partners with homeschooling families

Brevard Public Schools recognizes and respects the right of parents to choose home education as an appropriate option to meet the educational requirements of their children.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – It wasn’t that long ago that homeschooling families felt completely disconnected from the public school system. What was once a fringe option has now gone mainstream, and nowhere is this more evident than in Brevard County.

Under the leadership Brevard County Schools Board members Megan Wright, Gene Trent and Matt Susin are redefining what public education can mean for homeschooled students. In a historic move, she changed policies aimed at creating partnerships with homeschooling families, including them in ways few could have imagined just a decade ago.

Susin is a staunch supporter of homeschooling in Brevard. Long committed to equal access to resources, he has been supporting homeschooling families since 2016, when he pushed for the waiving of dual enrollment textbook fees at Eastern Florida State College.

Susan stated that this is a key step towards ensuring that homeschooling families have equal opportunities.

“These parents pay the same taxes as everyone else, so they should have the same opportunities in our educational institutions,” Susin said.

This year he pushed the bar even further. With the growing number of homeschoolers and the ever-increasing demand for diverse learning pathways, Susin hosted a series of groundbreaking community gatherings in Satellite Beach, Melbourne and Viera.

“These meetings were not just policy updates, but an opportunity for homeschool parents to express their opinions and concerns in person and hear first-hand about the board’s fresh, progressive policies,” Susin said.

Trent said the main goal is to fill gaps, offer practical skills and help all Brevard children succeed.

“I have always been a proponent of school choice,” Trent said. “I am also a supporter of public education. I am the proud father of five children who are products of public education. As a member of the Brevard County School Board, I will always support any policy or program that helps more students become a part of the BPS family.”

Susan Reynolds, who homeschooled her children from kindergarten through high school, reviewed numerous homeschooling portfolios for other homeschooling parents, helped write and evaluate homeschool curriculum, led cooperative homeschooling groups, spoke at homeschooling conventions, was a certified elementary and special education teacher, and has been consulting with Brevard County on homeschooling issues for almost 20 years.

“We are finally seeing the school board recognize that homeschooling does not stand alone; has entered the political mainstream and we applaud the new direction,” Reynolds said.

“These changes represent perhaps the most inclusive changes to homeschooling policy seen in the public school system in recent years.”

A closer look at the policies driving change

The board’s revised policy aims to provide unprecedented access and support, break down barriers and build a blended educational model in which homeschooling families can benefit from the resources of Brevard Public Schools.

Supportive changes to homeschooling policies: This overarching change reflects the district’s commitment to open, supportive relationships with homeschooling families, strengthening their equal participation in the learning community.
Car classes: One policy that stands out is allowing homeschool students to attend in-person classes on BPS campuses. Do you want your child to take only chemotherapy? Now it’s possible. This freedom to mix and match allows homeschoolers to maintain autonomy in their learning while supplementing it with specialized activities.
■ Career and Technical Certification Programs: Another important benefit for homeschooling families is access to career and technical programs. From automotive certification to culinary arts, homeschooled students can enroll in BPS programs to provide hands-on, hands-on skills.
■ Activities only at home: In response to homeschoolers’ desire to learn together, BPS has offered to create homeschool-only course offerings on its campuses. Taught by a certified BPS teacher, entire classes of homeschool students can take algebra, biology, and many other courses. These activities are designed to provide a more tailored group learning experience for homeschooling families in the BPS classroom.
Access to extracurricular activities: Homeschool students are now welcome to participate in BPS sports, clubs and extracurricular activities – another step towards supporting community and providing equal opportunities for social interaction and development.
Homeschooling Advocate Volunteer Position: As a demonstration of its commitment to these initiatives, BPS has created a new volunteer position dedicated to supporting and helping homeschooling families. This liaison role highlights BPS’s commitment to listening to and supporting the homeschool community.

The spirit of cooperation stimulates action

As a result of these open forums, homeschooling parents have taken up a call to action.

“Groups have been formed to address issues such as creating a new homeschool website linked to the BPS district website, ensuring homeschoolers have a voice in current policy developments, and streamlining processes to make new opportunities readily available.” said Wright, the current board chair.

During the third meeting at the Brevard County School District headquarters in Viera, Susin asked district staff to answer any questions parents might have about the new policy.

Director of Compliance and Administrative Support Patricia Fontan and Homeschool Administrator Robin Liebach spoke, addressing procedural issues and discussing the nuances of the new changes.

The dialogue covered everything from benchmarking and involvement in the 4-H Club for sportsextracurricular activitiesand support for disabled students.

Liebach and Fontan answered many of the group’s questions and will continue these conversations on a quarterly basis to ensure any issues and questions that arise are resolved quickly and collaboratively. This transparency gave the board credibility and trust from parents who had historically felt like outsiders to the public school system.

Rethinking the future of education – together

Susin made it clear that this was just the beginning. He believes that by offering homeschoolers a true partnership, Brevard Public Schools can actively raise the next generation of qualified, prepared and confident students.

“We want all children in Brevard to succeed, no matter where or how they learn,” he said. This new model was created to attract homeschooling families back to schools, meet them where they are and offer meaningful resources,” Susin said.

At a time when education is no longer one-size-fits-all, the efforts of Brevard Public Schools offer a glimpse into the future of public education – one where flexibility and collaboration take center stage. And for families who have long straddled the line between public education and homeschooling, this could be the beginning of an exciting new era.