Why Isn’t Homeschool Connections an Academy?
And Why That’s a Good Thing for Catholic Home Educators
Every so often, someone asks us a simple but thought-provoking question: “Why doesn’t Homeschool Connections just become a full academy?”
It’s a fair question, especially when you consider the breadth of what we offer. With hundreds of recorded (asynchronous) & LIVE (synchronous) courses, expert instructors, and support services, it may seem like the next step is to evolve into a traditional online school.
However, the truth is that we’ve made a deliberate and mission-driven decision not to become an academy. And that choice is deeply rooted in our understanding of what home education is meant to be.
So why isn’t Homeschool Connections a school? Here are seven important reasons—and why it matters for you.
1. Parents Are the Primary Educators
As Catholics, we believe what the Church has always taught: Parents are the first and foremost educators of their children. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear on this point (CCC 2223): “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.”
At Homeschool Connections, we exist to support, not replace, that God-given role. We are here to empower, not direct. You are the principal. You are the curriculum designer. Our job is to provide you with tools, resources, and teachers to help you succeed in your mission.
2. Flexibility Is a Feature, Not a Flaw
Unlike a traditional academy, we don’t lock families into a single curriculum track. Our à la carte model allows you to pick and choose what works best for your unique child.
Need just one writing class? Great. Want a full lineup of math, science, literature, and theology? You can do that too. Want to mix in a few Homeschool Connections courses with your local co-op, home study school, or a living books approach? Absolutely.
This kind of flexibility is not a compromise; it is a benefit. It’s one of the great strengths of homeschooling. It honors the fact that your children aren’t cookie-cutter, so their education shouldn’t be either.
3. We Can Be a Full Program—But Only If You Want That
Some families use Homeschool Connections as their entire curriculum, and we love supporting that path. But here’s the key: you choose the courses, not us. We offer sample scopes and sequences, not mandates.
Others use us to supplement what they’re doing through Seton, Kolbe, MODG, or their own DIY curriculum. Still others just sign up for the fun electives (hello, Woodworking and Culinary Arts!) that aren’t easily available elsewhere.
This modularity is intentional. It gives you control over your child’s learning journey, just as it should be.
4. We Resist Accreditation—and Here’s Why
We often get questions about accreditation. Here’s our answer: No, we’re not accredited, and that’s on purpose.
Accreditation would mean handing decision-making power over to external agencies—agencies that don’t know your child, your values, or your homeschool. These accrediting bodies often come with mandates, restrictions, and bureaucratic strings, which go against the heart of home education.
We trust you, the parent, to evaluate your child’s progress. You don’t need a government stamp of approval to know your child is thriving. (See our full take here: Should I Choose an Accredited Program?)
5. Keeping Homeschooling Affordable
Homeschooling families often make financial sacrifices. After all, many of us are single-income households in a two-income world.
By choosing not to become an academy, Homeschool Connections can keep costs low and avoid charging for services that not all families need. And for families who do need extra help, such as grading, tutoring, or planning, we offer those services à la carte. This way, you only pay for what you use.
Accreditation, on the other hand, is expensive. That cost would be passed down to you. We’d rather keep your tuition dollars focused where they matter most: on expert instructors and quality classes.
6. Homeschooling Isn’t About Enrolling in a School
There are times when enrolling in a full academy is precisely what is required. Several excellent Catholic home study schools are already available if you need one. We support their missions and are proud to work alongside them in a number of ways.
Yet, if you can direct your children’s coursework and don’t want to outsource your homeschooling, we’re here to help you. There’s nothing like retaining control at the kitchen table over a school office.
If we believe homeschooling is about freedom, and we’re in a place where we can design our own curriculum, then why trade that freedom for an institutional model?
At Homeschool Connections, we honor the independence, creativity, and individuality of home education. We’re not looking to schoolify your homeschool. We’re here to enhance it.
7. Keeping the Joy in Homeschooling
We believe homeschooling is more than just checking academic boxes. It’s about nurturing a love of learning, deepening faith, and forming the whole person. It’s about creating lifelong learners.
We work hard to find online instructors who not only possess in-depth knowledge of their subject matter but also genuinely love it. Emotions are contagious, and our instructors do a great job of sharing their passion for learning about God’s creation through science, math, history, and the rest.
Bringing joy into the classroom is also why we offer out-of-the-box courses that delight the imagination, like Drawing with Art Theory, Pirates of the Golden Age, or The History of Baseball, alongside traditional core subjects.
In a site-based school model, those joyful, passion-driven learning experiences often get lost. However, in a homeschool, joy is at the center. And we want to help keep it that way.
Conclusion: Your Homeschool, Your Way
We’re proud not to be an academy.
Homeschool Connections is here to walk alongside you, not in front of you. We’re a faithful, flexible, and family-centered resource for Catholic homeschoolers. Nothing more, and nothing less.
So, whether you’re looking for a simple grade school Latin course or a full slate of 9th-grade subjects, we’re here to serve you, the primary educator.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Join me and other Catholic homeschooling parents in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group or in the HSC Community. We’d love to hear how you make homeschooling your own.
