Janice

Hi all,

I am a relatively new member of the group. I have 5 boys ranging in
age from 6 to 15 yrs old. We live in central massachusetts and I am
in the process of trying to write up my first letter of intent since
we started unschooling. We have "homeschooled" since 2000, but
prior to this year I have been more of an ecclectic/traditional
homeschooler. The town has never given me any problems about
homeschooling, but I am concerned that they may notice (and
question) the dramatic change in the way we are homeschooling now.

Can anyone that lives in massachusetts please share some ways that
they have worded their letters of intent so as not to cause havoc
with the schools. Massachusetts is a highly regulated state and I
really do not want to start a major war with the superintendant of
schools here. On the other hand, I don't want to outright lie and
give a listing of curriculum that I have no intention of actually
using.

The other snafu is that MA requires that you list a method of
assessment in your letter of intent. In past years, I have stated
that a portfolio of work samples OR standardized test scores would
be submitted IF (and only IF) they ask for them. (They have yet to
ask me for either.) What can I list as a method for this year,
since my kids will no longer be taking the standardized tests and
tend to produce very little in the way of a paper trail that I could
put together as a portfolio of work samples.

Any MA residents who can help me out would be a great help.

Thanks
Janice W.

Deb

--- In [email protected], "Janice" <wolverton@...>
wrote:
>
>
> Can anyone that lives in massachusetts please share some ways that
> they have worded their letters of intent so as not to cause havoc
> with the schools. Massachusetts is a highly regulated state and I
> really do not want to start a major war with the superintendant of
> schools here. On the other hand, I don't want to outright lie and
> give a listing of curriculum that I have no intention of actually
> using.
Not in MA but you could write things up pretty much the same as you
used to: "Child A will continue to explore math and numbers using
resources including but not limited to cooking, library books, math-
based games,..." http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html is
a sample of what someone who unschools and has to report to the
state used.

> The other snafu is that MA requires that you list a method of
> assessment in your letter of intent. In past years, I have stated
> that a portfolio of work samples OR standardized test scores would
> be submitted IF (and only IF) they ask for them. (They have yet
>to
> ask me for either.) What can I list as a method for this year,
> since my kids will no longer be taking the standardized tests and
> tend to produce very little in the way of a paper trail that I
>could
> put together as a portfolio of work samples.
You can still do a portfolio - photos of things they are doing are
acceptable in a portfolio - the kids making paper airplanes,
building towers, picking berries, collecting shells at the Cape, etc.

> Any MA residents who can help me out would be a great help.
Also, the town you live in will vary the requirements in MA -
someone in another town might do x but your town wants y. As long as
it is within the bounds of the relevant legal precedents (Charles
and such), they can ask for whatever they want.

--Deb
(any chance you can jump the border to CT where the unschooling is
easy?)

Michelle/Melbrigða

On 7/24/06, Janice <wolverton@...> wrote:

> The other snafu is that MA requires that you list a method of
> assessment in your letter of intent. In past years, I have stated
> that a portfolio of work samples OR standardized test scores would
> be submitted IF (and only IF) they ask for them. (They have yet to
> ask me for either.) What can I list as a method for this year,
> since my kids will no longer be taking the standardized tests and
> tend to produce very little in the way of a paper trail that I could
> put together as a portfolio of work samples.
>

Why not keep a scrapbook rather than portfolio? Pictures from
activities, ticket stubs from events, find all those little slips of
paper that they have doodled on and created on and tuck those in
there. I have a small collection of things such as the kids' "Reid
Family Newsletters" that they published for a while, a contract
written out in fairly good lawyerese concerning something that they
wanted to negotiate with us, and copies of plays that they have
created an put on. Call it a "portfolio" but make it fun and
enjoyable to create. Get the kids involved in it. Create a "Life
scrapbook" that shows what your family is doing.

--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist

Manisha Kher

Have you seen the ahem site - http://www.ahem.info ?
They have sample educational plans. There are also
plans on Sandra Dodd's site that can be modified and
used.

The easiest form of reporting as an unschooler is a
progress report. That's what we used this year. There
are sample progress reports on the ahem site as well.

Manisha

--- Janice <wolverton@...> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I am a relatively new member of the group. I have 5
> boys ranging in
> age from 6 to 15 yrs old. We live in central
> massachusetts and I am
> in the process of trying to write up my first letter
> of intent since
> we started unschooling. We have "homeschooled"
> since 2000, but
> prior to this year I have been more of an
> ecclectic/traditional
> homeschooler. The town has never given me any
> problems about
> homeschooling, but I am concerned that they may
> notice (and
> question) the dramatic change in the way we are
> homeschooling now.
>
> Can anyone that lives in massachusetts please share
> some ways that
> they have worded their letters of intent so as not
> to cause havoc
> with the schools. Massachusetts is a highly
> regulated state and I
> really do not want to start a major war with the
> superintendant of
> schools here. On the other hand, I don't want to
> outright lie and
> give a listing of curriculum that I have no
> intention of actually
> using.
>
> The other snafu is that MA requires that you list a
> method of
> assessment in your letter of intent. In past years,
> I have stated
> that a portfolio of work samples OR standardized
> test scores would
> be submitted IF (and only IF) they ask for them.
> (They have yet to
> ask me for either.) What can I list as a method for
> this year,
> since my kids will no longer be taking the
> standardized tests and
> tend to produce very little in the way of a paper
> trail that I could
> put together as a portfolio of work samples.
>
> Any MA residents who can help me out would be a
> great help.
>
> Thanks
> Janice W.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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[email protected]

On 7/24/06, Janice <wolverton@...> wrote:

> The other snafu is that MA requires that you list a method of
> assessment in your letter of intent. In past years, I have stated
> that a portfolio of work samples OR standardized test scores would
> be submitted IF (and only IF) they ask for them. (They have yet to
> ask me for either.) What can I list as a method for this year,
> since my kids will no longer be taking the standardized tests and
> tend to produce very little in the way of a paper trail that I could
> put together as a portfolio of work samples.
>



I live in MA and have always stated that a progress report will be available
upon request. I live in Mashpee and have not been asked for a progress report
in our four years of homeschooling. I love the portfolio idea but we keep
theater stubs and tickets and memories for ourselves as I feel that it is none
of the school department's business where we go or what we do. We also have
very vague state homeschooling regulations based on the Charles and Brunelle
cases so I feel that homeschoolers who provide anything more than what is legally
necessary are setting the rest of us up to have to do so.

So, I am begging you, please keep your LOI as simple as possible for all our
sakes and if your school department asks for more info than what you've
submitted, read the case histories on the MHLA site and refuse to offer any more
than that. It has worked for many so try not to let the superintendent strong
arm you into compliance. We receive an 8 page packet each summer for each child
and it asks the same questions repeatedly and requires signatures on each
page. I submit the first (names, addresses and birth dates) and last (choose
your method of reporting) pages only as they are all that are required by MA
regulations. One of the options on the form for method of reporting states
something to the effect of "any other method as mutually agreed upon between the
school department and the home educators." We check that box and include the
progress report offer upon request in our letter of intent. Last year the
superintendent's secretary called and left me a message saying that we neglected to
submit the entire approval application. I had written in the phone number
space on the first page of their form that all correspondence needs to be sent via
the US Postal Service mail and have never given them our number but she must
have looked it up. I ignored the call (and my nerves) and never heard from
them again.

Best of luck,
Robin in Cape Cod

PS If you'd like to see the single page letter of intent that we submit for
both children, please e-mail me off list and I'll forward it to you.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

elizabeth roberts

Hi, Robin! I used to live in Bourne (ok, on Otis) and then Harwich! LOL Say hello to the Cape for me, will you?

Beth

ohpurple1@... wrote:
On 7/24/06, Janice <wolverton@...> wrote:

> The other snafu is that MA requires that you list a method of
> assessment in your letter of intent. In past years, I have stated
> that a portfolio of work samples OR standardized test scores would
> be submitted IF (and only IF) they ask for them. (They have yet to
> ask me for either.) What can I list as a method for this year,
> since my kids will no longer be taking the standardized tests and
> tend to produce very little in the way of a paper trail that I could
> put together as a portfolio of work samples.
>

I live in MA and have always stated that a progress report will be available
upon request. I live in Mashpee and have not been asked for a progress report
in our four years of homeschooling. I love the portfolio idea but we keep
theater stubs and tickets and memories for ourselves as I feel that it is none
of the school department's business where we go or what we do. We also have
very vague state homeschooling regulations based on the Charles and Brunelle
cases so I feel that homeschoolers who provide anything more than what is legally
necessary are setting the rest of us up to have to do so.

So, I am begging you, please keep your LOI as simple as possible for all our
sakes and if your school department asks for more info than what you've
submitted, read the case histories on the MHLA site and refuse to offer any more
than that. It has worked for many so try not to let the superintendent strong
arm you into compliance. We receive an 8 page packet each summer for each child
and it asks the same questions repeatedly and requires signatures on each
page. I submit the first (names, addresses and birth dates) and last (choose
your method of reporting) pages only as they are all that are required by MA
regulations. One of the options on the form for method of reporting states
something to the effect of "any other method as mutually agreed upon between the
school department and the home educators." We check that box and include the
progress report offer upon request in our letter of intent. Last year the
superintendent's secretary called and left me a message saying that we neglected to
submit the entire approval application. I had written in the phone number
space on the first page of their form that all correspondence needs to be sent via
the US Postal Service mail and have never given them our number but she must
have looked it up. I ignored the call (and my nerves) and never heard from
them again.

Best of luck,
Robin in Cape Cod

PS If you'd like to see the single page letter of intent that we submit for
both children, please e-mail me off list and I'll forward it to you.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tonya Matthews

Hi Janice,

You were at the Unschooling conference in Peabody, right? I think my
boys played with one of your sons. Funny story about that.. we can
talk more offlist ;-)

Anyway, I've been homeschooling for one year. This year is our first
year submitting a LOI as unschoolers. I, basically, cut and pasted
from AHEM's site. It's VERY vague but complete. I also submitted a
progress report just by listing what we've covered and field trips.
I have to say, after I brought it in, I didn't feel it even touched
at all we had done but it ~isn't~ their business anyway.

I submitted it on the 14th and I'm still waiting at the mailbox
daily with trepidation for my letter from the Superintendent.

Last year we had no trouble but I listed curriculum that we ended up
barely touching.

Anyway! Best of luck. We're in Auburn, btw.

Regards
Tonya
Proud Mama to
Christian/11
Rory/7
Alannah/3