[email protected]

Hi Karen --

Nance Confer here in FL -- unschooling our little tushies off.

You have been misinformed about the laws that govern hsing in FL.

I don't know that we need a PAC or anyone else working to change FL's hsing laws. None of the concerns you list below are true.

There are two basic ways to comply with the compulsory attendance law as a hser in FL (4 if you want to count it that way) and I will be happy to email with you about it. Or we can bore the list with the details if anyone cares.

Nance Confer
marbleface@...


Re: Unschooling PAC?
Posted by: "Karen Swanay" luvbullbreeds@... kswanay1111
Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:24 am (PST)
While this is interesting to learn...I think I wasn't clear with my
question so let me try again.

Is there some group of folks, I guess an organized group, who are
either watching laws and law makers or are actively working to reverse
laws we have on the books now, to make unschooling easier or at least
keep the politicians from taking away what little right we have to
educate our children as we see fit?

Because here in Florida when you "homeschool" you have to keep a
record, submit to random testing and entrance into your home or
deliver your child to a school for "assessment" if the State decides
to. Some states are easier than that and others are way harder. So I
was just wondering if there was a push on to reverse the antiquated
idea of school as we know it or a group actively promoting unschooling
as a legitimate and legal way of "educating" a child?

TIA
Karen

Karen Swanay

Well this may have been part of my problem...I didn't know about
HSLDA. This is where I got this info...

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=FL

Legal Option:
Establish and operate a home school

Attendance:
None specified

Subjects:
None

Qualifications:
None

Notice:
File notice of intent with the local superintendent within 30 days of
establishment for home school (not required annually)

Recordkeeping:
Maintain a portfolio of records and materials (log of texts and
sample work sheets)

Testing:
Do one of the following annually: 1) take any standardized test or a
state student assessment test which is administered by a certified
teacher, 2) be evaluated by a certified teacher, 3) be evaluated by a
licensed psychologist, or 4) an evaluation by another valid tool that
is mutually agreed upon.



**I guess I just took what they were saying as true. Why would they
make it up? This is what I get for being too trusting I guess. I've
been freaking for nothing.

I'm happy for the info however you want to deliver it.

Karen

Ren Allen

> **I guess I just took what they were saying as true. Why would they
> make it up? This is what I get for being too trusting I guess. I've
> been freaking for nothing.
>


It is true. But they tend to ignore the umbrella school option because
technically your child would be considered a "private schooled" child
and HSLDA benefits when they can track statistics on "homeschooled"
children. So they don't talk about umbrella school options much, in
fact FPEA in Florida will actively DISCOURAGE people from using the
umbrella school option.

I remember talking about looking into it because it was less invasive
and people said things like "Oh, it doesn't look as good when they
need to get into college" and other such crap which it TOTALLY untrue.
It's fear. In the case of HSLDA it's about profit and legislation. If
they can show legislators that homeschoolers are statistically better
off (higher grades etc..) they have more power.

Florida is easy.
We DID register there for several years and did the yearly evaluation.
I found an unschool friendly evaluator and it was actually a lot of
fun for my kids. We mostly just showed her a photo album and took
along a few projects they had done. No big deal. If you choose the
portfolio evaluation just remember that YOU get to choose the teacher
you use. The state has no say in that. You can even choose a certified
teacher that isn't working in the school system currently. As long as
they have their FL certification you'll be fine.

I recommend this group for staying informed of legal issues in
Florida, finding great resources and local inclusive groups:
http://lifeofflorida.blogspot.com/

Our unschool group was part of their network when I formed it and I
found it to be very inclusive and helpful. They stay active
politically and watch for legislation issues without any agenda. They
make no money for doing any of this, so I trust their motives more
than any HSLDA type group (think FPEA here).

I can tell you that I had social services called on my in Florida
because my children were playing outside during school hours. The
issue was cleared up immediately when I showed them we homeschooled
under an umbrella school. It was scary for a second, but if you're
legal in FL there is absolutely no reason to worry.

If you decide to go with the umbrella school option, you will need to
inform your local school district that you are registered with, that
you are terminating your homeschool program. You can simply write them
a letter stating that you are removing (fill in children's names) from
their district's homeschooling program and that's it. If they want to
know anything more, you can simply say "we're putting them in a
private school" to avoid confrontation. They have no right to ask that
legally, but it's an easy way to avoid a bunch of nosy school personnel.

Ren, former Floridian
learninginfreedom.com

nanceconfer

HSLDA has never had the correct info on their website about the
private school option in FL.

I have asked them to correct it.

As for the option listed below, this is the option where you send a
letter of intent to the county school superintendent.

A simple letter stating that the Home Education Program for X student
has been established. With identifying info.

Your eval is due one year from the date of that letter.

The eval may be a test. Or you may choose to have a teacher who does
evals and who gets unschooling review your portfolio and other items.
You hire the evaluator after interviewing them to find out if they fit
the way your hs. Not the other way around. Fees for evals run $30-35
and up.

You get a letter from the evaluator stating that your child has made
progress appropriate for him and you mail that form in.

You keep copies of everything of course!

These are the broad strokes but the point is that either option --
HEP/letter of intent or private/umbrella school -- involves some
amount of paperwork but is not any more intrusive into how you hs than
you make it. The HSLDA looks more intimidating than it needs to for
this option.

For more details, see
http://www.parentdirectededucation.org/Homeschooling%20in%20Florida.htm
and
http://www.parentdirectededucation.org/Private%20Schools%20for%20Homeschoolers.htm

FL is a fine state for hsers of every stripe -- including unschoolers! :)

Feel free to email me at marbleface@... with any questions.

Nance Confer




--- In [email protected], "Karen Swanay"
<luvbullbreeds@...> wrote:
>
> Well this may have been part of my problem...I didn't know about
> HSLDA. This is where I got this info...
>
> http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=FL
>
> Legal Option:
> Establish and operate a home school
>
> Attendance:
> None specified
>
> Subjects:
> None
>
> Qualifications:
> None
>
> Notice:
> File notice of intent with the local superintendent within 30 days of
> establishment for home school (not required annually)
>
> Recordkeeping:
> Maintain a portfolio of records and materials (log of texts and
> sample work sheets)
>
> Testing:
> Do one of the following annually: 1) take any standardized test or a
> state student assessment test which is administered by a certified
> teacher, 2) be evaluated by a certified teacher, 3) be evaluated by a
> licensed psychologist, or 4) an evaluation by another valid tool that
> is mutually agreed upon.
>
>
>
> **I guess I just took what they were saying as true. Why would they
> make it up? This is what I get for being too trusting I guess. I've
> been freaking for nothing.
>
> I'm happy for the info however you want to deliver it.
>
> Karen
>

nanceconfer

Not that it makes much difference, but I believe FPEA has gotten
better about this. They corrected/added info on their website about
the private school option, I think it was, a few years ago.

But the HEP (register with the county) option is the one you hear
about most.

OTOH, the guess I've heard is that about half the hsers here do it one
way and half the other.

Nance




> **I guess I just took what they were saying as true. Why would they
> make it up? This is what I get for being too trusting I guess. I've
> been freaking for nothing.
>


It is true. But they tend to ignore the umbrella school option because
technically your child would be considered a "private schooled" child
and HSLDA benefits when they can track statistics on "homeschooled"
children. So they don't talk about umbrella school options much, in
fact FPEA in Florida will actively DISCOURAGE people from using the
umbrella school option.