Registering as a private school
Toby
I have a technical question. I am unschooling my son and I saw in the book, The Unprocessed Child, that the mom registered her child as being in a private school, which made her exempt from filling out forms about her curriculum. How does one go about doing this or how do you deal with the public school forms on curriculum when you are unschooling?
Thanks
Toby
Thanks
Toby
Jeff Sabo
Toby, this really varies state-to-state, and sometimes district to district. I'd encourage you to do three things:
1.) Surf around the web site of your state and local education departments to ensure that you fully understand the rules and requirements.
2.) Check out the website for the HSLDA (homeschool legal defense), which can have some good pointers on how to approach these topics.
3.) Make sure you understand what your own limits are in terms of following/not following the laws. I'd never encourage you to break the laws governing this in your state, but once you register and give them your contact info you've given them the ability to peek behind your curtains.
Some states have umbrella schools which will do much of the paperwork for you; others let you establish your own school with minimal supervision; but others have fairly onerous requirements on curriculum and testing. Just educate yourself and know what you're getting into by registering.
________________________________
From: Toby <philipntoby@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, October 5, 2009 11:21:31 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Registering as a private school
I have a technical question. I am unschooling my son and I saw in the book, The Unprocessed Child, that the mom registered her child as being in a private school, which made her exempt from filling out forms about her curriculum. How does one go about doing this or how do you deal with the public school forms on curriculum when you are unschooling?
Thanks
Toby
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
1.) Surf around the web site of your state and local education departments to ensure that you fully understand the rules and requirements.
2.) Check out the website for the HSLDA (homeschool legal defense), which can have some good pointers on how to approach these topics.
3.) Make sure you understand what your own limits are in terms of following/not following the laws. I'd never encourage you to break the laws governing this in your state, but once you register and give them your contact info you've given them the ability to peek behind your curtains.
Some states have umbrella schools which will do much of the paperwork for you; others let you establish your own school with minimal supervision; but others have fairly onerous requirements on curriculum and testing. Just educate yourself and know what you're getting into by registering.
________________________________
From: Toby <philipntoby@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, October 5, 2009 11:21:31 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Registering as a private school
I have a technical question. I am unschooling my son and I saw in the book, The Unprocessed Child, that the mom registered her child as being in a private school, which made her exempt from filling out forms about her curriculum. How does one go about doing this or how do you deal with the public school forms on curriculum when you are unschooling?
Thanks
Toby
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Kelly Lovejoy
Check out NHELD instead. http://www.nheld.com/
?~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
"There is no single effort more radical in its potential for saving the world than a transformation of the way we raise our children." Marianne Williamson
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Sabo <freeboysdad@...>
2.) Check out the website for the HSLDA (homeschool legal defense), which can
have some good pointers on how to approach these topics.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
?~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
"There is no single effort more radical in its potential for saving the world than a transformation of the way we raise our children." Marianne Williamson
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Sabo <freeboysdad@...>
2.) Check out the website for the HSLDA (homeschool legal defense), which can
have some good pointers on how to approach these topics.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
> Check out the website for the HSLDA (homeschool legal defense),Despite their claim to represent all homeschoolers, HSLDA is a
> which can have some good pointers on how to approach these topics.
fundamentalist Christian organization with a religious agenda. They
won't represent unschoolers unless it serves their own needs.
> Make sure you understand what your own limits are in terms ofThis sounds like fears pumped up by HSLDA alerts. Unschooling life is
> following/not following the laws. I'd never encourage you to break
> the laws governing this in your state, but once you register and
> give them your contact info you've given them the ability to peek
> behind your curtains.
>
a lot sweeter without reading HSLDA's warnings of how the sky's about
to fall on homeschool freedoms unless everyone takes action NOW.
There are state groups in every state who can help people navigate
the peculiarities of each states' laws so people don't have even have
to keep their curtains closed if they register ;-) Knowledge -- *not*
the HSLDA kind! -- is the best defense.
Here are a few places to check for local groups:
http://sandradodd.com/world
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/regional/Region.htm
http://www.midnightbeach.com/hs/listlist.html
Joyce
undermom
**1.) Surf around the web site of your state and local education departments to ensure that you fully understand the rules and requirements.**
Well, Um...no. I personally would strongly recommend AGAINST this as a FIRST step.
Here's why. Many state and local education department web sites list steps for homeschoolers that are not required by law, but are instead what the educrats would like to have happen for their own reasons. In Illinois, for instance, most regional district sites request various registration forms, when in fact no such registration is required, and most Illinois statewide groups strongly discourage their members from filing these forms (on the theory that "give them an inch and they'll take a mile.)This isn't an unusual situation. In many other states as well, education authority sites will lead one to believe that compliance is much harder than it needs to be legally.
Best first step is to check with statewide groups for advice on what others do and have done to comply. They almost always can direct you towards the actual codes so can read the laws for yourself. (It's sometimes extraordinarily difficult to wade through the school sites and code books without having a friendly guide to point the way.)
Deborah in IL
Well, Um...no. I personally would strongly recommend AGAINST this as a FIRST step.
Here's why. Many state and local education department web sites list steps for homeschoolers that are not required by law, but are instead what the educrats would like to have happen for their own reasons. In Illinois, for instance, most regional district sites request various registration forms, when in fact no such registration is required, and most Illinois statewide groups strongly discourage their members from filing these forms (on the theory that "give them an inch and they'll take a mile.)This isn't an unusual situation. In many other states as well, education authority sites will lead one to believe that compliance is much harder than it needs to be legally.
Best first step is to check with statewide groups for advice on what others do and have done to comply. They almost always can direct you towards the actual codes so can read the laws for yourself. (It's sometimes extraordinarily difficult to wade through the school sites and code books without having a friendly guide to point the way.)
Deborah in IL