[email protected]

Our family is considering a move. We are currently looking at NY,
PA, or VA. I have read the laws but would love to hear from some
unschoolers in those states about how they actually function with the
laws. I am not asking about the day to day living stuff, more how
you comply with these laws. Are there many who just go underground?
I realize these states are varied from one side to another, and it
probably depends on the district. I'm just looking for as much
information as I can about the actualities of the law enforcement.
How hard is it to make unschooling fit the descriptions and
requirements to be "legal"?

Thanks in advance for any help and information.

Sharon currently in NC

Bonnie Painter

Just a question as to why you are not considering NJ. We have great laws
here. All I had to do was write a letter to my school district with my
intention to homeschool. They told me that I had to provide them with a
curriculum or use theirs. So I picked up a copy of theirs (which is nice to
have for reference anyway and is free) and that's it. The burden of proof
is now on the state to prove that I am not educating my children, if they
wanted to give me trouble that is. But usually, if you let the district
know that you are homeschooling, they leave you alone.

Just a thought!

Bonnie


>From: Scnc1@...
>Reply-To: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Help please
>Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 20:27:24 -0000
>
>Our family is considering a move. We are currently looking at NY,
>PA, or VA. I have read the laws but would love to hear from some
>unschoolers in those states about how they actually function with the
>laws. I am not asking about the day to day living stuff, more how
>you comply with these laws. Are there many who just go underground?
>I realize these states are varied from one side to another, and it
>probably depends on the district. I'm just looking for as much
>information as I can about the actualities of the law enforcement.
>How hard is it to make unschooling fit the descriptions and
>requirements to be "legal"?
>
>Thanks in advance for any help and information.
>
>Sharon currently in NC
>

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[email protected]

In a message dated 1/4/01 7:14:04 PM Pacific SA Daylight Time,
bonniepainter@... writes:

<< Just a question as to why you are not considering NJ. We have great laws
here. >>


NJ hasn't been ruled out completely! The reason I didn't ask about it was
because the laws there don't sound difficult to follow. Thanks for the
reminder.

Sharon currently in NC

Have A Nice Day!

wow, funny you should ask that!
 
I live in PA.  PA and NY have the most difficult hs laws of the three.  Here is what I do as an unschooler complying with the law:
 
By Aug. 1st I must turn in objectives ( a tentative idea of what I plan to teach) for each child.  The school cannot hold me to these objectives and if they change I don't have to notify anyone.
 
I keep these objectives very vague and broad..open ended.
 
By Aug. 1st I have to turn in an notarized affidavit, attesting that I do have a high school diploma, that I have not been conviced of abusing children, and some other information that is common.  I do not turn in my diploma or copy of it.  Districts have come to expect this but the state dept of ed has said it is not necessary bec. the affidavit attests to that.  I also do not turn in my record of immunizations or other medical records, but simply state in the affidavit that a medical file is being maintained.
 
How to make our law conducive to unschooling:
 
Throughout the year I take pictures of what they do, keep pamphlets, and keep some of their projects, etc.  They go in their "portfolio".
 
I also keep a "log" (a list of reading materials "used contemporaneously with instruction)
 
And I keep a record of daily activities.  I watch what they do, write a short narrative, and label it with all of the subjects that it covers.
 
At the end of the year, I go to an evaluator with all of the above in hand, she looks through it, talks to the kids, and writes a letter or uses a checklist to say that my kids have made "sustained progress" in the overall program.
 
I take out a few samples, make copies and send them to the district by certified mail so I have a receipt.
 
 
A few things:
 
1.  You do not have to cover every subject listed in the law every year.  You need only cover every subject listed in the "level"  There are 2 levels:  elementary and secondary.  Each has its own list of required subjects.  Elementary is grades 1-6.  Secondary is 7-12.  You have the entire time span of the level to cover all the listed subjects.  That means if you only want to do English and Math this year, and nothing else, you can.  Some districts dont' think you can, but you can.
 
2.  The law does not say anywhere that we have to turn in a record of daily activiites, but most districts expect it because of the statement in the law that says we must teach for 180 days.  I turn one in, you do what you think is right, but just know that the district will probably ask for it and there is no court precedent to support us if we dont' turn it in.
 
3.  There is a large group of us trying to change the law right now.  We are working together to make the law less restrictiive, we have done a state wide poll which has resulted in an overwhelming support of changing the law. There are 4 legislators who are involved, who also homeschool.  We think we have a good chance of at least getting a less restricitve law, if not just a "notice of intent" law.
 
The hardest part of homeshcooling in PA is educating the school districts about what the law actually says and requires.  Many times districts think there is more required than there is.  The other difficult part about living here is that there are so many homeshcoolers here who misktakenly think that our law prevents "educational neglect".  We are a community divided right now.  Howard Richman is responsible for the notion that we need to police parents with laws requiring all this documentation.  If you move here, I do not recommend using his materials to get started because they reflect his political view, not what the law actually requires.  Instead, you can join our Email Conference, and visit www.phen.org.
 
THere are some underground, but I dont' know who they are.
 
Kristen
-----Original Message-----
From: Scnc1@... <Scnc1@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, January 04, 2001 12:27 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Help please

Our family is considering a move.  We are currently looking at NY,
PA, or VA.  I have read the laws but would love to hear from some
unschoolers in those states about how they actually function with the
laws.  I am not asking about the day to day living stuff, more how
you comply with these laws.  Are there many who just go underground? 
I realize these states are varied from one side to another, and it
probably depends on the district.  I'm just looking for as much
information as I can about the actualities of the law enforcement. 
How hard is it to make unschooling fit the descriptions and
requirements to be "legal"?

Thanks in advance for any help and information.

Sharon currently in NC



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