djuanafish

Dear List,
I'm all for waiting 'til the kids are ready to learn things 'n all,
but when they are out of the "norm" like my non-reading 9 year old,
what kind of protection is there against the school system? If a
nosy neighbor reports an unschooler to the school board, what can
they do? I'm a little nervous about the wrong person finding out
that Kaitlin doesn't read yet and then I end up with someone from the
local school system looking into the situation. If that hypothetical
person isn't understanding of unschooling, I could possibly end up
with my kids taken away or something.

Realize this is all hypothetical. My family is in no danger, but
it does make me a little nervous at times. Especially this late at
night. For some reason it seems like everything is worse in the
dark. In the day I don't even think about this kind of thing,
usually.

BTW, I live in Illinois, which is one of the easiest states to HS
in. No reports, testing, home visits, or anything. I"m just a
little worried about the wrong person finding out and then trying to
report us as being negligent. I'm basically looking for reassurance
that it will be okay, but I need to be realistic about things too.
Djuana

[email protected]

**I'm a little nervous about the wrong person finding out

that Kaitlin doesn't read yet and then I end up with someone from the

local school system looking into the situation. If that hypothetical

person isn't understanding of unschooling, I could possibly end up

with my kids taken away or something...BTW, I live in Illinois**

First, because you're in Illinois you don't need to worry for a fraction of a
second about "having your kids taken away or something". In Illinois there is
a law that says that DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) is not
empowered to investigate allegations of educational neglect. Period.

As for the folks who COULD investigate - your local school board has no
power. The regional superintendant might check you out if there were a
complaint . The best defense is a good offense. The superintendant doesn't
have the authority to approve your curriculum or test your child or anything
else. If contacted you send a registered letter asserting that the child is
being educated in accordance with the law (there's a sample letter at
http://homepage.bushnell.net/~peanuts/illaws.html "All the Illinois
Homeschool Laws."). You might or might not want to address the reading issue
if it was addressed to you by saying something like "she is participating in
age-appropriate reading instruction."

Does she read not a word? Do you know other 9yos to be around them in casual
situations? She might or might not actually be far below the average for her
age, you know.

Don't put her in situations where "the wrong person" would end up quizzing
her and putting her on the spot, for her sake. She doesn't need the
aggravation. If she's in situations where she'll need help reading, where she
really wants to be there, try to take the iniative and address it before it
comes up. Tell the adults you don't want her put on the spot because it will
hinder her learning to read, figure out how to support her in doing what she
wants to do.

Deborah in IL

kayb85

>
> First, because you're in Illinois you don't need to worry for a
fraction of a
> second about "having your kids taken away or something". In
Illinois there is
> a law that says that DCFS (Department of Children and Family
Services) is not
> empowered to investigate allegations of educational neglect.
Period.
>

Wow! We're working on a new homeschool law in PA and this is an
issue that has come up. Some people think that our restrictive law
actually protects us from social workers charging us
with "educational neglect". Their thinking is that if we have jumped
through all the hoops-- handed in a portfolio to the school district
which they didn't challenge, been evaluated by an evaluator who has
stated that we have made progress, etc.-- then we can just point to
that if accused. Where in Illinios law is this stated? Is this in
the homeschool section or in the department of children and family
services section?
Thanks,
Sheila

kayb85

In my experience, one place where kids who can't read are
often "found out" and met with much gossip and lack of understanding
is in Sunday School. I would think another place would be Scout
groups.

Sheila

> Don't put her in situations where "the wrong person" would end up
quizzing
> her and putting her on the spot, for her sake. She doesn't need the
> aggravation. If she's in situations where she'll need help reading,
where she
> really wants to be there, try to take the iniative and address it
before it
> comes up. Tell the adults you don't want her put on the spot
because it will
> hinder her learning to read, figure out how to support her in doing
what she
> wants to do.
>
> Deborah in IL

Tia Leschke

>In my experience, one place where kids who can't read are
>often "found out" and met with much gossip and lack of understanding
>is in Sunday School. I would think another place would be Scout
>groups.

My son didn't have any problem in scouts, but I talked with the scoutmaster
ahead of time. He said they get lots of boys who don't read well at that
age, even though they go to school.

That's something to remember on the reading issue. My son has a couple of
friends whose reading skills have pretty much mirrored his . . . and they
both have always gone to school.
Tia

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island

[email protected]

**Wow! We're working on a new homeschool law in PA and this is an

issue that has come up. Some people think that our restrictive law

actually protects us from social workers charging us

with "educational neglect". Their thinking is that if we have jumped

through all the hoops-- handed in a portfolio to the school district

which they didn't challenge, been evaluated by an evaluator who has

stated that we have made progress, etc.-- then we can just point to

that if accused. Where in Illinios law is this stated? Is this in

the homeschool section or in the department of children and family

services section? **

1989 Ill. Ann. Stat., chapter 23, 2053
Synopsis: Removed the authority to investigate eductional neglect from the
Department of Children and Family Services. Truancy investigations will be
left to the individual school districts.

Illinois doesn't have a homeschooling law at all. We have fifty year old case
law recognizing home education as private schools.

I can chase it down further for you when I get back in two weeks. :)

Deborah in IL

djuanafish

I talked to her Sunday School teacher the past two times she's gone
into another class and they haven't had a problem yet. We don't do
scouts, so that isn't a problem. She was in Vacation Bible School
last week and there wasn't a problem there, either. It helped that
her teacher is a HSing friend of mine and is supportive of
unschooling. :)

I'm starting to think that lots of kids her age (9 or so) don't
really do a lot of reading outside of what they have to do for
school. It just doesn't seem to come up much when the kids are in a
group. They mostly talk, they don't read. I'm probably worrying for
nothing, as usual! Thanks for the posts. Djuana



- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., "kayb85" <sheran@p...> wrote:
> In my experience, one place where kids who can't read are
> often "found out" and met with much gossip and lack of
understanding
> is in Sunday School. I would think another place would be Scout
> groups.
>
> Sheila
>

djuanafish

Deborah,
Thanks for the reply and the link. I bookmarked it for future
reference. There's a whole lot of information there.

Kaitlin reads a few words by sight and attempts to sound some out
but that's about it. Her pattern with things, though, is to go from
what looks like not knowing about something to immediately doing the
thing perfectly. Thats how she learned to ride a bike and how to tie
her shoes. There's definitely a precedent here! :) I really think
she'll just start reading one of these days and amaze us. Its just
the waiting that bugs me! Everything else she's done, too, has been
on the late side of normal, but that's just because she wants to be
right on the first try.

She actually pulled out our "Teach your child to read..." book a
few days ago and did really well with it on her own. I asked her to
read some to me, though, but she doesn't want people to watch her
(unless she WANTS someone to watch her - LOL!) and she also doesn't
want anyone to make a big deal about it. Its just how she is, and me
being nervous about it is how I am. The best thing for me to do is
to relax. Easier said than done sometimes, though. Someday I'll
look back at it and laugh - at myself for over-reacting. ;)

Thanks for the info and support. Djuana


--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., dacunefare@a... wrote:
> **I'm a little nervous about the wrong person finding out
>
> that Kaitlin doesn't read yet and then I end up with someone from
the
>
> local school system looking into the situation. If that
hypothetical
>
> person isn't understanding of unschooling, I could possibly end up
>
> with my kids taken away or something...BTW, I live in Illinois**
>
> First, because you're in Illinois you don't need to worry for a
fraction of a
> second about "having your kids taken away or something". In
Illinois there is
> a law that says that DCFS (Department of Children and Family
Services) is not
> empowered to investigate allegations of educational neglect.
Period.
> snip <