[email protected]

I sent in my enrollment form to "teach" my 11 year old. I was told it
was not complete. They want more specifics - table of contents, etc. -
for basic communication skills. They also sent a letter saying that I
had to have my son in public school until this is completed. He is very
upset and so am I about this. I guess it sounds simple to people who
have been unschooling for years. I don't understand why I have to be so
specific if I am unschooling. I feel like they are asking too much. I
told them I wasn't sure yet what curriculum I would be following so they
said they would send me a sample. I feel like I am lying to them because
they are making me say things I don't want to say in order to be allowed
to unschool my son. It doesn't feel good. I can only imagine what I will
go through for my 14 year old with dyslexia in order to unschool him. I
feel so anxious about the whole thing now. Michele



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

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/27/02 3:54:28 PM Central Daylight Time,
michele-nappi@... writes:


> I sent in my enrollment form to "teach" my 11 year old. I was told it
> was not complete. They want more specifics - table of contents, etc. -
> for basic communication skills. They also sent a letter saying that I
> had to have my son in public school until this is completed. He is very
> upset and so am I about this.

Michelle, the first advice I would offer is for you to get a copy of your
state law. What state do you live in? What does the actual law say you have
to provide? NHEN has a great link for each states homeschooling laws. <A HREF="http://www.nhen.org/LegInfo/default.asp?id=241">
National Home Education Network - NHEN: Legislative Information Main Page</A>
Also A to Z Home's Cool has links to state and Canadian laws here. <A HREF="http://www.gomilpitas.com/homeschooling/directory/Legalities.htm">
Homeschooling Laws & Legalities - A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling</A> And
international laws here. <A HREF="http://aolsearch.aol.com/redir.adp?appname=MS&query=homeschooling%20state%20laws&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2egomilpitas%2ecom%2fhomeschooling%2fregional%2fRegion%2ehtm&datasource=Google&partner=Google&clickedItemRank=7&requestId=cns1672&component=websearch.google.http.tcl&searchType=MS">Regional and World Wide Homeschooling - A to Z
Home's Cool Homeschooling</A> I have found that (sometimes) people new to
homeschooling, in their efforts to follow the letter of the law to the exact
point, tend to over state what they are doing to the local officials. While
this isn't necessarily bad, it does open doors for inquiry that aren't part
of the law. Here in Kansas, I fill out a (one time) statement of intent.
(there is no official homeschooling in Kansas, we register as nonaccredited
private schools) They ask for the *name* of the school. I could have put
*unschoolers* and risked needless questions. Instead, I put Meadowlark
School. Simple, easy and no one bothers me. <g> If you need help interpreting
your specific law, ask! There are many here who can direct you to local
support groups. And there are others, like me who enjoy reading and
interpreting law. My point is too much information can be just that, too
much!
~Nancy

PS. I strongly feel that a period of cooling off from school would greatly
help both your boys. Give them time to relax, let them play and just be for
some time. Your kids won't *fall behind* as it is just them. There is no one
to fall behind from. KWIM?


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

Karin

What state are you in Michele? It sounds to me like "they" are trying to
intimidate you by complying with some set of standards that may or may not
exist. I would try and contact other homeschoolers, or even better
UNschoolers in your area and see how they fill in the enrollment form you
mentioned. If you don't know of any other home/unschoolers, a place to start
would be the unschooling.com message boards, and click on "Across the
Continent" for your specific state. Here is a link to that site:

http://www.unschooling.com/discus/messages/board-topics.html


I would not mention to any authority or school officials that you are
unschooling. The less they know about the specifics of your day, the better.
I would be outraged if any school official told me my child had to stay in
school *until* a stupid form was filled out. That is blatant intimidation
and scare tactics. I'm sorry you have to go through this to unschool your
child but you must stand up for your rights. Try to find some support in
your area. Sorry that I can't offer more specific suggestions.
Good luck.

Karin




michele-nappi@... wrote:

> I sent in my enrollment form to "teach" my 11 year old. I was told it
> was not complete. They want more specifics - table of contents, etc. -
> for basic communication skills. They also sent a letter saying that I
> had to have my son in public school until this is completed. He is very
> upset and so am I about this. I guess it sounds simple to people who
> have been unschooling for years. I don't understand why I have to be so
> specific if I am unschooling. I feel like they are asking too much. I
> told them I wasn't sure yet what curriculum I would be following so they
> said they would send me a sample. I feel like I am lying to them because
> they are making me say things I don't want to say in order to be allowed
> to unschool my son. It doesn't feel good. I can only imagine what I will
> go through for my 14 year old with dyslexia in order to unschool him. I
> feel so anxious about the whole thing now. Michele
>

Betsy

**
What state are you in Michele? It sounds to me like "they" are trying to
intimidate you by complying with some set of standards that may or may not
exist. I would try and contact other homeschoolers, or even better
UNschoolers in your area and see how they fill in the enrollment form you
mentioned. If you don't know of any other home/unschoolers, a place to start
would be the unschooling.com message boards, and click on "Across the
Continent" for your specific state. Here is a link to that site:

http://www.unschooling.com/discus/messages/board-topics.html**

The unschooling.com message boards also have a whole section about
complying with state requirements. That's also a good place to read and post.

Betsy