CN>I am interested in what others have to face when it comes to
CN>homeschooling in their state. I have been told that PA has one of the
CN>best laws protecting our rights. What do others face?
In Indiana, all we have to do is take attendance.  That's sort of dumb,
but hey, if that's all they want to know, and that's all the info they
want, I can oblige.  We are to give our kids an education EQUAL to the
public schools, since that hasn't (to my knowledge) been defined, I feel
pretty lucky to live in Indiana. We have no teacher oversight.  I am
registered as a private school, and not as a homeschool.  No standarized
testing, we have a political climate of 8 ( one is lousey, ten is the
best possible).I do not have to keep records, but do anyways.
Some local school supers. want the districts hoomeschoolers to give them
a list of subjects being taught, some portfolio work, test grades and
such.  We do not have to do this, some homeschools oblige, others do
not.  I would not.  Some do it to, hopefully, keep down persecution.  I
don't like the idea of giving this info, unless one has to.
The book I have says PENN has a rating of 7+ and improving. Standardized
testing, teacher oversight, you have to register, Records: standardize
testing for grades 3, 5, and 8.  Logs and portfolio of student work and
written evaluation must be turned into local super. Hearings available
if the district thinks the education is not adequate.
I THINK Oklahoma is prolly the best state, it's the only one that has
HOMESCHOOLERS a legal right to exist without any hassels.  I could be
wrong. Alaska might be ok, many kids have to be homeschooled, but use
the state's requirements of books and testing.
I think it's Mary Pride that tells how a parent that can't homeschool
fulltime can homeschool part time, and do it legally in, hopefully ALL
states.  Something along the lines of if a child can miss 10 days for
un-excused absences per 6 weeks, then the child maybe could miss 20
halfdays, giving the parents time to teach the kids in the afternoons at
home. . .or in the mornings.  In six weeks, that's 30 days of full days,
but like I said you could miss 20 half-days, thus only 10 full days of
schooling. Something for the parents to look into. I'll see if I can
find that book. (check how many days the child canmiss, or how many half
days, or both total each 6-9 weeks or each semester).
AH, here it is, from Mary Pride's (would reccomend it to everyone to
buy, for lists of places to look for material and help and other helpful
ideas)  BIG BOOK OF HOME LEARNING, vol 1 GETTING STARTED, pg 151:
         Some parents have found it possible to make creative use of
         their school districts'truancy laws to partially homeschool
         their children.  If a child is not considered "absent" if he
         leaves at 1:30, then a parent could conceivably remove him at
         that time everyday without infringing on the school's
         attendance policy.  If departure after after 10:30 is
         considered only 1/2 of an absence, and parents are allowed up
         to 25 parent caused absences a year, that can add up to an
         awful lot of days mostly spent at home.  And thenthere are long
         family trips (which are not illegal).  Some families (not many)
         live a nomad life precisely to be able to homeschool without
         hassels.
I know kids that do not exist in any states records.  They were born at
home, no Social Security records, parents do not claim them on tax
records and such.  I'm not sure I'd want my child to be non-existant.
That's a bit scarey.
One law that *MAY* help homeschooler's, and it was federal, is the Amish
rights to have seperate schools. I'm no lawyer, and can't claim any
knowledge of any such, but in reading the rights given to them, I can't
see how this can't also apply to everyone, especially in the states
where we can register as a legit school, and have no oversights.  People
have for years taken bits and pieces of laws and used them in their
arguments to prove a right.  From what I understand the one that can
come up with the better argument on how a law is interpreted usually
wins.  Sounds unfair, the one that can argue better wins, and not the
one that actually tries to follow a certain law the way the majority of
the people read that law, basically using common sense.
Some schools will let homeschoolers take a few classes, or be partially
enrolled, participate in sports, band or other activities. Our local
school is that way.
If you or anyone replies to any of my messages, and I don't reply
quickly, don't worry!  I am calling here long distance, so have to limit
how many times I do call and when.  Will try on every weekend, and if
not then, at least bi-monthly.  Have a Happy!
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 * OLX 2.1 TD * Some women get excited about nothing...then marry him.
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