 |
| Wiki image |
Activist Post
What could be more natural than educating our own children? Everyone can agree on that. Where people differ is who has the responsibility to educate our children?
Unfortunately, because of mis-education many believe the State is responsible for educating our children. This is not the same thing as the State being responsible for providing an option for education. Rather many presume that the State has the authority to force their version of education on parents and their children.
If your answer is that parents have the responsibility to provide education, then we can safely assume that we have the right to homeschool our own children, yes? Several industrialized nations where homeschooling is outlawed say no. And although most Americans would say we should have that right, they overwhelmingly demand oversight by the State to ensure this right is not abused.
Now we're back to the question of responsibility. Is it the government's role to to make sure every child is learning the same things even if they aren't in the public system? According to the Constitution, the government's role is to protect our rights and liberties above all else.
But what if parents keep their kids home and don't teach them anything that is taught in schools? I say who cares -- if it's the right and responsibility of the parents? It's not as if the public system has proven to be perfect either. Far from it.
Isn't that child abuse to unschool? Well, it goes both ways. Isn't locking up children all day in a room, child abuse? Isn't forcing them to learn an obsolete curriculum, child abuse? Isn't forcing them to wear RFID tracking devices, abuse? And so on.
As we can see, it's all a matter of perception. Fortunately, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. Yet, since education is regulated by the states, requirements vary dramatically from state to state for homeschoolers. The difference ranges from complete freedom with no requirements to forced curriculum and achievement tests.
- States requiring no notice: No state requirement for parents to initiate any contact
- States with low regulation: State requires parental notification only.
- States with moderate regulation: State requires parents to send notification, test scores, and/or professional evaluation of student progress.
- State with high regulation: State requires parents to send notification or achievement test scores and/or professional evaluation, plus other requirements (e.g. curriculum approval by the state, teacher qualification of parents, or home visits by state officials). (Source: HSLDA).
Here is a map of which states fall into each category:
 |
| HSLDA Image |
States requiring no notice
States with low regulation
States with moderate regulation
State with high regulation- Alaska
- Connecticut
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- Oklahoma
- Texas
Where do you homeschool and what has your experience been?
Read more articles by Eric Blair here
BE THE CHANGE! PLEASE SHARE THIS USING THE TOOLS BELOW
36 comments:
Texas. One child graduated from Texas A & M and works for NOAA. Makes more than me and my husband combined! The other is now in college working to become a teacher--overseas. There is only one shortcoming for homeschooling in Texas: if your kids want to participate in HS sports, they can't. UIL won't allow it. Texas HSLDA tried to reverse this, but couldn't. I suspect that if homeschoolers could participate in, say, football, that might empty the public high schools really quick, and they wouldn't allow that, now would they?
We have homeschooled in SC for 5 yrs, and it has been totally easy. There are several options. We use what's known as "3rd option" homeschooling, where we sign up yearly with an accountability group, pay a nominal fee and attest that we will have 180 days instruction (doesn't have to follow public school schedule) in reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Grades 7-12 also include composition and lit. We are supposed to keep a planbook/portfolio, but that is for our records only. Our group sends us a semi-annual checklist, and an end-of-year list-I check the appropriate boxes, and that's it. We are left alone.
We do not have to take any state tests, and we choose our own materials and methods of teaching. Unschoolers are pretty common here. I would say SC is a low regulation state, very easy to homeschool your own way in. We have no complaints.
The state law regarding 3rd option:
9-65-47 Third Option Law Explanations
In lieu of the requirements of Section 59-65-40 or Section 59-65-45, parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of an association for homeschools which has no fewer than fifty members and meets the requirements of this section. Bona fide membership and continuing compliance with the academic standards of the associations exempts the home school from the further requirements of Section 59-65-40 or Section 59-65-45.
The State Department of Education shall conduct annually a review of the association standards to insure that requirements of the association, at a minimum, include:
(a) a parent must hold at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general educational development (GED) certificate;
(b) the instructional year is at least one hundred eighty days;
(c) the curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the basic instructional areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, and in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature; and
(d) educational records shall be maintained by the parent-teacher and include:
NOTE: 59-65-47 is the only option which mandates parental maintenance of student records.
(1) a plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and activities in which the student and parent-teacher engage.
(2) a portfolio of samples of the student’s academic work; and
(3) a semiannual progress report including attendance records and individualized documentation of the student's academic progress in each of the basic instructional areas specified in item (c) above.
By January thirtieth of each year, all associations shall report the number and grade level of children home schooled through the association to the children's respective school districts.
The commenter from TX (awesome comment, by the way-way to go!) made me remember one more plus here:SC homeschooled students can , as of this past year,participate in PS sports teams.
Montana - piece of cake here too!
Florida is not bad either. You have to notify the school superintendent for your school district and have an evaluation done once a year by a teacher (there are a couple of other options for the evaluation too). Evaluation is only required to show that the child has made some improvement over the year but there is no requirement to follow curriculum. We've been home schooling for 4 years now with no other interference so I think it's pretty reasonable here.
Oklahoma here, and our state goes one step further than the other 9 listed. Homeschooling is GUARANTEED in our state constitution. Our local school district is not involved at all.
Oklahoma here. I think we're the best state to live in when it comes to homeschooling. Not only is homeschooling guaranteed in our state constitution, but the local school districts are not involved at all. We've been homeschooling for four years now, and love it.
WA state here. Homeschooling for 4 years now. We have to notify the school superintendent for your district and we have to have an assessment each year to show progress (either standardized testing or an individual assessment from a qualified person--almost all teachers are included there, so we used a friend for the first 2 years). That's really it. No counting days or hours or specific curriculum (I keep all the work he's done throughout each year to prove we're actually working).
I am in Wisconsin and it is really almost a no-reg state, thankfully. We must fill out a simple form once a year, but it doesn't even contain identifying info about our kids and we needn't indicate "grade level" either. The law says we must provide 875 hours a year of instruction in reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, and health, but it doesn't proscribe anything beyond that general statement and I have never heard of anyone here being harassed to "prove" anything. I have told my husband that I will not move to any state with higher regs than here - and just kill me before I even consider PA, NY, or ND...the worst of the worst.
After reading the other comments, I have to say that any law that requires me to have my child "evaluated" according to the state's standards is too much. I would not stand for that, nor for any requirement where I had to "prove" anything to government bureaucrats. My children are my responsibility, not the state's.
Nevada, all we had to do was write an "official" letter of intent, and sign it. We have to add to that letter, an intended curriculum for that year (simply stating "I intend to teach math, english, geography, etc at grade level, but not necessarily every year" and turn it in. They send us the official notice that they received notice and are no longer responsible for the childrens education. Thats it. There is no testing or annual follow up AND our kids could participate in PS clubs, sports and extra curricular classes (like band or orchestra). The downside is there is no official transcript or diploma...but we have found our way around that anyway. :)
Actually NH changed their homeschooling regulations in August 2012. Parents only have to notify the school district that they are homeschooling. There are no more annual evaluations or any other hoops to jump through anymore.
Many NH homeschoolers make sure to stay politically active and are constantly working to make NH a freer state in as many ways as possible. This year we made great strides and got the regulations/restrictions downsized. The next goal is to get rid of all government interference/influence in education.
What happens if you don't tell the state ? None of there business if you ask me.
I disagree with Missouri being on this list. Yes, there is no notification required, but we have to keep a log documenting 1,000 hours of instruction each year, 600 of those is certain "core" subjects, 400 of those physically in my home. It's horrid! Give me Kansas' notify-and-done laws any day!
Alaska is pretty easy on homeschooling families. We are only required to have them enrolled as if they were in public school and turn in sample work each semester. Other than those things we are free to educate our children our way. We have even established the ability to do team sports through the public schools. It is just all amazing here seeing how many families do homeschool compared to public schooled children.
We are in Ohio. At the beginning of the year we fill out a form stating the person teaching has at least a GED, that the children will have 900 hours of instruction, and they will be taught the standard subjects. We also have to give evidence of their improvement from the previous year and a general curriculum. It's pretty simple, and the longer we homeschool, the more I realize how much freedom we have to teach how we want as long as there is proof that they're learning. It would be nice, though, to have a system like Oklahoma where I don't even have to tell the school system that we are homeschooling! ;)
I think KS is unfairly categorized in this list. It really is a no reg state. You notify the state that you're operating a non-accredited private school and your done. I guess there is a 180 days requirement, but, I know of families who have home-educated in KS for DECADES and NO ONE from the state has ever checked in.
All of this reminds me of how in 1993 Bill and Hilliry Clinton came out and said publicly that, "While we have perfect faith in the Washington,D.C. public school system-we will be sending Chelsea to a private school." What a couple of hypocrites!
This map of "high regulation" states was my first experience with HSLDA & did a great job of helping me learn to not trust the organization. I live in MA and I have to say, it's really not a high regulation state. The only reason MA is red on their little map is because we're required to notify, because our ed plan must be approved by our district, and because we must provide some sort of periodic assessment upon request. Some districts never request it.
MA has no specific laws regarding homeschooling -- any requirements we do have to meet were set forth by case law. (Several homeschooling families had it out against their districts in the courts, and all the rest of us are bound by those same decisions.) There are two cases that we refer to when we need to: Charles and Brunelle.
Even though we have to notify and we have to have our ed plan approved, the burden of proof actually falls to the district. If they don't approve an ed plan, they have to prove that they would do a better job than the parents. Plus, an ed plan is often simply the list of books you anticipate using. Districts have the right to request seeing the materials, but often parents in those districts send in a copy of the tables of contents and that's enough. The more a district requests, the more likely they are to have to prove that their request is for something deemed essential according to case law. Most of the time, they can't meet that burden of proof.
Even though we need to provide some sort of periodic assessment (upon request), we cannot be required to use any specific form of assessment. According to case law, the assessment form is mutually agreed upon. In practice, the parents decide what they're going to use as a form of assessment, state it in their ed plan, and when the district approves the ed plan, they are also agreeing to the parents' chosen form of assessment. If a district tries to require anything other than what the parent wants, the district has a hard time because there is no precedent stating that "standardized tests" or "quarterly progress reports" or "home visits" or "portfolios" are essential. More often than not, if a district tries to push for something not deemed essential by case law, a strongly worded letter (usually written by the parent) quoting the pertinent sections of the applicable case will lead a district to back down.
There *are* bully districts in MA, and our local hsing email lists periodically have active threads helping out hsers in those districts. I personally only know of one district where families had to band together and hire a lawyer to send a threatening letter to the district, and that was over four years ago.
I'd rather homeschool in MA than in some of the orange or yellow states. I know some of them require standardized testing, counting hours, umbrella schools, and a lot more busywork that I think is designed to make homeschooling seem like "more effort than it's worth" to the families. I personally communicate with my district only once a year, when I send them any assessments they've requested and a letter outlining my ed plan for the upcoming year. The rest of the time, I can focus on actually homeschooling.
Alaska is a great State to Homeschool. You have freedom if you want and there are lots of options to get support. The state is use to home school and sees it as a valuable option due to the reality of life here.
I find it difficult to post this because ONE: We've home schooled all four of out children with great results. Two are married and living very well on good single incomes, a third is into six digits but still single while our fourth is doing independent study to finish H.S. early via home study through the University of TX.
That said, a recent friend of ours is a twenty year old welder's helper from LA who cannot read or write. He was dodged around the school system as a "home school kid" who never got off daddy's shrimp boat.
As much as I support a parent's right to educate their children AND a believer that the State oversteps its bounds in most instances, there needs to be some means to assure that children are being educated.
We are helping this young man learn to read and write so that he can support his family with something better than a minimum wage job. It's too bad that the State of Louisiana allowed him to fall through the cracks.
Scotland! And you'll never believe this, but we have total freedom to homeschool our kids without informing *anybody*.... How's that for freedom!
However, I am not confident this situation will last - our parliament (UK parliament) has begun 'looking at the issue' (aka sticking their noses in), so it's a concern that our situation will change in the foreseeable future.
We pray not.
We're in Texas and I have had no official problems. I live in a suburb that has a high homeschooling population so I think I'm lucky in that regard However, I do feel nervous about going out to the grocery store during schooling hours with my kids in tow. I get unmistakable looks of disapproval. I also get nervous when my boys and I go out for runs. We all run for exercises and train for various races. My teenage son runs a lot faster than I do, but if we go in the morning I always warn him that he has to stay where he can a least see me because of truancy laws. Unfortunately, it seems that the attitude in this country is that the police will have a zero tolerance policy and let the courts figure it out. Even though I'm all for taking a stand, I don't have the finances or time for a court battle. It's just irritating that if you do something that goes against the heard (homeschooling) you have to explain yourself to everyone or be ready to do so a moments notice. I do this because it's important to me to homeschool my children but I don't accept that this should be the norm in a free country.
Washington State here: I have been homeschooling for over 10 years and find that it is very easy to Homeschool here. You are required to fill out a very simple "Declaration of Intent to Homeschool" form listing your childrens names and grade level. You are required to do annual testing (your choosing) and keep records, but are not required to show it to anyone. You are free to play any sports or take any classes that are offered through the school. There are other parent/partnership programs that offer money to pay for curriculum, tutoring, lessons, etc. if you are willing to join a state program. But the choice is yours. Check out the "WHO" Washington Homeschool Organization site for more information.
Interestingly, my Nieces and Nephew have and are being home schooled and a college enrollment councilor told my two nieces and sister-in-law that their college preferred home schooled students over those publicly schooled. They’ve home schooled their six kids in Florida and So. Carolina.
Missouri here! Its easy stuff.. Yes you are to keep either a record OR sample of work.. They suggest 600 core and 400 other but that is easy compared to what others have to do.. There is no one checking on you to make sure you got everything done a certain way. You have the ability to school your kids how they work best. Been homeschooling for 9 years and never been asked once for anything. I pulled them from public school and gave them the letter of intent as a courtesy only to remove the kids from their roster. We are blessed to live in a state with so much freedom I think.. We can also join public school for sports and band if we push the issue but I would rather them not and there are plenty of other options for that anyway.
OMG!! I stay in the place most folks call Arkansas and never told anyone anything during the 20+ years we homeschooled FOUR boys! Gosh, I'm glad they didn't show up to enforce something...
I homeschool in Louisiana. I notify the state with a letter that I'm running a private school with 3 students, and that's it! No testing, no checking in. I live in a very rural area.
I was homeschooled from K-12 in California and I would not call it a "low regulation" state. We had to file a school affidavit every year, state who the school "principle" was, how many students were in the school, etc. We also had to keep monthly records and do a certain amount of work/hours for certain subjects. My mom is amazing and she worked in that regulated system well.
But, when we had to move 4 years ago, the first thing we did was study which state was THE best on homeschooling. That's Oklahoma. Oklahoma has homeschooling in their state constitution and there are absolutely NO regulations. It's great and my mom has been able to peacefully graduate 3 more of my siblings and has 7 more in "school" :).
I'm in Idaho and as of a couple years ago when we made a change to our already free homeschool laws, we've probably got the best homeschool laws in the country. No notice required, compulsory attendance is only ages 7-16, homeschooling is specifically recognized as instruction "by, or at the direction of, the parent or guardian," and the Idaho Coalition of Home Educators maintains a great relationship with our legislature to maintain our homeschool freedoms.
And.... in Idaho the home schooled student is welcomed to dual enroll or participate in sports or other extra-curricular activities in any public school within the student's district. We've graduated three homeschoolers and working on finishing the last kid and all of them benefited from Idaho's fabulous laws regarding home education. I do thank God for the freedom.
Anonymous 7:53 AM "It's too bad that the State of Louisiana allowed him to fall through the cracks."
WRONG!!!! It's too bad that this young man's PARENTS allowed him to not be educated properly. The only thing this man can do is try to make up for lost time.
If parents say they want to homeschool then it's their burden to carry, not the state or feds.
my husband and I think we want to homeschool as well.. but what if children were being abused and to hide them from the school system, parents just decided to 'homeschool' them? no one would even notice? which is why I think its good to check up..
We homeschool in Massachusetts, and the requirements of evaluation are easily bypassed by using the traditional method of messing with bureaucrats. I request to have my child tested and evaluated by an outside professional. This will cost the school system money which they need to pay useless administrators, so I haven't been taken up on it yet.
I have long believed that home schooling may be the best way to save the Republic. As Bible believing Christians we re-claimed our children from the New York state indoctrination system in third and fifth grades. That was about 20 years ago. There was no "teacher certification" requirement back then. We are both high school graduates. Both children did fine without the "socialization" that some claim can only happen in the public cesspool.Both graduated with honors from a prestigious Christian college.Neither were involved with drugs, premarital sex or peer pressure, praise God.Both have kept their faith and are married to Christian men. HSLDA helped us to know and stand up for our rights. No one should come to the decision lightly. Pray and place the Lord as the "principal" of your school and you will reap many blessings.
Oregon here and it is pretty easy to homeschool, we just have to notify the state and CAT 6 or other state approved test at end of 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th grade (children have to pass with a 19%, if they don't they require retesting in 6 months or something like that but every homeschool kid should be able to pass). We also get to enroll our kids in PS sports but they have to test every year and score above 23%. No other records are required.
Post a Comment