[Carolina]

Good idea, Tex!

I'm interested to know what the different HS laws are, how y'all deal with them, how restricitive are they?

I'll start with NC. We have to register initially with the state Dept of Non-Public Education. We have to elect to educate either as a religious or non-religious school. At the beginning of each term, the DNPE asks us to return a card stating the ages of children we're homeschooling. Notification ends at the age of 16.

We have to keep attendance logs (required to have 180 days of instruction) and test once a year. We're allowed to test our own children. We use the CAT5 and alternate with Hewitt Research.

We have two options for inspection: by mail (mail in test results and attendance logs) or by personal home inspection. Guess which one we opt for.

NC has about 21,000 registered homeschools, 70% religious and 30% non-religious. There are 33,800 students bet 7 and 16 with 52% boys to 48% girls. The state pretty much leaves us alone except for the local district that keeps wanting us to enroll with the health education program. Pffftt!

We are awaiting the ruling from the NC Supreme Court regarding the little girl who ran out naked chasing after her cat that initiated a DSS visit that the parents resisted. The judges and lower courts have declared that social workers are NOT actors of the state and therefore not subject to the 4th and 14th Amendments. GAH! Idiots.

[TxBec]

Texas is EXTREMELY homeschool-friendly

an excerpt from the Texas Homeschool Coalition site says

....the only requirements for home schooling to be legal are that
(1) the instruction be bona fide (i.e. not a sham)
(2) the curriculum be in visual form (e.g. books, workbooks, video monitor)
and (3) the curriculum include the basic subjects of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and good citizenship.

Parents may obtain curriculum materials from outside sources or develop their own. They may also send their children into the home of another parent for instruction or have a tutor come into the home for all or part of the instruction.

[Maceman]

The judges and lower courts have declared that social workers are NOT actors of the state and therefore not subject to the 4th and 14th Amendments.

Does that mean they can be arrested for trespassing, or shot for forcible entry?

[homeschool mama]

I'm in California and personally have not had difficulties in filing my R4 each year...but various school districts are getting increasingly testy as each year passes. HSLDA had to get involved in the Sacramento area last year so folks could receive their R4 applications.

In California all that's necessary (at this point) is to log attendance.

You have a choice in filing independently, joining a charter, or joining a private ISP as an umbrella.

[Domestic Church]

"I'm interested to know what the different HS laws are, how y'all deal with them, how restricitive are they?"

According to HSLDA we're (PA) tied for worst place with N.Y. but both states are fighting to throw off some ball & chains. PA is really corrupt (NEA keystone) and depending upon the superintendent in a school district one could be granted relative freedom after filing the beginning affidavit and educational objectives or one could be facing trumped up truancy charges (even though papers are properly filed.)

Then standardized testing is required in certain years and in all years a portfolio of work samples from required subjects and a reading log must be evaluated by a state teacher or school shrink and then it all has to be submitted to the superindentent of the school district for them to nitpick, glean ideas from and figure how to further harrass the poor home educator.