Pennsylvania is not friendly to homeschooling. They require a portfolio to be submitted to the local school district every year; you have to hire a professional evaluator to interview and examine the homeschooled student; you have to keep a detailed log showing 900 hours; and you have to provide proof of medical exams and dental exams and hearing checks and vaccinations, or bring the child to the school nurse for all these things.
And yes, even the private physician now insists on a private consultation with the child, no parents allowed to hear what is said.
The atmosphere is such that discretion is the better part of valor. You keep your head down, jump the hoops as demanded and pay those HSLDA dues just in case.
What would the doctor do if the child refused? Force them? Do the kids have a say in that?
I've talked to my kids about the private physician interviews and told them what they're about and that if they want me present, they need to tell the doctor that themselves. So far they've declined any private interviews.
You keep your head down, jump the hoops as demanded and pay those HSLDA dues just in case.
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HSLDA irritates me. They nibble around the edges instead of working to completely eliminate all government school interference.
I think HSLDA is dedicated to keeping the system on homeschooling the way it is. It is a question of permanent job protection for them.
Glad we HS'd in CA & OK...
Two great states to do so....
Right next door, here in NJ, we watched what was happening in PA. It appeared some homeschoolers themselves lobbied for those laws. I even know a former PA homeschooler who agreed with the legislation. Is that typical of most homeschoolers there? In my state, homeschoolers vehemently oppose any and all regulations or gov't interference.
At one point, the Democrats tried to pass legislation here, too. They said there were an estimated 4,000 homeschoolers in the state. We all snickered at the number. One day, we hit the phone lines with calls. On another day, 2,000 showed up to protest in the state capitol. They must've realized there were many more of us than expected, and the whole idea of regulation was dropped. Last I read, the estimated number of homeschoolers here is closer to 40,000. The schools already are overwhelmed and over budget as is; they couldn't possibly handle us all. Also, I suspect those legislators realized roughly half of the homeschoolers here are their constituents (Democrat/left-leaning). TBH, the homeschool freedoms here are the only reason to stay; everything else is headed downhill.