Haiku Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Someone in our neighborhood reported my kids truant! We have lived here for 8 years. Everyone knows we homeschool ... or so I thought. I think someone is just jealous that my kids are outside riding their bikes on a beautiful spring day. The truant officer was polite and left as soon as I showed her our excusal letters. You'd think that, rather than wasting the resources to send someone to our home, they'd at least check to see whether we were registered as homeschoolers ... Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Well I hope they continue riding their bikes and enjoying the weather! Why not pack a picnic and read a few books while you lounge in the great outdoors? I'm all for flaunting a right! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindie2dds Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Well I hope they continue riding their bikes and enjoying the weather! Why not pack a picnic and read a few books while you lounge in the great outdoors? I'm all for flaunting a right! ;) :iagree: Enjoy your day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 The tattlers probably saw the recent GMA show. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Such a shame! I bet the truant officers are busy this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Someone in our neighborhood reported my kids truant! We have lived here for 8 years. Everyone knows we homeschool ... or so I thought. I think someone is just jealous that my kids are outside riding their bikes on a beautiful spring day. Oh, but don't you know that the only way children can learn is to sit at their desks every day from 8 to 3? Silly you.:tongue_smilie: The truant officer was polite and left as soon as I showed her our excusal letters. You'd think that, rather than wasting the resources to send someone to our home, they'd at least check to see whether we were registered as homeschoolers ... More silliness. You're expecting those people to be logical. They didn't do logic when they were sitting at their desks every day from 8 to 3. They were coloring and doing group projects and learning how to...I dunno what they were learning...:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 A little bit of common sense and effort (looking your family up to find excused letters) would have gone a long way. Perhaps the truant officer just wanted out of the office on a lovely spring day ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 I had a visit from the truant officer this June. It went okay, until he told me that I had to go down to the local highschool and get permission to let my child attend a private school (umbrella school) - which is in no way the law here in Ca. we are in one of the worst school districts in So. Ca (but not LA) and have a lot of drop-outs, I figure they are busy trying to get drop outs back. It was clear we were not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 What exactly does a truant officer do? I can't imagine someone calling a truant officer, and not asking the parent/guardian what the kids are doing home if one really has to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johanna Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 ugh!!! that just makes me mad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 You didn't say if the officer said it was specifically a neighbor, but I've heard of cases where a patrol officer or other public employee contacted the truancy office because he/she repeatedly saw the same children out duing the day. And they may or may not have access to county homeschooling records. I definitely have neighbors who think we're odd and don't agree with homeschooling, but they just stay away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyfizzle Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 :iagree: Enjoy your day! :iagree: Sorry you had to deal with that! Have a good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 What are excusal letters, please? I've never heard of that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 I'm curious. Did the officer tell you how you were reported? Do you have the right to ask, or are you not allowed to face your accusers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 What are excusal letters, please? I've never heard of that.... We have to notify the school district of our intent to homeschool. If our form is correctly filled out, we are given a letter that excuses our child/ren from compulsory attendance at school. The truant officer said "someone in the neighborhood" reported us. I live two doors down from a cop (who is considering homeschooling) and across the street from a magistrate (who fully supports homeschooling). It's possible that the crabby neighbor who yelled at me for flying the flag of our daughter's country of birth the weekend we brought her home (which happened to be Memorial Day) did it; he's the neighborhood busybody. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 We read outside on lovely days like this, and I admit I get a little nervous when people drive by very slowly. Honestly, I'd love for someone to come in and ask what we do and have me show our work, but for me it's the same feeling I get when I go by a police officer when I know I'm not speeding. But, for me, we school late (after my chores, paperwork and workout), so I always figure someone would pop by at 10:00 when I'm exercising, and that wouldn't look good. ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 I'm sorry you were visited this morning. I have a few neighbors similar to yours, and I'm just waiting for my visit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 But, for me, we school late (after my chores, paperwork and workout), so I always figure someone would pop by at 10:00 when I'm exercising, and that wouldn't look good. ugh Our laws don't require kids to be in school for any certain amount of time each day or for a certain number of days; I just have to promise to provide 900 hours of instruction. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Well I hope they continue riding their bikes and enjoying the weather! Why not pack a picnic and read a few books while you lounge in the great outdoors? I'm all for flaunting a right! ;) :iagree:I would make it "outdoor week" next week :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 It is absurd that the truant officer came to your home, anyway. Every school knows which children are present and which are absent. Middle and high schools take attendance during every class period. Schools know who the truant students are. Instead of having truant officers checking up on reports via anonymous phone calls, if they really want to find the truant students, they should be getting names, addresses, phone numbers and parents' work numbers of the really truant students and going to their homes or calling those parents. Truant officers should be working with the schools and following up that way instead of roaming the streets looking for school-aged looking kids (not exactly your situation, but it happens here in cities with daytime curfews). They can look for students by name. School should be the ones reporting truant students.That way innocent hsers don't get reported or hassled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Well, hopefully sine they know you homeschool, they'll never come again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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