More Ohio Notification Questions

[beaners]

Ok, I am going to start out by saying that I am FIRMLY on the "no more than legally required" bandwagon, and have been since even before I had kids. ;) I KNOW why it isn't a good idea to provide more than the law requires, so telling me not to do that because it will hurt other homeschooling families is going to unnecessarily raise my hackles, even if that's an irrational reaction on my part. I already know that and agree with it! :)

 

Someone behind the desk at our local elementary office gave me the wrong info for where to turn in my paperwork.  I called the correct office, and the person who answered the phone said I needed to turn in their application.  Ok, I know they're wrong and that the law doesn't say I have to use their form, and I'm notifying not applying, and there are some things on there that aren't required.  

 

Here's their form.

 

http://www.southernohioesc.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/4a524a8485a1d/2013-14%20Home%20Instruction%20fillable%20Application%2005-10.doc

 

Here's the law.

 

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/3301-34

 

 

So, do I take my own paperwork in and feign ignorance of their application that the person behind the desk insisted I MUST fill out to submit? The person I spoke with on the phone insisted twice that I would need to fill out their application, even after I said twice that the law doesn't require that and that I already have paperwork with everything required. She said, "The application is what you need to do to hand in your paperwork." Do I bring in my own paperwork and a copy of the law, tell them that I have what is required, and that I will supply no more than that?

 

I'm mostly annoyed that the person on the phone told me twice that even though the law didn't require me to use their form, I still needed to.  :001_rolleyes:

 

[mom2scouts]

Use your own paperwork with everything required by law and send it by certified mail to the superintendent's office. You will have fulfilled your legal requirements. If they call you or send a letter about it, you can just keep repeating that you are in compliance with the law. They cannot deny you if you are fulfilling the law and I can't imagine, with school starting soon, that they really want to spend too much time battling you. Most of the homeschoolers I know, including one who can see the superintendent's office from her front door, send the notification by certified mail to avoid the office workers who don't know the law.

 

ETA: I couldn't get the link to open before I posted my response. Now that I've seen it, I have to laugh about the note on it that says, "Not required by law. Helps facilitate the home education process." They *know* they are asking for more than required, but they've been getting away with it. Most of it is stuff required by law, so your other option is to fill it out leaving blank the spaces or requirements that go beyond the law.

[hillfarm]

The person who told you that may be a well meaning, if overzealous, assistant who has misinterpreted directives from her boss. I would consult an organizational chart to determine who is her boss and contact that office.

 

What do you see that are the main differences between the 2 forms?

 

When I send in my notification, I usually do a boilerplate kind of statement saying something like, "List of intended curriculum, including but not limited to the following:   blah, blah, blah..."

 

I like using the CHEO notification form, since it includes the information in the same format as the law, in the same order with the same wording. Even if you don't use that form, you could include a copy of the law and highlight any points of discrepancy. Perhaps that would take care of the problem, without you having to say a word. Especially if you sent it to Mrs. X's supervisor.

[beaners]

Oh, duh, mailing it! I knew I could do that, but it completely slipped my mind! That sounds like the least stressful way to do this.

 

One of the things the form they provide includes is a grade for the child, which I'd like to avoid. While someone else might scribble it on there once they receive it, I want to hold off on committing to that at this point, and I want it to be obvious that someone else added it if there is a grade listed. I doubt anyone else will even look at it again, but just in case.

 

Plus I already have a perfectly good form filled out, so it seems silly to rewrite all the pertinent information for their "super special application."

[saraha]

I need to get you those forms that like everyone in this county uses without problem every year. You don't have to have anything in until the day before school starts. When does it start there?

[beaners]

Our district starts next week.  You'll have to show me what you have.  It might be the same one I'm using.  Maybe Friday?

[radiobrain]

as a rule of thumb, never use the forms they ask you to. They always want more info than the regs. Not because they are malicious, but because that is the info they like to have. It's ridiculous. 

[6packofun]

I have used the CHEO form for the 18 years that I've been doing this, in 4-5 different school districts.  I've had districts send me their own once or twice, but I still send mind the way I always do without issue.  :)  Honestly, the form you linked has pretty much the same info without requiring *more* that I can see, it's just a different format, so it would be up to you to choose how you want to go about it. 

[hillfarm]

Would it be possible for you to print out their form, white out the question regarding grade determination or any others outside the letter of the law, and then recopy it and fill it out? I doubt they would even look closely at the form, especially if it closely resembled what they have everyone else fill out. Or perhaps you could just type in "Not required by Ohio law" after the grade question.

 

I always hand carried my forms in shortly before the start of school. They were always very busy and I typed up my own "Receipt of Notification to Homeschool" form and had the person who received the form sign to document that they had received it. If money is no object, you can always request the signed receipt through the mail.

[Renthead Mommy]

We are in Beavercreek, about 45 from Hillsboro.  I got the same form  (the formatting is just a little differnt, but that could have been in the download/pdf process)  They also included an academic asessment report sheet.  Of course it came in July and my assessment was done in May, so that is useless anyway.

 

 I have no intention of using their form.  At quick glance I can't tell you what on it is more than the law asks for, however I won't use it because I don't want them thinking I think just because they send me a form that I will fill it out.  Or that I HAVE to fill it out.  I go to the law, write out what I need and take it in.  Last year was my first year here, and walked in with my own "recived by" form, and they surprised me by having them sitting right there.  I mainly take it in because the boe is actually closer to my house than the post office and I drive by it several times a week.

[saraha]

http://www.cheohome.org/wp-content/uploads/cheo_images/pdf/notificationform.pdf

 

I don't know how to add this as a clickable link, but maybe you can copy and paste into your browser. This is the exact form that I use, plus a list of books/classes listed on a separate piece of paper. For example Math- Modern curriculum press math C

Ohio History- various texts from library, trip to serpent mound

Physical education- dance class, Games from around the World by Some Writer

I put a text or materials for each category that is listed in number 5 as per number 7. This list doesn't have to be exhaustive because they don't have to approve what you are using, just see it. When you are done, it is like 3 pieces of paper all together. I hate to admit this, but one year, I just sat down with the Rainbow resource catalog and just listed something for each category because I hadn't gathered all of my materials yet.

[Runningmom80]

I just sent mine in today. I used the form on the Ohio dept. of education's website, and mailed it certified. I think it was $6.

[beaners]

That looks pretty similar to the one I have sitting here. I think mine was from OHEN.  I'm still torn on dropping it off or mailing it since we will be driving by the office tomorrow.  I'll probably mail it with delivery confirmation from the post office five minutes away, haha.

 

[Runningmom80]

Yeah I think our BOE is closer to my house than the post office. LOL! I wanted the documentation that I mailed it, I'm a tad nervous since this is my first year notifying.