Local PS elem. Principal called me this morning...

[Ellie]

The principals of each school that my child WOULD be in evaluated the portfolios of all homeschoolers this year. This was the first year it was done b/c we have a new super. I wasn't sure the legality of it, but didn't fuss...until now. Having said principal call me (and she was very nice, btw) was just irksome. I didn't like having to "defend" the book choices of my 3rd grader. She said she checked the reading level of all the books he read and they were not "up to par" with where he should be ending the 3rd grade! :glare: I didn't want to make waves and have my name be "flagged" as being "difficult", but otoh...I'm not liking this. I will have to call my evaluator and look into the law a bit more. If you are in PA, do you know if anyone other than the administrator is allowed to evaluate the portfolios?

Maybe Pauline will check in. :)

 

In reading the law more closely, it says that "If the superintendent determines an appropriate education is not taking place, the parent/supervisor has 20 days to submit documentation." It doesn't say that your child's portfolio can be reviewed by the local school principal.

 

BUT it also says that "At the request of the supervisor, persons with other qualifications may conduct the evaluation with the prior consent of the local superintendent. The evaluation shall be based on an interview and review of the portfolio, and it “shall certify whether or not an appropriate education is occurring.†24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(e)(2)."

 

So I'm guessing that this is what your local super has done: handed it off to the principal.

 

It still warrants a call to HSLDA just to verify what's up.

[justamouse]

:grouphug:

[PeacefulChaos]

:grouphug:

I would be totally annoyed, too. :glare:

[lorisuewho]

from the state website:

 

If the superintendent of the public school district determines, based on the documentation provided, at the end of or during the school year, that appropriate education is not taking place for the child in the home education program, the superintendent shall send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the supervisor of the home education program stating that in his opinion appropriate education is not taking place for the child in the home education program and shall return all documentation, specifying what aspect or aspects of the documentation are inadequate.

 

(j) Upon receipt of the certified letter required by subsection (i), the supervisor of the home education program shall have twenty (20) days to submit additional documentation demonstrating that appropriate education is taking place for the child in the home education program. If documentation is not submitted within that time, the home education program for the child shall be out of compliance with the requirements of this section and section 1327, and the student shall be promptly enrolled in the public school district of residence or a nonpublic school or a licensed private academic school.

 

(k) If the superintendent determines that the additional documentation submitted still does not demonstrate that appropriate education is taking place in the home education program, he shall so notify the supervisor of the home education program by certified mail, return receipt requested, and the board of school directors shall provide for a proper hearing by a duly qualified and impartial hearing examiner within thirty (30) days. The examiner shall render a decision within fifteen (15) days of the hearing except that he may require the establishment of a remedial education plan mutually agreed to by the superintendent and supervisor of the home education program which shall continue the home education program. The decision of the examiner may be appealed by either the supervisor of the home education program or the superintendent to the Secretary of Education or Commonwealth Court.

 

No where does the word "principal" appear.

And clearly any concerns are to be addressed by "certified mail" and not by a phone call.

[Carrie12345]

Maybe Pauline will check in. :)

 

In reading the law more closely, it says that "If the superintendent determines an appropriate education is not taking place, the parent/supervisor has 20 days to submit documentation." It doesn't say that your child's portfolio can be reviewed by the local school principal.

 

BUT it also says that "At the request of the supervisor, persons with other qualifications may conduct the evaluation with the prior consent of the local superintendent. The evaluation shall be based on an interview and review of the portfolio, and it “shall certify whether or not an appropriate education is occurring.†24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(e)(2)."

 

So I'm guessing that this is what your local super has done: handed it off to the principal.

 

It still warrants a call to HSLDA just to verify what's up.

 

That section is for the supervisor's (parent) private evaluation, not for the district review. It's an exception to private evaluator requirements, which happen before the portfolio is handed in, not after.

[lorisuewho]

BUT it also says that "At the request of the supervisor, persons with other qualifications may conduct the evaluation with the prior consent of the local superintendent. The evaluation shall be based on an interview and review of the portfolio, and it “shall certify whether or not an appropriate education is occurring.†24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(e)(2)."

 

So I'm guessing that this is what your local super has done: handed it off to the principal.

 

It still warrants a call to HSLDA just to verify what's up.

 

I think this section is referring to the homeschool parent (the supervisor). The superintendent is not the supervisor. So the parent would have had to give consent.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I know this is a bigger issue than the principal dealing with the portfolio, i just wanted to mention that in our district, the superintendent does not handle homeschooling, its the middle school principal.

[Audrey]

We don't. Sue's district is making up their own rules!

 

I had just read the regs for PA when I posted. I think that having an evaluator is very strict, as is the testing req. I'm know I'm comparing apples to oranges, though. I don't have to do anything but file an intent and two "progress" reports. I have no oversight whatsoever. Previous to here, I lived in OK. While I didn't have kids then, I knew several homeschooling families and IIRC, they didn't have any paperwork or oversight at all.

[Carrie12345]

I had just read the regs for PA when I posted. I think that having an evaluator is very strict, as is the testing req. I'm know I'm comparing apples to oranges, though. I don't have to anything but file an intent and two "progress" reports. I have no oversight whatsoever. Previous to here, I lived in OK. While I didn't have kids then, I knew several homeschooling families and IIRC, they didn't have any paperwork or oversight at all.

 

There certainly are easier states. I have a hard time driving myself back over the border when I visit NJ, lol. But the regs, as written, are more of an annoyance than any type of hardship, and they're so vague that there really ISN'T any oversight at all. The three years (out of 9-10 reporting years) of testing are not required to have certain scores. Grade levels are not required. There's no minimum number of books or specified reading level (as Sue's principal is trying to needle her with.) It's all just paper pushing that takes a couple of hours and (in my case, with 2 students) and a few eye rolls.

[Sahamamama]

This is just crazy, and my complete sympathies for having to deal with people making your life harder/ more aggravated without actually contributing something to your education of your children. :grouphug:

 

How did PA end up with such intrusive laws? Is there any sign of deregulation in the future?

 

 

I asked this question a while back, I'll see if I can find the thread.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=310766

[Rebel Yell]

I'd put the onus back on the district. If they feel there hasn't been an appropriate education, could they please document in writing via certified mail, as is specified in PA law.

 

Oh, isn't that special??! :001_huh: :lol:

 

Please tell me in PA you eventually get to the point where you can laugh at the ridiculous requests and not have your blood pressure rise over them. Because mine does, even when I'm reading about other people's run-ins. :glare:

:iagree:

I can laugh about things after 12 years homeschooling here... but it's more of a sad chuckle rather than a hearty guffaw.

 

In PA, you have to demonstrate "progress in the overall program" ....

 

In some states, I think test scores can be used in that way (minimum threshold must be met in order to continue HSing) My understanding is that in PA, they are just one piece. So if a child's port demonstrates "progress in the overall program," test results alone probably aren't enough to force the child back into school. ....

Progress in the overall program. Thi sis not defined- it does not mean exactly and only one grade level each year- it can be a tiny step of progress, it can be a 3-grade-level leap. Both are acceptable.

 

Standardized test results have absolutely no bearing on whether or not a child can continue to be homeschooled.

The principals of each school that my child WOULD be in evaluated the portfolios of all homeschoolers this year. This was the first year it was done b/c we have a new super. I wasn't sure the legality of it, but didn't fuss...until now. Having said principal call me (and she was very nice, btw) was just irksome. I didn't like having to "defend" the book choices of my 3rd grader. She said she checked the reading level of all the books he read and they were not "up to par" with where he should be ending the 3rd grade! :glare: I didn't want to make waves and have my name be "flagged" as being "difficult", but otoh...I'm not liking this. I will have to call my evaluator and look into the law a bit more. If you are in PA, do you know if anyone other than the administrator is allowed to evaluate the portfolios?

Good Grief! Diamond's Junior year reading log had books ranging from 5th grade (she reads TONS of history/biographies that way) through college/graduate level books. NOTHING in the PA law specifies the reading level of the books. Just that we have to turn in a list of them. :glare:

 

 

Maybe Pauline will check in. :)

 

In reading the law more closely, it says that "If the superintendent determines an appropriate education is not taking place, the parent/supervisor has 20 days to submit documentation." It doesn't say that your child's portfolio can be reviewed by the local school principal.

 

BUT it also says that "At the request of the supervisor, persons with other qualifications may conduct the evaluation with the prior consent of the local superintendent. The evaluation shall be based on an interview and review of the portfolio, and it “shall certify whether or not an appropriate education is occurring.†24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(e)(2)."

 

So I'm guessing that this is what your local super has done: handed it off to the principal.

 

It still warrants a call to HSLDA just to verify what's up.

That part of the law allows people with other credentials/experience besides certified public school teachers/school psychologists to do evaluations, but they have to be approved first on a case-by-case and district-by-district basis. It has nothing to do with the school district reviewing the portfolios after evaluation.

****************

Repeating what has been said: refer the school district person to the actual PA law- and inform him that any communication has to be in writing/certified mail/etc.

 

Also contact PHEA- they may be able to help- not a legal agency, but they have written letters to school districts to clarify and explain the law. http://phea.net/SchoolDistrictViolations.html

http://phea.net/index.html

[Rebel Yell]

There certainly are easier states. I have a hard time driving myself back over the border when I visit NJ, lol. But the regs, as written, are more of an annoyance than any type of hardship, and they're so vague that there really ISN'T any oversight at all. The three years (out of 9-10 reporting years) of testing are not required to have certain scores. Grade levels are not required. There's no minimum number of books or specified reading level (as Sue's principal is trying to needle her with.) It's all just paper pushing that takes a couple of hours and (in my case, with 2 students) and a few eye rolls.

:iagree:

[Scuff]

:grouphug: sorry you have to deal with this.

[Ellie]

That section is for the supervisor's (parent) private evaluation, not for the district review. It's an exception to private evaluator requirements, which happen before the portfolio is handed in, not after.

That's what it looks like to me, too, but I was just thinking that maybe the superintendent is squishing the wording around, KWIM? That's why I said it would be something to check with HSLDA about. :-)

[Lisbeth]

Ugh....

[Violet Crown]

I asked this question a while back, I'll see if I can find the thread.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=310766

 

Thanks for that link. Interesting reading. I'm so grateful for the "TEA Partiers" (no, not that Tea Party, nor TeA Partiers) of a previous generation of Texas homeschoolers.

[twinmami01]

:grouphug: I could feel the knots tying in my stomach just reading your post - especially about the reading "issue". :grouphug:

 

Same here. Geez, I'm so grateful for how relaxed our homeschool laws are here in Fl. :grouphug:

[Sahamamama]

Same here. Geez, I'm so grateful for how relaxed our homeschool laws are here in Fl. :grouphug:

 

:grouphug: And here in NJ, too!