LittleIzumi Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 We have been contemplating future home sites, and I mentioned checking homeschool laws to dh. PA is a state we'd love to live in, but I told dh about the various rules and regulations and portfolios and approvals, etc, in PA. He looked at me like I'd grown a second head and asked why we should tell them we're homeschooling in the first place. Just do it, don't tell people. I mentioned truancy laws vaguely, but I don't actually know if there is a legal repercussion for not reporting that you're homeschooling (although I assume if we were hassled we'd have to start reporting). What's the legal motivation to jump through all the hoops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I know up here when my mom first started homeschooling, she was doing it under the radar. She was threatened with CPS and had to send us back to school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Well, my DD was in K several years back with a child who turned 7 very early in the school year. She had been homeschooled, but the parents hadn't bothered to register her with either the PS district or a cover program. Then they separated. The result was that this little girl, who really should have been in 2nd grade by age and was on if not above grade level was placed in K. It ended up being good for my DD-it meant that she had another child in class who could already read, add, subtract, and so on, but that's got to have been a hard situation for that 7 yr old! I believe she was skipped to 2nd grade the following year, so at least she only ended up one year behind vs two-but since K is mandatory in TN, apparently the school had no choice but to place her in K. I've wondered since what they'd do if an "under the radar" homeschooler ended up registering, say, their teenager for the first time. Surely they wouldn't make a 14 yr old sit in a K classroom for a year, right?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I know maybe half a dozen families who have never registered, and two who homeschooled that way for over a decade who have homeschooled graduates who went to college. In our area they're called "unregistered" homeschoolers. In my area, the police officers who handle truancy cases have plenty of other duties, so they only do that if a student is absent from school without excuse. In other words, they don't have time to be looking for unregistered homeschoolers. I know this because of a discussion I had with a homeschool dad who is a police officer who does a lot of work with teens. However, the local community college does want verification that you are a registered homeschooler for dual enrollment. Someone in the administration there told me that they thought that was a state requirement, but they weren't sure where it came from. I heard of a case last fall where a family ran into that and decided to go ahead and register with the county so that the oldest could do dual enrollment. My state is pretty low-key though compared to PA and the county is not at all picky, so I think that was a factor in their decision to finally register. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 (edited) Homeschooling in PA is really not as difficult as it sounds. Really! It has some weird, vague, useless, and annoying laws/procedures, but it really isn't a big deal. I will caution you to not get your information from anyone selling a guide to the law. Many people homeschool successfully with that particular group, but many people also experience unnecessary stress and expense by doing so. Here are some links: http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Pennsylvania.pdf http://phea.net/ http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/index.html (Pauline posts here) affidavit- forms are readily available online- see PHEA link. ABout $5 if you can't find a free notary- like a local legislator. I file an exemption/objection (?) to the medical records thing. objectives- can be very broad/vague. I have turned in the same set of objectives for 6 years now for the same child. It is NOT a detailed lesson plan. Standardized testing: $25 CAT test in grades 3, 5, & 8. Quick, easy, low-stress waste of $25. Does not have to be done in a group setting. The parent cannot administer the test. My 12yo administered the test to my 3rd grader this past year. Evaluation: these can be anything from an hour+ $50.00 & up deep look into your school, to a 5minute free portfolio review at a park with a large group of friends. Portfolio: Mine are each about a dozen double-sided copies on ink-saver setting, stapled together. It does not have to be a 4-volume painstakingly scrapbooked detailed documentation of everything. Log; this is debated in some districts- but mine is just a list of books read- title only. I do not turn in a detailed schedule of daily/hourly lessons/activities, and I also don't turn in an attendance record. I have no first-hand experience with going under the radar. I do know it is done. I just think that the PA law, while kinda useless, isn't that tough, so I just comply for my own peace of mind. Don't let it stop you from moving to PA- we have Hershey's! :D The only thing that is a pain for me is the reading log. I can't keep track of what my kids read! Diamond has read entire books in the waiting room at the doctor's! I can't keep up with that! :glare: ETA: the parent determines the child's grade level. NOTHING in PA law specifies any sort of age/grade correlation. You can skip grades, repeat grades, have an "ungraded" homeschool, and even be in two or more grades at once. So while PA law has its downsides, it has some unusual freedoms, too. Edited July 25, 2012 by Rebel Yell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I would never risk it. If you live in a regulated area follow the regulations. IF some nosy parker calls CPS and you have been under the radar they can claim truant and you could end up with the kids in ps and truancy charges being brought against you. Regulations are a PITA but I would rather follow them and CYA than go under the radar with no law to save you kwim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Well, according to the regulations, you can be denied the right to homeschool for 12 months if your hs program is considered out of compliance (after a hearing), so I guess it would fall under that. Seriously, PA is NOT that hard! Move to my district. My biggest complaint is the phrasing they use in their correspondence. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 (edited) The law of any state should outline any consequences of noncompliance. But say someone does decide to homeschool under the radar, thus breaking their state homeschool law (assuming some level of reporting is required). Even if they never get caught... does anyone want to live that way? And aside from the possibility of getting caught - how does a parent like that teach their kids to obey the law? Only the laws they agree with and find easy to comply with? I have a hard time grasping that. (Not that I have never broken a speed limit law. So I know most people occasionally break laws. But is there a difference?) I'm not directing this necessarily to the OP as a potential criminal. It's just something I've wondered about off and on for years, not just about homeschooling but other things as well. (Crossing state lines to buy fireworks illegal in one's state, then bringing them home to set them off, for one.) Edited July 25, 2012 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Oh, it is annoying sometimes, but a part of me is usually spoiling for a good reason to unleash my 'weapons-grade sarcasm'. Unfortunately for me, my district makes little comments now and then (like the 'application to homeschool' thing this year, last year they tried to tell us that we had to use their affidavit forms :glare:) but doesn't actually try to enforce any of that nonsense. Usually when a district causes problems they are really just not aware of what the law actually says. It really isn't that bad. Send in some paperwork at the beginning of the year and again at the end. At least if you are doing things legally you can prove that you are following the law, but if you just try to avoid the law you could end up in real trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Well, according to the regulations, you can be denied the right to homeschool for 12 months if your hs program is considered out of compliance (after a hearing), so I guess it would fall under that. Seriously, PA is NOT that hard! Move to my district. My biggest complaint is the phrasing they use in their correspondence. ;) :iagree:I knew lots of homeschoolers in PA and it was no sweat. I would not even worry what district. The askpauline site is the best resource IMHO and she lists evaluators as well. I talked to some evaluators who were even willing to do distance evaluations if needed since I am driving challenged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I just asked my friend about her experience homeschooling in PA because we had heard it was difficult. She said it was no big deal! It's all just hoops. Don't risk your kiddos by doing it under the radar though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 Thanks everyone!! I'm normally the hyper-vigilant make-sure-every-little-thing-is-totally-legal, and dh is... not. (Like he speeds and I stopped speeding at all last year. Nothing major, just... the "who CARES?!" sort of laws, lol.) If it can be an issue with CPS, that should be enough to win him over. If we move there, I'll be studying up on the laws a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Homeschooling in PA is really not as difficult as it sounds. Really! It has some weird, vague, useless, and annoying laws/procedures, but it really isn't a big deal. :iagree: It amazes me how some people wouldn't want to - or don't - move here due to the laws. They are super simple. I haven't seen anyone IRL have problems. I hear of some problems on here, but that's it. Our district is super homeschool friendly. I also know other teachers who homeschool their own kids, so our evaluations are free. When it comes time for college, some colleges give you a bit of leeway if you come from a regulated state and most of what you need for applications are right at your fingertips, so there are bonuses. ;) I'm glad we chose PA for our "home" state when we were figuring out where to raise our family. Oh, and our district does follow up on new students who move in - making sure they make it to school. We're semi-rural, so it's not that difficult to do. Those whose parents don't enroll them (somewhere) end up in truancy court - same deal if they enroll, but then don't show up. (Plenty of migrants sometimes.) Why take your chances when it's not really as difficult as some make it out to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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