Roadrunner Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We are most likely not going to enroll our kids next year in PS and I am a bit unsure how to do this legally. I read that I would need to file in October a private school paper, but what happens in September when my kids fail to show up in school? Isn't the district going to start asking questions? Also, what happens if we decide to pull them in March (distinct possibility given family circumstances). Do I wait till October to do anything or do I file right away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moki4 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Just file in October; I think the deadline is the 15th of the month. Tell the school district that you will not be enrolling your dc for the following term. Up to you whether you want to inform them about the "why". I have never had any phone calls/letters from the district asking the dc's whereabouts. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moki4 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Oh btw, you can only enroll in October. Not sure that was clear. So even if you pulled your dc's tomorrow from public school you wouldn't be able to use the private school affidavit until next October. A long wait....just keep good records! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Just file in October; I think the deadline is the 15th of the month. Tell the school district that you will not be enrolling your dc for the following term. Up to you whether you want to inform them about the "why". I have never had any phone calls/letters from the district asking the dc's whereabouts. Good luck! What if I take them out in March? They send truancy officers home after one week I believe, so what do I show then? My next door neighbor works at school, so I am sure they will start asking lots of questions. and thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moki4 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Read my next post...we were posting at the same time. Let me know if you are still unclear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenneinCA Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 You can file the form anytime after October for that school year. So if you are homeschooling in September, wait until October to file. No one will bother you in September about being official. You are official. If you start homeschooling in October, file then. If you start in November through about mid April, file then. If you start in May, don't worry about it and wait until October to file. We moved from AZ to CA in December and filed when we arrived. Then filed every year following in October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 I think I got it. If I don't enroll them next year, all I have to do is keep good records until Oct. and then file paperwork. If anybody shows up at my door in September I tell them we are waiting to file and show them the work we are doing. I can't pull them out in the middle of the shcool year, right? With my luck, I will be the one parent in jail over this :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 What if I take them out in March? They send truancy officers home after one week I believe, so what do I show then? My next door neighbor works at school, so I am sure they will start asking lots of questions. and thank you! If you take them out in March, you ask the school clerk for the withdrawal form for your children. I believe each school district might have their own version. On the form, you just fill up your children's names and reason for withdrawal. You can just put homeschool for the reason. Ask the school clerk to photocopy the completed form and give you a copy of the form just in case the district misplace it. If you let your children stay until end of school year, than you just need to fill up the intention to return form as "not returning, homeschooling". For my school district they give out the form around April and the choices were whether we are returning, moving out of district, going to private school or others (moving out of state, homeschooling....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I think I got it. If I don't enroll them next year, all I have to do is keep good records until Oct. and then file paperwork. If anybody shows up at my door in September I tell them we are waiting to file and show them the work we are doing. I can't pull them out in the middle of the shcool year, right? With my luck, I will be the one parent in jail over this :001_smile: That's not correct. You can pull them out at any time. Just file the affidavit if it's between October and May. After May, wait untiil the following October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 You would transfer your students to your private school in March. Type up a formal letter on the letterhead of your new private school requesting a transfer of student records. HSC has a sample letter that you can use here. If you decide to enroll in a virtual charter to get the stipend for curricula and classes, most schools stop enrolling new students for the current school year after a certain date. In that case, you would need to do two transfers (PS to private homeschool to charter). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna in North CA Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 perfect job walking through the process Jenne. Thanks! Roadrunner, you will not be in jail. As homeschoolers, we quickly must learn that a.)our children actually do not belong to the state, and b.)we don't owe everyone an answer Don't live in fear! Homeschooling is far from fringe anymore. Truancy policies are much more about doing due-dilligence in order to collect ADA money for enrolled students than putting parents in jail. And, my understanding is that truancy proceedings are for students who are enrolled, but then don't show up to school. Just un-enroll your kids, and do your thing. You don't owe the school an explanation. It is your perogative to un-enroll your children. You don't have to have a reason. You don't have to give a reason. Its really none of the concern of the lady-next-door-who-works-for-the-school. California compulsory education laws say students ages 6-17 must be enrolled in a public school, a private school, or under the tutelage of a credentialed teacher. That's why you file the private school affidavit. Now your child is enrolled in a private school...your own. If you happen to possess a teaching credential, you don't have to do anything in California. But honestly, I've never heard of the state checking up on compulsory ed violations, when as student is not enrolled anywhere for a short period of time. Once you are unenrolled, you school district will likely leave you alone. And for the record, I think compulsory education laws are unconstitutional anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Right, pull them when you want to! I pulled dd in late October 2011, just after the PSA filing period closed. I filed the PSA anyway, and I sent a letter to the school informing them I was withdrawing her and enrolling her in Chrysalis Academy, and please forward her cum file. The secretary didn't want to at first - I guess she thought only a "real school" should get the cum file - but then she checked with the district office and they told her I was correct, so she sent the cum file. You aren't pulling them for nothing - you are pulling them to enroll them in a different school, the private school that is located in your home. Perfectly legal and kosher! People withdraw students from school all the time, for moves, etc. It's not unheard of. Just be firm, polite, and unapologetic. You are fully within your rights. Good luck! How exciting for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Thanks everybody! Yes, I am excited!!! I finally got my husband on board. He has been reading through every book that comes home from school and checking all homework for a month now. No other argument was needed. :) He just wants me to get everything in order (what and how I am going to teach). In all honestly, this is surprisingly scary. I am super happy though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Now, I didn't know that they could be under the tutelage of a credentialed teacher. I have a credential. Why did I go through the trouble of filing the affadavit? Although it only took about 15 minutes to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Actually, I have heard from friends with state teacher's credentials that it is actually way more restrictive to use the "tutoring" option rather than the PSA. Tutors have to track hours (that can only be M-F 8A-4P), days of instruction, etc. It's designed to protect kids in Hollywood, athletes, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna in North CA Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I have a credential. A few years ago, I homeschooled a cousin who needed to leave traditional high school. She spent a semester with me. Her mom un-enrolled her, and gave no reason why. They next school year, she was re-enrolled in a different public high school program. The superintendent didn't bat an eye when we told him she had been tutored by a credentialed teacher the year before. I showed him a record of her learning (it was pretty loose) and some samples of her work, and explained what we had done during the semester. He actually gave her credit for 1/2 a semester of freshman English, American History, and pre-algebra. I was never asked to give any kind of accounting for hours. Here's the actual education code:48224. Children not attending a private, full-time, day school andwho are being instructed in study and recitation for at least threehours a day for 175 days each calendar year by a private tutor orotherperson in the several branches of study required to be taughtin the public schools of this state and in the English language shall be exempted. The tutor or other person shall hold a valid statecredential for the grade taught. The instruction shall be offeredbetween the hours of 8 o'clock a.m. and 4 o'clock p.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 I think the sticking part is that the credential has to be for the grades/subjects taught, so it is easier to just file the affidavit. My bonus student was pulled out in Spring, right after the Spring Break. We were worried about a problem from the school, since he was a special ed student. I had his mom call The Ca. Homeschool network, they have a hotline- and a really nice person walked her though all the options and what to do. You do need to withdraw your students, not just have them not return- that might result in a truant visit. Also, homeschooling does not have a legal definition in Ca, so do not put down that you are withdrawing them to homeschool, let them know they are enrolling in a private school. If you go to the Ca homeschool network page, they have a phone number at the bottom you can call and they also have a FAQ page that is really helpful, as well as a link to the online affidavit. http://www.californiahomeschool.net/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Oh btw, you can only enroll in October. Not sure that was clear. So even if you pulled your dc's tomorrow from public school you wouldn't be able to use the private school affidavit until next October. A long wait....just keep good records! What kind of records do you think she should keep? The law doesn't allow any Official Authority Types to see anything except for the affidavit. I filed my first affidavit during Easter vacation of my dd's first grade year (yes, the County Office of Education is open then, lol) in 1982. I filed again in October of that same year. There's no definitive answer on whether you should file midyear or not. However, since the law says that children are exempt from public school attendance if they are enrolled in a private school which has filed an affidavit, seems to me that you'd need to file one any time of the year that you withdraw your children from school, KWIM? ETA: As far as what the school will think if your dc don't show up, they won't think anything, because you'll have officially withdrawn them from the school, see? It's really important to notify the school that you are withdrawing your children and enrolling them in a private school. Many people recommend doing it by mail, with a registered, return-receipt letter, so you have proof that it was received (and also so you don't have to get into a deep discussion with the school people, or let them coerce you into filling out paperwork that is not required by law). I also think it's good to request the children's cum files. They belong to the parents, and the parents have at least the right to photocopies of the records, although I think they should get the originals, but that's just me. :-) If the children ever go back to school, those records would go with them to the new school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 Thanks Ellie. That's very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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