Let's discuss this letter from the BOE :)

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I did not receive this letter- but it was sent out to new homeschoolers in my county who have just sent in their "Notification" forms to the Board of Education. It seems as though an awful lot of people have pulled their kids out this year...

It was posted on Facebook as just as a heads up- and the comments range from "Thanks for the info" to "They are overstepping the law and should be called out on it."

 

I'm not sure what to think about it- don't really get any strong feelings about it either way. But it has made me ponder.... and I feel like I should ponder it because I need to keep an eye on what is going on in my county, with those who have "jurisdiction" over me, you know? What do you all think about it? (I *love* reading all the varying views and perspectives you all have- it helps me see things clearly/differently when I'm not quite sure what to think.)

 

The first one is the letter- second one is the attachment that came with it.

 

 

 

 

Dear Parents,

 

The Home School Office has been attempting to process the numerous ‘Notification’ forms that have been sent to us since June with the attempt
to have them out to parent prior to the start of the new school year. Unfortunately, we are backlogged in accomplishing that task.

I have attached the letter that we are sending to parents confirming receipt of the ‘Notification’ form enrolling in home schooling. This letter does not list your child or children specifically, but does give you the information on the upcoming ‘Orientation’ Meeting set for September 18, at 10:00 am here at the Board of Education, in {insert city here}.

If you have not already done so, please contact the local school if your child was enrolled there and set up a withdrawal with them. We will confirm by memo to the school as well in the upcoming week.

If you have not received a ‘Confirmation Letter’ from our office, please let us know, and we will hasten completion of that process as we are trying to get all the letters done.

Please do not contact our office by phone to receive a confirmation letter as an email will suffice.

Thank you for your assistance and hope to see many of you at one of our orientation meetings in the next few weeks.

{insert name}
Teacher Specialist
{county name} Public Schools
Home School Program Coordinator
High School Transfer Liaison

{phone numbers}

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

 

 

September 4, 2014

Dear Parents:

The Home School Office for {county name} Public Schools, has received your Home School ‘Notification’ form verifying your intent to home school your child/ren, under the provisions of COMAR 13A.10.01.01.Option 4A, Supervision by the {county} Public Schools’ Home School Office.

The local school, that your child would attend, will be notified by the Home School Office of your child’s enrollment in home schooling. COMAR Home School Regulations require parents to notify the Home School Office anytime there is a change in your child’s home school program or if your child is being withdrawn from home the home school program. Parents must also identify, annually, their intent to continue to home school, before the start of each school year.

The Home School Office will be hosting a Home School Orientation Parent Meeting on Thursday, September 18 or Thursday, October 16, 2014, from 10:00 – 11:00 am, at the Board of Education, at {address}. This optional parent meeting is to discuss the roles and responsibilities of home school parents for providing home schooling as well as the Home School Office, to provide an overview of the student home school review process, as well as address any questions you may have concerning home schooling your child or children. Children are welcome and no RSVP is needed.

At this time:
1. Your curriculum should have been purchased and in place to initiate your instructional program.
2. All seven (7) subjects should be included in your home school schedule.

Please contact our office at {contact info} if you have any questions concerning your home school program.

Sincerely,
{name}
Teacher Specialist
Home School Program Coordinator
High School Transfer Liaison

 

 

[Carrie12345]

I don't feel anything about it. 

[gaillardia]

You're not stating what the home school law in your state requires. Why does this raise red flags for you?

[mysticmomma]

What's the big deal? Optional parent meeting...

[plansrme]

What I think is that the unnecessary use of quotation marks, especially by education professionals, drives me batty, as does the improper use of commas.  I would be feeling quite positive about my decision to home school in this jurisdiction.

[G5052]

I wouldn't be happy with the meeting, but I actually get a similar letter every June reminding me of what is due and how they handle things.  Doesn't bother me at all.

 

It's not well-written, but that's not uncommon.

[Jean in Newcastle]

In my state (which I think is different from yours) if your child was already in ps, then you do need to withdraw them formally, so their information on this would be correct.  They do tell you that the orientation meeting is optional.  So. . . shrug, I figure if people want to go to that, they can.  In our state, there is a requirement of what should be studied, but there is no real oversight so shrug.  Yeah you"should" have your ducks in a row but they can't enforce it and it doesn't sound like this board is planning to enforce it there either.  

[gaillardia]

I see what state and I think they have so many people that have so many questions and they want to make sure everyone is on board with what they're supposed to do, as required by the state. Some counties in MD try hard to do more than is required.

If you are not using an umbrella school and you don't want to have to be screened three times a year, may I suggest you find an umbrella school?

 

Edited to add: I mean some counties try to have home schoolers jump through more hoops than is required by the law. I know more than five families who were so intimidated during the review that they switched to the umbrella I was enrolled with.

[Paige]

I see nothing offensive. 

[Word Nerd]

If your state doesn't require parents whose kids are in school to formally withdraw, then I could understand thinking it crosses the line. If that is required, it seems fine to me. The meeting is optional.

[maize]

Doesn't seem particularly overboard. I don't know the laws where you live--are the 7 subjects mentioned required to be taught every year?

[*lifeoftheparty*]

You're not stating what the home school law in your state requires. Why does this raise red flags for you?

 

Sorry. These are the Maryland State Laws...

 

It didn't raise any flags for me- but for some people, this part raised some...

 

At this time:

1. Your curriculum should have been purchased and in place to initiate your instructional program.

2. All seven (7) subjects should be included in your home school schedule.

 

 

I dunno. I just saw two compleetly different views on it- and didn't know what to think- and thought maybe I would ask you guys :)

[BrookValley.]

Is this for MD? If so, the only thing that would bother me is that it says you have to notify them "whenever there is a change in your homeschool program." What does that mean? That you have to let them know if you start attending a co-op or switch math curriculum? Because I'm not aware of any such thing under MD law. Unless they mean you need to notify them if you enroll in public or private school or register with an umbrella? That would be legit, but I find the wording to be awful vague.

 

As for the optional meeting, I think it's nice they offer the opportunity to get information/ask questions about the process (by process I mean the paperwork, review process, etc.). I'm pretty ambivalent about that part of it.

[gaillardia]

It is an optional attendance meeting and it is none of their business if your materials have been purchased yet and your schedule is also none of their business. The law doesn't exactly state "schedule" does it? Just that all of those seven subjects are taught.

Perhaps the letter needs to be sent to the state board so they can see what is being sent out. Just my opinion.

[gaillardia]

Is this for MD? If so, the only thing that would bother me is that it says you have to notify them "whenever there is a change in your homeschool program." What does that mean? That you have to let them know if you start attending a co-op or switch math curriculum? Because I'm not aware of any such thing under MD law. Unless they mean you need to notify them if you enroll in public or private school or register with an umbrella? That would be legit, but I find the wording to be awful vague.

 

As for the optional meeting, I think it's nice they offer the opportunity to get information/ask questions about the process (by process I mean the paperwork, review process, etc.). I'm pretty ambivalent about that part of it.

 

The change refers to whether the children are no longer being home schooled, are attending private school, you are moving out of the state, or putting them in public school.

ETA: OH, yes, and the umbrella, if you're enrolling them with an umbrella school.

 

[Little Nyssa]

What are the 7 subjects?

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I see what state and I think they have so many people that have so many questions and they want to make sure everyone is on board with what they're supposed to do, as required by the state. Some counties in MD try hard to do more than is required.

If you are not using an umbrella school and you don't want to have to be screened three times a year, may I suggest you find an umbrella school?

 

Edited to add: I mean some counties try to have home schoolers jump through more hoops than is required by the law. I know more than five families who were so intimidated during the review that they switched to the umbrella I was enrolled with.

We actually did just switch to an umbrella. On our second to last review she (very nicely) was telling me something along the lines of, "next time you could bring in samples of x, y and z....." and it was all suggestions for stuff related to common core. Then at the other table I heard a lady being grilled, "Why don't these samples have dates on them?" And at the last review, my reviewer was awesome- just copied down what we were using, looked at a few things and checked us off- didn't even bother to look at some of my samples. But then the lady next to me was holding up her iPod to show her reviewer a video of her kid playing sports because her just marking down that they did sports "wasn't sufficient' proof. Your experience can vary so greatly because none of the reviewers completely understand their roles- so I just decided I didn't want to deal with that mess twice a year anymore.

 

Doesn't seem particularly overboard. I don't know the laws where you live--are the 7 subjects mentioned required to be taught every year?

 

Yes, they are required to be taught every year- and you actually need to have proof that each one has been done.

 

Is this for MD? If so, the only thing that would bother me is that it says you have to notify them "whenever there is a change in your homeschool program." What does that mean? That you have to let them know if you start attending a co-op or switch math curriculum? Because I'm not aware of any such thing under MD law. Unless they mean you need to notify them if you enroll in public or private school or register with an umbrella? That would be legit, but I find the wording to be awful vague.

 

As for the optional meeting, I think it's nice they offer the opportunity to get information/ask questions about the process (by process I mean the paperwork, review process, etc.). I'm pretty ambivalent about that part of it.

I think that just means if you are changing from homeschool to public/private school, or joining an umbrella. But I didn't have to let them know that- the umbrella did.

 

[*lifeoftheparty*]

What are the 7 subjects?

 

English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education

[gaillardia]

YES! Good for you!

[Trish]

I'd schedule an "optional open house" at my house for them to attend.

 

Just for kicks.

 

 

[BrookValley.]

Sorry. These are the Maryland State Laws...

 

It didn't raise any flags for me- but for some people, this part raised some...

 

At this time:

1. Your curriculum should have been purchased and in place to initiate your instructional program.

2. All seven (7) subjects should be included in your home school schedule.

 

 

I dunno. I just saw two compleetly different views on it- and didn't know what to think- and thought maybe I would ask you guys :)

 

So I thought what you copied here was kind of odd, but it doesn't raise any red flags for me. It's not really their business and they can't enforce if you've bought your curriculum or not or when you buy it or what you buy/use. I think they're just trying to say "yeah, so go ahead and get started with your school year, even though we don't know what the heck we're doing yet." And then stating that the seven subjects should be included, well, that's no biggie. The law says you have to cover the seven subjects. I just see that as a reminder.

 

I wouldn't see any of that as overstepping bounds because they're not asking you to show proof of #1, and #2 is just reminder that they can and will ask for proof of (i.e., it's within the law).

 

If what I mentioned in my first post is just that you need to notify them if you enroll in school or an umbrella (which I think would include the umbrella notifying the school system of your enrollment with them), then I don't think that's a big deal, either.  I just think it is worded vaguely enough to cause confusion.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I think my ears just perked up because we did just a few months ago decide to switch to the umbrella- it seems that in the last year or two, there have been a lot more stories about having issues with reviews. There is just such a wide array of things that some reviewers accept and others don't. Some people get a hard time, others don't.

I would rather have the same standards/expectations and the same reviewer year after year.

Anyways, I guess that's the back story to that :)

I think you guys are right- it's no big deal. Some of the commenters might be sensitive because of the ways reviews have been going.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I'd schedule an "optional open house" at my house for them to attend.

 

Just for kicks.

 

LOL!!! Maybe I could give them a copy of The Well Trained Mind and The Lost Tools of Learning and tell them how it could help their school situation- and suggest that they start teaching Latin- and demand a review at the end of the year to make sure they are doing a good job ;)

[gaillardia]

I'm glad I don't live in MD anymore. I always used the umbrella though and that was mostly very okay.

[BrookValley.]

I think my ears just perked up because we did just a few months ago decide to switch to the umbrella- it seems that in the last year or two, there have been a lot more stories about having issues with reviews. There is just such a wide array of things that some reviewers accept and others don't. Some people get a hard time, others don't.

 

I would rather have the same standards/expectations and the same reviewer year after year.

 

Anyways, I guess that's the back story to that :)

 

I think you guys are right- it's no big deal. Some of the commenters might be sensitive because of the ways reviews have been going.

 

Well, I think there's often a reaction (anywhere) to be very guarded about anything that seems out of the ordinary or is not a word-for-word regurgitation of the law. And I think, in MD, this disorganization and lack of consistency between counties/reviewers/etc. certainly doesn't help that.

 

I've used an umbrella since day one, and I've only heard positive feedback about the reviewers in my county. But I still hear about inconsistency and disorganization. I'm glad I went with the umbrella; it was the right (lower-stress) choice for us.

[Mandylubug]

I'd schedule an "optional open house" at my house for them to attend.

 

Just for kicks.

Make it a potluck open house: boys bring salty girls bring sweet ;)

[Catwoman]

I was expecting to read something with a very negative tone toward homeschooling, and if anything, those letters were quite positive. They are even offering an optional orientation session, which could be very helpful to parents who are just getting started on their homeschooling journey.

 

I think some people just like to be offended. ;)

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I was expecting to read something with a very negative tone toward homeschooling, and if anything, those letters were quite positive. They are even offering an optional orientation session, which could be very helpful to parents who are just getting started on their homeschooling journey.

 

I think some people just like to be offended. ;)

 

Yes, and I'm not one of them ;) Sometimes I just need to check and make sure I shouldn't be ;)

[Ellie]

I did not receive this letter- but it was sent out to new homeschoolers in my county who have just sent in their "Notification" forms to the Board of Education. It seems as though an awful lot of people have pulled their kids out this year...

 

It was posted on Facebook as just as a heads up- and the comments range from "Thanks for the info" to "They are overstepping the law and should be called out on it."

 

I'm not sure what to think about it- don't really get any strong feelings about it either way. But it has made me ponder.... and I feel like I should ponder it because I need to keep an eye on what is going on in my county, with those who have "jurisdiction" over me, you know? What do you all think about it? (I *love* reading all the varying views and perspectives you all have- it helps me see things clearly/differently when I'm not quite sure what to think.)

 

The first one is the letter- second one is the attachment that came with it.

 

 

 

 

Dear Parents,

 

The Home School Office has been attempting to process the numerous ‘Notification’ forms that have been sent to us since June with the attempt

to have them out to parent prior to the start of the new school year. Unfortunately, we are backlogged in accomplishing that task.

I have attached the letter that we are sending to parents confirming receipt of the ‘Notification’ form enrolling in home schooling. This letter does not list your child or children specifically, but does give you the information on the upcoming ‘Orientation’ Meeting set for September 18, at 10:00 am here at the Board of Education, in {insert city here}.

If you have not already done so, please contact the local school if your child was enrolled there and set up a withdrawal with them. We will confirm by memo to the school as well in the upcoming week.

If you have not received a ‘Confirmation Letter’ from our office, please let us know, and we will hasten completion of that process as we are trying to get all the letters done.

Please do not contact our office by phone to receive a confirmation letter as an email will suffice.

Thank you for your assistance and hope to see many of you at one of our orientation meetings in the next few weeks.

{insert name}

Teacher Specialist

{county name} Public Schools

Home School Program Coordinator

High School Transfer Liaison

{phone numbers}

 

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

 

 

September 4, 2014

 

Dear Parents:

 

The Home School Office for {county name} Public Schools, has received your Home School ‘Notification’ form verifying your intent to home school your child/ren, under the provisions of COMAR 13A.10.01.01.Option 4A, Supervision by the {county} Public Schools’ Home School Office.

 

The local school, that your child would attend, will be notified by the Home School Office of your child’s enrollment in home schooling. COMAR Home School Regulations require parents to notify the Home School Office anytime there is a change in your child’s home school program or if your child is being withdrawn from home the home school program. Parents must also identify, annually, their intent to continue to home school, before the start of each school year.

 

The Home School Office will be hosting a Home School Orientation Parent Meeting on Thursday, September 18 or Thursday, October 16, 2014, from 10:00 – 11:00 am, at the Board of Education, at {address}. This optional parent meeting is to discuss the roles and responsibilities of home school parents for providing home schooling as well as the Home School Office, to provide an overview of the student home school review process, as well as address any questions you may have concerning home schooling your child or children. Children are welcome and no RSVP is needed.

 

At this time:

1. Your curriculum should have been purchased and in place to initiate your instructional program.

2. All seven (7) subjects should be included in your home school schedule.

 

Please contact our office at {contact info} if you have any questions concerning your home school program.

 

Sincerely,

{name}

Teacher Specialist

Home School Program Coordinator

High School Transfer Liaison

 

 

 

I am not an attorney and I don't play one on TV, nor do I or have I ever homeschooled in Maryland.

 

Nevertheless, I am not stupid and I can read and understand the law.

 

If I were hsing in Maryland and received such a letter, I would forward it on to HSLDA and otherwise ignore it. I would advise all my homeschooling friends to do the same thing and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES to attend that meeting. You gotta know that the "Home School Office" is not offering to do a "parent orientation meeting" out of the kindness of their hearts. They want homeschoolers to feel that the state has more authority over them than it actually does.

 

The "At this time" section is particularly annoying and intrusive.

 

Why would I think it important to contact a "Home School Program Coordinator"? If I need advice about homeschooling, I will ask other homeschoolers.

[gaillardia]

I always steered away from hslda and I never needed a lawyer.

[Ellie]

I always steered away from hslda and I never needed a lawyer.

 

Which is irrelevant to this issue. ;-)

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I am not an attorney and I don't play one on TV, nor do I or have I ever homeschooled in Maryland.

 

Nevertheless, I am not stupid and I can read and understand the law.

 

If I were hsing in Maryland and received such a letter, I would forward it on to HSLDA and otherwise ignore it. I would advise all my homeschooling friends to do the same thing and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES to attend that meeting. You gotta know that the "Home School Office" is not offering to do a "parent orientation meeting" out of the kindness of their hearts. They want homeschoolers to feel that the state has more authority over them than it actually does.

 

The "At this time" section is particularly annoying and intrusive.

 

Why would I think it important to contact a "Home School Program Coordinator"? If I need advice about homeschooling, I will ask other homeschoolers.

 

I almost want to go to the meeting, undercover, just to see what they are telling people, lol.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Which is irrelevant to this issue. ;-)

Not really.  The letter isn't trying to pull a fast one.  It's annoying but just something to put in the round file.  I don't see the need to retain a lawyer over it.

[Ellie]

Not really.  The letter isn't trying to pull a fast one.  It's annoying but just something to put in the round file.  I don't see the need to retain a lawyer over it.

 

I'm pretty sure that no one said anything about "retaining a lawyer." When I homeschooled, I was a member of HSLDA and encouraged others to be members. That is not the same thing as "retaining a lawyer."

 

I would prefer to not make this an HSLDA-bashing thread. Thanks. :-)

 

In any case, yes, I believe the school officials are, in fact, trying to "pull a fast one." The only reason they can get away with stuff like this is that some homeschoolers are naive enough to believe that no one is trying to pull a fast one on them and they go along with the nonsense. School officials get cocky, and begin requiring more, until eventually someone says "NO!", and then we have a court case. And then someone needs to retain a lawyer...

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm pretty sure that no one said anything about "retaining a lawyer." When I homeschooled, I was a member of HSLDA and encouraged others to be members. That is not the same thing as "retaining a lawyer."

 

I would prefer to not make this an HSLDA-bashing thread. Thanks. :-)

 

In any case, yes, I believe the school officials are, in fact, trying to "pull a fast one." The only reason they can get away with stuff like this is that some homeschoolers are naive enough to believe that no one is trying to pull a fast one on them and they go along with the nonsense. School officials get cocky, and begin requiring more, until eventually someone says "NO!", and then we have a court case. And then someone needs to retain a lawyer...

They aren't requiring anything.  If they were, people would be telling the OP to be up in arms about it.  But they aren't.  They have an OPTIONAL parent meeting.  We know it is optional because the letter tells us that.  Withdrawing a previously enrolled child is part of the law so that is required already.  Teaching all 7 subjects is part of the law.  But even then they can't enforce it so while they tell people what they should do (including choosing curriculum by the start of September), they are not threatening to enforce it, which would be crossing the line.  So no, I don't agree.  

 

ETA - the OP says that they can enforce the 7 subjects so all the more reason for them to mention it.  

[gaillardia]

This is kind of funny because I would see things as Ellie stated them to a point except for sending anything to the home school legal defense association. That's why I mentioned I would send it to the state board of education, and now that I reconsider it, possibly to the state attorney general as well.

For the many years I home schooled in Maryland, I used an umbrella so I didn't have to deal with the reviews done by the school board personnel. It was very rough. And like you said, Ellie, they were out of line on their questioning with more than five families that I knew. Making it seem like there were more requirements than what people had been told.

This is not the point of the whole issue but it is background information.

Life of the party is in a different county than where we lived. Are they breaking the law? No, but I wouldn't attend the meeting, nor would I contact the legal party mentioned. Yes, it is an annoying letter.

[mysticmomma]

What county is this? Montgomery?

[mysticmomma]

Can you pm if you don't want to post?

[justasque]

 

At this time:

1. Your curriculum should have been purchased and in place to initiate your instructional program.

2. All seven (7) subjects should be included in your home school schedule.

 

To be nitpicky about it, I actually would have an issue with these two things.  Not every homeschooling family uses purchased curriculum materials.  I know it's old-school of me, but I don't think curricula is strictly necessary, at least for younger children (leaving aside those with special needs).  If the teacher has a good understanding of the material she wants her students to learn, and a progressive list of skills or concepts she wants to teach, she can make up her own lessons on the fly, in many cases with very little advanced planning.  From there, the basics are simply a library card, some paper, and some writing materials.  And I don't think you need a "home school schedule" either.  You go to the library, you check out armfuls of books (not textbooks) you think might be interesting, and you read them together.  You show the child a math concept and work with it for a bit on paper or with beans or LEGO, you play with words together to build reading skills.  You get out into the community, see what's there and how it works.  You do projects together.  I'm not talking about unschooling, but the old-fashioned idea that while pre-prepared, purchased curricula might be nice, it's possible for a teacher to create their own lessons without it.  Do we all want to do this?  No!  Of course not.  There's nothing wrong with using curricula.  But you can also run a very effective homeschool without purchasing curricula or having a formal schedule for each subject.  

I don't like to encourage a school district to expect that homeschoolers will do school just like schools do school.  

 

[Carrie12345]

If I lived there, I might go to the meeting just to see what's being said there.

I am skeptical, cynical, and wary of school districts, but I don't automatically believe them all to be devoid of all desire to HELP. (I find that more of a state/fed level thing. :tongue_smilie: ;) ) But I'd like to get an idea of what newbies are being fed.

 

I think the newest wave of homeschoolers are an even more varied group than the wave I came in, which was already more varied than the wave before.  I know, personally and online, many people who aren't even aware of the help available on message boards and FB groups, or even in book form in some cases.  They're plunging in for various reasons without the time or inclination to do much deep research in advance.  And while I'm not opposed to people learning along the way, I'd hate to think people might be absorbing unnecessary ideas from day 1. Plus, it would just be nice for veterans to introduce themselves and maybe share contact information/local resources.

 

P.S.  It seems strange to me that MD is a light orange hs state while PA is a dark orange.  MD sounds like much more of a pain, imo!
 

[Momof3littles]

As someone living in a state that is highly regulated already but does not require meeting with district officials, I would not attend. In my state, districts notoriously overstep and request things they are not entitled to, like proof of things like a parent having a diploma, which is already attested to in the required affidavit. In the past they have asked people to meet with the superintendent, or bring their curriculum in, or will try to require ports be submitted in a certain size binder, none of which is required. Sometimes districts invent their own forms and will attempt to mandate HSers fill them out. As a result, I would suspect that at this orientation, required or not, there is a decent likelihood that info will be disseminated that may be the district's opinion vs the law, and that would bother me. I would not attend. I would encourage the local HSers to form their own support network, and would encourage newbie HSers to reach out to experienced HSers in the area.

I don't want mentorship from my school district. I don't desire to recreate school at home. I would be concerned people in your district will be fed opinions from the SD about what HS should look like, and that may provoke unnecessary anxiety or be discouraging. Or the district may just invent some more official requirements on their end.

[Momof3littles]

In terms of "requiring," when we lived in NC my kids were too young to report info to the state, but they sent out letters about optional meetings where representatives from the state would meet with HSers at the local police departments. You were encouraged to bring your curriculum. These were not legally required. Some of the local HS groups encouraged their members to comply with this request for fear if people didn't, the regs would get tighter. Other groups suggested tossing the letter in the trash, as complying with requests beyond the law comes with its own set of possible risks in terms of expectations and legislation.

[Ellie]

They aren't requiring anything.  If they were, people would be telling the OP to be up in arms about it.  But they aren't.  They have an OPTIONAL parent meeting.  We know it is optional because the letter tells us that.  Withdrawing a previously enrolled child is part of the law so that is required already.  Teaching all 7 subjects is part of the law.  But even then they can't enforce it so while they tell people what they should do (including choosing curriculum by the start of September), they are not threatening to enforce it, which would be crossing the line.  So no, I don't agree.  

 

ETA - the OP says that they can enforce the 7 subjects so all the more reason for them to mention it.  

 

The whole tone of the letter is off, Jean.

[Amira]

This falls into the not a big deal category to me and I'd just toss the letter. There would have to be a lot more going on for this to become a concern to me. I would read other letters from the same people with interest though. It sounds like they're more involved than they need to be and could make things exciting, although they probably won't. :)

[happypamama]

English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education

Shoot, I live over your northern border in the Terrible Homeschooling Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and even I don't have to do all of those subjects every year! Just sometime for all of them before sixth and after seventh grade.

 

I'd roll my eyes at that letter, because it's not their business when I start or if I use curriculum, but it sounds to me like they're giving approval for you to start while they're still getting their act together. (My district likes to send me a letter to say that I'm approved to start for the year, even though they actually don't have the legal right to do that; as long as I have my paperwork in by July 1, I can start counting then, even if I don't get the approval letter from them until November. But it's not worth more to me than a roll of my eyes.)

[Farrar]

I feel like they haven't broken any rules or anything, but the optional meeting is so misleading for newbies. You know that people are going to go and ask questions about education and they're going to give their views as if they are law, which is very misleading. Ditto the review process. They'll tell them things that are not in COMAR as if they are required.

 

But the crazy flip side is that I've now met a number of Maryland parents who seem to WANT this attitude. People who have homeschooled for multiple years who think of their review as the way they get their feedback on whether or not they're doing a good job. They really, really want a pat on the head from the government. So... When people take that tact, I don't know that you can change their minds anyway.

[Hyacinth]

I wouldn't give more time to that letter than what it took to crumple and trash it. Unless I had a pen on me, in which case I'd mark it up with proofreading marks. But I do that for fun.

 

When we lived in NY, every year I'd get a response letter telling me that my homeschool plans were "approved." They had no authority to approve or disapprove anything, only to acknowledge receipt of my intent to homeschool. It was concerning because of the slippery slope: Do they think they have that authority? What if newbies willingly give them that authority simply because the school district assumes that posture? Eventually, as Ellie has said, it's more than just an annoying letter; it's a real threat to some homeschooling freedoms. 

[chiguirre]

I don't think it's objectionable because this is a state that requires you to go to a meeting and produce your portfolio twice a year for their approval. Knowing what they want to see and in what format would be helpful to new parents. It would avoid them reaming on a parent because their samples aren't dated. OTOH, I find MD's requirements obnoxious and I would promptly enroll in an umbrella to avoid them. The review process sounds more intimidating than NY or PA's laws.

[redsquirrel]

I don't see any issue with it at all. They are getting through the paperwork as best they can, they are hosting an option meeting that no one is required to attend. I see no issue at all. It don't see anything being 'pulled' of either the fast or slow variety.

 

I guess you can nitpick about the purchasing of curriculum, but that's not going to bother me. I just went to my local homeschool meeting and saw plenty of people asking each other if they had their materials purchased yet. No one seemed to get a case of the vapors, even when the other parent answered that they didn't need to buy anything this year. Whatevs

 

And as for all 7 subjects, is that a fact? Are there 7 subjects that homeschoolers are expected to cover in their plan? If so, again I don't see a big deal. If they have added a subject or if they are not all required then it should be pointed out to them that they have overstepped.

 

There are subjects I am required to cover and I can't just leave them off my yearly plan. I have to explain how I am addressing them. I have had the same exact report for the 'health and safety' requirement for 8 years and no one has taken exception to it.

 

Really, I have seen so, so much worse from school districts in the area. This seems plain old informational.

[Jean in Newcastle]

If they actually overstep in the future, then homeschoolers should deal with it by speaking out.  If they actually overstep now at the voluntary meeting then homeschoolers should deal with it by speaking out.  My local school district did overstep.  We spoke out.  They went back into line.

 

I don't really like the public school "homeschool" classes which technically are not homeschool at all.  I think they are confusing both for potential homeschoolers and for the public.  But despite being around for at least ten years, they haven't pushed out homeschooling despite all the dire predictions.  I did run into a local politician at one of those National Night Out bbqs who was telling me that I could only "homeschool" through the oversight of the public school.  I set her straight on the law.  Then as she argued for making that the law, I set her straight on the state of the local public school vs. what I was able to pursue in homeschooling.  I added in a lot of educationalese just to make her eyes glaze over.  That was three years ago and I haven't heard of any new laws being pushed by her against homeschooling so hopefully she's been neutralized!