WA Homeschoolers

[lauraw4321]

Beginning next week our school district is moving to mandatory 'distance learning.' The optional stuff was so horrible that I refused to use it. Multiple apps, programs that you have to log in to every time, links that don't work, incomprehensible lists, 20 different "resources." Just a mess, times three kids.

If the mandatory stuff works as well, then I'm seriously considering homeschooling. I'd rather use my own materials and systems that work than try to get the kids to struggle through this insanity. It means that we'd have to re-register next year, of course, but I've HSed before, and I can do it again.

Can anyone point me in the direction of what's required in WA?  I was in AL before. Do I need a cover school? Any recommended?

TIA!

[SounderChick]

WA is easy you have to qualify to teach by having 45 college credits, or you can take a class.  Intent to homeschool at 8 yrs old.  Test or teacher portfolio each year that you keep for your records.

https://washhomeschool.org/

Edited April 7, 2020 by rebcoola

[lauraw4321]

11 minutes ago, rebcoola said:

WA is easy you have to qualify to teach by having 45 college credits, or you can take a class.  Intent to homeschool at 8 yrs old.  Test or teacher portfolio each year that you keep for your records.

https://washhomeschool.org/

Oh, that's wonderful. Thanks so much!  

[Laurie]

I'm in WA and we homeschooled K-12.  

For the annual testing requirement we used Family Learning Organization (FLO).  They offer standardized testing as well as other options that meet WA requirements.   I was very pleased with their services!

https://www.familylearning.org/

[lauraw4321]

1 hour ago, Laurie said:

I'm in WA and we homeschooled K-12.  

For the annual testing requirement we used Family Learning Organization (FLO).  They offer standardized testing as well as other options that meet WA requirements.   I was very pleased with their services!

https://www.familylearning.org/

Thank you, Laurie!

[lauraw4321]

6 minutes ago, Patty Joanna said:

It's easy.  ETA:  as re: laws.  Not as re: the actual homeschooling!  But it is rewarding.  

I've thought a lot about people in your shoes and if it were me, this is *exactly* what I would do.  At least you can get traction.  I found myself "suddenly homeschooling" without ever having intended to do so and I was so thankful for these forums and The Well-Trained Mind book.  I don't know what I would have done without these things...and some wonderful people who came alongside me. 

I always like to mention what our hosting organization has to offer...I want these guys to stay in business:  https://welltrainedmind.com/   Let the banners scroll through--they really are trying to help out.  This section is new since I was homeschooling.  https://support.welltrainedmind.com/hc/en-us

I did HS one kid for a year, and used WTM stuff - Story of the World and its accompanying activity books, Singapore math, and other things I can no longer remember. I had to stop because of PTSD related to a terrorist attack. But I can get my feet back under me, although I have more grades (6th, 3rd and K). I used 100 easy lessons for my middle daughter to learn to read. I'd love to be able to use it with my youngest. She's getting there, but not there yet. Currently she's having to do flashcards of sight words.  (insert eye roll - can't remember how/where to do that anymore!)

[EKS]

The high points:

You need a certain number of college credits OR you need to take a special class.

You need to file an intent to homeschool letter with your local district.  They may also have their own form you can use.

You need to teach certain subjects.

You need to either give your children an approved standardized test each year OR have a portfolio evaluation done.

Last, and this is extremely important, if your children are currently enrolled in public school, you need to formally withdraw them.

[lauraw4321]

Just now, EKS said:

The high points:

You need a certain number of college credits OR you need to take a special class.

You need to file an intent to homeschool letter with your local district.  They may also have their own form you can use.

You need to teach certain subjects.

You need to either give your children an approved standardized test each year OR have a portfolio evaluation done.

Last, and this is extremely important, if your children are currently enrolled in public school, you need to formally withdraw them.

Thanks. I have a college degree degree. I do have to keep working full time, as does my husband, but we have live in childcare help. I think between the three of us we can get it done. 

I promised my husband I'd give the "distance learning" a decent chance, and I will. But it feel much less panicked about it having a backup, because the "optional"stuff was AWFUL.

[lauraw4321]

17 hours ago, Patty Joanna said:

If you want to rant about what the "optional stuff" was or what made it awful, I'm interested.  I know of a couple of schools that have done a great job, and others that have been more focused on making sure the kids aren't goofing off all the time...taking attendance 4-5 times a day...that sort of thing, as if "attendance" is the measure of an education.  You can PM if you would rather not rant in public and ... you don't have to rant at all!  I know it takes time.  I am interested, though.

 

So for my two elementary aged kids, they sent a "grid" via email, that was full of links. At first, I couldn't figure out how to access that grid on their district-issued iPads without installing my personal email on their iPads (no thanks). So then I had to figure out how to navigate to it on the district's website. When you got to it, it was password protected. Then every link in the grid navigated you away from from the password protected grid. And it was a long password with capitalization like IWantToLearn! so that's not so easy to re-type a million times. Then the links would take you to things like a textbook where you were supposed to find a particular article to read. There would sometimes be 20-30 articles, so it you'd have to try to go back and forth between the two pages (complete with re-entering passwords) to find it. Sometimes the article mentioned wasn't there.

Some of the links were to youtube videos. Youtube is blocked by the district iPads, so you can't actually watch them.

Then they wanted the kids to use other apps (3 or 4) which also had (different) passwords. One of them was a QR code, and it has to be re-entered EVERY TIME you access it so you had to either figure out how to print it out and not lose it or have it on a personal device. 

Then they said that they were going to streamline things using a new app that everyone had to download. Except you aren't allowed to download apps on the district iPads. So when I emailed them about it, they said "oh, if you're on a district iPad, it's already installed."

All of that takes up so much time, and I don't see it actually *teaching* anything. It's just encouraging insane amounts of screen time. No thanks.

For my 6th grader, she was already fairly used to getting her work via her district-issued iPad. But even that has issues. Like her teachers set up zoom calls, but then emailed the wrong time for them, so she would log in late or early. And the zoom calls right now are just a way of saying "hi" not for actual teaching. She doesn't have any textbooks (all digital) or workbooks, and most of her teachers hand out printed material. So I found the workbook that goes with her math book and ordered it. Her math teacher did post some work to be printed, but we haven't been able to figure out how to print it off from the iPad.