Have you been told that you cannot homeschool your child? They are WRONG!
I order to effectively counter this argument or nullify the accusations of educational neglect that can be slung at a parent thinking of homeschooling you need information and education! First it is legal to homeschool your child in all the states. Depending on your state you may have to fill out paperwork and other legal obligations for your child.
Take West Virginia for example you will need to give a notice of intent to homeschool. If they are in school right now you need to wait two weeks. Then you are homeschooling! The final obligation will be to show either standardized testing with scores of 50% at the end of the year OR a portfolio of your work to a certified teacher (of your choosing) to show your child has progressed as per their ability.
If you are in question about your state laws. I would first seek out you state groups for clear information. These are parents that are or have homeschooled their children in your state. Another possiblity would be an umbrella legal organization. Here are the two I know of active in the homeschooling community.
Local/State Legal Groups
HSLDA Home School Legal Defense Association
Several years ago I talked to a family that was seeking better education for their child. She needed more support than her IEP called for and the teachers had not been carrying out what little help she did have in her IEP. The parents were in a situation where they tried to get an amended IEP and correct the problem. They were told that wasn’t possible and they should just sign off and accept what was given them. They brought up private schools but were told none of the private schools could deal with her moderate to severe issues. Then they asked about homeschooling. They were told that it was illegal to homeschool a child with special needs. That it would the same as abuse and left a lingering doubt in the parent’s mind whether or not they would have protective services called on them.
I would love to say that this family is happily homeschooling…. they are not. They were very sincere in wanting the best for their child but the incredible pressure put on them by the schools scared them and intimidated them. I think they would have loved homeschooling.
Please do not let the pressure and scare tactics of a few steal your options. Homeschooling is a big decision but one that I thank the Lord every day I made. I love homeschooling my children.
Do you have questions about homeschooling? Have you been faced with this kind of pressure and outright lies to stop you from homeschooling?
Good encouragement!
Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day. Good idea about putting sticky tape out where we don’t want the cats to go. Maybe I should try it on top of my new desk overnight & see if it helps.
I used this trick when the cat kept jumping in the bassinet. Worked like a charm and quickly.