Stay at home mom of two little ones, oldest would be starting pre-school after this coming summer. I need to figure out where we'll want to go with that at home. Mostly fun stuff I'm thinking, at that age. Crafts and things, which we already do. She had the alphabet down at one point, but we let it go some and now there are holes in her memory, lol. Need to get back to that I imagine. We have had some positive responses to our decision to home school them both, and some negative. I'm mostly worried about getting all the legal hoops jumped through, has anyone been through that already here in California? They practically make it illegal. :roll: I am SO looking forward to sharing ideas and support. I know we'll need it.
Sounds like a great plan! I have no idea on the laws in CA. I find it odd that your homeschooling laws are so tough- CA seems ahead of the game in so many other areas.
I know there are others on here from CA....hope you get some responses soon to easer your mind!....and welcome!
I don't know if I'm being negative to think so, but I think it's because California is broke. Schools are constantly losing huge chunks of funding, grabbed out here and there with what seems like little care for the results. So they need the money they get per year, for each body that attends. I do find California progressive in many ways as well, but as far as I can tell...this isn't it. I'm going to have to declare my home a private school I guess, with one "administrator", and one "teacher." (My husband and I.) I read you have to make up a name, but you shouldn't use your family name. List the credentials of the person teaching, anything will do though, my little bit of college and whatever else I can think of. There are no minimum requirements to meet. I'm not sure if this will have to be renewed each year? Maybe another Ca parent can help with that. First grade is the first year here that you are legally obligated to either have them in PS, or have the alternative figured out and on the books. My daughter will be five next March, and I wonder when I should be starting the process, in order to have plenty of time? You can see how confused I am.
The process is actually pretty easy. Every year you fill out the form declaring yourself to be a private school and you mail it in between October 1st and the 15th (I believe). California is an easy state to homeschool in, as that is all that you have to do. If you privately homeschool, there is no testing and no turning in any other annual forms or paperwork. You just have to keep log of days you are in "school" because you are supposed to teach atleast the same number of days as the public schooled students attend school. As far as when to start the process, the form seems quick and easy so you should just fill it out by September of her 1st grade year so it can be mailed in October. Hope that helps.
It helps a lot, not only the information itself but the tone it was said in. You make it sound so laid back and easy, it calms my nerves about it. Thank you.
It is really easy to home school in California. Like the previous poster said you just fill out an online form from the dept of education every year in october and thats it. Nothing really to it. I was surprised at just how easy it all is. Good luck!
Hi and welcome! Wow, I thought I heard some talk show hosts ranting about how you have to get some kind of certificate or license before you can teach your own children in CA. It was a year or so ago, I think, so maybe it was concerning a law that didn't (thankfully) get passed. Good luck!
Hello! Homeschooling is easy if you operate as a private school. Here are a couple of very informative links from HSLDA. http://hslda.org/hs/state/ca/affidavit/AffidavitInstructions.asp This link will tell you how to file the affidavit and where to go to submit it. The CDE does not allow cerificates to be printed then manually completed, it has to be submitted online. http://hslda.org/laws/analysis/California.pdf This link gives you the four options for home instruction in California. You will see that it is the public school that is required to cover a set number of days. IF you operate as a private school, you set the number of days you complete.
You might be referring to 2008 (?) when homeschooling was declared illegal in California. Thankfully the ruling was challenged and corrected.
