Homeschool Parents Arrested for not Registering

They were arrested over a week after they recieved official notification from the district that they were compliant for the 2009-2010 school year. It was an oversight and they sent in the paperwork late but they did send it in and it was approved. According to our state group alot of the information being reported in the media is not accurate. I am going to be interested in what happens now that HSLDA is involved.

 

Now that's interesting! I wonder if there will be as much new coverage if they are exonerated.

 

Now that IS interesting, because that sure wasn't how it was presented! So did they not register for the past six years, and decided to this year? Can they still be held accountable if that were the case?

 

They did not endanger children by not turning in paperwork. They simply neglected paperwork. That is like saying you failed to pay your taxes when you actually sent in the money, you just left out one of the w-2s. The children were not going to die, break a bone, or even starve to death by not turning in paperwork.

 

The email that was sent out did not mention the past six years so I do not know about that. I will be interested to see what comes of HSLDA's involvement.

 

According to this page, the family is compliant for this year but nothing is mentioned about whether they failed to register in the past six years. This isn't to say they did register in the past. I do not know.

In California we need to keep a record of our affidavit for the past three years. I assume it is to show that we were compliant in the past years. So I wonder if they were arrested for the past years rather than the current year.

http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ny/201001050.asp

 

Ah, New York!!! THAT explains part of the problem right there! I'm guessing the state wants to make an example out of this family. (And I'm not talking about the local superinendant; if he's the guy in the interview, I thought he seemed OK.)

 

Paperwork- it's a hoop, jump through it.
To me, any grief they get they brought it on themselves.

 

And every time they add another hoop, we just jump higher? How high do we keep jumping?

 

As long as they are legitimate, what can I say? If we know our requirements, we can't just blow them off because we feel justified to.

 

But when do we say "Enough!"? I honestly don't think I could teach in New York or PA where they are so restricted.

 

I agree, Jackie. I definitely would not want to live in those states because of their strict regulations on homeschooling, but the alternative.... They so have us on this. If we are truly committed to homeschooling our children, then we will probably do whatever they require because homeschool is merely an exception provided in law that can be changed on the whim of legislators--it is not a right of itself.

 

I'm so glad I read this.....dh was planning to transfer in a few years to PA (on my request)....I had no idea it was bad.

 

2mom04, check out PA's laws for yourself with HSLDA. I know many who live there who feel they're "not THAT bad!". But for me, I think I would have trouble keeping track of all kinds of things I currently don't keep track of. It may be OK for you, especially if you're use to keeping track already.

 

I will but right now I'm already scared to death of next year when I have to do my 1st notification form, and if I HAVE to do more than that....yikes! lol

 

I see PA as being generous. Isn't it true you don't even have to report the child till they are 8? Here we have to start with kindergarten. It's not bad at all, you just have to dot your i's and cross your t's. As long as you do your job, they've got nothing to complain about.

 

NY's regulations are really not that bad although I would not mind if they had less of them. There is paperwork but it really is just writing up what you did each quarter and how your child is doing (just have to say on grade level or improving something general). The annual assement is pretty much the same thing. The district can ask to see documentation of attendance but I have not heard of one doing it.

 

Anytime where I'm forced to take attendance, forced to test, forced to turn in quarterly reports, etc., is too restrictive. I know those of you who live with it do what you have to; if I lived there, so would I. But they ARE restrictive.

 

I don't know. I'd probably comply, too--but not because I thought it was the right thing to do... Probably out of fear, simply because I wouldn't want to face the consequences of non-compliance. At the same time, I'd applaud anyone who, for conscience sake, opted out.

How parents respond to this type of requirement depends at least in part on the degree they believe their children's education falls within their own jurisdiction as parents or within the jurisdiction of the state. If left unchecked, the state can become a monster, devouring ever more and more of the family's role. So I'm glad for anyone who has the strength and faith to resist that trend. Each parent surely has a line at some point where we would be willing to say "enough."

The face of "Ceasar" may be on our minted coins, but our children are stamped with the image of God. They do not belong to Ceasar.

 

On the HSLDA website they have a US map that is color coded based on restrictions.....NY and PA are both in the red (showing the highest restrictions)....so you are absolutely correct. I think it's probably easier if that's what you started with....but if you went from IN, who is in green on the map, showing lower restrictions, then moved to PA or NY....you'd have quite a bit of an adjustment.