My husband and I are contemplating moving to the San Diego area simply because that is where our family is and we currently have no family near us in GA. Georgia is a very easy place to homeschool, there are lots of groups to choose from and the laws here are pretty easy to follow. My question is what is homeschooling like in California? Are there support systems and HS groups in place for homeschoolers? I just want to be prepared for any changes in this area. Thanks!
I am in the Central Valley of California, so generally I can tell you that you can use a virtual school, charter school, or fill out a Private School Afadavit with the state Oct 1-15 every year. If you miss the filing date, you can still homeschool independently. If someone were to question you, you just say that you missed the filing, and that you intend to the following October. If you go to a2zhomescool.com they have more info on filling one of those out. It's easy to do. I've been doing it a few years and I have never had anybody call or challenge me about it.
Homeschooling in CA is way easy. Plus the San Diego area has LOADS of homeschooling groups and so much to do! http://www.californiahomeschool.net/ http://www.sandiegohomeschooling.com/resources/orgs.shtml
We live just north of San Diego County in Riverside county (I still teach for a college in SD county!) and there are so many resources because there are so many more people. Be ready though - EVERYTHING will be more expensive. If you paid $50/month for 1 hour of piano, you will pay $80/month for a 1/2 hour. Plus just general groceries and the like are more expensive as well - that is why many people use homeschool charters. We used The Classical Academy for 2 years and would have stayed longer if we hadn't moved further north! If you have any questions, just ask! Good luck with your move!
Welcome! I am also in SoCal, NE of San Diego. You have four options to homeschool under in California. Check HSLDA's site and they will give you your options. While homeschooling in California is easy enough, you CAN be charged for missing the file date. My friend is dealing with this right now. Her children were considered truant for a year since they were not enrolled in ps and an affidavit was never submitted to the state. While homeschooling IS easy, depending what charter or program you use, you will have to abide by the rules of that program. So check to be sure you like or are able to do what they require. I was part of an umbrella for a few years. While we were allowed to choose our own curriculum, we also had to purchase it, complete yearly testing, cover the subjects required by the public school, keep attendance records, submit yearly objectives, submit a course of study, and submit report cards. Now that I operate privately, all I have to do is keep an attendance record, cover the subjects required in the school system and file my affidavit between October 1-15. HSLDA suggests that we also keep a record of what we cover daily but it isn't required by the state in order to operate privately. For my family, being a private homeschool is the best way to go. As for groups, SoCal is loaded with them. You can find them almost anywhere, unless you live further out. But in general, SoCal is loaded with them and there is a lot to do as far as fieldtrips are concerned.
