What is the purpose of the home education regulations?
The purpose is three-fold:
1. to prescribe
the conditions governing the issuances of excuses, and
2. to provide
for consistent application by superintendents, and
3. to safeguard
the primary right of parents to provide the education for their children.
The Ohio Revised Code states that these conditions are binding:
"The state board of
education may, by rule, prescribe conditions governing the issuance of excuses,
which shall be binding upon the authorities empowered to issue them."
At what age do I need to notify my school district?
In Ohio, compulsory school
attendance is required for children aged 6 through 18.
What does this mean
concerning your child attending kindergarten especially in those school
districts where kindergarten has become mandatory?
First, mandatory
kindergarten is required if your child is going to attend first grade in that
school. Or, if you expect to change schools at second grade, it might be
important to a school to know that a child has attended and successfully
completed kindergarten.
However, if you intend to
home educate for the first three, four, or five years and then re-enter the
schools, kindergarten will be a non-issue. Your child's ability to pass an
entrance exam will be the measure.
The confusion about
kindergarten comes about because of the school's insistence on grade level
identification instead of child readiness.
Example: If you intend to
homeschool kindergarten when your child turns five that is fine. However, you
do not need to notify the school district. The following year when your child
turns six, you do need to notify because compulsory education is required by age
6. Whether you continue with a kindergarten curriculum or start a new one for
the first grade because he has mastered the kindergarten material that is
completely up to you. Simply put, notification begins at age 6 whether you are
teaching that 6 year old a kindergarten or a first grade curriculum.
If the school district
informs you that your 5 year old is truant from kindergarten because he is not
registered for school, they are wrong. You are not under any legal obligation
to notify them that you have a five year old. Some school districts get this
information from hospital records.
What does "notification" mean? Do I have to get
permission to home school?
No. After parents have
made the decision to educate their children at home, they are required to notify the appropriate superintendent. In doing so, parents are
not "making application," "seeking permission," "making a request," or looking
for "approval" from the superintendent. Notification is to inform the
superintendent that the parents are exercising their primary right to direct the
education of their children.
How do I know which school district to notify? My
city, my county, or my township school?
Parents are required to
notify the superintendent of the city, exempted village, or county in
which they reside. Notify the superintendent of the school that the child would
attend if he were enrolled in the public school system. (What school buses are
in your neighborhood, and what do they say on the side? That is your school
district to notify.) However, if the school has the word "local" in it, parents
should notify the superintendent of the county in which they reside.
"Local" superintendents do not have legal authority to excuse children from
school.
According to the
regulations - this is very important - only superintendents, and not
their designees, can excuse a child from the compulsory attendance law
for the purpose of education. Therefore, parents should be sure that the proper superintendent is receiving, reviewing, and responding to their
notification, not the secretary or other designated director of homeschooling
business.
By what date do I send in my notification form?
Parents are required to
notify the superintendent on an annual basis, but the regulations do not specify
a date by which parents must notify. Parents can begin home education
immediately after sending in the notification form. There is no designated
"start" date and parents can begin home schooling at any time during the year.
It is not necessary to wait for a reply from the superintendent indicating that
the child has been excused. However, when conventional schools are in
session, the parents must have their child enrolled in school or they must
notify the superintendent that the child is being educated at home. If the
child is either not enrolled or not excused by the superintendent, the child
will be considered truant and subject to an investigation by an
attendance/truant officer.
Many school districts are
sending out letters requiring your notification form be submitted by a
designated date before the start of school in August. This is not part of
the regulation. You are required only to notify the superintendent by
the start of the school year in August when conventional schools are in
session. Any attempt by the superintendent to require notification by an
earlier date should be responded to by letter indicating your intent to notify
by the start of the school year according to the regulations.
Should I bring my form in to the superintendent in
person or should I just mail it in?
Parents are advised to make
a complete copy of the form and attachments they send in. Then, they should mail in the notification form by certified, return receipt mail so that it
is postmarked by the start of the school year, but not later. Return receipt
mail guarantees you a receipt. There is no need to show up in person with your
notification form in hand. In fact, it is better to correspond by mail only,
and thereby have a complete paper trail established.
Do I need to meet with my superintendent?
No. Parents are not
required to meet with their superintendent or any other school official.
Parents are not required to attend conferences to review notification
information, student progress, or curriculum materials. Such a policy or
request is not based on the regulations and accordingly, the parents may
graciously decline.
Should you receive letters
from the school indicating problems with your curriculum choices, it is best to
respond in writing. If you are already a member of HSLDA, (Home School Legal
Defense Association,) a quick call to them with the specifics of the letter sent
to you will result in immediate action by HSLDA on your behalf. One of our
homeschooling friends, Ann Monnin, had this to say about the Home School Legal
Defense Association (HSLDA): "For $100.00 per year HSLDA will give you the
legal information you need to homeschool in your state, answer any questions you
have in a timely manner, and represent you in court (at no extra charge) if the
need arises. If a social worker or police officer would show up at your door,
HSLDA wants you to call them immediately, 24 hours a day, and they will talk to
the official on your doorstep. HSLDA is a great organization at a great price,
and it is deserving of our support." In short, the best $100 you can spend for
your home school.
The natural response when a
letter arrives from the school district is to panic. We are all conscientious
parents and we are doing our best to follow the steps properly and to do
everything right. When a letter arrives stating something to the contrary, we
assume we've done something wrong. Actually, many times, the school district has wrongly interpreted the code, and has erred in contacting you. Yet, when
you acquiesce to their improper requests you are, in a way, enabling them in
their ignorance. This is why knowing the code is so crucial. You are empowered
to defend your right to home school when you know the code. You know you have
complied correctly. When confronted it is now up to you to charitably instruct.
My school district is sending me their own notification
form. Should I use it?
No! Many school districts are reformatting the notification form on their own
letterhead and omitting the word "optional" after the telephone number. While
this may seem like a harmless move on the part of the school, parents should be
forewarned to only use notifications forms on blank paper, with no
letterheads, or required phone numbers. (The only exception to this may be
using the form downloaded from the HSLDA website. It has their logo on it as
well as words indicating use by members only.) The Advisory Committee worked
diligently to come to an agreement on a specific blend of words to reflect a
balance between the requirements for parents and the limitations for
superintendents. Thus, every word in the regulations was scrutinized for
its acceptability to public educators and home educators alike. The home
education advocates were assured that any optional notification form would not
go beyond the intent or language of the regulations, and that it would not be
used as a vehicle for seeking additional information or action.
How will I know if my child has been excused from
the compulsory attendance law for the purpose of home education?
The regulations state that
the superintendent shall respond, in writing, to the parents within fourteen
days. The required response is to notify the parents of their compliance or
non-compliance, and if the notification is in compliance, that the child is
excused for the remainder of the school year. Again, expressions that indicate
that "approval has been granted," "request has been approved," "permission has
been granted," or that "your application has been approved" are not in harmony
with the intent of notification.
If the parents have not
heard from their superintendent within fourteen calendar days after submitting
their notification form, the parents may presume that the superintendent
has excused their child, provided the parents used certified, return receipt
mail in order to verify that notification was delivered to the school.
Parents should keep a copy of all material that is sent to the superintendent.
How many hours of home education are required each
year?
900 hours are required.
But don't panic. Character development, home management skills, apprenticeship,
and business skills can rightly be regarded as education. It is important to
note that the term used in the regulations is "education" and not "instruction."
Do I need to document those 900 hours?
No. Your word is your
bond; documentation is not required. What is required is that 900 hours of
education will be provided for the child. The proof is in the product. At the
beginning of the following school year, the parent must send an assessment
report indicating that the child's progress is in accordance with the child's
ability, or that the child has demonstrated reasonable academic proficiency.
What is an assessment?
At the beginning of the second year of home education, parents must send an academic assessment
report with the required notification information. This evaluation, along with
the notification, should be sent to the appropriate superintendent. This report
is to indicate whether the child has demonstrated either reasonable academic
proficiency, or progress in accordance with the child's abilities.
How many assessment reporting options are
available for parents to choose from?
According to the
regulations, parents have three academic reporting options from which to
choose. One option is not "better" than another option. Parents may choose to
send the superintendent one of the following:
1. the composite score results from a standardized achievement test, or
2. a written narrative, or
3. any other alternative assessment mutually agreed upon between the parents
and the superintendent.
How often do I need to submit an assessment?
After the initial year of
home education, an academic assessment must be completed on an annual basis.
What is the difference between the
academic testing option and the written narrative?
Academic testing compares a
child's academic proficiency to children of the same age across the nation. The
narrative compares the child's progress only with his own abilities.
Must a child always be working at "grade level?"
No. The regulations do not
refer to grade level either for notification purposes or for assessment
reporting purposes. Children that are being educated at home are not required
to adhere to the conventional "grade level" grouping.
What is the written narrative?
To exercise the written
narrative assessment option, parents must first choose an assessor. The
assessor must be one of the following:
1. an Ohio certified teacher; or
2. another person agreed upon by the parent and the superintendent.
The regulations state that
the parents must send the superintendent a "written narrative indicating that a
portfolio of samples of the child's work has been reviewed and that the child's
academic progress for the year is in accordance with the child's abilities.
Parents would choose the
narrative option if
1. they prefer for their child's progress to be evaluated in relation to his
abilities rather than compared to the abilities of other children;
2. they believe that standard academic testing will not accurately reflect
their child's abilities;
3. they would like to limit the time and expense incurred in testing.
The parents are required to
send the narrative report to the superintendent, along with the renotification,
at the beginning of the next school year.
*Some philosophical points to consider:
*The author’s point of
view…
These questions arise from
time to time: Are homeschoolers at odds with the schools? Are we
confrontational when we respond in the manner described above? Are we paranoid
that the schools are after us? Must it be an "us vs. them" relationship? Is
there some vast conspiracy to get at our kids?
These are good questions.
For the most part, the answers are no, no, no, no, and no. However, to really
appreciate our concern for your right to homeschool, and your adherence to the
Ohio Code, you need to go back to why you are choosing homeschooling as the
education option for your family. Whatever the answer is, rest assured, the
school bureaucrats are not pleased with your decision. Why? Well, with some
exceptions, most of you do not have a degree in education. You are not properly
trained in child psychology. You can not have the ability to teach your child
for the long haul across 8 to 12 years. How can you teach with a toddler and an
infant in the home? The National Education Association has no love for
homeschoolers. They are not pleased we are achieving so well. Not pleased that
homeschoolers are winning the spelling bees and geography bees. Why? It makes
them look awful! We have given them a no-confidence vote, and it is in the
millions today.
So, again, go back to your
family's reasons why you chose homeschooling. If necessary, recommit yourself
to those reasons to build your faith in your efforts. As Christian educators we
have a resource non-believers cannot begin to imagine: that the power of the
Holy Spirit is at work in our families directing their education and aiding us
in our daily struggles to build the faith, and educate the whole child. What a
powerful partnership. No teacher's union has such an awesome advocate!
The Ohio Code for home
schooling can seem daunting and hard to understand. That is where your support
organization comes in. Whether it is the TORCH Holy Family Chapter of Greater
Dayton you are a part of, or any other support group, you are blessed with other
moms and dads, many who have been homeschooling for years. These families are
your resources. Get to know your support group members. They will help you the
next time a question or problem arises with schools.
Trust in the Holy Spirit.
Trust in your vocational calling. Trust in your God-given right to educate your
blessed children. Turn to your Catholic support group. Turn to HSLDA.
Finally, turn back to the
schools armed with truth!
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