Hi all:) Im new on here and am seeking info on the specifics on unschooling my 6th grader. He is the smartest, brightest kid and a natural born athlete:) but you would never know that on paper (report cards). The unschooling "idealistics" Im becoming a huge fan of:) can anyone offer me clear advice as far as: 1)when and how to withdraw a student from school 2) is this legal?
Not to sound funny but I feel like Im breaking the law lol even though Im using my God givin right to "parent" my child! Thanks for any feed back:)
Ok, I'm on my computer now, with a real keyboard, so I can answer your questions.
First, you can withdrawl your child from school at any time. Just go into the office, and tell them you are withdrawling him. You don't have to give them a reason if you don't want to, or you can simply say I've found another educational opportunity for him, and leave it at that.
As far as, is it legal?, the simple answer is yes, unschooling is legal in all 50 states. But, you have to work within the guidelines of your specific state. For instance, I am in Fl. I have my children enrolled in an umbrella school. I only keep track of attendance (not hard since we unschool 365 days a year) and report that back to the school. And that's it. No paperwork, no testing, no involvement from the state.
If my kids weren't enrolled with their umbrella school, I could still unschool, but I would have to get a bit more creative with it. I would need to keep a portfolio of their work, and have them evaluated yearly.
To find out more about what you need to do, the first step is to look at your state's home-school laws. Make sure you understand the different options, and what is expected of you with each of them. Look for an umbrella school in your state (sometimes also called cover schools), and try to find other unschoolers in your state, to talk with and find out how they comply with the laws, while still unschooling.
It is possible in each state, but some states require you to get a lot more creative than others. Pa I think is especially tough, where as Tx or Az are really simple and easy.
Hi ourateam4. Nice to meet you. This is the first blog I have ever been on so bear with me. Anyway, I have been homeschool my 11 and 7 year old daughters since the beginning. I have tried a few different ways. We finally settled on this great Homeschool Charter school that we live near. Even though we are technically through the state, our coordinators are wonderful and support everything we do. Anyway, getting back to your issues. Due to many years of trying to find the right curriculum or activities to do and trying to plan out everything to do in a day and worrying all the time whether or not I am doing it "right", I have been very frustrated that last couple of years. My kids fight everything I due. I am always on edge and I'm am just plum out of ideas. So after talking to a couple of unschooling parents, I have decided to try that approach. Now I just feel like a mother who is letting their kids do whatever they want, educational or not. I have been told that the transition can take awhile. There are days that I just can't take it anymore and sit down with my kids and make them do something. At that point I remember why I quit doing that in the first place. This is the best advice I have for you. I absolutely believe that unschooling is an option that works for many families. I am still figuring out if it will work for mine. The hardest thing for me is finding what my kids are really interested in. There interests change all the time, so it's hard to support specific ideas. This is what I have been trying to do recently. Unfortunately, we live in a household that watches way to much tv. However, for about 4 hours every day, my kids have to do something besides watching tv, playing video games or playing on the computers. Of course there are some exceptions. This was tough for us at first, but it does seem to be working. My kids aren't really doing any "school work", but they are playing and building and pretending. I have increased the chores they do. I am trying to make them more independent. Of course any opportunity we have to go somewhere, we do as long as i can afford it. Through our school the girls have optional classes that they take on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We also do a lot of field trips and Girl Scout activities. Trust me though, I doubt this method everyday. I know my kids are very bright, but I don't know if their knowledge would meet "state standards". However, I feel like I am protecting my children from a lot of bad stuff by keeping them home with me.
As far as legalities go, it depends on what state you live in. I live in California. Here all we have to do if we want to be totally dependent with our schooling is fill out a homeschooling affidavit once a year. Being that I participate in this charter school, I don't have to do that. It has it's good and bad aspects, but my kids love the classes they offer so it's good. I go with them and stay all day long. I peak in on any class I want or stay in the class the whole time if I want. If you live in an area that offers something like that, you may want to try that option as well. Sorry if I talked too much, but I always have a lot to say. I hope that helps a little.
Unschooling - would love to hear from experienced unschool moms
- ourateam4
on Feb. 14, 2012 at 5:02 PM