Homeschool: State Requirements/Enticements from Public School

In WA state where I live we are required by law to fill out an intent to homeschool form and file it with the Public School Superintendent. I suppose that way if my kids are out around town during public school hours and a police officer stops them for being truant, we can prove that they do not belong to the public school system.

Also, in our state, we must have our kids tested with a standardized test each year. I don't mind. It gives me a good idea of where their weaknesses and strengths are. It's kind of silly, though, that the state requires this because nobody sees it or ever asks too. We just file it away in a notebook. I guess if some disgruntled neighbor called CPS out on us to say we are not educating our children, then we at least have proof that they are learning when we trot out their standardized test scores.

Another requirement for WA homeschoolers is that the teaching parent must have the equivalent of two years of college or have taken a homeschool qualifying course. I have three years of college, so I'm good there. If the parent has neither then they must be supervised by a WA certified teacher.

Our public schools are always trying new angles to entice homeschoolers into their folds. After all, each head that they can count means money in their coffers. They tried Monday school for a while and several families were involved, but it fizzled after a while. I am not sure why it fizzled, but I do know they were not up front with what was expected of the families involved. One family I talked to said that nothing was said about having to take the WASL. It's a nutty test they instituted under the No Child Left Behind Act if I remember right. Everyone hates it and the teacher's jobs hinge on these test scores. If the students are not getting good scores on these tests then the teacher can be fired. So instead of teaching like they should they spend the majority of their time preparing their students to take the WASL. So, back to my story. My friend was not told they would have to take the WASL or that they were now considered public schooled children (even though they were only there one day a week). As homeschool families sometimes do, they had a trip planned for a particular week. Later the week prior, she got a call from the principal informing her that her kids were scheduled to take the WASL the following week and they needed to be there for three days for this test. She explained that being homeschoolers they were exempt from the test. (state law says so) He explained to her that her children were part of the public school system and as such were required to take the test. She told him there was no way they could cancel this trip for the test days and was finally able to strike a deal with him whereby they could take the test at another time.

I say all of this to illustrate what can happen when homeschoolers succumb to the temptation to sign their kids up for public school courses or special programs for homeschoolers through the public school system. Now, for some homeschool parents that is not a problem to them. But personally, I would rather stay as far away from the public school system as I can. I want the freedom to set up my own schedule and not have to be at their mercy.

So the other day I got a phone call from a lady at the superintendent's office. She has been hired to contact homeschoolers and find out what kinds of things they would like the public school system to provide for homeschoolers in the way of education one day a week. Seems they are trying revive the Monday School idea again. She is supposed to be sending me a survey to fill out about what I would like for them to provide. I suppose I can give my input as to what I would like IF I was to be involved, but I am hoping there won't be anything on the survey trying to commit me to sign my kids up.