I just wanted to post some general homeschooling info. Five years ago I knew nothing about homeschooling and actually had a negative opinion about it. However, it was a path that we found ourselves on and I just wanted to let other people know how it works in California.
First of all, the only legal homeschooling option in California is to have a credentialed teacher tutoring your child. That could get expensive quickly. However, there is a very easy alternative that alot of homeschoolers use in this state.
You can start your own private school. As you probably know, private schools are not regulated in terms of curriculum, number of days of school, teacher credentials, etc. Well, that makes it very easy for homeschooling. You fill out a form with the state in October, put together a notebook with a few pages indicating attendance, "course of study", and "teacher qualifications" and you're done. No one checks up on you, there are no testing regulations, and you get to decide how to educate your child.
If you feel you need a bit more guidance with homeschooling, there are a variety of ways to have someone else help you out.
Private School Programs can range from someone simply keeping your paperwork for you to a program that helps you with curriculum selection, providing classes, etc. Usually you pay a fee to join.
ISPs or charter schools are public school programs for homeschoolers. Although your child does not go to school everyday, he/she is still considered a public school student. These programs also range from pretty hands off (and actually provide you funds to buy curriculum or sign up for classes) to programs that are very strict on what curriculum you use and what your child is taught daily. These programs require standardized testing, although individual test scores do not have to be kept in your child's record.
For more info on homeschooling in California, you can visit http://www.californiahomeschool.net . If you want more specific info, feel free to contact me at hijola@yahoo.com .
