This today from HSLDA:

Superintendent Terminates Home Education Program Without Authority

On November 5, 2007, the superintendent of General McLane School District notified a Home School Legal Defense Association member family that he had terminated their home education program because they had failed to submit quarterly reports to his office. According to the superintendent’s letter to the family, he had approved their program at the beginning of the school year on the condition that the quarterly reports be submitted “to insure sufficient work had been completed and that you are on track in your instruction.” Knowing that state law did not require the quarterly reports, the mother serving as the supervisor of the home education program did not submit the documentation to the superintendent. The superintendent’s letter stated that the mother was required to enroll her son in the public elementary school within three days. It also threatened the mother with truancy charges should she not enroll her son in public school by the deadline established by the superintendent.

HSLDA Senior Counsel Dewitt Black immediately faxed a letter to the superintendent informing him that state law did not permit local school districts to require submission of quarterly reports in a home education program. He explained that the family in question was in full compliance with Pennsylvania’s homeschool law and did not intend to submit the quarterly reports, stop homeschooling their son, or enroll him in public school.

To date, the superintendent has made no further attempts to enforce submission of the unauthorized quarterly reports and has brought no truancy charges against the family.

Don't you love how these two-bit school "authorities" love to set their own rules and then just start enforcing them to see if anyone will scream? Has nothing to do with the law, only with how far they think they can push the envelope and get unsuspecting families to comply. Kind of reminds me of how little kids act, choosing their own boundaries and then chafing when they're brought back to the real ones. But vigilant parents are the true enforcers here and will cause school districts to back down on the extra-legal red tape and requirements.

Remember: these folks lose money for every day you're homeschooling your child. If they can force even a couple of families to enroll their kids in public school by bullying them, they could be several thousand dollars better off for the year.

Object lesson: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER YOUR STATE LAWS!

Pennsylvania Pushes the Envelope

Labels: Homeschooling