unregistered homeschooling families? - Page 2

[Savoir Faire]

I absolutely HATE the idea of registering...but I'd be worried about some of the more negative things that could happen if caught. Just because some people got off lenient does not mean you will. I understand your intentions, but I feel it is a bit of playing with fire (with kids).

[SweetSilver]

I agree that the risk for me, too, seems too great.  But I'm still unclear what the risks are, in our state.  I also think that now that homeschooling is a recognized right in every state, that the need to go underground iunnecessary.  I was hoping to see if anyone reading this forum actually did do it without registering and why.  Because, on the off chance that the first response is merely a warning, I might want to just ignore it for a while.  If the usual response is to call CPS, well, yeah, I wouldn't want to risk that, not in a million years.  (My hats off to those homeschooling families decades ago who in some states risked everything to educate their own!)

     True, our state has few and easy requirements and is accepting of homeshooling families.  My desire for complete freedom in educating my kids-- just as it is for myself-- is deep enough that IF the first reaction authorities have is a warning, then I would really appreciate just not bothering for as long as I can.  I'm probably still overreacting, not looking forward to tests or assessments however easy. I have always preferred trusting my own judgement, and it irritates me when others don't trust it, too (yes, to a fault, I am sure, but I also think that I am worthy of that trust, and feel slighted when others don't.)

     For now, a year or so away from needing to being "official", I'm just putting out the feelers, collecting information about ALL aspects of homeschooling from every source I can: my state, our state HS organizations, homeschooling parents, everybody.  I'm not about ready to ask anyone official "what happens if I don't register?"  That's why I post, to see if anyone stills does and why.

[milkybean]

If you're really curious, call your school district and ask.  Maybe from a pay phone.  :)

WA is just so, relatively, easy.  It's not even registering, just declaring.  And we don't have to turn in assessments or tests to anyone, unless, I imagine, there was something else happening and they wanted to see what ELSE was or was not happening in the home.  I'm cool with that. 

Am I *looking forward* to declaring him once he's 8?  (well, probably the August after that, because his b'day is so close to the end of the school year)  No, not really.  But then, if I do NOT declare him, and then he wants to take a class or in the future join a sport, at a school, he won't be able to do so, as he would simply be truant, and not enrolled in school or homeschool. 

[MathMomma]

Washington's "Becca Bill" has increased penalties of truancy.  I wouldn't chance it.