Unschooling/Homeschooling in GA?

[1colt4me]

Is it possible to unschool in Georgia? I've been reading some of the home school laws and it sounds like Ga intends for school to be pretty intense with lots or record keeping & follow-up. my DS will be kindergarten age this year. Any tips or ideas?

[moominmamma]

Not in Georgia, but I'm pretty sure it's possible. I live in a Canadian province where we voluntarily participated in a program that gave us certain perks in exchange for lots of record keeping and follow-up. We had to log learning hours by subject area on a daily or weekly basis, write weekly reports, have our children do standardized testing every three years, and allow their learning to be reviewed by a teacher three times a year. We also had to have a learning plan in place at the beginning of the year which was approved by the teacher.

We happily unschooled while meeting all these obligations. Our learning plan was a list of resources I intended to make available to my kids, combined with a description of my kids' goals and interests and their typical habits ("Will read from a variety of independently-chosen novels...." etc.). My reports were of their natural learning, their interest-led activities, their daily habits and exposures. Hours were logged without overthinking things ... an afternoon spent playing outside and helping in the garden might be logged as 2 hours of PE and 2 hours of science, and our routine of a bedtime story counted for 0.75 hours of Language Arts every day. Standardized testing was an odd but low-key and fairly enjoyable experience (because we made it into a kind of party affair with other homeschoolers and lots of junk food and social time afterwards) "doing tests like they do at school" for no particular reason other than jumping through hoops. The kids all did fine. The Report Cards the supervising teachers put together based on my reports and logs were always generous and encouraging. 

So I would encourage you not to be intimidated by apparently rigid onerous requirements. In practice unschoolers may find they can fit their child-centred non-curricular learning through the school district hoops quite easily. If you can find a local support group on-line you'll probably get a good picture from those parents of how easy it is to unschool in your area.

Miranda

[spabis]

I live in Georgia, and it's possible to unschool here.  I have some friends who do so.  It's a very easy state to homeschool in. Just join some of the homeschooling lists in Georgia, and ask any questions that you have.  You'll get lots of replies.  I recommend the Creative Home Educators Yahoo E-mail list. Those folks are very helpful and nice.  Unless your child is already enrolled at a school for Kindergarten, you do not have to file with your local school district that you are homeschooling kindergarten.  It is only law to declare that you are homeschooling starting at six years old.  I've written about that law on my blog at:

http://mamaofletters.com/2011/06/30/how-to-homeschool-kindergarten-with-information-on-the-law-in-georgia/

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me.  I could get you in touch with my unschooling friends, if you want. Good luck!!!

[pigpokey]

Originally Posted by 1colt4me 

Is it possible to unschool in Georgia? I've been reading some of the home school laws and it sounds like Ga intends for school to be pretty intense with lots or record keeping & follow-up. my DS will be kindergarten age this year. Any tips or ideas?

Uh, what have you been reading?  I think in MI you don't even register, right, so this might seem like a lot of oversight.  But it's really not.

[soulrebelmama]

I am also trying to HS/US in GA.  I have been told a few different things from different families.  I was told that you *do* have to register your children...but not until 6, so I am unsure if your child is 5 and you go through a year of Kinder (unregistered)...does that mean it doesn't count...???? (I didn't think about asking that *?* til later ) 

I have heard that documenting/ records are not as "serious" as they sound or are stated.  One Mama told me that her HSer does do a day a week at a HSer program for sciences...I forgot about what she told me for testing.  I was told that attendance was the most inportant thing that Ga looks at.  It was told to me like...they worry more about your attendance records, not your curriculum, testing etc.

I have heard it is really easy in GA...which I think surprises alot of people.

[soulrebelmama]

Somehow I skipped your post @ Spabis...I am going to PM you

Edited by soulrebelmama - 7/20/12 at 4:59pm

[mamarhu]

My experience in GA is a few years old, but if nothing has changed, all I was required to do was turn in a monthly attendance record to the district office. They asked what curriculum I planned to use, and I answered, "Oak Meadow". An absolute lie, but it was clear that they just wanted an answer, any answer. We didn't happen to be there for testing, so I don't know how that works.The attendance recording was stupid and inconvenient, but not really an issue.
 

[Nolliebfly]

Thanks...yeah the attendance seems to be the most important thing. Which I think is funny. 

Edited by Nolliebfly - 8/1/12 at 3:15pm