compulsory school age... any reason to file early??

[Lisa Lubner]

hi

i live in pa... we don't technically have to file anything until the kids reach the age of eight. would there be any reason at all for me to file early? would there be any benefit to having a sortof official record of us homeschooling for the next two years??

thanks!

[lilyka]

we did it for the dicount at barnes and noble. but if there is no penalty for filing early here (needing to submit anything to anyone, testing etc, they just have your name a year early. ). otherwise i see no benefit of filing early.

[Itlbokay]

Originally Posted by lilyka

we did it for the dicount at barnes and noble.

I have no advice, but discount!? What discount? Do tell

[AuntLavender]

In my state (FL) if you file too early they will either ignore your letter or require that you send in an annual evaluation (if they accept your letter of intent).

I wouldn't file earlier than the law in your state requires you to because then you may set the stage for changing the law to require that you register your child when they are 5 or even earlier.

Never do more than the law requires imo!

For example the evaluator I use gives me a copy of her teaching certificate. I do not send in a copy of that with my child's evaluation because that is extra legal meaning I am doing something I don't have to do.

The discount at Borders is a 20% off card. I just asked for a homeschoolers discount and was given the card. My state does not give homeschoolers ID cards so they just take my word for it. When I check out I give them the card and they give me a short form to fill out that just includes my address and something like what grades and the name of our homeshcool (I write a different name each time as creativity comes to mind).

[4evermom]

I live in PA, also, and have not heard any good reasons to file early. I don't think this state gives out HS ID, though I'm sure you could use some of the paperwork to prove you are homeschooling for the sack of discounts. Some homeschool groups make their own IDs, I've heard. It seems to me, by filing early, you will just run into extra expenses since you need to get things notarized and hire an evaluator. I'm also of the mind that you shouldn't provide more than legally required lest the school districts begin to expect more and give other law abiding homeschoolers a hard time.

[lilyka]

for barnes and nopble we have to have our affidavit saying we are homeschooling. once we show it to them the3y give us a card and that is all we need.

[shaywyn]

Originally Posted by AuntLavender

Never do more than the law requires imo!

:

[PumpkinSeeds]

Originally Posted by AuntLavender

Never do more than the law requires imo!

:

[annethcz]

An acquaintance of mine homeschooled her DD for kindergarden, and then wanted to enroll the child in school for 1st grade. The school wouldn't accept that the child had been homeschooled for K, because no paperwork had been filed, and wouldn't allow the child to be enrolled in 1st grade. The result is that the child will be registered as being homeschooled for 1st grade, so she can be enrolled in 2nd grade the following year.

Personally, though, I don't file until I need to. Compulsory school age in my state is 7, so I don't have to file until my kids are 2nd grade age.

[warriorprincess]

Not for the first child, no, but my SD sends the DOI in the mail each year after the first filing, so when a younger sib will turn 8 over the next school year, it's easier for me to file that child a few months early.

[Lisa Lubner]

i'm not going to file. i'm already on state assistance for my medical care and for food stamps... i think they're involved enough in my life as it is. funny thing though, when i applied for the assistance, i had to put down that adam was homeschooled... when the lady read that, she went into her whole schpeel about needing to send in the affidavit and all that. i reminded her that compulsary school age in PA is 8, and my son is only 6. hehe.

*also, i managed to get a borders and b&n discount card in pa with my own homeschooling ID card that i made at home on my printer.

[folkypoet]

Originally Posted by AuntLavender

Never do more than the law requires imo!

There was a great article in HEM a few years back by Susan and Larry Kaseman that talks about this.

From the article:

The most effective ways we can maintain our homeschooling freedoms is by not doing more than the minimum required by state law. If we voluntarily do more than required, we set precedents for increased regulation of homeschooling and undermine our right to homeschool according to our principles and beliefs.... read more

[onlyzombiecat]

Dh and I were kind of wondering about this- not a year or more early though in our case. Compulsory age here is 7 years. Dd will not be 7 until then end of March this year. Do we go ahead and register our homeschool at the beginning of the school year or wait until March?

[littlest birds]

Here, though you can file a year later than kindergarten-age, if you do then that first year will count as the kindergarten year if you try to enroll in school later. So it amounts to "officially" being a year behind age-mates in school grade level, and possibly being placed accordingly.

[dharmamama]

Originally Posted by onlyzombiecat

Dh and I were kind of wondering about this- not a year or more early though in our case. Compulsory age here is 7 years. Dd will not be 7 until then end of March this year. Do we go ahead and register our homeschool at the beginning of the school year or wait until March?

You don't have to file until the beginning of the next school year during which she would be "school aged." So if your daughter will be seven next March (2007), you don't have to file until the following August/September (2007).

Namaste!

[onlyzombiecat]

Originally Posted by dharmamama

You don't have to file until the beginning of the next school year during which she would be "school aged." So if your daughter will be seven next March (2007), you don't have to file until the following August/September (2007).

Namaste!

Really? So if we filed at the beginning of this school year it would be pretty early. I'll have to talk to dh about this.

[kofduke]

Didn't compulsory school age in PA just change to 6 very recently?

[Houdini]

Originally Posted by ms.momi

hi

i live in pa... we don't technically have to file anything until the kids reach the age of eight. would there be any reason at all for me to file early? would there be any benefit to having a sortof official record of us homeschooling for the next two years??

thanks!

We are starting our youngest in K this year, but won't be filing with the district until it is necessary. I don't see the point.