MAYBE NOT QUITE AS BAD AS PENNSYLVANIA’S
DC’s proposed homeschooling regs would put it close to the bottom. The worst bit is that they define homeschooling as something only a “parent or legal guardian” can do. So no grandparents teaching their grandchildren. Maybe no co-op classes, too. [Huge hat tip to Skip Oliva]
One Response to “MAYBE NOT QUITE AS BAD AS PENNSYLVANIA’S”
 Comment by StarGirl July 1st, 2008 at 10:32 am |
The worst bit is that they define homeschooling as something only a “parent or legal guardian” can do. I didn’t read it that way at all. For example, it says “the home schooling program [not the parent] shall provide instruction [in various subjects]…” While it does seem to be written from a point of view that assumes the parent will be doing some teaching, it doesn’t seem to limit the program to *only* things the parent teaches. Obviously, though, there are other flaws. Even in Pennsylvania we don’t have to provide “thorough, regular instruction” – that’s a pretty school-y standard to meet. In PA we have to do 180 days of “instruction”, which could mean almost anything and is most often shown in the portfolio by a calendar with 180 days checked off (which takes 5 minutes); cover assorted subjects (coloring pages, anyone?); and the student must make “sustained progress in the overall program”, which seems to be an issue only if the portfolio raises *huge* numbers of red flags. We don’t need to be “thorough” or “regular”, thank goodness. It seems like these DC regs are OK (no periodic review of the portfolio) *until* the cranky neighbor lady raises questions about you. After that, it sounds like they’ll be expecting you to look pretty school-y. Of course, you could always make it very difficult for the OSSE and you to agree on a place for the port review… |