Recommended Procedure for Home Education Notification

***Do not send this page with your notification form - this is NOT part of your notification***

1. If your child has never been enrolled in school, proceed to #2. If you wish to remove your child from school, do the following: On the day you wish to start homeschooling, call your child's principal and calmly and simply say, " My child,_________,will no longer be attending your school. She/He will be homeschooling. Proper notification to the Superintendent has been ( or is being ) sent." It is recommended that you NOT engage in further conversation. If questions or concerns are raised, ask that they be PUT IN WRITING so that you may respond appropriately. It is NOT NECESSARY and NOT RECOMMENDED that you appear for any conferences or take any other course of action than what is specified above.

2. READ AND BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE STATE REGULATIONS. The forms included are your MASTER COPIES and SHOULD BE PHOTOCOPIED and filed for future use before filling out and submitting.

3. Complete and sign the the Home Education Notification Form. It is recommended that only ONE parent sign the form and that the telephone number or other optional information NOT be given. It is recommended that you DO NOT USE ANY FORMS PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. They frequently ask for information exceeding that required by law.

4. Make copies of EVERYTHING you will send to the SUPERINTENDENT. Keep them handy.

5. Mail the ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS to your superintendent by CERTIFIED MAIL, return receipt requested. KEEP the receipt with your copies. DO NOT HAND DELIVER your notification. By using certified mail, you protect yourself from any accusation of not having sent proper notification.

6. Within 14 days you should receive a response from the SUPERINTENDENT stating that your documents are in order and your child is excused from COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE. (We have to EDUCATE them, the schools just have to make them attend.) If you do not receive a response or receive a negative one- CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP LEADER BEFORE PROCEEDING. Usually any difficulties can be cleared up quickly and without any problems.

7. Clean out your child's school locker, desk, etc. the day before you call the principal, if possible. If not, try to have a third party empty it for you. Also have the third party return any property of the school to the office, and GET A RECEIPT for the returned material. It is advisable to keep your children from having to re-enter the school as to avoid any unpleasant experiences that may result.

8.Remember that you are NOTIFYING THEM OF YOUR INTENTION to have your child/children attend your homeschool, instead of theirs. You are NOT asking for their permission. You may withdraw your children from school at any time, for any reason. If you choose to notify in the beginning of the school year, try to be COURTEOUS and notify of your intention as soon before school starts as possible. There is no deadline for filing, BUT if your children are not in attendance somewhere and NO NOTIFICATION HAS BEEN FILED, they will be considered TRUANT.

9. If your reasons for homeschooling are primarily religious, it is important to include a statement of faith with your notification. This preserves your constitutional right to direct the education of your children.

10. Questions # 6 and # 7 on the notification form are for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. You can NOT be denied an excuse from compulsory attendance based on your answers to these questions. ALL questions with a box next to them on the form, require ONLY a check mark in the box. You DO NOT need to include any information not specifically asked for, ( eg.- high school diploma OR G.E.D. there is no need to specify)

Recommended Sample Answers to #6 & #7 on the Home Education Notification Form

# 6 - Brief outline of intended curriculum for current year.

a. Some people choose to use the outline of course work provided in the curriculum they are using or even just copy the grade level outlines provided in typical course of study at the end of this directory. Others opt for a more specific or more vague answers, sometimes including their statement of faith. The following answers are totally acceptable, frequently used answers to the brief outline question, and any ONE can be adapted to your situation.

b. Because we are commanded by God to train our children in the nurture and admonition of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to teach them diligently at all times, we feel that we will not only meet, but far exceed the average requirements in all subject areas for children their age. It is our sincerely held religious belief that no other educational option, whether public or private would allow us to achieve these objectives.

c. We intend to cover all the typical requirements for the average____ grader, and the average____ grader, and more, incorporating all the subjects mentioned in # 5, and using every opportunity for education for both/all of them.

d. The subjects listed in # 5 will be covered in an integrated manner. For example the study of Ohio history might include: reading World Book section on Ohio, reading books on Ohio history from the public library, visiting major historic sites around the state, going to Metropark presentations on the history of the state, a study of the birds of Ohio, a discussion on the science and mathematics involved in building bridges across the Maumee River or skyscrapers in Toledo, or a visit to Jeep or Davis-Besse. As you can see the ways of covering the required areas are limitless.

e. Unlike public schools and some home educating families, we do not decide in advance what we will cover over the course of the year. We have made assurance in section # 5 that the required areas will be covered and in section # 8 that a minimum of 900 hours of home education will occur.

#7 Abbreviated List of Materials to be used

a. Some homeschoolers list all of their textbooks in this section or sometimes even the name of the curriculum and grade levels they are using. A list of basic materials with no specifics is also acceptable, for example: