HOMESCHOOLING IN CALIFORNIA

To pursue home education familiarize yourself with the state requirements. The sections of the California Education Code that are of significant importance include: 33190, 48222, 48224, 51210, 51220, and 51745. You can locate the text of these codes in public libraries. The codes detail the following methods for home education:

1. Private Instruction by a Teacher or Tutor (E.C. 48224). Children can be instructed at home by a private tutor or teacher with a valid CA credential for the grades being taught. Instruction must occur for 3 hours a day.

Grades 1-6: English, Math, Social Sciences, Science, Visual & Performing Arts, Health, Physical Education, and other studies that may be prescribed by the governing board.

Grades 7-12: English, Social Sciences, Foreign Language, Physical Education, Science, Math, Visual & Performing Arts, Health, Applied Arts, Vocational-Technical Education, Automobile Driver Education, and other studies that may be prescribed by the governing board.

2. Independent Study Program (ISP) a.k.a. Home Study Program (HSP) through the Public School (E.C. 51745). Parents can teach their children at home by enrolling in the public school district's ISP or HSP. Parents act as teacher's aides, supervised by the program teacher. The areas of study are determined by the teacher, school, district and state. Call your local school district for further information.

Note: Public School Charter Schools now offer Home Study Programs as well. The Charter’s do not have to be in your district to service you. They assign a facilitator in your area who visits your home and works with you to establish a course of study for your child. They meet with you once-a-month to discuss progress and collect attendance sheets and samples of the students work. They may provide as much as $1,000 per student ($100/month for 10 months) in educational credits to be used toward the purchase of consumable educational curricula (workbooks, textbooks, science kits, etc.) as well as music, art, science lessons, etc. They also provide state-certified high school diplomas. To contact a Charter HSP with a facilitator in your area call: one2one California Learning Foundation: 1-800-696-8008

3. Private ISPs. You may enroll your child in an extension program of a private school. Occasional campus visits and teacher counseling is often required to aid you in following the prescribed curriculum. You can find the names of these private schools in libraries & in some homeschool publications.

Additionally, paragraph 2 of Education Code 33190 provides that "whenever two or more private schools are under the effective control or supervision of a single administrative unit, such administrative unit may comply with the provisions of this section on behalf of each of the schools under its control or supervision by submitting one report (R4)". As a member "family-sized" private school, you take responsibility for your child's education, select curriculum, and comply with all of the California Education Code requirements, but you do not file an individual R4.

4. Filing an R-4 Affidavit for exemption as a Private School. (E.C. 33190 & 48222) To home educate your children without being involved with a school district, file an R-4 affidavit with the County or State Office of Education establishing your home as a private school. As a private school, you are required to maintain certain records (see list below) and must comply with the CA Education Codes that pertain to private schools. R-4 affidavits must be filed annually by October 15th. To request an R-4 form contact your county Office of Education or write:

California State Department of Education, Attn: Ron Reid, 721 Capital Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814. For further information call (916) 657-2451.

Record Requirements - if you file an R4 affidavit:
1. Maintain a copy of the R4 affidavit.
2. Faculty record. List faculty members and teaching qualifications. (Teachers do not have to be certified to teach in private schools in CA.)
3. Keep attendance records for each child.
4. Health immunization records, and the report of Health Examination for School Entry or Waiver of Health Check-up for School Entry.
5. Outline your child’s curriculum each year. In addition, it is recommended that you maintain:

l. Records that provide proof of instruction. For example, a teaching agenda or plan book; a journal indicating accomplishments in areas of study each day; a photo album of activities, classes/field trips in which the student participated; the results of tests administered.

2. Keep samples of your student’s work each year. Some families just put everything their child does in a big box including artwork, poems, copies of written thank you notes, workbook pages, art projects, science projects, etc. Other families create yearly detailed albums with photos of each field trip, coop class, art project, science experiment, etc. They also include samples of written work, math worksheets, and a bibliography of books read throughout the year. These become keepsakes (like yearbooks) that record the child’s studies and interests year after year.

Note: The legality of filing an R-4 Affidavit as well as membership in a private ISP or Administrative Unit in order to homeschool have been repeatedly challenged . There is an organization called the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) which provides legal representation by attorneys to its' member families if they are legally challenged because they are homeschooling. Lawyer's fees are paid by HSLDA. Membership is $100./year. TORCH Members can receive a discount on the annual HSLDA dues. Call (540) 338-5600 or write to HSLDA, Paeonian Springs, VA 22129 or visit the website at: www.hslda.org

CATHOLIC HOMESCHOOLING CURRICULA

These are Catholic schools that offer complete or packaged curricula. The best thing to do is to request information from each school and compare them. Each one offers something unique. What might be great for one person may not be for someone else. The descriptions that we have given are quotes from their brochures.

"The Kolbe Academy Home School Program began with two families in 1988, and has since grown to become much greater in size than the day school. The program continues to grow as home education becomes more and more popular and prevalent throughout the United States. Parents inquire into the Kolbe Academy Home School Program and choose it because of the nature of its curriculum, which has its foundation in the teachings of St. Ignatius."

Started by Laura M. Berquist who is the author of Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum. The school offers curriculum planning and guidance. They will also keep records for you.

"Our Lady of the Rosary School is governed by a board of directors who are faithful to the teachings of the Church and whose primary concern is for the souls and minds of the students. This school and the governing body looks to the Mother of God for guidance in leading students to God the Father through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Thus, Our Lady of the Rosary School will offer all enrolled students a sound, well-rounded Catholic education which will provide a thorough preparation for further academic growth and development."

"The Educational program of OLVS is the typically Catholic school format that was used successfully across the nation up until about 1960. It is traditional in the education sense that we do not experiment with your child's mind. The guidance we give is God-centered and not man-centered, materialistic, or humanistic. We set educational standards to which we encourage our students to strive for. We use St. John Bosco's 'Preventive System' of 'Reason, Religion, and Kindness.' We give traditional grades, including 'F's if they are deserved. Our Lady of Victory is a private Catholic school and is not affiliated with any other organization. The staff of Our Lady of Victory has always recognized Pope John Paul II as the true Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. We pray for him daily." Our Lady of Victory School also reprints and sells previously out-of-print Catholic textbooks.

"We are an Independent Study private school in California serving Catholic families. We offer official record keeping, graduation for 8th grade and high school, curriculum guidance, fieldtrips, Mom's Night Out (once a month social and information evening), Student Council, and a Norbertine priest for religious instruction in the home, monthly Mass at St. Michael's Abbey in Santiago Canyon. There are approximately 70 families with 170 students between K and 12 grades."

"Being independent homeschoolers ourselves, we know what independent homeschoolers are looking for: professional record-keeping; home-tested teaching tips and materials; high school materials and guides; an experienced friend to call. That's what we offer as St. Thomas Aquinas Academy: a service for homeschoolers who just need a hand."

"We enhance and support parents in their roles as primary educators of their children. Seton Home Study School provides parents with a curriculum integrated with truths of Our Catholic Faith set forth by the Magisterium, the official teaching authority of the Catholic Church, and by our Holy Father, the Pope. The students and families of Seton Home Study School have the unique opportunity to partake of the fullness of Catholic truth as they experience the beauty, freedom, and peace that comes from Catholic moral formation."

HOMESCHOOLING RESOURCES

WEB SITES
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES
Aquina Homeschool Books http://www.catholichomeschool.com/
Beautiful Feet Books http://www.bfbooks.com/
Castlemoyle Books http://www.bfbooks.com/
Catholic Heritage Curriculum http://www.chcweb.com/
Education Connection http://www.educationconnection.com/
Elijah Company http://www.elijahco.com/
Emmanuel Books http://www.tir.com/~emmanuel/
Classics http://www.information-resources.com/Library/library.html
Greenleaf Press http://www.greenleafpress.com/
Ignatius Press http://www.ignatius.com/
Libros del Angel (Books in Spanish) http://www.librosdelangel.com/
Lifetime Books (Get 20% off) http://www.lifetimeonline.com/index5.htm
Rainbow Resource Center http://www.rainbowresource.com/
Romens Catholic Bookshop http://members.tripod.com/romancathfam/index.html
Shekinah Curriculum Cellar http://www.shekinahcc.com/
Tan Books http://www.tanbooks.com/
Timberdoodle http://www.tanbooks.com/
HELPS
State of the Union http://www.cribbs.net/states/
Aesops Fables http://www.pacificnet.net/~johnr/aesop/
Tampa Reads (Remedial Reading and Phonics Worksheets) http://www.tampareads.com/ A Charlotte Mason Education http://members.aol.com/beeme1/index.html
Homeschool Center (Advice for New Homeschoolers) http://homeschoolcentral.com/new.htm
Classical Christian Homeschooling http://www.classicalhomeschooling.org/
Daily Grammar http://www.dailygrammar.com/
Essentials of Music http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/
Free Worksheets http://www.freeworksheets.com/
Keeping Toddlers/Preschoolers Busy while Homeschooling http://www.lphrc.com/ Worksheet Factory (Math and Vocabulary) http://www.worksheetfactory.com/
Parables from Natures http://www.cs.cmu.edu/%7Emmbt/women/gatty/parables/parables.html
FUN SITES
Pattern Blocks http://www.best.com/~ejad/java/patterns/patterns_j.shtml
Postcards from America http://www.postcardsfrom.com/
Puzzle Maker http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/
Thursday's Classroom (Science) http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com/
You Can Handle Them All (Behavior/Discipline Specified) http://www.disciplinehelp.com/behindex/default.htm
Unschooling http://unschooling.com/
SCHOOLS
Kolbe Academy http://www.kolbe.org/
Mother of Divine Grace http://www.motherofdivinegrace.org/
Our Lady of Perpetual Help On-line Courses http://www.lphrc.com/
Our Lady of the Rosary School http://www.olrs.com/
Our Lady of Victory School http://www.olvs.org/
St. Thomas Aquinas Academy http://staa-homeschool.com/
Seton Home Study School http://www.setonhome.org/new.htm
Products
Alpha Omega http://www.home-schooling.com/
Abeka Homeschool http://www.abeka.org/
Castlemoyle Books http://www.bfbooks.com/
Doorposts http://www.doorposts.net/
Apologia Educational Ministries (High School Science) http://www.highschoolscience.com/ Jim Weiss (Storyteller) http://www.greathall.com/
Learning Language through the Arts http://www.cspress.com/covers.htm
Our Father's House (Julia Fogassy - Sound Beginnings) http://www.ourfathershouse.com/ Phunny Phonics http://www.phunnyphonics.com/
Professor Phonics http://www.professorphonics.com/
Saxon Publishers http://www.saxonpub.com/
Shurley Method (Grammar) http://www.shurley.com/
Sing, Spell, Read and Write http://www.singspell.com/
Five in a Row http://www.fiveinarow.com/
Homeschool Reference Material (includes Kay Milow's Language Arts from A to Z) http://members.aol.com/~kaymilow/
Institute for Excellence in Writing http://www.writing-edu.com/
The Well Trained Mind http://www.welltrainedmind.com/
Writing Strands http://www.writingstrands.com/
Math-U-See http://www.mathusee.com/
Moving with Math http://www.movingwithmath.com/
Singapore Math http://www.singaporemath.com/
Resources
Catholic Educators Resource Center http://www.catholiceducation.org/
Catalogs and Materials http://www.solarcontrol.com/catalogs.htm
Favorite Resources for Catholics http://www.love2learn.net/
World History Resources
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/3732/resources.html
Used Books and Material
Abe Books http://www.abebooks.com/
Home School Book Depot http://hometown.aol.com/HomeSchoolBooks
Treasure Chest Used Books http://www.nlcomm.com/~holyfam/Books.htm