Any Mommas on Here Have Their Kids Homeschooled?

HIyas! Over 2 million people homeschool in the USA...:) You are far from alone! I have a 6 and 4 year old I HS in Jax, Fl and there is soooo much that it can be overwhelming!
Best advice I can give is to go to yahoo groups and search for homeschool groups in your area. there are so many really great ones!! They are your BEST resource for not only questions, but confusion, social activities, friendships, venting, joys, frustrations, reality checks and just someone to turn to.

Then you need to figure out HOW you want to school your child...set curriculum? Buy something in a box? online school? use a free complete curriculum? (example would be www.lessonpathways.com) do your research and your homework and talk to others before making a final decision...there are many ways to go about this...:)

Your first thing is to know your rights!
Homeschooling in Florida

Here we separate fact from fiction when it comes to homeschooling in Florida.

How to legally homeschool in Florida

There are a few steps you must take to ensure you are in compliance with Florida's home education laws.

1. Send in a letter of intent to homeschool to your district superintendent. This letter MUST contain the child's name, child's birth date, home address and the parent's name. NOTHING more is required. If you use a form provided by your school district they will most likely ask for information that is not legally required of you. You do not need to list a phone number, social security number, vaccination records or grade level.

2. Within the next 365 days you must have your child evaluated (see methods of evaluation below). The results must be on the superintendents' desk no later than 365 days after you file your letter or intent, and every 365 days thereafter. The due date is always the anniversary of your letter of intent, NOT the anniversary of when you sent in your last evaluation.

3. You MUST maintain a portfolio that contains samples of your child's work throughout the year. Samples do not need to be workbooks, they can be copies of letters written, art projects, photographs from events, etc. Keep each portfolio for a period of no less than two years and have it available for superintendent inspection with a 15 day written notice.

4. You MUST maintain a DATED list of books read and materials used. Keep the list for a period of no less than two years and have it available for superintendent inspection with a 15 day written notice.

Evaluation Options

Here is a simple breakdown. You must pick ONE method.

-Annual portfolio evaluation by a FL certified teacher. The teacher can teach any subject, any grade. This evaluation is due exactly 365 days after you file your letter of intent to homeschool with your district superintendent. Many counties send threatening warning letters to homeschooling parents in the spring giving parents a due date for their evaluations, please know that THESE DUE DATES ARE NOT MANDATORY, nor is it with the school district's legal scope to ask for your evaluation before your 365 days are up. The best course of action is to discard this warning letter. You are not being singled out when you receive this letter, it is sent to every parent who has sent in a letter of intent to homeschool in the district.

-Student can take a nationally-normed test administered by a FL certified teacher.

This test can be the SAT, ACT, etc. The parent is responsible for finding a teacher to buy & administer the test.

-Student can take a state assessment test, the FCAT.

The FCAT is available for free in certain grades if you take your child to your locally zoned school for administration with the public school students. Most districts send homeschooling parents a notification via mail of test administration times and dates.

-Annual portfolio review by a licensed psychologist.

-Any other method mutually agreed upon by the parent and the district superintendent.

You have another choice!

Another method of educating your child at home is through the Florida Private School Laws. Families that use this option are not legally considered homeschoolers, their children are considered private school students by the state. This is an option for many families for many reasons, and only YOU can decide if it is the right choice for your family.

Commonly referred to as "umbrella schools" or "600 schools", these private schools vary greatly in cost and benefits. Umbrella schools can range from very low cost and offer only the basic record keeping to over $1000 per month with a full curriculum, sports programs and supplemental teaching.

One such school is called Florida Unschoolers. This is free and only costs a stamp, a few pieces of paper, and filling out an attendance form online every 3 months. (http://www.freewebs.com/floridaunschoolers/index.htm)
100% legal, you DO NOT have to be an unschooler and yes, this covers ALL of Florida!

Yet a third choice!

You also have the option of having your child privately tutored by a licensed Florida teacher. See the statute listing below for legal information.

The actual laws

The Florida Department of Education maintains a current listing of all the laws regarding home education.

Here you will see the statue numbers that correspond with each law.

1002.01 - Definitions of a Home Education Program

1003.21 - Regular school attendance

1002.41 - Home Education Programs

1006.51 - Student Standards for Participation in Interscholastic Extracurricular Activities

1009.53 - Bright Futures Scholarship

1007.27 – Dual enrollment in a college or university

1007.263– Admission into Community College

1007.261 -Admissions into state universities

1002.42 - Private school options

1002.43 - Private tutoring options

Some other interesting tidbits of information

You do not need to belong to the Florida Parent Educator's Association to homeschool legally or to obtain educator discounts.

Your evaluation is not due "at the end of the year" or "at the end of the school year" or at any date give you in a form letter by the school district. Your evaluation is always due on the anniversary of filing your letter of intent to homeschool, regardless of when that day occurs in the year! The school district cannot enforce the due date they give in the above mentioned form letter.

You do not need to file a letter of intent each year. The submission of your child's evaluation is considered confirmation that you will be homeschooling the upcoming 365 days.

According to Florida Statute 1009.53, homeschooled students may participate in the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

According to Florida Statute 1006.15, homeschooled students in Florida have the right to participate in any extracurricular activities offered by their zoned public school. The child must have proof of immunization, and may be required to participate in a school-hours class, such as band. The child does not need to be enrolled as a part-time student of the school. This does not apply to private schools.

You do not need to hold a teaching certificate or college degree to homeschool any ages or grades in Florida.

B. - I was so happy to see that you live in FL - a VERY homeschool friendly state!

You did not mention the age of your daughter. She might be eligible for Florida Virtual School (www.flvs.net) which is basically public school online. My middle schooler and high schooler both take FLVS classes; however, I'm not sure about availability for younger grades (be sure to check their web site). It's wonderful - they have honors and AP courses, and you can go as fast as you want to.

You may want to google "Dade" or "Broward Homeschool Support Groups" and see what you discover. Also, in Palm Beach County our school district has a homeschool page (with lots of references and links).

We began homeschooling with my younger son half way through 3rd grade. One of the things that was so difficult in traditional school was dealing with all of the allergies, especially with foods (he has 40+ food sensitivities). Homeschooling gave me the opportunity to REALLY get a handle on his health issues. He has gotten so strong he is going for his black belt in karate!

There are many outside activities for homeschoolers in southern Florida - your daughter will not have to be isolated.

Good luck and I hope all of this comes together for you. We absolutely love it and just regret not doing it sooner

PS: I love Kitty's response where she sets forth much of the legality to homeschooling in FL. Be sure you read through all that information. You do NOT have to be in virtual school. You can pretty much do it however you want to so long as you comply with the law.

I homeschool my two children 10 and 13. I have homeschooled them for the last 5 years. I LOVE homeschooling my children. I am able to spend so much time with them and take them on field trips with other homeschoolers. Also, you never have homework to figure out! You can get curriculum online, at book stores, and through different groups. I belong to the yahoo homeschool loop for my area. This sends me an e-mail from anyone who posts things on this group and it helps me to find a wide array of help. I think that it is a much better idea than school. But as they get older, it does take a lot more time. One hard change for the kids is doing school at home. This is their play area and it takes a little bit of adjustment. But it doesn't take too long and they get the hang of it. It doesn't take a teaching degree to do this, but a lot of patience and love. All homeschool curriculum sells answer books, so you don't have to worry about getting it wrong. It is a great decision and I have never regretted it. Also in regards to her medical issue, my son is diabetic, and it makes it A WHOLE LOT easier to have him at home. I hope this helps.

home schooling is GREAT, I homeschooled my daughter for a few years. She's also been in school. She likes a combination really.

You do have to keep your eyes open a lot more with her and do have your hands full.

I know a lot of drs are now saying that dairy has nothing to do with it, but I really strongly suggest getting her off all dairy products, gluten, sugar, processed foods and flour products. Give her lots of fresh foods and watch her thrive. We ARE what we eat. If you're afraid of her getting enough calcium (which, by the way is not achieved properly via cow products) you can give her lots of rich green leafy veggies like kale and collards and broccoli. Sesame seeds are great too. If she doesn't want the veggies drizzle some tahini on the veggies or make some hummus with any different beans you'd like, some olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and some olives. she can dip some veggies in it.
Good luck

There are more homeschooling and virtual schooling parents in Hialeah than you would think. :) That's the good news.

The other great thing is that Florida Virtual School is also available to your daughter. Check out http://www.FLVS.net. My kids have taken FLVS classes, but we have not been a full-time homeschool family since i'm a single mom who works outside the home.

The best thing, in my opinion may be the following option. Your child may be entitled to what is considered ESE eligibility and individual education by a MDCPS teacher who is dedicated to homebound and hospitalized children in our district since she misses so much school due to her chronic illness. Most people (even counsellors) are unaware this even exists. See page 70 of the document (which is page 73 of the PDF) at this link: http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/wp-content/uploads...

Best of luck to you and blessings to your daughter. My prayers are with you both!

Don't know where you live; but google home schooling in your city/county and you will find DOZENS of groups. Most are located at churches, private homes; and have all kinds of social activities. You will meet other parents who are or have dealt with similar issues.
Good luck and many blessings, S.

Do a Google Search for your area.... and each area/state has Home school organizations.... and via that, you WILL find, all sorts of resources/help/groups for YOUR area. PER your area. So many resources, available....
So do a Google Search inputting "home school organizations in Florida" for example. MANY will come up. Or "home schooling resources in Florida".

In your area, there is also a "Virtual School", http://www.connectionsacademy.com/landing/Google-Florida....

So that are options too. Which a friend of mine, who lives in California, is doing that with her Daughter.

all the best,
Susan