Homeschooling in California
Hi, my name is Laura, and I homeschool in California! I am the mom to six kids, all adopted and all special needs. We have been homeschooling for almost eight years now.
If you have questions or comments about homeschooling in California, visit our online California support group.
California Homeschooling Resources
To find out more about the legal requirements for homeschooling in California, articles, and state-specific resources you can also visit one of these sites:
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Legal disclaimer: This section is one family’s story and how
they meet the mandatory school attendance laws in California. It is not intended and should not be used as definitive legal advice.
In most states, parents find a variety of legal methods to pursue the educational approach that they prefer for their child.
Making Connections in our State
I am the state wide contact for families with special needs children for California Homeschool Network. I have also created a group that gets together for projects related to the current season or holidays and go on field trips.
According to homeschooling authorities, homeschoolers in California have four basic options for teaching their children at home:
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File an
affidavit
to function as a private school
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Enroll in a private school satellite homeschool program
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Have home instruction provided by a certified tutor
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Enroll in an independent study program at home using home school curriculum.
It is nice to have choices in the best way to homeschool our children. Because of the different options for homeschooling in California, it is easy to find some way that fits your family best. Our family is currently using a charter school. In the past, and starting next year, we will be filing a PSA so that we will be our own private school.
Our Homeschool Day
So what does an average homeschool day look like in our house? The kids go through their morning routine of eating, showering, dressing and morning chores. Then they have some play time while I finish any chores I need to do. We then work on lessons and/or projects we are doing. The older kids the younger children doing preschool too. After lunch, the older kids read while the younger ones are going down for naps. Then if they have anything left to finish up for the day, they do that.
Their options are playtime, chores, helping with meals and then computer and phone time for them with their friends.
That is a typical at home day. If we have outings or park day, then we just adapt any lesson time around those activities. The kids also have art classes, karate, science and writing classes to attend so that has to be worked into the day.
California Charter Schools for Homeschooling
Excerpt from the Time4Learning parent forum:
There are different types of charter schools. Some are run by school districts and they are "in school" charters.
Then there are charter schools that are homeschool based. We have used this route for all the years we have been homeschooling.
The homeschool based charter school provides a teacher once a month to collect attendance and work samples. They are also there
to bounce ideas off of and place the purchase orders for curriculum, field trips and classes that the charter school offers.
The funding offered by each charter school varies so interviewing each school is a must to see what they offer for the money
provided. There is also a different rate for high school than for elementary which is considered K-8 for the purpose of funding.
The constraints are no religious materials, you have to use their vendors, and testing is required by the school. Now I
use "required" loosely since you can opt out of testing just by writing a letter stating you are opting your child out.
When someone switches to the private school option, they do lose funding and any other supports the charter school was offering. Families make the switch for different reasons - confident enough to not have the oversight, want more freedom, want to use religious based materials, will be traveling a lot, etc. We are leaving due to the constraints and other issues with special education.
Educating yourself is the best way to go so you can make an informed decision about what will work best for you and your family. Even if you make a decision and it doesn't work, then you can always try something new. Please feel free to go to California Homeschool Network
and click on "Just the Fact"s to get a better understanding of the different options in California.
To look up charter schools in your specific county you can visit the California Department of Education site here.
California Charter Schools and Time4Learning
Time4Learning is an approved homeschool vendor for many California charter schools and is a popular choice for thousands of homeschool families in the state. Please view the list below to see if your school is included:
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Visions in Education
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Sky Mountain Charter School
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Mountain Peak Charter School
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Golden Valley Charter School
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Twindly Bridge Charter School
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River Springs Charter School
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Connecting Waters Charter School
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South Sutter Charter School
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Ocean Grove Charter School
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Eagles Peak Charter School
The cost for billing through a PO (purchase order) system with payment by check in arrears (at the end, not the start of the month is) is $25 per month. No contract is required. Cancel at any time. Sign up now. When registering, Charter School parents do not put in their credit card. Instead, enter the charter school's tracking code. If you are unsure what your tracking code is please contact us here.
If the charter school you belong to is not listed here and you are interested in adding this program, please email your educational specialist or charter school with a link to this page. Once Time4Learning is approved as a vendor for your charter school we will have your account setup within 24 hours of receiving a purchase order.
Choosing A Homeschool Curriculum
California homeschool law includes the freedom for families to pick and choose their own curriculum based on what works best for their child. However, families new to homeschooling quickly discover a dizzying array of choices when it comes to selecting homeschool curriculum. There is no more popular discussion among homeschoolers on the web than the pros and cons of various homeschool curriculum. After sifting through the homeschool curriculum reviews, most parents end up mixing and matching homeschool preograms, trying to create the best match for their child.
For families with more than one child, choosing
a homeschool curriculum
can even be more problematic. What works for one child, may not work for another. What works for one subject may not work on the next. What works one year, may fall flat the very next year.
Time4Learning's experience shows that there is no single, best homeschool material. Rather than feeling torn between homeschool resources, parents should select a diverse blend of materials and activities.
Some of the features that make Time4Learning so successful include:
- Time4Learning appeals to a wide range of learning styles. Our online learning materials are especially well-suited to children who are visual or kinesthetic learners. These children can take advantage of Time4Learning's interactive, multimedia materials.
- Children like using the computer to learn. It's a convenient, interactive homeschool resource that provides a welcome change each day to paper-and-pencil workbooks and textbook-based lessons.
- Parents like that it tracks progress and helps children advance by clearly presenting and reinforcing each lesson. Quizzes and tests are graded by the computer, saving valuable time and effort for parents who would be happier concentrating on other areas.
- Time4Learning's self-paced, modularized lesson plans allow you to move forward and back through the materials whenever you want. You can skip lessons that teach concepts your child has already mastered and repeat those he or she has not. The choice is yours. With Time4Learning, you are always in control.
Time4Learning is proven effective with homeschoolers, has a low monthly price, is easy-to-use, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can make sure that it works for your children!
Sign up for Time4Learning as part of your overall homeschool program.
If you have more questions about homeschooling in California, or want to learn more about our experiences in the state, you can contact me at the California Parent Forum.
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