Establishing a Home-Based Private School

As I discussed last month, parents may choose from among four legal options for homeschooling their children in the state of California.  They may establish a home-based private school, enroll in a private ISP (Independent Study Program), enroll in a public ISP or hire a credentialed tutor.  Of the four, the home-based private school option offers the most flexibility for determining the style and choice of curriculum.  It is the option my family has chosen for homeschooling our daughter. 

As with all private schools in California, home-based private schools are required to file a Private School Affidavit (PSA) (also known as an R-4 form) between
October 1 and October 15 of each school year.  The form itself is found on the California Department of Education website, www.cde.ca.gov (search for “Private School Affidavit”), beginning October 1 of each year (even though the official school year begins before October 1). 

Filing online is a simple process.  The HomeSchool Association of California website, www.hsc.org, provides a step-by-step guide that walks you through the entire process.  I was a little apprehensive about correctly completing the paperwork for the first time in 2006, but it literally took about 20 minutes to do online with this guide.  After you fill out your online PSA form and submit it, you need to print out a copy and keep it for three years.  California also requires attendance records.  Although it's not required, I also like to keep a record of what we do each day (I usually jot down what we've covered and any extracurricular activities on a calendar), as well as keep a sample of some of the actual school work. 

One of the great flexibility aspects of choosing to homeschool with a home-based private school is the unlimited options you have in choice of curriculum.  This can also be very overwhelming!  A lot of homeschoolers are on tight budgets since choosing to homeschool may mean giving up one income.  The prices of curriculums vary, so you want to try and make good choices.  If you have no idea where to start, you might want to take a look at a book I recently found at the local library - Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy.  The book asks questions about such things as your homeschooling goals, how much one-on-one time you can and want to realistically spend teaching, and your children's learning styles.  Based on your answers, the book offers suggestions for which curriculum might be best suited to your situation with descriptions of 100 of them.  It can really help you narrow down the choices. 

Many companies have sample or placement tests on their websites which allow you a peek at what their curriculum is like and whether or not it's suited to your child.  There are large homeschool conferences where vendors have their products right there for you to see, touch and feel - but, it's still a good idea to have some idea of what you're looking for before you go so you don't give in to impulse buys! 

A wonderful local resource is Educational Resources of Monterey County, or ERMCO, (www.ermco.net).  Membership at ERMCO entitles you to the use of anything in their Resource Center.  They offer a wide variety of homeschooling curriculums, along with a wonderful staff to help assist you and answer questions.  This is a great way, at a nominal cost, to be able to try out different types of curriculum without investing large sums of money. 

You can also talk to other homeschooling parents for recommendations, but keep in mind that what works for one family (or even one child) won't necessarily work for another.  The best advice is to do your own homework before making a curriculum decision. 

© 2008 MBayKids.com - All rights reserved. Privacy | Disclaimer | Advertising | Contact Us