Posted by Michelle on May 10 2008 at 22:59:35:
Hello again,
I had posted earlier in the week regarding the frustrating experience at Plum borough school district when I was told that they would not accept homeschool portfolios until public school was finish for the year. Eventually, they did accept mine for my child that day, but now, I received a letter that they apparently are sending to all homeschoolers in the district. It says that our portfolio must show how much time was spent on each subject and that we have to make an appointment to see when we can drop the portfolio off (it doesnīt say it, but from my talk with the secretary earlier this week, it seems they might be intending for an interview with each family). The PDE, Sarah Pearce, has received two calls from me this week. She says that the portfolio can be submitted at any time that the homeschool school year is over, and that an interview is not necessary. However, she refers to the "log made contemporaneously with instruction" might be some peopleīs interpretation of the law to be time spent, even if we are counting days and not hours. I have interpreted the law to mean a log kept alongside of the instruction, where I put the date of instruction and what we did that day....I donīt state how long we did each subject because we study all subjects all day long....learning and life are not easily recorded in specific increments of time.....we discuss lessons throughout the day, and we touch on multiple subjects at any given time. So, I believe that Iīm within my rights to say that I have complied with the law, as I understand it, but Sarah Pierce at the PDE suggests that I submit my more detailed log, that I should comply with giving the district this further documentation.....I gave them the subjects and topics learned this year, the list of our books and materials used, and a 180 day calendar of the dates we "instructed" written in to it. I just donīt think that they have a right to ask for more, when Iīve done all that and it was accepted last year. Iīve had two different evaluators who did not think my detailed log was necessary, but I kept it both years for personal reference. Even the school district thought it was overkill last year. Now, there is this new person, and I feel like they are making things harder than they need or are legally required to be. Any advice on either side of these issues would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!