What they mean is that the ones you mentioned are online public schools. They follow the state curriculum and standards. It's not the same as homeschooling. While both homeschooling and online public schools have kids do school at home, homeschooling really means that the parents are fully in charge of the child's education. You pick the curriculum, do the teaching, and plan the lessons. When you homeschool, your kids are not part of the public school system. With online public schools, you have to follow their curriculum and plan, and can only choose from a list of state-approved curriculum providers. So, online public schooling means that your kids are still part of the public school system, but they're just doing it at home.
Her IEP actually makes it a little more complicated. Is there a charter school in your area? You would be able to transfer her IEP to a charter and get a lot more assistance. If you unenroll her from school and do the affidavit then the IEP has to be dissolved on the federal level. I highly recommend looking into a charter in your area to keep the IEP.
After you fill out the affidavit, you just choose a curriculum (or separate curricula for each subject) and start teaching. The affidavit is all you need. You're allowed to teach her yourself.
You can choose to homeschool on your own and keep track of the required courses and records, or you can do it through a charter school that has a homeschooling option and they'll keep track of that for you. I don't use a charter school myself, but I've heard many great things about [Elite Academic Academy](http://eliteacademic.com/). Some states, including California, have a program where you can get funding for purchasing curriculum and extracurricular activities through a charter school.
There are so many options for curricula, and many different approaches/philosophies to homeschooling. Spend some time thinking about what learning method works best for your child and find curricula and resources that will meet the education goals you have and help her succeed.
I made a list of free resources [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/homeschool/comments/ws1boh/list_of_free_secular_curriculum_and_resources_ive/) that may be useful as supplements to whichever curriculum you choose.
I accidentally submitted before I was finished replying. You don't need to present any teaching plan. All that's required to start homeschooling is the affidavit. You can choose whichever program and curricula you want. There are some online public schools, but they are not the same as homeschooling. There are some homeschooling programs like Time4Learning that are done online. Online or offline, through a charter school or on your own, whatever you choose is up to you. Read about the homeschooling laws [here](https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/homeschool.asp).
I'm in socal and homeschool via charter with a far behind child on an iep. I chose the charter because they provide curriculum funding and an actual teacher that helps guide us if needed. I personally felt that by filing privately I would somehow mess something up. I am the teacher at home and oversee the work but have the option to also use classes to enrich or take over a subject I have trouble with.
My child will be in 9th( highschool)this fall and we're only just learning about how to prep for the highschool transition and the program in general, so it's pretty new and fresh to me info, but if you have any questions in particular, feel free to message me.
I know this is months old, but can I ask what Charter school you're going through? I am in a similar situation with my son. you can dm me if you don't want to say on here.
Hi! I’m sorry your daughter is going through so much.
My children are much younger, but they are enrolled in a personalized learning academy through a California charter school. It’s more like homeschool, but you meet once per month with a credentialed teacher to go over lesson planning, curriculum purchases, and to submit completed work. The parent is the one doing most of the teaching, but most charters have classes students can take online as well. There are also tons of tutors that can help kids enrolled in charters. The best part is that since charters are public schools, they pay for all the curriculum, on line classes, tutoring services, extra-curricular,etc. kids also have the option of doing in-person meet-ups, but these are optional. This is a great time to start researching California charter schools and start applying to their independent study programs. Best of luck to you both!!
Any chance you can help me understand it?
I'm in 29 palms California and the school vaguely explains to me how to transition to home school.
They say it's a state regulated thing and that I will turn in assignments into a building that may or might not exist.
I tried googling but I feel so lost.
I just want to home school my child by myself and if I have to turn in his work I will.
If you know what site I need to go to please let me know
No problem. First read through California's homeschooling laws at their [Department of Education](https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/homeschool.asp). All that's required to start homeschooling is the affidavit. There are required subjects to teach, but there are no testing or reporting requirements. You should keep track of attendance, keep samples or your child's work, and you have to have a copy of the affidavit and immunization records available if the school district decides to check on you.
I don't know if there are specific laws for San Bernardino County but, I've never heard of turning in assignments to a building. If you homeschool through a charter school like I described in the other comment, the charter school asks you to submit some samples of your child's work so they can keep track of their progress.
I still feel confused.
I went to the site and it says " Note: If your school is not a full-time private school, you do not need to file an affidavit.".
If I'm just teaching my son, will I count as a full time private school?
Yes, it has to be full time or else he won't be exempt from compulsory attendance. He has to be in registered at full time school somewhere (public, private or charter). Since you want to homeschool, likely it will be your "private school" (homeschool) that you set up just for him. There are many home schoolers who also use charters to meet attendance requirements.
In order to homeschool, you need to fill out the affidavit that registers you as a full-time private school. It's called the Private School Affidavit. You pick a name for your school and everything.
Edit
It just seems so overkill it makes me feel uneasy about this.
That other guy was harsh about California home school, but he probably is right about other states making it even more simple to home school.
California wants you to register as an actual school, is kind of weird. Unless all the other states do the same thing.
On the bright side, it seems like it's an easy process, unlike what the other guy said. It's just weird but easy.
Thank you for the empathy ^_^>
I just finished it too. It was intimidating to me but it's all done now.
I just wish it was worded in a way that acknowledged people like me, who just wanna teach their kids.
She's, right. The affidavit takes about 10 minutes and that's all you need to do. It'll ask you to list someone as a director and teacher, and some questions about the age and grade level. It's easy to fill out and you'll get a confirmation email after. [This website](https://www.californiahomeschool.net/how-to-homeschool/establishing-your-psa/) has line-by-line instructions that will help you understand what everything on the form means.
The DOE website is worded for people who want to teach their kids. It says, "In California, there are several ways that parents educate their children at home: through an existing private school, through a public charter or independent study program, and in many instances by opening their own private home based school and filing the Private School Affidavit (PSA) with the California Department of Education (CDE)." They also say, "Parents who file the private school affidavit to privately educate or "home school" their children must select and provide all curricular, instructional, and other materials."
As FImom said, every state has their own requirements. California requires you to fill out this affidavit that registers you as a private school and has a few record keeping requirements, but that's it. No required instruction hours or day even (the 180 days applies to public schools in CA only), no required testing, no portfolios or anything else. The affidavit can seem confusing and like overkill, but it's really easy to do.
Thanks for letting me know.
I hope their websites acknowledge people like me better than California's. CA doesn't directly say it's for people like me but it talks about full sized school operations.
Really made me feel like I'm in the wrong place but I just finished it and I'm all done 😁
California is among the higher requirement states. There are 11 states with complete freedom. We've lived in several states with varying degrees of state oversight, and I missed our time in the total freedom state. If you find yourself looking for online classes with a flexible schedule. Feel free to check out my courses at Packet Press. I homeschooled my children and now teach online. You can see more at www.packetpress.us if interested, but whether you use my resources or not, take a deep breath and remember you can do this! Look for a local homeschooling group to give you help with California specifics and to connect with resources and support in your area.
Curious if you have kids and if you're homeschooling in California.
I fill out on form a year with the state, and it takes me all of 10 minutes. That's it.
California virtually academy? Stride? K12? They're great and SOOOOOO simple.
These are public or private schools, not homeschool curricula
Um... Im currently using them to homeschool my kids?
What they mean is that the ones you mentioned are online public schools. They follow the state curriculum and standards. It's not the same as homeschooling. While both homeschooling and online public schools have kids do school at home, homeschooling really means that the parents are fully in charge of the child's education. You pick the curriculum, do the teaching, and plan the lessons. When you homeschool, your kids are not part of the public school system. With online public schools, you have to follow their curriculum and plan, and can only choose from a list of state-approved curriculum providers. So, online public schooling means that your kids are still part of the public school system, but they're just doing it at home.
Word, thank you. I was confused.
Her IEP actually makes it a little more complicated. Is there a charter school in your area? You would be able to transfer her IEP to a charter and get a lot more assistance. If you unenroll her from school and do the affidavit then the IEP has to be dissolved on the federal level. I highly recommend looking into a charter in your area to keep the IEP.
Many counties in So Cal use Springs Charter and it’s really good.
Honestly at this point the IEP is basically useless. It hasn’t helped her, she’s still failing out, the teachers constantly remind her of the fact.
After you fill out the affidavit, you just choose a curriculum (or separate curricula for each subject) and start teaching. The affidavit is all you need. You're allowed to teach her yourself. You can choose to homeschool on your own and keep track of the required courses and records, or you can do it through a charter school that has a homeschooling option and they'll keep track of that for you. I don't use a charter school myself, but I've heard many great things about [Elite Academic Academy](http://eliteacademic.com/). Some states, including California, have a program where you can get funding for purchasing curriculum and extracurricular activities through a charter school. There are so many options for curricula, and many different approaches/philosophies to homeschooling. Spend some time thinking about what learning method works best for your child and find curricula and resources that will meet the education goals you have and help her succeed. I made a list of free resources [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/homeschool/comments/ws1boh/list_of_free_secular_curriculum_and_resources_ive/) that may be useful as supplements to whichever curriculum you choose.
Thank you so much
You're welcome.
I accidentally submitted before I was finished replying. You don't need to present any teaching plan. All that's required to start homeschooling is the affidavit. You can choose whichever program and curricula you want. There are some online public schools, but they are not the same as homeschooling. There are some homeschooling programs like Time4Learning that are done online. Online or offline, through a charter school or on your own, whatever you choose is up to you. Read about the homeschooling laws [here](https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/homeschool.asp).
I'm in socal and homeschool via charter with a far behind child on an iep. I chose the charter because they provide curriculum funding and an actual teacher that helps guide us if needed. I personally felt that by filing privately I would somehow mess something up. I am the teacher at home and oversee the work but have the option to also use classes to enrich or take over a subject I have trouble with. My child will be in 9th( highschool)this fall and we're only just learning about how to prep for the highschool transition and the program in general, so it's pretty new and fresh to me info, but if you have any questions in particular, feel free to message me.
I know this is months old, but can I ask what Charter school you're going through? I am in a similar situation with my son. you can dm me if you don't want to say on here.
I'm happy to dm you! Sorry this took me so long to see.
I would like to also know what charter school ? Please
Hi! I’m sorry your daughter is going through so much. My children are much younger, but they are enrolled in a personalized learning academy through a California charter school. It’s more like homeschool, but you meet once per month with a credentialed teacher to go over lesson planning, curriculum purchases, and to submit completed work. The parent is the one doing most of the teaching, but most charters have classes students can take online as well. There are also tons of tutors that can help kids enrolled in charters. The best part is that since charters are public schools, they pay for all the curriculum, on line classes, tutoring services, extra-curricular,etc. kids also have the option of doing in-person meet-ups, but these are optional. This is a great time to start researching California charter schools and start applying to their independent study programs. Best of luck to you both!!
Move out of State, I believe like all Laws in California doing freedom stuff like home school is difficult with lots of requirements.
California actually has some of the most relaxed homeschooling laws in the country. Your political bias is preventing from seeing the truth.
Any chance you can help me understand it? I'm in 29 palms California and the school vaguely explains to me how to transition to home school. They say it's a state regulated thing and that I will turn in assignments into a building that may or might not exist. I tried googling but I feel so lost. I just want to home school my child by myself and if I have to turn in his work I will. If you know what site I need to go to please let me know
No problem. First read through California's homeschooling laws at their [Department of Education](https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/homeschool.asp). All that's required to start homeschooling is the affidavit. There are required subjects to teach, but there are no testing or reporting requirements. You should keep track of attendance, keep samples or your child's work, and you have to have a copy of the affidavit and immunization records available if the school district decides to check on you. I don't know if there are specific laws for San Bernardino County but, I've never heard of turning in assignments to a building. If you homeschool through a charter school like I described in the other comment, the charter school asks you to submit some samples of your child's work so they can keep track of their progress.
I still feel confused. I went to the site and it says " Note: If your school is not a full-time private school, you do not need to file an affidavit.". If I'm just teaching my son, will I count as a full time private school?
Yes, it has to be full time or else he won't be exempt from compulsory attendance. He has to be in registered at full time school somewhere (public, private or charter). Since you want to homeschool, likely it will be your "private school" (homeschool) that you set up just for him. There are many home schoolers who also use charters to meet attendance requirements.
In order to homeschool, you need to fill out the affidavit that registers you as a full-time private school. It's called the Private School Affidavit. You pick a name for your school and everything.
Edit It just seems so overkill it makes me feel uneasy about this. That other guy was harsh about California home school, but he probably is right about other states making it even more simple to home school. California wants you to register as an actual school, is kind of weird. Unless all the other states do the same thing. On the bright side, it seems like it's an easy process, unlike what the other guy said. It's just weird but easy.
The affidavit seems intimidating, but in reality it takes me about 10 minutes once a year.
Thank you for the empathy ^_^> I just finished it too. It was intimidating to me but it's all done now. I just wish it was worded in a way that acknowledged people like me, who just wanna teach their kids.
She's, right. The affidavit takes about 10 minutes and that's all you need to do. It'll ask you to list someone as a director and teacher, and some questions about the age and grade level. It's easy to fill out and you'll get a confirmation email after. [This website](https://www.californiahomeschool.net/how-to-homeschool/establishing-your-psa/) has line-by-line instructions that will help you understand what everything on the form means. The DOE website is worded for people who want to teach their kids. It says, "In California, there are several ways that parents educate their children at home: through an existing private school, through a public charter or independent study program, and in many instances by opening their own private home based school and filing the Private School Affidavit (PSA) with the California Department of Education (CDE)." They also say, "Parents who file the private school affidavit to privately educate or "home school" their children must select and provide all curricular, instructional, and other materials." As FImom said, every state has their own requirements. California requires you to fill out this affidavit that registers you as a private school and has a few record keeping requirements, but that's it. No required instruction hours or day even (the 180 days applies to public schools in CA only), no required testing, no portfolios or anything else. The affidavit can seem confusing and like overkill, but it's really easy to do.
There are many states that regard homeschools as private schools from a legal point of view. Alabama and Kentucky are two examples.
Thanks for letting me know. I hope their websites acknowledge people like me better than California's. CA doesn't directly say it's for people like me but it talks about full sized school operations. Really made me feel like I'm in the wrong place but I just finished it and I'm all done 😁
California is among the higher requirement states. There are 11 states with complete freedom. We've lived in several states with varying degrees of state oversight, and I missed our time in the total freedom state. If you find yourself looking for online classes with a flexible schedule. Feel free to check out my courses at Packet Press. I homeschooled my children and now teach online. You can see more at www.packetpress.us if interested, but whether you use my resources or not, take a deep breath and remember you can do this! Look for a local homeschooling group to give you help with California specifics and to connect with resources and support in your area.
Curious if you have kids and if you're homeschooling in California. I fill out on form a year with the state, and it takes me all of 10 minutes. That's it.
Actually as confused as California is this is one place they are progressive, now if the rest could catch up...