Withdrawing your Child from Public or Private school? Here's a intent letter

[Pragmatic]

Withdrawing your Child from Public or Private School Mid-Year


By Debbie Schwarzer, Esq., Linda J. Conrad, Esq., and Elizabeth Bryant, Esq.



You can withdraw your child from school mid-year and start homeschooling. Many schools are supportive of homeschooling and can provide you with help and resources. However, withdrawing a child mid-year may be a little more complicated than starting homeschooling at the beginning of the school year, because the school has a record of your child and may be unwilling to lose a student. The school loses funding attributable to your child. We do recommend that you not tell the school that you are going to homeschool (see the discussion following) but rather tell them that you are transferring your child to another school, as they may try to convince you that you are not capable of teaching your child or that you cannot legally homeschool, especially if you are setting up your own home-based private school. They may even threaten you with a report to the truancy officer. As long as you follow the legal requirements set forth above, you can withdraw your child from public or private school and legally homeschool.
If you decide to start your own school, prepare the documentation noted above and remove your child from school. You also need to consider whether to file the private school affidavit immediately; see the discussion at After October 15 .

When you take your child out of school, tell the school that your child will be attending another school and give it the name. Because the CDE's old memos stating that homeschooling is illegal are still floating around in the minds and files of many public school officials, we recommend that you not mention the word "homeschooling." You can tell school officials whether you intend to use a public or private school, but you are not obligated to give them any more information than that. If your child will be enrolled in a school run by someone else, that person will write the former school and ask for the child's cumulative file (§49068). If you are starting your own private school, then promptly write a professional letter to the former school on your school letterhead advising the administrators there that your child has been enrolled in (your school name) and request his or her cumulative file (see a sample letter ). Sending this letter should close the school's file on your child so that s/he can't be considered truant. The school is required to give you your child's cumulative file (it can be a copy rather than an original), although many schools don't seem to be able to do this. You are also entitled, as a parent, to have a copy of the cumulative file. If you really want to have a copy, we recommend going to the office in your role as a parent, not a school official, and offering to make the copies yourself, or giving them a stamped envelope, or any other help that makes it easier for them to comply. As long as you properly sent the request for the file, failure to receive the copy does not have any legal importance.
If you pull your child out as a result of truancy or other unresolved problems with the school, the school may fight your efforts by continuing with a truancy hearing or denying the validity of your new school. Although you are still entitled to educate your children at home using any of the options described above, you will need to weigh the practical and financial alternatives of continued controversy or litigation against other alternatives the truancy board might accept. In some cases, they may look more favorably on a program offered by a public or charter school or commercial private school rather than a home-based private school. Please contact the HSC legal team for more information if you are in this situation.



Getting Cumulative Records from Former School

In order to get your child’s cumulative records from the former school of attendance when you are beginning to homeschool under the private school (R-4) option, you can write the school a letter on school letterhead (it can be generated on the computer), advise them that your child is attending private school, and ask them to send a copy of the cumulative file to you.
The Cum file includes transcripts for all grades attended, report cards and progress reports, disciplinary information and records, standardized testing participation and results, Individual Education Plan (IEP) if any, health records, psychological evaluations, speech and/or language evaluations, any other special education evaluations, and any other records the school has regarding your child.
Many families have difficulty obtaining the Cum file through their private school. If you have not received the records within six weeks, send another request. If the file is not forthcoming after the next six weeks, you may wish to reconsider the necessity of obtaining the file. One of the primary reasons for obtaining the file is so that the school will close its file on your child. While you have a right to have this file, unless you have a legal reason for needing it, you may wish to let the matter drop so that you do not draw unwanted attention to your family.
Since you do have a legal right to obtain your child’s records, both as a parent and as the child’s school, you may wish to consult with an attorney in order to obtain the files. Often, a well worded letter from your counsel will get you the documents you request.
Here is a letter demonstrating how to do that most effectively:

Mondoerkrist Academy
0000 First Street
Davis, CA 95616

Administrator
Jean Smith

January 12, 2001

Davis School
0001 First Street
Davis, CA 95616

Attn: Registrar
Re: Joan Smith
DoB: 1/1/1990

Dear Registrar:

This letter is to inform you that Joan Smith, birthdate 1/1/1990, has been enrolled at Mondoerkrist Academy since January 8, 2001. Please send her cumulative file to this school at the above noted address, pursuant to California Education section 49068.
Please include attendance records, transcripts for all grades attended, report cards and progress reports, disciplinary information and records, standardized testing participation and results, Individual Education Plan (IEP) if any, health records, psychological evaluations, speech and/or language evaluations, any other special education evaluations, and any other school records regarding the above-named student.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,

Jean Smith
Administrator
Education Code section 49068 provides: Whenever a pupil transfers from one school district to another or to a private school, or transfers from a private school to a school district within the state, the pupil’s permanent record or a copy thereof shall be transferred by the former district or private school upon a request from the district or private school where the pupil intends to enroll. Any school district requesting such a transfer of a record shall notify the parent of his right to receive a copy of the record and a right to a hearing to challenge the content of the record. The State Board of Education is hereby authorized to adopt rules and regulations concerning the transfer of records.

• Homeschool Report Cards - Elementary and High School
• Cumulative Transcript Folders
• Homeschool Record Keeping Kits- Elementary and High School
• Explanation of Why these Items are so Important Below
• Jessica Parnell, a homeschool consultant, shared this story in her excellent article “Will Your Homeschool Student Receive a College Scholarship?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Joel was a homeschool student since kindergarten. He was an exceptional student with a passion for learning, an incredible ability to reason, and a real gift for writing. His parents had attended a homeschool convention when he was still in middle school and learned that grades are not important. In fact, they could simply choose to use a pass/fail system for his transcript. That sounded so much easier than maintaining grades for their many children! So they decided to homeschool without worrying about grades.
  
  
  
  
  They had no idea that grades would be significant when it came to scholarship funding! When Joel graduated, he took the SATs and scored above the 97th percentile in English and 96th in Math. The college and universities were excited about enrolling him! In fact, they were willing to offer scholarship funding in order to spark his interest in their institution. But they had one problem...without a GPA, they were limited in the scholarship amount that they could offer. And without grades, it was impossible to provide a GPA. Did his lack of grades affect his ability to get into college? No! But, it was a huge factor in the cost that he would incur when he did attend
  
  
  

Every student in public and private schools in America has a cumulative folder. Maintaining a cumulative folder for your homeschool student is one of the most important components of record keeping. The high school portion of the cumulative folder may be used as a transcript and submitted to colleges and universities.

Be sure to check our Ebay store for all our Record Keeping Products!!!

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Homeschool Record Keeping Elementary Kit, K-8th Grade - eBay (item 360154199502 end time Jul-09-09 20:10:57 PDT)



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Afrocentric Homeschoolers Association is a nonprofit, mutual aid organisation for homeschooling families and individual teens everywhere in the world engaging in Afrocentric, Black-oriented, pro-Black, or Black-positive education.
Based in Ontario, Canada, it was founded by Cheryl Edwards in 1996. Some may remember it as "Homeschoolers of Colour Connection", "African-Canadian & Aboriginal Homeschoolers Association", or "Black and Aboriginal Homeschoolers Association".
Welcoming homeschooling families regardless of race, class, educational background, location, income, religion, lifestyle, etc., we network to share information, tips, material, mutual aid support, and anything else to aid our home-based educational programs. We are a very diverse group of unschoolers, deschoolers, structured educators, and other types of anti-racist homeschooling families. Our Black-positive education methodology dispels racist myths, self-destructive beliefs, and empowers our children to live well as adults.
Although for homeschoolers, AHA is also open to all families endeavouring to incorporate anti-racist knowledge for the preK - 12 period of learning via our egroup.Contact Us
AHA Representatives:
Peterborough, Ontario: CherylAHA Contact Exchange
Member Families:
Theresa's: photos
Tene's photos
Crystal's store (all-natural, tropical fruit based sauces made with mango, pineapple, banana, or a combination of those fruits)Art GalleryBlack Child's Pledge

I pledge allegiance to my Black People.

I pledge to develop my mind and body to the greatest extent possible.

I will learn all that I can in order to give my best to my People in their struggle for liberation.

I will keep myself physically fit, building a strong body free from drugs and other substances which weaken me and make me less capable of protecting myself, my family and my Black brothers and sisters.

I will unselfishly share my knowledge and understanding with them in order to bring about change more quickly.

I will discipline myself to direct my energies thoughtfully and constructively rather than wasting them in idle hatred.

I will train myself never to hurt or allow others to harm my Black brothers and sisters for I recognize that we need every Black Man, Woman, and Child to be physically, mentally and psychologically strong.

These principles I pledge to practice daily and to teach them to others in order to unite my People.

The Black Panther, October 26, 1968
by Shirley Williams

Except where otherwise noted, the activities, instructions, and illustrations on this site were created by Cheryl Edwards on behalf of Afrocentric Homeschoolers Association.
Please do not duplicate and distribute any such material without crediting "Afrocentric Homeschoolers Association". Thank you!To contact AHA, fill out the form below:


Peace be upon you

[Ree]

Thanks Pragmatic