1. What is homeschooling? In a nutshell, homeschooling is what happens when a parent or guardian takes responsibility for the education of a child, usually in a home setting, instead of leaving it to a third party. This education can be done in conjunction with a public or private school via home study courses or charter schools, with packaged curricula; an assemblage from a variety of resources; or with no preset agenda. There are as many different ways to homeschool as there are children eager to learn.

2. Is homeschooling legal? Yes! Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. Different states have different laws governing home education. Check your local laws here.

3. How can I homeschool and comply with California law? California does not have specifc laws for home education. According to the Compulsory Attendance Statute,“children between the ages of 6 and 18 must attend a public full-time day school unless otherwise exempted.” These exemptions include children being taught by private tutors (credentialed teachers giving instruction at least 3 hours a day, 175 days a year), and children enrolled in full-time private schools. Most homeschooled children in California are either associated with a public (charter) school or use the private school option. For more information, see the Empowering Families pamphlet from the Homeschool Association of California.

4. What is the private school option? One of the more common ways of homeschooling in California is to declare your home school a private school. A simple online form (the Private School Affdavit or PSA, formerly the R-4), filed once a year with the Department of Education, and minimal paperwork kept in a file at home are all that are needed. For more information, visit the Private School Option page over at the Homeschool Association of California.

 

5. Don’t you get bored staying home all the time? I know very few people who stay home all the time. Most of us are busy out in the world taking classes, going to park days, exploring the vast offerings from the Parks and Recreation system, seeing plays and symphonies, visiting museums, volunteering within the community, and participating in sports, theater and music. There may be precious little time left to sit at the kitchen table and hit the books. Even for those families who choose a less hectic, or public life, there is still the grocery store, the library and many other opportunities for participating in the community.

6. How do you teach all those subjects? I’m not that smart. The really interesting thing about homeschooling is that you quickly learn that you’re not really there to “teach.” You are there to help your child learn and that’s a big distinction. You gather resources (text books, library books, videos, project materials, etc.) and then you and your child may explore together. Even professional teachers consult text and reference books to get their job done. If you don’t know it, look it up – even better if you do it together. If you get really stumped, call in an expert. Tutors, private lessons, and junior college classes are all wonderful ways to get that extra bit of expertise when needed. True intelligence is not knowing all the answers: it's knowing where to look for them.

7. What about socialization? Look back in your memories and try to recall how many times you heard, “School is not for socializing. Get to work!” and yet the “S Question,” as some of us like to call it, does come up. The world is full of opportunities to socialize: with the grocer, the postal worker, the librarian, the older and younger kids in multi-aged classes and co-ops, and with siblings, and yes, with peers, too. Park days are common and wonderful ways to connect with friends for hours and hours of blissful socializing, and don’t forget the neighborhood kids! Scouts and city sports teams are great places to meet up with local schooled and homeschooled friends. Socialization opportunities are frankly almost impossible to avoid. Thank goodness, no one lives in a box! Since socialization is about learning how to relate to people, homeschooled children usually have a distinct advantage because they learn how to interact with people of all ages and occupations as well as with identically aged peers.

8. I’ve decided that I want to homeschool, now what? Read, read, read. Gather as much information as you can. Since there are as many ways to homeschool as there are children ready to learn, not every method will work for every family and many times, multiple methods are needed for each child. Some buzz words to look up: deschooling, school-at-home, unit studies, unschooling, eclectic homeschooling, classical education, Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, charter schools, concurrent enrollment (for high school aged homeschoolers taking classes at a JC), or simply Google “homeschool methods”.

9. My family is against this. What can I do to change their minds? You can’t. What you can do is show them that you are committed to giving your children the best you can give them; that you always have their best interests at heart. Stay strong, make your point once or twice and then move on. Just change the subject if things get uncomfortable. Believe in yourself and eventually the results will speak for themselves.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about SCHA

1. What is SCHA? The Sonoma County Homeschoolers Association is a network of approximately 200 families in Sonoma County and surrounding areas who share an interest in homeschooling. While we don't all share the same educational philosophies, we have in common a desire to provide our children with the education of our choosing.

2. Why should I join SCHA? A $15 annual fee entitles you to a family roster for networking purposes (NO advertising), invitations to homeschool gatherings like our annual Not-Back-to-School Pool Party, approved membership to our Yahoo! Group, and access to the members-only section of our website which includes event calendars, student galleries, and many other exciting features. Scholarships are also available for membership.

3. But what does the membership fee actually pay for? Your membership fees go towards web-hosting, printing of the family roster and other mailings, liability insurance for SCHA functions, funding for gatherings and parties, and fees for various speakers and workshops.

4. I sent in my membership application weeks ago and haven’t heard anything yet. Did you get it? Probably! SCHA is run by a very small group of volunteers who are also homeschooling their own children. Since we receive a relatively small number of memberships each month, we save them up to process in batches once or twice a month. If your membership comes in right after we’ve processed a batch, it’s likely to be several weeks before your check gets cashed. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

5. There aren’t any activities that my children are interested in. Then by all means, start something! Chances are there are other children who also share your child's interests and would love to share the experience with you. SCHA runs on volunteers, especially those who share their passions with everyone. If your child likes the Civil War, stage a reenactment at a local park. Fan of dice games? Have a game day at your house once a month. Every ongoing activity we have was once started by “someone.” Why not you? 

6. Does SCHA allow religious groups in their membership? SCHA is an all-inclusive group and we ask that everyone respect the rights of others. Faith-based groups are free to connect within SCHA as long as all SCHA members are included in publicly posted activities. For example, saying, “Hey, are there any other Cat Lovers out there? E-mail me and maybe we can get together after the Purring Ceremony some time,” is fine. However, saying, “Potluck next week at my house for Cat Lovers only,” would not be allowed in a SCHA forum.

7. How can I join? Send your completed membership form and $15 to SCHA, PO Box 5746, Petaluma, CA 94955.