Previous Issue Current Issue Next Issue About Search Archives Advertising VOLUME XX, NUMBER 6 - disclaimer - November / December 2004 FEATURES Charting freedom's course Religious Freedom Protection Act Case updates Supporting homeschooling is so easy! DEPARTMENTS Freedom watch From the heart Giving thanks From the director Impact of the fund Mission statement of HSF Across the states Active cases Members only Around the globe About campus President's page ET AL. On the other hand: a Contrario Sensu HSLDA social services contact policy/A plethora of forms HSLDA legal inquiries Prayer & Praise  «   LEGAL/LEGISLATIVE UPDATES   »  ACROSS THE STATES AZ · AR · CA · FL · HI · IL · IA · LA · MA · MN · MT · NE · NV · NJ · NY · NC · OH · OK · RI · SC · SD · TN · TX · VA OHIO No "applications" Ohio is one of 47 states that do not require homeschoolers to seek government "approval." Only three states require discretionary government "approval" to teach a child at home: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Utah. Every other state permits parents to teach their own children at home as a matter of right. In some cases, parents may have to provide information to the government before they can teach their children at home, but school officials have no right to withhold "permission" as long as parents meet the standards set by law. If families notify their school district of their intent to homeschool and provide the information identified in the homeschool regulations, school officials must recognize the parents' right to teach their own children. Despite this, many Ohio school districts still assume that homeschoolers need government permission to teach, viewing homeschooling as a privilege rather than a right. That is why Home School Legal Defense Association is so quick to act when a member family draws our attention to public school paperwork that refers to "approval," "permission," or "application." Most recently, we confronted the Washington County Educational Service Center in a letter. After explaining the difference between "approval" and "notification," HSLDA Attorney Scott Somerville wrote, "Your paperwork demonstrates, at best, a casual indifference towards the legal rights of my clients. If you do, in fact, understand the difference between notification and application, then you are acting with reckless disregard for the federally protected civil rights of the homeschoolers in your district." Washington County school officials were quick to protest any suggestion that they were indifferent to the rights of homeschoolers. They also agreed to remove the word "application" from their paperwork. HSLDA is grateful to the vigilant member families who informed us of Washington County's misapplication of the law. — by Scott W. Somerville