| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 7/31/2002 3:54:08 PM J. Michael Smith, Esq., President of HSLDA California--Major Changes in the Private School Affidavit Filing Process |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, The purpose of this e-mail is to advise our members that we have reliable information indicating that there will be major changes in obtaining and filing a California private school affidavit for the 2002-03 school year. Since official details of the change have not been issued yet by the California Department of Education (CDE), you'll need to visit the HSLDA website in September, and again just before completing and filing the private school affidavit between October 1 and 15. The following is a summary of the information we have received about the new procedure and how we believe it will affect you: - The county offices of education will no longer provide private school affidavits. Rather, the CDE will begin posting blank affidavit forms, possibly with instructions, in a downloadable format on their website. If for any reason you are unable to obtain the private school form online, check our website before calling us. We have developed an alternate form and a plan for utilizing it if the CDE's form is not available to you online. - Because it appears that individual counties will no longer distribute or receive private school affidavits, and in light of the fact that the situation is continuing to develop, we strongly urge you to not contact public school officials at the local, country or state level about the private school affidavit. - In order to stay informed about obtaining and filing a private school affidavit this fall, check the HSLDA website for updated information, especially in late August through September. Also, be sure to check the website just before filing the affidavit between October 1 and 15, regardless of whether you are filing for an independent study program or for your own school in your own home. - This information supercedes the information provided in Chapter 10 of the California Home Education Association (CHEA) manual, "An Introduction to Home Education." - Some may be curious why the change occurred. Our information is that large campus-based private school organizations have objected to the inconsistent way different counties have handled the distribution and filing of the affidavits. Therefore, they have urged the CDE to standardize the affidavit process. - Although it seems very clear that the private school affidavit will be provided online by the CDE rather than through the county office of education, it is unclear how the CDE will handle the private schools with 5 or fewer students. Some reports have indiciated that the CDE plans to forward affidavits with 5 or fewer students to the county office of education, possibly for a truancy investigation. However, details regarding the actions of the CDE have not been finalized. Because information is still developing, anything we print now will need to be updated in the future when the CDE finalizes its procedure. In the long run this change in procedure could be a good thing for private home schoolers. The next couple of years, however, will be challenging. We have seen a growing hostility toward private home schoolers in the past few years and we believe that there will be an increased number of truancy investigations as a result. This is a good time to urge your fellow home schoolers to join HSLDA. The CDE continues to take the erroneous position that private schooling, whether by a single family or through enrollment in a private school ISP, is not legal. Many public school officials continue to use a memo authored by Carolyn Pirillo, Deputy General Council for the CDE, to try to intimidate home schoolers into enrolling their children in public school programs (like charter schools and public school Independent Study Programs). HSLDA is working closely with Roy Hanson and Jim Davis of Family Protection Ministries and Christian Home Educators Association on this issue. For more detailed information on this issue, read the recent article from Roy Hanson's "Legal-Legislative Update" newsletter at the link below. http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/CA/200207290.asp Stay tuned to our website. There has been no change in the law. Remain informed and remain confident in our Lord for He is our Protector. Sincerely yours, J. Michael Smith, Esq. 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