Utah State Legislature amendments to homeschooling laws
This from KSL.com
Article here
SALT LAKE CITY — Both chambers of the Utah Legislature have passed versions of a bill freeing home-school families from statewide education requirements and making it easier for children to transfer in and out of the public education system.
Read more at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=29026511#SBiAFqK6hOKfbHAi.99
In summary:
Homeschooling parents are required to file an affidavit through our local school district only ONCE for every school age child (6 years old, by... I think it's Aug 1), then again only if we move to a different school district. We are only required to request our child(ren) to be excused. We no longer need to agree to instruct them in the same subjects or for the same amount of time. We are completely responsible as parents for those details.
Text to the new amended law
here.
The amended law states nothing about requiring more information than the affidavit required before. Unless another law changed that I haven't found yet, you are still
only required to give your
name, address and name and age of child.
The School District
is still required to send a letter by Aug 1 each year, excusing each child from attendance.
-Both our Senator and our Congressman voted for this. In fact, a large majority did.
-Part of the new text includes this GREAT line:
-(ii) the parent assumes sole responsibility for the education of the school-age minor [including selection of materials, location, method of testing, etc., AND amount of instruction time! ], except to the extent the school-age minor is dual enrolled in a public school as provided in Section 53A-11-102.5 .
THIS is the shocker. De-regulation of home education. Hasn't happened...ever. Thank your reps and Senators Osmond and Knotwell for that, if you feel so inclined.
FYI
-As before, the law still states this:
A local school board may not:
89 (i) require a parent of a school-age minor who attends a home school to maintain
90 records of instruction or attendance;
91 (ii) require credentials for individuals providing home school instruction;
92 (iii) inspect home school facilities; or
93 (iv) require standardized or other testing of home school students.
One more good thing: when a homeschooled student returns to a public school:
(d) The student's parent or guardian has the option of:
(i) allowing the public school to administer, to the student, assessments that are:
(A) regularly administered to public school students; and (B) used to measure public school students' subject matter mastery and determine placement; or
---->>>> (ii) having a private entity or individual administer assessments of subject matter mastery to the student at the parent's or guardian's expense. <--------------
(e) After an evaluation of a student's subject matter mastery, a public school may [*may is pretty loose language for a law...] change a student's placement in a grade level, class, or course.
