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Minnesota homeschoolers
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Question:
I'm interested in hearing from any Minnesota hs'ers as to what I can expect when I
notify my school district... I've heard that Minnesota isn't a very friendly hs state.
Answer:
-Depends on the school and the district. We are in the Montgomery-Lonsdale
school district. Aside from the first icy conversation and a couple of
nosy phone calls about vaccinations. (Im for them by the way) We havent
had any contact with the school what so ever.
-You'll do better if you use the suggested standard reporting form
developed by various homeschooling groups represented on the state
Nonpublic Education Council and distributed by the state Department of
Children, Families, and Learning liaison. DON'T report on any form
provided by the school district. In most instances, districts don't
hassle homeschoolers at all--they prefer hassling public school kids who
attempt to actually get use out of the state's open enrollment statute.
But the suggested uniform reporting form, which is not mandatory but
which is definitely legal, helps you restrict your reporting to only
what the law requires, which is not much.
Minnesota's statute on homeschooling could be better, but its atmosphere
is wonderful. MN has two strong statewide homeschooling organizations
that work well with each other. (I'm the former president of Minnesota
Homeschoolers Alliance and a current member of both that organization
and Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators.) More than 13,000
children were homeschooled in MN in the recently concluded school year,
more than 1 percent of the school-age population. Minnesota still has a
higher beginning age of compulsory instruction than many states, a help
for the Moorean homeschoolers. The press here about homeschooling is
GREAT, because of lots of openness shown by homeschooling families to
journalists. And Minnesota has a PHENOMENAL system of public libraries,
every homeschooling family's friend.
Individual school districts have occasionally asked questions of parents
that go beyond the law, but all a parent has to do is know the law to
shut down that kind of official misbehavior. A few states have much more
easy-going laws (notably Wisconsin, right next door), but Minnesota's
law doesn't stop people from homeschooling. And public attitudes and
politicians' behavior in recent years bode well for an improvement in
Minnesota's law--you can BET ON IT if the Republican-endorsed candidate
for governor wins the election in November.
In short, come on down! Be sure to get involved in one of the statewide
groups when you arrive. You'll like it here in the Land of 13,000
Homeschoolers.
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