As of right now, and for quite some time New Jersey has the state where all homeschoolers wish they lived. There have been NO homeschool regulations in that state and the only laws written on paper, are more about what you need to do If someone accuses you of educational abuse. Read: Homeschooling in New Jersey
Recently, two members of New Jersey’s State Assembly have introduced a bill the following:
They propose that parents:
1) Be given a deadline to register with their local school;
2) Turn in an outline of educational objectives by subject;
3) Certify that children have received medical care as “required by law” (!);
4) Certify that no one in the home has been convicted of certain criminal offenses;
5) Follow a curriculum developed by the State Commissioner of Education;
6) Keep a portfolio of student work and a deadline to turn it in for inspection;
7) A 30-lead time on arbitrary inspection of the above;
8) Force their children to submit to standardized tests;
9) Have the child’s work reviewed by a “qualified evaluator”;
10) Have the child “interviewed” by a psychologist, certified teacher or school administrator;
11) 20 days from a bad review to offer more documentation and failing that,
12) To enroll the child into a school.
In return, kids get to play on the school sports team.
(As reported in an email from New Jersey Homeschool Association)
It seems that the goal is to give complete and utter control of homeschoolers to the school districts. The most troubling of these suggested laws are:
Certify medical care as required by law: What law? School districts have rules, but I know of no laws that dictate certain medical care is mandatory.
Certify that no one in the home has been convicted of certain criminal offenses: I find this disturbing because if a homeschooler cannot be in the house with certain people, who may very well be their parents, then public school children should not be in the house with certain individuals. Can the school district take children away from parents who have paid their debt to society?
Have children interviewed by a psychologist, certified school teacher, or administrator: This is the most scary proposal of all because one of these professionals who is against homeschooling can conclude anything they want.
*Have a question about homeschooling? Just ask.
* Have you seen the homeschooling curriculum glossary?