Homeschooling Questions (lots of them)

[Raineyrocks]

Hi,
I used to homeschool my kids in Maryland but I put them in public school when we moved to New Hampshire.  If I choose to start homeschooling them again, lets say, in a week or sooner, how do I go about pulling them out of the public school legally? 
Are there alot of homeschooling activities so they can make friends in Grafton County?  I would want to find open-minded homeschool families and I have a feeling I would have better luck up here than Maryland.  In Maryland the majority of homeschoolers were the christian fundalmentalist, if you weren't a christian too, then their kids weren't allowed to become friends with your children.
What are the requirements up here? Standardized testing? Does curriculum have to be okayed or presented to the school board first?
If you can think of anything I haven't asked please let me know. Thanks!

[aries]

Go to the district office and tell them you are pulling your child out, thats how to get started. NH revised its homeschooling law a while ago I dont THINK that you have to have any standardized testing, nor must you submit your curriculum for review.

[toowm]

Go here:

http://www.nhhomeschooling.org/

Read the law link, or contact your local rep (Jennifer Courser) about notification.

Lots of open minded homeschoolers, and more porc families every year.

There is no longer a curriculum requirement. There is a testing or portfolio review at the end of the year. There are also good folks who don't comply with the government requirements.

[Kat Kanning]

I thought you had to submit your curriculum the first time after you start homeschooling, and then never again?

[error]

Since you aren't in NH yet, why not just tell them nothing after you arrive home? The less information the state has on you, the safer you are...

[cathleeninnh]

She is here in NH. We helped move them in.

Cathleen

[error]

I stand corrected. But without a good reason to the contrary, I also stand behind "say nothing."

[CNHT]

First, let it be known that one of your own FSPers was instrumental in loosening up the home school law to make it easier for you to comply with the curriculum requirements. The governor signed this into law last term, and this is but one of the many accomplishments the early movers who haunt the statehouse have made here in NH.

I am going to send you her address so that you can ask her what the compliance laws are. You should have no trouble getting to homeschool your kids.

[Kat Kanning]

I doubt it's too late to use TCCA (Tri City Christian Academy).  They're pretty easy-going.

[toowm]

I gave the NHHC link because it is specifically non-religious.

I agree that TCCA works well even for non-Christians.

[CNHT]

Rainey did you get my PM?

[Kat Kanning]

I'm guessing she's not on the internet as often as some of us addicts.

[Raineyrocks]

Hi Kat, I got your PM and I emailed you. Believe me I'm hooked on the net, I just took a break to watch a movie. 
Thank you everybody for your info and it's great hearing from you Cathleen and Jane!  I'm getting alot of resistance from my husband and kids when I bring up homeschooling them again, I wish I never stopped when we moved here. I thought I was doing the right thing for them, I temporarily forgot about all the beauratic (sp?) BS in the school systems.
I have to wait and see what's gonna happen here, I just wanted all of the info I can get first.  If I can convince my husband and kids they will actually have a "life" with homeschooling here I have a better shot at them agreeing with me.  If I can get my husband on board with me again we will put our feet down and make the decision.
Thanks and I'll let you know what happens!

[Raineyrocks]

Hi,
Everyone that PMed me, I did email you back but my stupid email isn't working again.  Everything is just sitting in my stupid outbox, I hope you don't get 15 emails from me because I kept trying to hit send when I realized it wasn't working. 

[Braddogg]

You may want to consider unschooling: http://www.unschooling.com/library/faq/index.shtml

The basic idea, in case you aren't familiar with it, is to allow your child's natural curiosities roam freely without the structured boundaries and requirements of a curriculum.  Restricting a child's curiosities through structured curriculum, even at homeschool, restricts a child's desire to learn and teaches them undue respect for authority, which often translates into undue respect for the state.  Instead of making learning a chore, it makes learning something they want to do.  It's what I plan to do with my (not-yet-existent) children.