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TxTrish
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| Posted: May 20 2010 at 9:41pm | IP Logged
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Does anyone here live in Pennsylvania?
How bad is it to homeschool there in reality?
Know anything about the Johnstown area?
Are there good Catholic churches, that are orthodox, traditional offer Latin masses?
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Gabrielle20, Deavon18, Elizabeth12, Mary10, Greg8
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: May 21 2010 at 12:06am | IP Logged
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Trish, here's a topic from 2008...which gives me a chance to clarify...
Lauri B wrote:
Angie Mc wrote:
| Because of the way the law is set up, it truly comes down to the particular school district where you live. |
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Actually, the districts can not ask more than the law requires. While some districts cause more trouble, legally they can not require anything beyond the law.
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It was my experience that although the districts were not supposed to ask for over-compliance, they often did. Often. For example, the district I was in told me that I needed to meet personally with the school superintendent. I declined because it wasn't required by law, much to their shock and questioning. I was one of very few homeschoolers who declined. Overcompliance by homeschoolers was, at that time (6 years ago), rampant which made if difficult on the few who stood by the letter of the law, like I did.
I have lived in CA, NV, and AZ while homeschooling and from my experience, PA is objectively more difficult in comparison. Is it doable? Sure. Are there great homeschoolers there? You bet! Can you find a way to make it work? Of course! And you are on the right track by asking the right questions in order to find local folks to give you the reality of their school district, how it interprets the law, and the expectations they have of homeschoolers.
ETA: I hope current PA homeschoolers will add their experience.
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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TxTrish
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| Posted: May 21 2010 at 6:52am | IP Logged
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Thanks Angie -
We are from Texas, so everything seems to be an unacceptable intrusion.
But, we have lived in OK, AL, TX, and now FL as homeschoolers - so, I have experience to stand on when asking questions.
My search continues.........
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Gabrielle20, Deavon18, Elizabeth12, Mary10, Greg8
and a grandson!
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: May 21 2010 at 11:05am | IP Logged
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TxTrish wrote:
Thanks Angie -
We are from Texas, so everything seems to be an unacceptable intrusion.
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I sooooooooooooooo know what you mean, Trish. It was very hard to leave Nevada, where I felt respected and accepted as a home educator, to move to PA where...well, I didn't feel like I fit in very well. Folks in my district, not Johnstown, were so used to over compliance to an already burdensome and redundant law, that I was often asked things like, "What's the big deal to meet with the superviser? Isn't that great that we can all work together? Doesn't this show that he is interested and wants to help? Isn't it good to be accountable?"...and the comments like, "I'm such a better homeschooler because I'm forced to make these portfolios" just really rubbed me the wrong way. Hope this isn't read as a vent! It was just a bit of an isolating feeling...doable but a little irritating. Then again, maybe I'm easily irritated  .
On a happier note...because of my strong coviction to not over-comply, the homeschooling grapevine hooked me up with someone who would become a life-long friend, another pesky non-over-complier...stefoodie .
Keep us posted, Trish  .
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: May 24 2010 at 6:57pm | IP Logged
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Bumping...hoping to get current PA residents to chime in.
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Veronika
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Hi Trish! I'm in Clarks Summit, PA ( near Scranton, in the northeast). This is our first official homeschooling year, albeit an unusual start. Our littlest ones entered the local public school system, along with the rest of our children, much to my dismay. My husband thought that it would be a better decision at the time. Last February our oldest found the environment too difficult to bear in the high school and we decided to bring her home. It's going so well that it totally changed my husband's mind about homeschooling and the rest will be home in September! 
Anyway, we came into homeschooling so abruptly that we expected the district to give us alot of resistance, but that hasn't been the case at all. There are many more homeschoolers here than we had previously realized and I think the schools are realizing it too. We joined the Catholic Homeschoolers of Northeast PA, in our area and the other families have been a true inspiration and a wealth of knowledge for us. I have to run, but I'll check in later with more. God bless!
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Veronika
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| Posted: May 27 2010 at 8:12am | IP Logged
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I'm back! Here's the link to the group I was talking about. It's been a great help to me in knowing what is truly necessary, and what is nonsense in PA.
http://www.catholichomeschoolpa.org/
I'll be checking in!
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Veronika
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and one little girl in heaven
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Tonya
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I started homeschooling in CA (easy), moved to OH (harder), and then I moved to PA. I was very nervous but it actually has not been as bad as I thought it would be. I wish it was a little easier and having to keep a portfolio and having an evaluation is annoying but most school districts are not that bad. On the plus side of homeschooling, your kids are allowed to do any sports or extra-curriculars at the public school. My son decided to play football his senior year and he had a great time. We live in the Pittsburgh area.
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Topic: Pennsylvania anyone?
