New to SC: Moving to Lexington area...

[melabarnett]

Hi. It appears that we will be moving to the Lexington area of SC in January. We are coming from Florida, which is much less strict than SC as far as homeschooling laws. It appears that I must report to an association. Is there one close to Lexington or West Columbia? Are there any homeschool groups in the area? Also, do I have to provide any documentation for the first half of the year, while I was in Florida? Are you required to report things like what curriculum you will be using and such? I have never had to provide progress reports. What do they look like? I have read all the FAQ pages I could find and it seems that each association can require different things? This seems strange. It also appears that there are fees to join these associations. Does anyone recommend a good one? Can just anyone start an association (I think you have to have 50 kids)? Sorry for all the questions. It is a bit stressful to move mid-year. I don't want any truancy officers at my door!
Thanks!!!!
~Melissa

[Dianna]

Melissa, I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is to homeschool in SC once you get into it. Most Floridians I've talked to who've moved to SC find our requirements less intrusive than Florida because a teacher doesn't have to review our portfolio or course of study each year and give the "okay", we don't have to give standardized tests, and we don't have to submit an evaluation like you do in Florida.

Since SC is a compulsory attendance state, you do have to register with an association who can vouch for your "attendance". Most associations don't require submitting any of the portfolio or samples (the same ones you had to keep in Florida) to anyone. They don't ask you to "report" to them. Most just ask you to sign a form that says you complied with the law (see http://www.carolinahomeschooler.com/legal.htm for info), and that's that.

There are a lot of homeschool groups in the Columbia area. See my support groups page for a list (http://www.carolinahomeschooler.com/support.htm).

Our progress reports are simply a report card, or a summary of the topics your children have mastered in the previous 90-day period. Some associations ask you to list the resources you're planning to use for the year, but you're not locked into using them if you decide to change during the year, and you're definitely not required to use a specific curriculum. Library books, documentaries, museums, magazines, etc., are all resources you could list instead of textbooks.

I encourage you to read through these message boards to get a more accurate picture of what homeschooling in SC is like. Many newcomers misunderstand it and the law sounds more cumbersome than it actually is.

The associations I recommend are listed on our About Us page at http://www.carolinahomeschooler.com/aboutus.htm If you don't choose one on that list, please send me a private message about the one you plan on joining and I'll let you know if there are any problems with it. Most are great, a few aren't.

Let me know if you have more questions.

Warmly,
Dianna

[melabarnett]

Hi Dianna,

Thanks for the response. I had to laugh. I think you are right. I think other states are just intimidating because they are new. In Florida, I never had a portfolio review because I chose to have the children take a standardized test. In Florida, you do not have to turn in the scores, just a signed letter that the child took the test. And the evaluations are optional so I never did those. So to me, Florida is extremely easy. But I do know people who have moved here and find Florida to be a much harder state in which to homeschool. LOL

I looked through the list of associations on your website. Is that all of them? How do I find others? And how do I know where they stand in the big scheme of things? Are schools and homeschoolers divided by district? Do I have to have an association in my district?
Also, when I provide progress reports, are these something that a college would expect to have submitted upon application, like a school report card?
Again, sorry for all the questions. I just want to understand how things work, BEFORE we move. I want the kids to be able to jump right in, when we arrive.

Thanks,
Melissa

[Dianna]

I looked through the list of associations on your website. Is that all of them? How do I find others? And how do I know where they stand in the big scheme of things? Are schools and homeschoolers divided by district? Do I have to have an association in my district?
Also, when I provide progress reports, are these something that a college would expect to have submitted upon application, like a school report card?
Again, sorry for all the questions. I just want to understand how things work, BEFORE we move. I want the kids to be able to jump right in, when we arrive.

Thanks,
Melissa

Melissa, there are other associations. Google the SC Home Educator's Association for a list. Regarding where they stand - all associations in SC serve the same purpose and have the same standing. They serve to "count" you to fulfill our compulsory attendance law and to provide minimal oversight. Some of them provide more services than others (diplomas, curriculum counseling, graduation ceremonies, etc.), and have higher fees than others. You need to read their websites to see what services you feel you need and then choose the one that best meets those needs.

Regarding progress reports - these are just for your files, and not something you'd give to a college. They are either a report card, or a summary of topics mastered. (You do two a year, one after each 90 days.) Colleges don't ask to see report cards (regardless of whether you're a homeschooler, public schooler, or private schooler) - they ask to see a transcript of courses taken in high school. When you get to that point, your association will help you with that.

Let me know if you have more questions. :smile2:

Dianna

[roodscreen]

I looked through the list of associations on your website. Is that all of them? How do I find others? And how do I know where they stand in the big scheme of things? Are schools and homeschoolers divided by district? Do I have to have an association in my district?


Thanks,
Melissa

Melissa,

Moving can be quite frustrating, can't it? Good luck finding everything you need to make it simpler. Please check out www.schomeeducatorsassociation.org/ (http://www.schomeeducatorsassociation.org/) to find all the available accountability associations as well as the registered support groups in the state. While you will be required to join an accountability group, you will probably want to join a support group for company and a shoulder to lean on. While the public school is divided into different districts, those do not limit your choice for homeschooling groups (I live in Richland County and belong to an association in another county. Many people in the support group I belong to live all over town, not just in my neighborhood. However, if we sent our kids to public school, they would not know each other because the school zones are limited in area.) Hope that helps.

Anne Marie

[martylamarche]

Melissa:

I meant to respond earlier to your post but life got in the way...Anyway, there is an excellent support grp in the Lexington area, actually it's for all of Columbia. It's REACH. I belong to it. It has lots of activities for high school (Student Council, journalism club, yearbk,etc) and elem school (boys and girls clubs, park days)age children. There isn't as much for middle schoolers (those under 13 and especially girls at this age grp) but there are field trips for all ages. Also, they have Mom's Nite Outs (MNOs) twice a month. There is another support grp that serves only Lex District 5 and that's HEARLD5. They have small grps at different age grps and mnos too.

As far as associations, I am with GRACE in Florence. I like them because they are less intrusive than other asssociations. REACH also has an assoc that members can join after their first full yr of membership. We moved here from IA over 3yrs ago and find it alot more relaxed here in terms of rules,etc.

How old are your kids? I have 14 yr old son and 12 yr old daughter.

Let me know if I can help you with any other questions about Lexington area as I live in it. I know of 2 really good realtors.

Good Luck!

Marty