The September 15, 2008 deadline for filing your declaration-of-intent
to homeschool form (DOI) is fast approaching.

 

If your student is attending the Running Start program
 you must file a DOI form. This will protect your homeschool
reedoms, such as parent-controlled graduation requirements,
 parent-issued diploma and transcripts.

 

We are still receiving complaints of many school districts using
 forms out of compliance with state law.
 We make the following suggestions:

 

·         Use the DOI form prepared by the
Christian Homeschool Network found
on our web site at http://www.chnow.org/page5.aspx

 

OR

 

·         HSLDA members can use the
 DOI form HSLDA has prepared www.HSLDA.org

 

OR

 

·         Use your school district’s DOI form and ONLY
fill in the information required by law.

 

 

There is no excuse for a school district to use a form
different than the one the State Superintendent’s Office
has prescribed. Nor is there any reason for them to
request additional information other than what state
law requires. The form developed by CHN uses OSPI’s
format but only includes information required by law;
such as age not birth date.

 

NOTE: If you have enrolled your student in any public
school-at-home program, you are not required to file a
 DOI form, since your child is enrolled full-time
in the public school.

 

Filing a DOI form does not necessarily mean
that your child is homeschooling under the
 home-based instruction law RCW 28A.200.
 In order for the education to be considered
home-based the parent takes total responsibility
for the child’s education, and conducts the
majority of the teaching. Therefore, programs
 supervised by the public school do not fall
under the home-based instruction law.

 

If you go in to the school district office to file,
we suggest you go prepared. Most school
districts are use to different forms or omission of
information on their form. Just in case, take a copy
 of the law, and be ready to humbly and firmly explain
 your position.  Do not be afraid to ask them
 “where is that in law?” Have the school district
personnel date and time stamp your form and
make you a copy for your records.

 

If you anticipate any problems with your school district,
before filing your DOI form please e-mail us with your
 home telephone number so that we may assist you
chnow@msn.com

 

Some believe that homeschoolers need to work with
heir local school district to bring the DOI forms into
 compliance with state law. We respect and encourage
 homeschoolers to stand for the homeschool law
at the local levels.

 

However, experience has shown us that this is very
 time consuming and has reaped very little results.
Today, 20 years after passage of the homeschool law,
 most school district’s DOI forms are out of compliance.
 A few homeschoolers have had success in getting their
 local school district’s DOI form corrected, but when
 we followed up a few years later, the school district
form was again non-compliant.
Thus is the nature of dealing with the educrats.

 

If you feel led to work with your local school district,
we would be happy to assist you.
Please send us an e-mail at chnow.@msn.com
 include your telephone number and we will give you a call.

 

 

If your school district has a form out of compliance with
 state law, let us know, or better yet send us a copy:
CHN 10638 SE 236^th St Kent, WA 98031

 

 

To read the law in its entirety, click here http://www.chnow.org/page5.aspx

 

 

 

Christian Homeschool Network