If you do not enroll with a Home Study School, you must decide on a name for your Home School. Obtain a post-office-box address; have stationery printed with the name and address. Be sure not to include "home" in the name of your school. Official school stationery is needed to order textbooks, teacher's manuals, answer keys, tests, examination copies (to look over for 30 days), sample texts (which you may keep), and publisher's catalogs.The above is an example of one of those statements that left me scratching my head and saying "what?". I do have a name for our homeschool, although I rarely used it. In fact the only time I've used it is when filling out the papers for Pizza Hut's Book It program. (Remember I've been homeschooling since June 2008). I do NOT have Official School Stationery and I certainly do NOT have a P.O. Box. I wonder how many homeschoolers have these things and if they would agree with the author that they are a MUST have in order to get textbooks, teacher's manuals, answer keys, etc.?
I will say in the author's defense that the tract was written in 1983. 26 years is a long, long, time. If anything, perhaps, this is an indication of how far homeschooling has come! We now have excess to vendors (Christian, Catholic, Secular), curriculum, books, websites, software, catalogs, etc all with a click of a mouse. Maybe, we should be grateful of how far homeschooling has come.
You are right that many years have passed. But to Mrs. Clark's defense...she may have inferred this necessity due to the fact that when homeschooling families wish to have an accredited high school diploma they must have an official school name on their transcript...and if they are not enrolled in an accredited school and have kept their own transcripts and then are requesting an accredited diploma from one if the issuing services...it is very necessary to have a school name. And, whether it's right or wrong...you will find more co-operation and ease if the school name on the transcript sound official. How did I learn all of this? I learned it from the consultants at MODG when I was enrolling my older son for high school.
ReplyDeleteNot saying that is what that tract was referring to...but could have been :)
The homeschooling name really didn't make me scratch my head, that makes sense for so many reason, even though it may rarely be used. What had me scratching the most was the idea of having "official" School Stationery and a PO Box.
ReplyDeletePerhaps there was a time that PO Box were truly needed, but I don't feel they are now.... Do you?
Actually, that is rather out dated. You really have no reason for that because homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and even for High School, you do not. There are a few states with tighter restrictions, but getting a PO box, and letter head and all-seems way over the top. I graduated 2 already with no problems. If my child wanted to go in to the military or a University that required a professional transcript, I would have used my Edu-Track to make one or had it printed at a print shop. Or have gone thru a program like Hewitt or one of the various others.
ReplyDeleteSo to answer your question to Judy-no they are not needed.
HTH
As for transcripts...it varies depending on the University. It's a good idea for homeschoolers who intend to go to college/University to take the time to contact their prospective schools and inquire as to what their requirements for homeschoolers are. You will find it differs greatly from school to school.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why it varies? Does it vary because the laws from state to state vary? Are the requirements similar between colleges/universities in the same state?
ReplyDeleteOops...should have included this in my prior comment.
ReplyDeleteActually, the military enlists on a 3-tier basis...and all homeschoolers are automatically placed as tier 2...if they have a certified GED or accredited transcript. However, there are some branches of the military which are now allowing a special test to be taken so that those with accredited transcripts and certified diplomas may be bumped up to tier 1 if they get a high enough score on the test. I share this info just to mention that it's not as simple as printing something out and getting it accepted. The military requires a certified proof of completion of education. (Unless of course, the person is going in under tier 3, which someone who has an education wouldn't want to do)
Not sure it has to do with laws so much as it does preference of the school. For instance, some will require an SAT for all homeschoolers.
ReplyDeleteSome will accept the ACT....and then again...SOME want BOTH of those!
It's just a matter of what EACH school has decided upon as to their requirements and expectations.