Keeping Good Records

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One thing you’ll hear homeschool families talk a lot about is record keeping. If you live in a state that requires you keep records such as hours, subjects taught, grades etc. it’s important to keep good records making sure to date them as you go. This is one of the main ways families can prove their child is learning at home.

I read an article about a mom who kept better records than the district. Jennifer and her husband Jeffery have been homeschooling for 12 years in the state of New York. Every year, homeschooling families must submit a letter of intent, an individualized home instruction plan (IHIP), four quarterly reports, and an end-of-year assessment for each child.

Jennifer, homeschooling six children, always made sure she turned her documents in on time. She even made a smart move to make sure the school district stamp dated her documents to make sure she had record of everything she submitted.

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What happened next is a good example of why you should keep your own good and dated records instead of depending on anyone else to do so.

On December 11, 2018 Jennifer and Jeffrey received a letter from the Rome City School District stating they had not received any of the IHIP’s for their children. This in fact was after they had submitted their homeschool paperwork for the 2018-2019 school year. The letter also stated that the family had one week to get these documents to the officials or else the district would report them to Child Protective Services for educational neglect.

Jennifer contacted HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association), sent them the threatening letter and all of the homeschool documents that the district stamp dated on August 15, 2018. HSLDA contacted the district and they denied receiving the IHIP’s because they were no where to be found in their records. They lost all of the family’s homeschool paperwork!

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HSLDA informed the district they had reviewed all of the IHIP’s submitted by the family and that the documents had been stamped by them showing they were received. They resubmitted the paperwork and requested the district verify in writing that everything was in compliance. HSLDA also warned the district that making a false report to social services was a crime in New York. They also pointed out if parents accidentally forget to submit their paperwork it is not considered educational neglect.

According to New York Social Services Law § 371, educational neglect occurs when a child’s “physical, mental or emotional condition has been impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as a result of the failure of his parent or other person legally responsible for his care to exercise a minimum degree of care … in supplying the child with adequate … education … though financially able to do so.’

Once the documents were received, Rome City School District sent the family a letter confirming the compliance of their paperwork as requested.

It ended well for this family because they kept all records on hand and had them readily available when needed. There are many cases as this one where school districts have lost legally mandated homeschool records.

Make sure to make copies of everything and that your district dates/signs off your paperwork once they receive them. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you can’t prove your child’s education and then are threatened to be reported to the CPS.

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