BAKERSFIELD, CA. — The Coronavirus pandemic has made many parents look at the different schooling options for the 20-21 school year. As the new school year approaches, one of the options that is still available and highly sought after is homeschooling.
“When you're first looking into homeschooling you don't understand the legalities and there's really a learning curve," said Jamie Heston, California homeschooling consultant.
Jamie Heston also serves on the board of the Homeschool Association of California and says the first place to start is by deciding your home will become a private school for your child by filing a Private School Affidavit, also known as a PSA.
“Do not file that right now," said Heston. "If you go to HSC.org we have a link, but that is for last year. This coming year’s PSA becomes available from October 1st through the 15th. On October 1st, everyone will file for the PSA, and no one will look at it, but you will have it for your records, which is why you need it to show you’re legally compliant."
Parents can begin homeschooling before filing for a PSA. During homeschooling, there a couple of things to keep in mind for your personal records.
“They have to keep attendance, that can be a calendar on the wall, nothing fancy. You need to keep vaccination records. You need to keep teacher qualifications, that can be your college degree or a resume. Then you need to keep a list of subjects you offer, that can be math, science, language arts," said Heston.
If you're a parent who is only interested in homeschooling your child for the 20-21 school year, it is recommended to reach out to the brick and mortar school of your choice on what academic requirements your child will need before they re-enroll next year.
“Sometimes the school you might be re-entering in might want a transcript, so I do advise parents to keep a record of what they did each day, maybe take pictures," said Heston.
For more information, you can visit the Homeschool Association of California website.
