Info on Option 3 homeschooling & Online Virtual Charter schools.....

Please be aware of the differences of Option 3 & the Online Virtual Charter school, just incase you were deciding to go that route with your child.

"What is the difference between homeschooling on Option 3 & using the Online Virtual Charter school?"

Well let me tell you, there is a BIG difference between the two.
One thing you have got to remember:
Online schooling is NOT an option 3 law. Online schooling is no different than attending public school. You still have to check in with a teacher from the school district, & the State dept. also says what curriculum to use, & they test. They also use your child's test scores to help further pursue future monies for the district.

The educators want you to think that you are truly homeschooling, BUT YOU ARE NOT!! Educators also make it seem to good to be true: Meaning they even give you a computer for your home for free, free curriculum to use, & free online help. But, parents please remember-- Nothing Is Ever Free in this world, without paying a price. The price is your FREEDOM!

Please read below for more information.
Brandon and I are under the (59-65-47) law or Option 3. Which means, we do not test, and I have the freedom to choose my own curriculum that I want to teach, and I choose what hours I want to teach.

I copied most of this off of a couple of the associations websites.
I hope this helps you in understanding that there is truly a BIG difference between the two.
Take care for now,
Bridgette

SC Virtual Charter Schools
New virtual charter schools, in addition to SC's own virtual school, are preparing to open for the 2008-2009 school year. Students who attend these schools will be public school students -- they'll have no choice in curriculum, must adhere to state curriculum standards, must participate in statewide testing, and must meet daily and hourly attendance requirements. Although they provide another alternative to brick and mortar public schools and private schools, enrolled students are NOT homeschoolers.

Virtual Charter Schools:
Connections Academy
K12
Calvert School (may still be trying to get approval)

One question from an homeschool association website is:
My children are enrolled through one of SC's online virtual charter schools. Are we homeschooling?

No. Your children are public school students. You cannot choose your own curriculum and your children must adhere to SC curriculum standards and daily/hourly attendance requirements. They (and you) will have to answer to a certified teacher who will monitor their learning, and your children must participate in statewide testing. Homeschoolers have much more freedom to choose our own curriculum, subjects, methods of assessment, and days/hours of attendance. Our children are not public school students, can learn at their own pace, and don't have to answer to a certified teacher.

The Law
59-65-47
In lieu of the requirements of Section 59-65-40 or Section 59-65-45, parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of an association for homeschools which has no fewer than fifty members and meets the requirements of this section. Bona fide membership and continuing compliance with the academic standards of the associations exempts the home school from the further requirements of Section 59-65-40 or Section 59-65-45.

The State Department of Education shall conduct annually a review of the association standards to insure that requirements of the association, at a minimum, include:

a parent must hold at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general educational development (GED) certificate;
the instructional year is at least one hundred eighty days;
the curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the basic instructional areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, and in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature; and
educational records shall be maintained by the parent-teacher and include:
a plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and activities in which the student and parent-teacher engage;
a portfolio of samples of the student's academic work; and
a semiannual progress report including attendance records and individualized documentation of the student's academic progress in each of the basic instructional areas specified in item (c) above.
By January thirtieth of each year, all associations shall report the number and grade level of children home schooled through the association to the children's respective school districts.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

59-65-40
Parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is approved by the district board of trustees of the district in which the children reside. A district board of trustees shall approve homeschooling programs which meet the following standards:
the parent:
holds at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general educational development (GED) certificate and, beginning in the 1989-90 school year, attains a passing score on the basic skills examination developed pursuant to Section 59-26-20 (b) (1) after the State Department of Education has validated the test for use with homeschooling parents; or
has earned a baccalaureate degree; [Note : As a result of Lawrence v South Carolina State Board of Education (1991, SC), the requirement of (a) passing score on the basic skills examination or (b) obtaining a baccalaureate degree was repealed. In other words, parents must hold at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general educational development (GED) certificate. For more information, see CASE NOTES following this section.]
the instructional day is at least four and one-half hours, excluding lunch and recesses, and the instructional year is at least one hundred and eighty days;
the curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the basic instructional areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies and in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature;
as evidence that a student is receiving regular instruction, the parent shall present a system for maintaining and maintain the following records for inspection upon reasonable notice by a representative of the school district:
a plan book, diary, or other written record indicating subjects taught and activities in which the student and parent engage;
a portfolio of samples of the student's academic work; and
a record of evaluations of the student's academic progress. A semiannual progress report including attendance records and individualized assessments of the student's academic progress in each of the basic instructional areas specified in item (3) must be submitted to the school district.
students must have access to library facilities;
students must participate in the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment Program approved by the State Board of Education for their appropriate grade level. The tests must be administered by a certified school district employee either with public school students or by special arrangement at the student's place of instruction, at the parent's option. The parent is responsible for paying the test administrator if the test is administered at the student's home; and [Note : As of publication, students in grades kindergarten through second grade are not required to participate in statewide testing.]
parents must agree in writing to hold the district, the district board of trustees and the district's employees harmless for any educational deficiencies of the student sustained as a result of home instruction. At any time the school district determines that the parent is not maintaining the homeschool program in keeping with the standards specified in this section the district board of trustees shall notify the parent to correct the deficiencies within thirty days. If the deficiencies are not corrected within thirty days, the district board of trustees may withdraw its approval.
The district board of trustees shall provide for an application process which elicits the information necessary for processing the homeschooling request, including a description of the program, the texts and materials to be used, the methods of program evaluation, and the place of instruction. Parents must be notified in advance of the date, place, and time of the meeting at which the application is considered by the board and parents may be heard at the meeting.
Within the first fifteen instructional days of the public school year, students participating in home instruction and eligible for enrollment in the first grade of the public schools must be tested to determine their readiness for first grade using the readiness instrument approved by the State Board of Education for public school students. If a student is determined to be "not ready" or is determined to lack the necessary emotional maturity, the parent must be advised by appropriate school district personnel whether a kindergarten or a first grade curriculum should be used for the child. Nothing in this section may be interpreted to conflict a parent's right to exempt his child from kindergarten as provided in Section 59-65-10 (A). [Note : As stated above, as of publication, students in grades kindergarten through second grade are not required to participate in statewide testing.]
Should a student in a homeschooling program score below the test requirements of the promotion standard prescribed for public school students by the State Board of Education for one year, the district board of trustees shall decide whether or not the student shall receive appropriate instructional placement in the public school, special services as a handicapped student, or homeschooling with an instructional support system at parental expense. The right of a parent to enroll his child in a private or parochial school as provided in Section 59-65-10 (A) is unaffected by this provision.
If a parent is denied permission to begin or continue homeschooling by a district board of trustees, the decision of the district board of trustees may be appealed, within ten days, to the State Board of Education. Any appeal from the decision of the State Board of Education must be taken, within thirty days, to the family court.
CASE NOTES:

The requirement that a parent who provides a homeschooling program to his or her child must pass the basic skills examination (EEE) is unenforceable, since the process for validating the examination failed to meet the standard of reasonableness where the EEE did not test teaching ability, the panel who evaluated each item of the EEE for task relatedness and bias were not given a description of successful homeschooling, and the scores given the examination by those who were homeschoolers versus those who were not was substantially different. Lawrence v South Carolina State Board of Education (1991, SC).

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINIONS:

Use of a correspondence courses does not, alone, constitute a school under compulsory school attendance laws. 1984 Op Atty. Gen, No 84-12. p. 42.

Although school district boards of trustees may take reasonable period of time to review and act on application for home instruction, deadlines may not be set beyond which applications would no longer be considered. 1991 Op Atty. Gen, No 91-8, p. 36.

Requirements of 59-65-40 must be met before parents or guardians may teach their children at home. This is so regardless of whether, in absence of 59-65-40, home instruction would constitute private school or "member school" of organization of other home schools within meaning of 59-65-10. 1991 Op Atty. Gen, No 91-8, p. 36.

Statutory provisions do not authorize students to be taught by anyone other than their parents or guardians in a home instruction setting. 1989 Op Atty. Gen, No 89-22, p. 60.

The home instruction law does not authorize on-site visits to a home prior to approval of a home instruction program, nor does it authorize subsequent visits to determine whether standards are being met; prior visits would only be permissible with the agreement of the parent or guardian as an alternative to providing additional information about the place of instruction. 1989 Op Atty. Gen, No 89-22, p. 60.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

59-65-45
In lieu of the requirements of Section 59-65-40, parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. Bona fide membership and continuing compliance with the academic standards of South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools exempts the homeschool from the further requirements of Section 59-65-40.

The State Department of Education shall conduct annually a review of the association standards to insure that requirements of the association, at a minimum, include:

a parent must hold at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general educational development (GED) certificate;
he instructional year is at least on hundred eighty days; and
the curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the basic instructional areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature.
By January thirtieth of each year, the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools shall report the number and grade level of children homeschooled through the association to the children's respective school districts.

How do I choose an Association?

1. Become familiar with South Carolina’s third option homeschooling law, Section 59-65-47 - Explanation of the Third Option Law, 59-65-47 .

2. Sort out which associations you can join. (Some associations only serve their county, their support group members, their curriculum, their religion, etc.)

3. Visit each association’s web site to get a feel for who they are, and what they represent. While visiting each association’s web site, you should consider the services that you need and ask yourself:

a. Does this association require more than the complete requirements of the law?

b. Do I need the additional requirements of this association to assist me?

c. Are the requirements intrusive?

4. Call all the associations you are interested in, just to see if they are available to assist you, and to see how long it takes them to return your call if they were unavailable when you called. Remove associations that have had their phone services disconnected when you call; their phone may be temporarily disconnected again when you need them in an emergency.

5. Email all of the associations you are interested in (you can do this with one email by bcc each of the association’s email address). Prepare a list of questions to place in the body of your email. Here are some suggestions:

a. Are you accepting applications? If not, when do you accept applications?

b. What are your fees?

c. How do you assist members?

d. Is our member information given to anyone without our consent?

e. How do you verify our membership if we are contacted by an official?

f. Do you allow members to choose their own curriculum? Must we use yours? If we are allowed to pick our own curriculum, do you have to approve the curriculum we choose?

g. Do you automatically notify anyone of our membership? (Schools, School District, etc) If so, why do you?

If the association’s email is bouncing as mailbox full, you need to consider marking them off your list. If you receive an undeliverable notice, you should verify that you have the correct email address by either looking at their web site, or by phoning them. If you have emailed the correct address, consider marking them off your list. You may copy and paste the questions above into the text of your email, and modify as needed.