•Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does it mean to homeschool?
A. Homeschooling means different things to different people. Some families duplicate school at home using textbooks, scheduling “classes” and issuing grades. For others, learning and living are completely integrated—it doesn’t just happen from 9 - 3, five days a week. Learning is connected to everyday living. Still others use a combination of structured and unstructured learning.
A. There are many reasons:
• Parents see homeschooling as a natural extension of parenting and they find joy in helping, encouraging, answering questions, sharing discoveries and learning together with their child.
• Parents can help the gifted child who lacks stimulus at school or the late bloomer who needs more time to learn at his own rate. Children can learn about things they are interested in at a time in their lives when they are ready to learn. No preconceived schedule forces them ahead or holds them back.
• Parents may want a certain philosophical or spiritual influence to permeate their child’s learning experience.
• Families appreciate the flexibility that homeschooling allows for travel, health issues or other reasons.
Q. What is the difference between home-based instruction, as defined by Washington State law, and participating in an alternative learning experience, like FamilyLink, that allows parents to school their children at home?
A. Home-based Instruction is provided by the parent or guardian as authorized under RCW 28A.200 and 28A. 225.101. Homeschool students are not enrolled in public school and they are not subject to the rules and regulations governing public schools including course, graduation and assessment requirements.
The public school is under no obligation to provide instruction or instructional materials or otherwise supervise the student’s education.
FamilyLink is an Alternative Learning Experience as defined and authorized under WAC 392-121-182. Students enrolled in FamilyLink are enrolled in public school. They are subject to rules and regulations governing public school students including course, graduation and assessment requirements for all portions of their alternative learning experience. Learning experiences are supervised, monitored, assessed and evaluated by certificated staff in partnership with parents. They are provided via a written student learning plan, in whole or part outside the regular classroom.
Q. Can I homeschool without FamilyLink?
A. Yes. Parents can provide home-based instruction if they meet one of the following qualifications:
• Earned 45 college-level credit hours (or equivalent in semester hours) or,
• Completed a course in home-based instruction at a post-secordary instution or vocational-technical institute or,
• Supervised by a certificated person (teacher), with a minimum of one (1) contact hour a week or,
• Being deemed sufficiently qualified by the superintendent of the local school district in which the child resides.
Q. What are the duties of a parent providing home-based instruction?
A. The parent needs to annually file a signed Declaration of Intent to Provide Home-Based Instruction with the local school district. In addition, the parent must keep test scores or annual academic progress assessment and immunization records with any other records that are kept relating to instructional and educational activities to forward to any school to which the child may transfer. Finally, parents must ensure that a standardized achievement test is administered annually by a qualified person or an academic assessment is administered annually by a certificated person.
A. There are a number of reasons why families choose to enroll in FamilyLink.
• They want to homeschool, but appreciate the support provided by our consulting teachers. Many of our families have worked with the same teacher for a number of years and they enjoy the continuity and individual focus of that relationship.
• Families are attracted to the various resources FamilyLink provides: enrichment classes, resource library and computer lab, special services, high school diploma, and curriculum stipend.
• It makes any eventual transition to public school easier, if that is part of the family’s plan.
Q. How do I know which materials and resources to use, and where?
A. Your FamilyLink consulting teacher can suggest materials and resources and our library offers a variety of curriculum samples and reference materials. You can browse our resource binder for suggestions about websites, pre-packaged and online curriculum, correspondence schools and a list of local retailers. Ask other homeschool parents for recommendations. Be creative! Materials and resources can come from garage sales and thrift shops, building and needlework materials, cooking tools, books, magazines, motors, gears, etc. Check out bookstores and educational supply stores. The public library is one of the best resources. Homeschooling conferences and learning fairs are another place to look for materials and gather ideas.
A. There are many opportunities for your child to interact with other children. FamilyLink provides enrichment classes and other activities where children can meet others. Children can participate in sports, scouts, church, and other activities offered on Vashon. Many homeschooling and FamilyLink parents organize learning co-ops for their children around different subjects or activities.
A. Students who are doing coursework through FamilyLink, whether full-time or part-time, must follow certain requirements: develop a written student learning plan, maintain weekly contact with a certificated teacher, and demonstrate satisfactory progress on learning goals. The difference is in the assessment requirement. Full-time students must take the state assessment, which is the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). Part-time students are not required to take the WASL.
Home-based students can also participate in FamilyLink enrichment classes without enrolling in FamilyLink.
Q. What is FamilyLink’s relationship to the other schools in the district?
A. FamilyLink shares some students with the other public schools in the district. For example, a student may take up to two classes at Vashon High School or McMurray Middle School and do the rest of their coursework through FamilyLink. An elementary student may take Art or PE at Chautauqua Elementary School and do the rest of their learning through FamilyLink. Some classes are hard to do at home, like science or band. Eligible FamilyLink students may also access special education and related services at the other schools.
Q. What about higher education?
A. Many colleges welcome homeschool students. If you and your student are thinking about college, be sure to plan ahead. Investigate the colleges your student is interested in to find out about their admission requirements. Pursue a challenging course load during high school including foreign language, higher level math, etc. Some questions to ask when investigating colleges: How important is a GPA? Do they require SAT or ACT scores? What can your student do to demonstrate their qualifications for admission?