Disturbing Trends in Several NY Districts

As a homeschooling parent, I often peruse HSLDA's newsletter when I see it pop into my inbox. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is an excellent resource for homeschoolers nation-wide and I fully intend to become a member when my kids reach school age for a little extra peace of mind in one of the most regulated states in the country.

In the past two months, I have noticed HSLDA's newsletters have highlighted some problematic New York State districts. School officials in these districts are misinterpreting the law and making it harder than ever before for families to homeschool their children. This is a disturbing trend and getting a little too close to home for my taste - Arlington Central School District, Yonkers City School District, Mount Vernon City School District, and Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District are four of the most local districts mentioned in the articles.

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Tale of 7 Districts: High Regulation In Action (July 26, 2022)

Mount Vernon City School District - Informed a family they need to submit separate letters of intent for each child in their family before they would respond with a homeschool packet.

Arlington Central School District - A family was informed they had to fill out an enrollment packet and schedule an in-person meeting to show photo ID to be able to homeschool their child.

Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District - A family was told that they needed to resubmit their homeschool paperwork with the district’s IHIP forms. School officials also told the family that they would need to include “an outline of the curriculum you intend to follow” in addition to the list of syllabi, textbooks, curriculum, or plan of instruction for each subject required by New York law.

Officials Threaten Homeschool Families Who Left New York (June 29, 2022)

Several NY districts contacting families who moved out of New York State, insisting they submit "withdrawal" or "discontinuation" paperwork, even going so far as to threaten child welfare services.

The Law Says Parents Can Test Their Kids. These Districts Don't Care. (July 7, 2022)

Yonkers City School District (among others) - School officials refused to let any homeschool parents evaluate their own children for their required annual assessments - an option New York State law allows.

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To me, the most disturbing of these three stories is the July 7th article describing how parents were barred from assessing their own children, which is permitted by NY law with the consent of the superintendant and a generally accepted practice in most districts (or at least that is my understanding). They even mention one father who is even a certified teacher with a master’s degree, not permitted to assess his own child! But what made this article the most disturbing? Because even HSLDA was not able to reach a resolution. Usually their articles feature a neat happy ending where their lawyers contact the schools on behalf of their member families and explain how the law actually works and the homeschooling families go along their merry way. But the districts would not budge and parents were left scrambling at the last minute, trying to find "authorized" people (strangers) to assess their kids. Nobody knows their kids better than the parents and homeschool instructors themselves! This is insanity.

Thank you to HSLDA for their good work defending educational freedom and for keeping us all informed. Stay vigilant, New Yorkers!