Email of the Day:
After pulling kids from PPP this year, I was told I need to file a declaration of intent since they will not be going the 1 day program they have been attending since September. Since they’re not 8 as yet, is this necessary?
Answer:
It is not. This is a common misconception among school officials. The reason they’re confused is this:
Our compulsory attendance age is from 8-18.
Most children enroll in school at 5.
In order to prevent families of 5, 6, and 7yos from keeping their kids home at random intervals, the law requires 6 and 7yos who are enrolled in school to actually send them.
Once a 5-7yo has been formally withdrawn from a school, they are once again educationally free. Schools, thinking about their side of the law (that enrolled 6 and 7yos have to attend), wrongly figure that those children must then be included on a Declaration of Intent, because they were once “in the system.”
But the law doesn’t require homeschooled 5, 6, or 7yos to be formally homeschooled, or to be included on a Declaration of Intent.
You have two choices here:
1) You can join forces with us to help correct this misconception, and explain the above to the school official, this benefits not only you, but the next person who withdraws their 5, 6, or 7yo from public school. If they give you pushback, ask for them to show you the RCW that requires this (there isn’t one).
2) You can smile sweetly at the folks at the school, and say you’ll file the Declaration of Intent, and then file when they turn 8. It’s okay if you take this way out. Some people can’t stand interactions with tension — that’s okay. Sometimes, you can’t have this kind of discussion because you’re so fed up with the school, you just need to get out before you start shrieking. That’s okay, too. You can help with another battle — you don’t have to die on this hill. Seriously. (But let your extrovert friend know this info.) 🙂
~Jen GS