Homeschooling in Wisconsin: At Home With Learning (6th Edition)

Guide to Finding the Help You Need

For Information on Homeschooling

• My children's current school situation has become intolerable. I need to begin homeschooling NOW, but I'm not sure how to begin. See pages 20 and 39.
• I want to continue homeschooling, but I feel tired, overwhelmed, confused, and discouraged. See pages 39, 118, and 124.
• I've just decided to homeschool our children, but I don't know what to do next. See pages 20 and 39.
• How can I get a copy of form PI-1206 that homeschoolers are required to submit to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI)? See page 27.
• Can I begin homeschooling in the middle of the school year or do I have to wait until next fall? See pages 27 and 33.
• It is after the October 15th deadline to send form PI-1206 to the DPI. Can I still begin homeschooling? See pages 27 and 33.
• Where do I get the books? See page 39.
• I'm trying to decide whether our family should homeschool. See page 17.
• I want to begin homeschooling. What is legally required? See page 23.
• How old should my child be when I start sending in form PI-1206 for them? See page 32.
• What is our family supposed to actually do to learn things when we start homeschooling? See pages See page 39.
• How do I choose a curriculum? What choices do I have? Do I have to buy a whole curriculum? See page 44.
• What qualifications do I need to homeschool our children? See page 18.
• Can I homeschool my child with special needs even though I'm not trained in special education? See page 69.
• Our children are already in high school. Is it too late to begin homeschooling? See page 89.
• My teens don't like school work. How can I homeschool them? See page 89.
• Can homeschoolers get good student discounts on auto insurance? See page 95.
• How can homeschoolers get high school diplomas? See page 99.
• How do homeschoolers get into college or technical school and get scholarships? See page 104.
• Is there any way to get college credit without enrolling in college? See page 65.
• What records do I have to keep? See page 82.
• I'm not sure that our kids are learning enough of the right stuff. How should I evaluate their progress? Should I have them tested? See page 81.
• What about socialization? See page 109.
• Our child has trouble with reading (or whatever). What can I do? See page 119.
• Our close friends, extended family, or neighbors are questioning our homeschooling. What can I do? See page 190.
• As a homeschooling parent, I just don't have enough time for myself. See page 116.
• A newspaper reporter has asked to interview our family about homeschooling. Should I agree to this? How do I prepare for the interview? See page 195.
• How can I help our children prepare to enter or re-enter a conventional school after homeschooling? See page 240.
• I am involved in a custody dispute with my ex-spouse. Can you help me? See page 122.
• I want to hire an attorney for a case involving homeschooling. How can I find a good one? See page 178.

If a Public Official Contacts You

• The school census taker is at the door (or on the phone, or has sent me a letter) requesting the names and ages of our children. See page 224.
• A social service worker is at the door (or on the phone). See page 231.
• A truant officer is at the door (or on the phone). See page 235.
• The police have taken our homeschooled children into custody for being absent from school without a valid excuse. See page 236.
• Someone at our children's school just told me that we should begin homeschooling. See page 34.
• Our child has been diagnosed as “learning disabled,” “hyperactive,” as having “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD), or some similar label, and school officials are pressuring us to put him or her into special education. See pages 69 and 219.
• I just received a letter telling me to bring in our 4 year old (or 3, 2, or 1 year old) for preschool screening. Should I go? Am I required by law to go? See page 219.
• I have received a letter and a questionnaire from our local school district requesting information about our family because we are homeschooling. Should I fill it out and send it in? See page 226.
• Should I get our children's school records from the time they attended public schools? How do I do this? See page 247.
• Our children would like to take a course in the local public school. Is this possible? See page 242.
• I would like my special needs child to get speech therapy or other services from the public school. Is this possible? How do I make the necessary arrangements? See page 242.

  For Information about Homeschooling in Wisconsin

• What does Wisconsin's homeschooling law require? See page 23.
• How can I find out more about Wisconsin's homeschooling law and other laws that affect homeschoolers? See pages 201 and 206.
• What was it like to homeschool in Wisconsin before the current law passed in 1984? See pages 133 and 143.
• How many homeschoolers are there in Wisconsin? See page 185.
• Are homeschools in Wisconsin private schools? See page 203.
• I just heard (or read) that Wisconsin's homeschooling law is too lax. Is this true? Does the law hold parents accountable? See page 203.
• Should the state require that homeschoolers take standardized tests? See page 184.
• I want to be a responsible homeschooler. What should I be doing? See page 157.
• Is it legal for homeschooling parents to homeschool children from another family along with their own children? See page 204.

For Questions about Policy and Practical Action

• What can we do as parents to reclaim and maintain our rights and responsibilities? See page 157.
• What issues do homeschoolers face today? See page 179.
• Should homeschoolers get tax credits or other benefits from the state or federal government? See page 181.
• What is the difference between compulsory attendance and compulsory education? Why does this matter? See page 166.
• How can I get in touch with my legislators? See page 210.
• How can I participate effectively in a legislative hearing? See page 213.
• Do I need to worry about protecting my family's privacy? If so, what should I do? See page 251.
• Should homeschoolers support legislation supposedly designed to protect parental rights? See page 257.
• Should habitual truants or other “unqualified” people be prohibited from homeschooling? See page 187.
• Why does Wisconsin have such a good homeschooling law? See page 141.
• Should I have my question my children screened? See page 219.

For Questions Not Answered in This Book

• Call the WPA Voice Mail at 608-283-3131.
• Contact your WPA Regional Coordinator listed in the WPA Newsletter and on the web site at www.homeschooling-wpa.org/regions.shtml.
• Write to WPA at P.O. Box 2502, Madison, Wisconsin 53701-2502