I got a lotta hits today — maybe I should give y’all something to read?

In the CPS drama, we were waiting for confirmation that the local school district had received the re-send of our paper work. In our state, you have to send an affidavit in August. Nothing in the law about them acknowledging receipt, so I didn’t worry about it until CPS showed up– apparently the local authorities never got it. So I resent it, and got confirmation. Sort-of.

According to the law, you have to send them an affidavit stating this, that, and the other. And the law specifically says “this affidavit shall be evidence thereof”. So the local chick writes back (leaving off half of Big Kid’s name in the letter) that she wants copies of vaccination records, my diploma, dental records– all of this stuff that the affidavit covers. And she says I am not “approved” to homeschool until she gets them. Except: a) she has no authority to approve me– the law doesn’t give anyone that authority, and b) she has no right to request this documentation, as the law specifically states that “the home education program shall comply with the provisions of this section and that the notarized affidavit shall be satisfactory evidence thereof.”

I could just send it. Except that it would be a pain to collect the stuff, and besides– SHE HAS NO RIGHT TO ASK. Also, giving the school district more than is required just sets a precedence for them to request too much of you and others in the future.

It sounds as if I am being bitchy, I know. But the thing is, none of this documentation proves a damn thing about Big Kid’s education. I’ve complied with the law– giving her extra forms for some file does not mean Big Kid will be happier, or healthier, or better educated. It just means she will have more forms. And at the end of the day (or the school year, for that matter), she doesn’t even get to decide if Big Kid is getting educated. As far as I can see (I need to re-read the law), no one actually gets to decide. My state has these obnoxious laws and they don’t prove or ensure a thing. The fact of the matter is that one doesn’t need a license to parent, or to parent the way they see fit. It may seem horribly wrong and insulting to someone who loves the school district or the public school system, but it is my right.

So the long and the short of it is: I’m getting shit from the school district, and with CPS hanging over my head– well, the smart thing to do would probably be to hand her whatever she wanted and hope she will go away. But I’m not that kind of girl, for better or worse. I’ll be drafting a letter explaining that she has everything she needs. And requesting that she stop attempting to change my son’s name. We’ll see if it flies.
Ahh! But the best part is that I’m betting this woman remembers my name, and (knowing that my mother called CPS on me, smells ‘victim’) will be sure to request too much at every turn. Just makes me hate my mother all the more.

Oh, and I heard from a family member that apparently my mom thought I would hear from CPS and be so terrified that I’d RUN to enroll Big Kid in school. Right. As if I have no convictions. As if I just pulled homeschooling out of a hat full of options. I’ve been planning to homeschool him since he was 9 mos old, and I’m just gonna roll over? I don’t think so. Geez, did this woman pay NO attention to me growing up?