This is my least favorite time of the year, regarding homeschooling.

It is the time when I need to start figuring out how I am going to show the state that my kids have learned enough this past school year.

On the positive side, it gives me a better sense of where we are at and it helps me realize just how much they really do learn, even though we have taken a relaxed approach to homeschooling so far.

It is always very nerve racking though because I know that ultimately, the state can say that they are not learning enough and we can be forced to enroll them in a public or private school.

I know that won’t happen because, well, the kids are getting an education, and even though I am sort of biased, I have to admit they are pretty smart.

It bothers me that a homeschooling parent must demonstrate that each child is making yearly progress commensurate with age and ability in order to continue to homeschool, but the public schools do not.

Yes, I know they have to show progress and there is an increasing amount of accountability, but they are only required to show that a percentage of students have progressed, and it is a mighty small percentage at that.

In contrast, I am required to show that each child has made progress. If I was held to the same standard as the public schools, I could keep one child from learning anything at all and my percentage would still be acceptable by PS standards if the other 67% of my “school” was passing.

And, if my kids were failing for any reason, I could always chalk it up to the fact that 67% of the students at my “school” are minorities and 100% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

With those damning statistics, it is really a wonder that any of them are required to learn anything.