How can I challenge my child's high school for not letting him graduate because they won't accept home school?

Question

My childs has special needs and I felt he was falling behind at shool. I pulled him for a year to help him get caught up in the areas he was struggling. I have re-enrolled him, but they will not allow him to graduate. He tests higher than a third of the students on the ACT and test about average on the state exam (MEAP). It seems they have a vendetta against home school. I have talked with the vice principal, principal, and superintendent. They have been misleading in statements and unwilling to change. What steps should I take and who should I contact to allow my child to graduate from the high school. Other schools may allow him to graduate, but when I asked him about attending another school, he said he would rather stay at the high school that he had attended. I have had 3 other children graduate from the school with honors, and have 3 others that will attend the school as well. We are in Macomb county, MI

Answer 1

If he has special needs, he may be on what is considered a modified program. If so, he will not be able to graduate, but may be entitled to a certificate of completion. You cannot expect the school to treat your child as though he has been attending that school when he has not. The legalities and ramifications of your home-schooling as they pertain to graduation should have been checked out before you decided to home school him. I would contact the Board of Education and find out why, exactly, the school will not graduate him, and deal with that. He might have to wait a year or be more flexible and change schools.

Answer 2

many cities have home schooling centers with representatives that make sure the work is being done at home. without this confirmation, a public school (or any) cannot accept that the child has magically learned anything. you must understand that a public school has to prove that the students they graduate have proven themselves in the classroom. Additionally, schools usually have programs for this sort of problem.
A third of the students eh? I think this is somewhere between a 14 and a 17 on the ACT. Personally, that's not too great, but that is just my opinion.
I would suspect that maybe your child just needs some extra courses to make up for the ones he missed the year he was out of school. Being a year behind is not that bad, and may help him get into a better college. Please consider this

Answer 3

You child needs to understand that, a year after graduation, no one cares what high school is on that diploma. Find a high school that will graduate him.

Do NOT do the GED, as this will limit his options in the future, starting with military service and college.

In Michigan, tons of parents home school, and I'm suprised that you haven't been part of such a group. I have to wonder how you managed to home-school w/o their assistance.

If your kid is doing that well, is he college-bound? If the college accepts his academic work and has accepted him, perhaps that will add to your evidence pile as well.

Finally, go to the press. They love a good story of public officials that are stuck on stupid.

Answer 4

Find out what the state requires, then get yourself a decent civil rights attorney. The fact is that if your son has what he needs to graduate (obviously he does if other area schools are willing to let him participate in graduation) then they are violating his rights.
I had an issue with my son's HS and in the end all it took was a call from my attorney to theirs to make a plan and set it in motion. The lawyer didn't charge me a penny and the school chose to avoid an "issue".
Good luck.

Answer 5

Contact Home School Legal Defense association http://www.hslda.org They will have information on what you have to do to get the home schooling credits accepted. In most cases all it takes is some correctly filled out paperwork on your part and a "nasty lawyer letter" on their part to resolve the issue. Surprised your having that much trouble here in Michigan, they are one of the best states for homeschooling. (In the Flint area myself).

Answer 6

I think you have a vendetta against the schools because they don't think your home instruction meets the standards that every other high school graduate must meet. Get the chip off your shoulder and talk calmly to them what deficiencies he must clear to graduate.

Answer 7

I would start with the local Board of Education and if that doesn't work, contact the State Board of Education. Home-schooling works, and the child shouldn't be penalized if his test scores are on par with his peers.

Answer 8

there has been a great number of communicate in this undertaking, you ought to to income out some spoke back questions with regard to the homeschool threads! little ones are maximum suitable arranged to handle existence whilst they style their behaviour after loving grownup functionality fashions extremely than abusive friends. examine "Lord of the Flies" for an occasion of what I propose with the help of this. All toddlers are socialized. some are socialized in an abusive placing that values conformity, and a few are socialized in a worrying placing that values individuality and tolerance. which might you think of is greater advantageous? not everybody can homeschool. It demands that one discern stay at dwelling house in the process the day. everybody could make a determination in accordance with what's the main suitable for their very own relatives. I had to function on after examining a great number of detrimental comments. those are patently written with the help of persons who have not have been given any understanding or journey with homeschooling, and look very prejudiced. it is exactly the closed-minded way toddlers are taught to think of interior the generic public gadget. I even have had journey in the two the generic public and dwelling house college platforms. I distinctly desire the latter, yet then, I actually have a genius point IQ and grow to be by no skill served nicely interior the generic public gadget. uncomplicated little ones who prefer to adapt could desire public college. Calvert college is a great curriculum, that's all-inclusive and rigorous. many of the mothers that i be attentive to who instruct their little ones have dissimilar stepped forward tiers and could instruct with the aid of college or expert college point in the event that they had to....yet even the mothers with uncomplicated coaching do nicely with the help of sharing classes in co-ops or including on line classes. little ones who homeschool at the instant are not freaks or anti-social in any respect. they're mature, considerate, inclusive, relaxing, and self-inspired. And particular, they do have buddies.

Answer 9

Are you tyalking about graduating or Actually walking? If it's walking I doubt they can do anything about that because your son did not attend that school for long enough. He does not have credits with it. As for graduation if they don't give him a diploma for all his work then they are just doofs :p

Answer 10

try higher ups then the principal. or school boards and try the mayor of the town. home school should be the same as the school. keep fighting dont give in !!