176 Days of Attendance

I have given lots of thought and prayer to how I will comply with state requirements.  I am fortunate enough to live in Illinois (Southern Illinois) which is not strictly regulated apparently.

Hum..that says volumes about the public education as well one could conclude.

So the only law in Illinois is an attendance requirement of 176 days. If asked I am not required to provide anything more than an attendance record. I like this idea as I am not a person in favor of  "big brother" being into all my personal life.

ANYWAY. I counted the days. We will begin the day after Labor Day.  We will not attend school on Thanksgiving or the day after, we will take a break for two full weeks during Christmas Season, we will attend class on all those other holidays and teacher institute days that the public school will not.  We will not have snow days off.  On those few federal holidays that some will be off, I will build the days lessons around that theme.  On Veterans day we will participate at the Veterans Memorial in St. Louis.  I am only 45 minutes from St. Louis where there are many other opportunities to learn and still close to the local historical sites in Southern Illinois where the territory was first settled.  So many opportunities await us.

It turns out that in my plan of 176 days of attendance we will begin on Sept.7, 2010 and our last day will be May 6, 2011.  Of course learning in our home is something that happens daily.  But school is what I term "purposeful" learning.  I do not want to make school a year round program as we enjoy so much in our lives that does not involve a walled classroom.  We live in an area that is plentiful.  My neighbors happen to be a wildlife preserve and the department of natural resources as well as the Illinois Department of Conservation. 

I feel so giddy with this new opportunity but had to decide when to begin.  I will use the 176 days as my only regulation and follow it to the tee. When you remove those teacher institute days and federal and state holidays you sure can shorten a school year.