http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=CA

Are your parents in support too? Always talk with them and get their input. The public school system is not the best place to go to as they do not support that kind of education. Your state homeschool support group can also help you know the steps to take. HSLDA will list the support groups in your area too. The link above should get you started.

Good luck! I don’t think you are a loser!

You need to look up the state laws at the local Department of Education web site.

CA, as I recall, wants an accredited homeschool program which means like A Beka, Penn Foster (Penn Foster is a tough program), etc.

So look up the laws.

If you intend on going to college or getting a college ready level education you need Algebra, Geometry, Trig, English for several years (grammar and literature), Biology and either a math Chemistry or Physics study program, plus history and some type of Civics or CAP.

Unless they’ve changed the rules, one nice thing about CA is if you are 18 you can go to a Junior College even without a HS Diploma or GED

So go look up the laws and see what needs to be done and what you need to apease the state.

It would be a good idea to take the Stanford-Binet test after two or three years to see where you stand. Right now CA kids are not doing well on this test. They are below national Stanine so if you get above in Math, Science and English you are doing better than 70% of CA students.

Typically in Los Angeles Asian, Persian and Arabic students are in the top 10%. White students in the 40-60% level (there is practically NO ONE in the 61-89% level), Black students are in the 30-50% level and Hispanics are in the 20-40% level.

This indicator shows Family Values and strong knit Family institutions are motiving students to do the best and the wishy washy ones are doing D or F work.

While there are some oustanding Black, White and Hispanic students, they are a vast minority compared to Asian and Middle Eastern kids who follow the rules and show respect at home and do as they are told by their parents.

The lack of discipline is the major cause of the school system demise, along wtih drugs and gangs.

Good luck, homeschooling is your best option if you are a motivated self-starter.

You could do a virtual school, use a charter school, or even hand pick your own books and do a true independant study. It just depeds on how you want to approach this. You have choices, which is very nice. Since there are some legal hoops to jump, I would suggest finding a good home school support group in your local area. You might even find people who have books to sell or lend you. They might also have some home school co-op classes you could join. My son is in the 9th grade and he takes his biology labs at a home school co-op. He gets to goof around with other teens without having to endure the “drama” you face daily. Since the class is quite some distance from our home, we drop him off in the morning with all of his books and he studies quietly alone in the church building where they meet until the kids come for other classes. He goofs around with the kids while they take breaks and he waits for his class to start. I teach him Spanish and he does everything else, including Algebra, on his own. Leaving him at the church building for a Biology lab once a week but having him do the rest at home is a nice combination of good friends and beneficial learning. There are many ways to home school. That is why finding a home school support group will be so helpful. They can lead you to what is happening and what is available for high school home schoolers (some even have graduation ceremonies) in your neck of the woods.

This made me giggle… obviously 28% of students rate between 61 and 89%, LOL. Which is hardly “practically no one”

Anyhoo, your parents are free to use any method they choose in any state to homeschool. While certain states *may* recommend certain curriculums, educational freedom remains a right in each state, and parents may choose any method, from “boxed curriculum” to “unschooling” to “eclectic” to homeschool their children.

Your mother probably will have to sign some sort of “notice of intent” in order to pull you out of school, and then you (and she) will have to comply with the law. Read the law yourself… the superintendent or the principal might not be the person to rely on to explain the law objectively. They should not ask for more information than required by law, but many do. So educate yourself before submitting any information/test results/portfolios/etc.

Best wishes! 🙂