Nancy,
I finally got around to calling SRA, which told me it sells Spelling Through Morphographs only to teachers and certified homeschoolers. You actually have to fax the certification in according to the person I spoke to. Not helpful for parents who are simply trying to fill in the gaps that the teachers and schools do not have the time or inclination or whatever to fill so kids can be taught what they need to learn to be successful. Any second best options you can recommend? I had thought earlier of How to Spell volume 3 or Megawords.
Mariedc
Re: Nancy--SRA sells only to teachers
Ummm…. there is no “certification” for homeschoolers in most cases. This is a subject that comes up often on homeschool discussion groups, as they have often been creative in establishing their “credentials” for getting various teacher benefits. Especially if you’re in a state with looser homeschooling regs, it would be worth calling their bluff. Get your word processor oiut and make up a lovely school letterhead and a name for your school. Send it as if you were at eacher buying it out of your own funds, which happens less with that pricey SRA stuff but probably happens a fair amount. I assume you coudln’t just order it online?
Of course, it would be vengeful as well as illegal for you to, say, find somebody to order it for you and then reproduce it all for them, too — but rather tempting…
SRA
Sue,
Brilliant idea. I just checked and there are absolutely no homeschool requirements for my state other than keeping a daily record of attendance. By statute you are supposed to notify the school board but because there are no implementing regulations there is no way to notify so even that requirement has no effect. Homeschooling is considered “private instruction” and there are no qualification requirements for the instructor. Lord only knows I’ve done a lot of private instruction so I now feel perfectly qualified to call myself a homeschooler under my state’s laws.
Mariedc
Re: Nancy--SRA sells only to teachers
Sue’s right.
I don’t have specific experience with SRA lately, but most companies simply fax or email you a form. You check off that you are a homeschooler, sign it, and return it. They don’t put include jargon about the legal definition of a homeschooler so — considering that you school at home during the summer — I don’t see why you couldn’t consider yourself a homeschooler. Just call the company back and identify yourself as a homeschooler. If they ask for certification, tell them your state doesn’t provide any (most states don’t).
The reason companies do this (they say) is to prevent unscrupulous parents from pumping their children with answers from a teacher’s manual and therefore artifically influencing their scores on tests — grade inflation. There must be some ulterior reason also, though, as this policy makes absolutely no sense for many programs, such as STM. My personal take is that these companies strive to keep their prices artificially high and somehow this policy helps them do it. If you look at the printing costs for STM, there is absolutely no way these two books should cost in excess of $200. However, the company sells large quantities to school districts for that price.
Nancy
Surely one of the nice teachers or homeschoolers on this board, in your geographical area, could order it for you? Or do they make you swear not to re-sell?