It’s back-to-school season! Public schools in California are coming back to campus after a long year of distance learning. This is great news for students who benefit from learning in person. Other families are not ready to go back to school in-person. For example, there are some who may not go back yet because they are worried about their health. Others have found that their student is much happier learning from home.

As the year starts, our families have a lot of questions about their options for the upcoming school year. The Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) joined a partnership of education-focused organizations including: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), Californians Together, Children Now, California State PTA, Public Advocates Inc., Parent Organization Network, Alliance for Children’s Rights, and Loyola Law School. Together, we created a “Know-Your-Rights” guide for Independent Study. We hope this resource will help students and their families make informed decisions for the next school year.

Districts across the state are offering independent study as an option to in-person learning. This choice is not the same as the distance learning we came to know at the start of the pandemic. This version of remote studies has different requirements for enrollment, data collection and reporting. It is important to stay informed about your rights and responsibilities as a parent and ensure that your child gets the support they need to be successful.

Informed families are empowered families. To learn more, see the Know Your Rights resource on our website or click here.