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Welcome to Palmetto Independent Educators

Palmetto Independent Educator’s was founded June 1996 by Renee Madden. Denise Merchant was chosen as director in 1997.

We, at PIE, understand how important it is for your needs and questions to be addressed. This Web site is dedicated to assist you at reaching your goal, the highest quality of education. It is our goal to help families who are considering home schooling to find the support and information they need. This Web site is organized into several steps that will help you become familiar with home schooling, state law, accountability associations, support groups and much more.

1. Our Purpose

PIE was created out of the belief that education should be both affordable and non-intrusive. The purpose of PIE is to provide a legal means to home school your children at a minimal cost to you, the parent. The office of PIE takes a unique approach to achieving our purpose. Our approach is based on a common interest and responsibility between the office of PIE and each member where the administration and its members work together.

The ultimate objective is to provide an association that members are proud to be a part of, meets state requirements at a minimum cost to the parent, and provides the resources and support you need through effective communication.

To attain these goals, it is our intension to provide a quality service in the areas of accountability, support for parents through various record keeping solutions, and to provide a knowledge management resource that can be easily accessed, simple to use, and one that provides members an opportunity to contribute to as well.

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2. Accountability

PIE provides the security of a proper legal covering while giving the freedom to choose and implement an educational program that best fits your child’s needs. An overview of our accountability program is provided.

Accountability requires the office of PIE to coordinate annually with South Carolina’s State Department of Education, members of PIE, and each school district members reside in. An overview of PIE's calendar year is provided.

Important Note: Each year, the State Department of Education conducts an annual review of the association’s standards to ensure that the minimum requirements of the association are met. PIE's documentation correlates with each section of the home school laws to ensure members are fully aware of all requirements. An overview of PIE's documentation is provided.

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3. Record Keeping Solutions

Maintaining education records can be a challenge. Some parents become overwhelmed because of the responsibility. Particularly with the transcript and diploma which are important documents necessary for entering college or having access to quality employment with a desirable salary.

As a result, we have witnessed families who home school under the 3rd option during the elementary and middle school years eventually place their high school students into public or private school. Otherwise, if not for the uncertainty of maintaining high school level records, and the fear of the child/student not being accepted into college, these families would continue to home school under the 3rd option through to graduation.

The office of PIE provides support for those in need. We will work with members to share information, ideas, and encouragement whenever possible. Through the use of technology, and the Internet, we are able to provide a variety of resources which would include a community center, knowledge management resource, and administrative tools for record keeping.

The following is a list of record keeping solutions that are currently available through the Member Center of our Web site:

Printables: Ready-made documents are created for use as a source for quality educational record keeping tools. Printables are helpful for encouraging families to work together as a unit, observe performance, develop communications, manage and organize records, and much more. Printables are available through the Member Center.

Web Based Documentation: Members of PIE may decide to take full advantage of the Web based documentation, provided through the Member Center, to produce quality educational records. An overview of PIE's Member Center is provided.

Microsoft Office Tools Tutorials: A variety of tutorials explaining different techniques for using Microsoft's Office Tools to create and maintain educational records are available through the Member Center. To take full advantage of these tutorials, students and teachers will need to have Internet Explorer 5, or later, and a copy of Microsoft Office Students and Teachers Edition 2002, or later.

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4. Knowledge Management Resource

Navigating through time sensitive information, an endless flow of materials to choose from, and rules that are continuously changing, can be a daunting task. Doing so successfully requires much research, adequate management and organizational skills, and an understanding for how it all comes together. PIE's Web site is designed to cover the following topics.

Selecting Curricula: As the parent/teacher, the ultimate responsibility has been shifted from the public school to you. Which curriculum should you use? Where can you get the curriculum you need? How much will it cost?

SC Law: Each home school family needs to have a full understanding of the home school laws. What are the requirements? Who do you need to contact? How do you avoid conflict with state officials?

Record Keeping: Maintaining education records can be a challenge. How do you collect the appropriate records? How much is too much? What are some best practices?

Support Groups: Support groups provide a wealth of ideas, news, encouragement, and activities. How do you find a support group to join? What if you can’t find a group you like?

High School: Having educational goals set in place as early as possible will be an advantage for both the parent/teacher and child/student. Waiting until the last minute can become costly. In some cases there will be programs and/or benefits which may be lost. Which courses should your student take? How many credits will your student need? Are there any programs available for your high school student?

The information on this Web site is also available in book form for a nominal fee. This hand book has been produced for those without access to the Internet, or prefer a printed copy over the electronic version. For those who do not have a computer, the online resources mentioned throughout this hand book can be accessed through their local libraries computer. You may contact the office for further information.

In addition, through the use of Internet technology, the office of PIE has created a resource center designed specifically for members striving to reach their goals, the highest quality education. Members can draw from information relevant to their needs, communicate with other members for insight, and utilize the tools that are available to create and manage an educational time line.

Managing knowledge is a process that involves several layers of involvement. Researching and collecting quality information, organizing and creating knowledge, and reaching a competent level of understanding for how it all comes together. We use SharePoint team Services technology to support this process. A knowledge map has been provided.

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5. Member Center

By tapping into this technology, we have essentially created a network. As a network, we can enjoy the ability to share information through calendar of events, contact lists, Web links, discussion boards, announcements, and much more.

A network relies on security and stability. SharePoint technology provides the management tools necessary to get the job done. For example, we can upload important documents to our Document Libraries from any computer with an Internet connection. At the same time, to minimize the chances of spreading a virus, we can control who has access to this feature.

Through roles and permission settings, we are able to maintain a desired level of security and stability, yet be flexible enough to give members a great deal of control. Visit the tutorials section for information useful toward configuring your computer to get the most out of your Member Center. Members need to contact the office of PIE to activate their account.

We, at PIE, understand how important it is for your needs and questions to be addressed. This site is dedicated to assist you at reaching your goal, the highest quality of education. We need and welcome your opinion. We can only improve our site and services by hearing from you. Please use our Feedback Form to share your suggestions, opinions,  and complaints. Our contact information is posted at the bottom of this page.

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Visit the following related links:

Home | Member Center | About PIE | Register | Contact
Curricula | SC Law | Support Groups | Records | High School | Links

Terms of Use
Copyright © 2000-2005 Palmetto Independent Educators. All rights reserved.
Site Manager MerchantDon@homeschoolingwithpie.org
Revised: June 19, 2007

Denise Merchant -Director
Phone 803-643-0807
Fax 803-644-6242
P.O. Box 2475 Aiken, SC 29802
admin@homeschoolingwithpie.org