Desire to Homeschool
When I was in elementary school I hated going to school. My brother and I attended a private, Christian school with a rigid and isolating teaching format. My mother was a teacher, and I would beg her to take us out of that school and homeschool us. I think she considered it a few times, but she never agreed to do it. Instead, we moved from south Texas to the Texas panhandle and changed schools.
In retrospect, I'm not sure if homeschooling would have been the right answer, but it sure seemed like it to me at the time. While homeschooling has certainly been a viable option for many, many years, in the last several years, the idea seems to have become more mainstream. There are a number of reasons for this shift. And I think that each family has their own, personal reasons for choosing this route.
I have come across quite a few homeschooling mamas blogging about their experiences and sharing ideas and philosophies on Twitter and Facebook, making the practice more noticed and more accepted. I have even run into homeschool curriculum companies at blogging conferences. Homeschooling is becoming a popular choice.
Several friends, who don't blog, who don't know each other and live in different states, have decided to homeschool their children. Both have told me the plan is to start with the first born child, give it a year and see how it goes, with the caveat that they can always choose to send the kids to school if things don't go as planned. I say, "More power to you."
If homeschooling is something you're interested in, you must start by doing some research to ensure that you're following your state's laws when it comes to homeschooling your child(ren).
Legality, in General
Here's what you need to know about what the laws regulates and where you can find it:
The legality of homeschooling, in general, has been the subject of debate since compulsory education began in Massachusetts in 1852. The argument has since shifted to topics involving funding, resources, curricula and standardized testing, beginning in the late 1980s.
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. The Supreme Court has ruled that states do have the power to regulate educational requirements, but states cannot require students to attend public schools. Homeschools fall under private school law in some states, church school law in other states and a few have homeschool statutes {also referred to as other means of education or alternative education}. Some states require homeschool groups or associations, qualifying them as private or church schools. For each state's requirements, check the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).
Parent/Teacher Requirements
Another consideration is the education of the parent who will be teaching the children at home. Surprisingly, 41 states do not require the homeschooling parent to meet any educational qualifications as a teacher. The District of Columbia and 9 states require at least a high school diploma or GED. TN requires no qualification for grades K-8 and North Dakota has no educational requirements for the parent, so long as the parent instructor is monitored by a certified teacher for two years.
RI and MA are the only two states that require approval from the local school district, school board or state commissioner prior to homeschooling. Other states simply require a notice of intent to homeschool be filed with local school officials.
Curricula
Homeschool curriculum requirements range from fairly strict to very loose. Some states require parents to provide information about their curriculum, including lesson plans; other states merely require certain subjects be covered, but don't require any documentation; and still others categorize homeschools as private schools, allowing them the freedom to choose which subjects will be covered based on what the instructor deems appropriate for the child(ren).
Standardized Testing
Standardized Testing is a hot issue whether talking about homeschools or public schools right now. There are 24 states with standardized test or evaluation requirements. Out of those states, 13 require alternatives to testing and 11 states require standardized testing only.
Compulsory Attendance
There are a number of state court decisions on the subject of compulsory attendance. VA and VT allow for a religious exemption from compulsory attendance. Five states require the time spent on educational instruction must be the equivalent to public school instruction. A few states require merely "regular and thorough" educational instruction. ND, NY and PA actually impose high school graduation requirements for homeschooled students. However, courts in 6 states, including MN, have struck down compulsory attendance statutes with regards to homeschools, finding the statutes unconstitutional based on vagueness.
The Scoop
There is much to research, learn and organize before deciding to whether to homeschool your child(ren). This may seem like a daunting task, but there are many resources at hand.
In Homeschooling Laws Part II, I will present information about resources, access to extracurricular activities, religious rights, parental rights, etc. I will discuss motivations for deciding to homeschool and homeschool statistics in other posts this week, as well. Additionally, I will have a guest post from a mom and teacher by profession who has decided to homeschool her children. Over and out...
Anna
