How Can I Homeschool?
One of the greatest mistakes homeschool parents make is not doing THEIR homework! They bring their children home and set up a curriculum. They spend hours decorating their homeschool space. Yet, they haven’t even thought of the law.
Homeschooling is not an unregulated freedom. In the United States, each state establishes its own rules for education. This causes lots of confusion as people move, receive homeschool counsel, or even attend a homeschool convention!
To answer the question, “How can I homeschool?”, you will need to:
- Read your state law
You don’t have to read the whole thing, but find it online. Locate any wording that has to do with homeschooling. HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) has established brief overviews of each state’s homeschool regulations and references to each state’s statutes. Click here to visit the website.
- Follow the regulations
This is the most important step! For the protection of your family and children, complete all that is required. Just because something seems unreasonable or a friend tells you that something is not needed…that is not grounds for dismissing your responsibility to obey the law.
- Keep records
Establish a place where any communications or paperwork can be kept secure and accessible. I use certified mail when sending communications to state agencies. This provides a paper trail of when and exactly where the information was sent. This gives me piece of mind that if there was ever a question, then I could quickly and easily answer.
Please don’t depend on the hearsay of a few good friends in this area. Mistakes or misunderstandings could affect the custody of your children.
Image courtesy of cooldesign / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Disclosure: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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