Law degree

The legal ramifications of choosing to homeschool your child is heavily dependent upon which state you live in and how state and local authorities interpret the laws of compulsory attendance, private education and homeschooling. State officials may require some or all of the following: registration, a notice of intent to homeschool, regular progress evaluations, or advance approval prior to beginning to homeschool your child. State statute interpretation and enforcement often take a back seat the the statutes themselves.

Here are five tips to keep the homeschooling legal worries to a minimum and allow you to concentrate on your child’s education:

1. Be aware of your state’s statutes on homeschooling. Keep current copies of all applicable statutes in a safe place in your home for easy reference. Communicate with other parents who homeschool their children on a regular basis. Sign up with a state homeschooling organization that watches the regulations affecting homeschoolers and attend meetings as often as possible.

2. Find out what difficulties exist with statute interpretations in your state. Contact other homeschooling parent who have dealt with these problems successfully. Make a plan with all available options to cope with known issues should you be confronted with them. Don’t wait until you have a problem before beginning to work on the solution.

3. Don’t assume that explanations of homeschooling legal issues are correct. Always investigate any possible concerns for yourself. Homeschooling laws are complex and definitive statements may leave out important information you should know.

4. Don’t allow concerns over legal issues keep you from the important business of educating your child. Most homeschooling parents only object to state requirements for documentation and testing because they interfere with the learning experience for their child. As long as you are meeting your state’s legal requirements, you shouldn’t have to change your approach to homeschooling for your child.

5. Be expressive about your homeschooling. Making homeschoolers visible in your community helps make homeschooling more acceptable to and supported by the public. As more parents choose to homeschool their children, communities nationwide may accept homeschooling as a fun, exciting and effective alternative to traditional public or private institutional style education.

Rebecca Welch is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Home-School-Resources.blogspot.com. She provides researched information on home school resources.

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Home schooling has become increasingly popular in the U.S. among parents with children of all ages. The reasons for this are many. Safety is a big issue with all of the school shootings that seem to happen on a weekly basis. There is also the fact that our educational system is falling behind in teaching our children the programs they need to be successful in life.

Home schooling allows you, as parents, to teach your children the courses that will fit their needs and abilities. In many cases you will be able to give your child an education that is far above and beyond what they can learn in a public school.

Making a decision to home school your child is an important one and one that needs to be researched thoroughly before getting started. Every state has laws and statutes that govern home schooling. You need to make yourself aware of these laws and make sure you are following them so that you won’t jeopardize your child’s future. Let’s take a look at some of the basic laws that every state has in place.

It’s important to understand that laws pertaining to home schooling are in place to protect your child. There must be laws in place to be sure a child isn’t just staying at home and not going to school, but they are actually being educated. Attending school is a legal requirement in every state.

Most states will ask that you fill out a form notifying the state that you intend on home schooling your child before the next school year begins. Generally, the state will then mail you all necessary paperwork to be filled out.

You will need to know exactly what your individual state’s laws are on home schooling. Aside from that, every state has home school organizations that can help you get a better understanding of the laws. You’ll also have a better understanding of your rights as parents in regard to home schooling. Every state will require your child to be tested during the school year. This is so the state can be sure that your child is getting an education and can advance to the next grade level. Again, every state is different in their testing procedures and requirements so you will need to familiarize yourself with these.

This may seem pretty complicated to some, but it really isn’t difficult in the long run. It just takes some time to read up on the rules and then fill everything out properly.

I would strongly advise joining a home school organization in your area. They will help you tremendously. These organizations can even help set up a schooling program for you, as well as give you tips and ideas to home school your children successfully. Many of these groups will even set up field trips for home-schooled children to go on. It will be well worth your time to investigate an organization in your area.

Home schooling can provide your child with wonderful education, but the most important key is to be sure you are doing things legally. If you aren’t you could be forced by the state to discontinue home schooling and put your child into a public school.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Home School

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