Could someone give me some links to good info on Homeschooling rules in different states?

Question

I'm particularly intrested in which states only require you to notify them that your children will be homeschooled. I also would like to know which states are the strictest in their regulations.

This new business in Cali of the appeals court ruling that parents must have recognized teaching credentials has me very worried. I have 2 young childrent that I have always planned on Home-Schooling, and my husband and I know that our combined knowledge far surpasses that of many (not all) people WITH teaching credentials.

ANY info would be very greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

Answer 1

www.hslda.org is the most commonly shared, but some of their 'rules' are not interpreted correctly (I have a friend in North Carolina who knows that hslda's law is incorrectly stated, and has contacted them, and they still won't change it on their website)

also, www.nheri.org has the laws listed.

Your best bet, when you have figured out which states you are interested in, is to look up the actual legislation online. It's a bit of work, but some states have it linked from their public school state website.

All in all, though, the California case was overturned. there is no law stating that homeschoolers in CA must have certification.

Answer 2

http://www.hslda.org has all of the laws.

In my state (Louisiana) we have 2 options. We can use a state approved curricula and have them watch over us or we can set up a private school. All that is required to set up a private school is that we send a letter to the school board saying we are home schooling, teach the basic subjects and be in attendance for 180 days.

Answer 3

www.virtual academy.com  [in Ohio]

www.ecot.com [run by the state of Ohio and is free to Ohio residents]

all students under 18 must attend school...>>state law<<

Answer 4

Surf the internet it is full of information.

Here are a few!

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/legal/...

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/dire...

Answer 5

This is a very nice, overall homeschool information website: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/

If you go to this section of their site: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/dire... you can look up the laws for the various states.

Go to this site: http://hsislegal.com/associations.asp to look for support groups for the states you are interested in.

The law is helpful, but in the support groups, you will be able to see how it's actually applied, or if people are harrassed.

That being said, OK and AK are two very homeschool friendly states. Oklahomans have a constitutional right to homeschool their children. There is no reporting, no specific curriculum, no credentialing, no testing requirements, no one to tell or inform -- you just do it. There is no problem getting into the colleges and tech schools. In fact, when it was time for my children to go, I was told that they like homeschooled children because they are generally better prepared for higher learning.

IL is also homeschool friendly. Still no one to notify or report to, no testing requirements, etc. IL does mandate that you teach social studies, history, etc., and in the English language. IL homeschoolers are considered private school students. So if you want to know about getting into colleges, just check the requirements for a private schooled student :) It shouldn't be any more difficult than a public schooled person to get in.

HSLDA (already mentioned here) will use scare tactics to get you to join their club. It may be necessary in some states, but it isn't in IL or OK because you are not going to have any problems. According to their web site, there are some people who were harrassed by school officials in IL, but I think the cases are very few and far between. Having lived in IL for most of my life, I would have to say that problems typically happen from nosy neighbors, more than anything else.

Nosy neighbors are a bit more "nosy" in IL than in a lot of other places :) However, I never had a problem homeschooling there, and my children were regularly out running around during the day.

Answer 6

I feel more qualified to teach my children than any certified teacher as well.  Here's some general information about why homeschool laws aren't effective:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Here are some definitions that may help you better understand the laws for different states:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

My husband considered moving for work and I told him I would NOT move to a state with strict homeschool laws.  That was the first thing I researched whenever he mentioned a place for possible relocation.

Best wishes!

Answer 7

There hasn't been any law changed about HS'ing in CA.  Techincally, homeschools are private schools in CA anyway.

Here is the state list from NHEN - National Home Education Network:

http://www.nhen.org/LegInfo/state_list.a...

FWIW, you do not need HSLDA to HS.  This link was mentioned before:

http://hsislegal.com/

...read it before doing anything with HSLDA.

Texas, Kansas, & Illinois are the easiest.  States in the New England area tend to be the toughest.  Many states have mandatory state testing and/or certified teacher oversight/portfolio review.

Answer 8

Relax.

The court in California abandoned its decision in April.  

Parents are not required to have teaching credentials in any state.

However, homeschooling is a right that cannot be taken for granted.  There are, on occasion, challenges to that right in every state.  Since your children are young, you can be sure that there will be some kind of challenge to your right to home educate your kids at some point - whether from the state or national level.

We have a right to homeschool because homeschooling pioneers of the last two generations did not give up when their rights were challenged. It is our turn now.

Every state has homeschooling associations with attorneys who will help us keep this right.

See the link below...you can find the laws of all states on this site.

Be well.