Legalities {State Requirements for Your Homeschool} ~ Homeschool Essentials

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So, you know you want to homeschool.  You’ve had the discussions with your spouse, God and everyone you know that homeschools.  You think you’re ready.  Before making plans for what you want to do and placing orders for curricula to use, have you checked into what you MUST do?  Do you know the Legalities and Liberties for your Location?

There are various requirements depending upon where you live.  Testing and portfolios are just some of the things you might find you need to do.  Some states require you to notify someone within the school system (most often a “letter of intent”).  Other places may require you to be registered with an umbrella school.  There are legal steps you might need to take prior to beginning.  Here in the United States, you can find out your state’s requirements online at HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) or from your state’s Department of Education (Indiana DOE).

Here in our state, we have very minimal requirements.  These freedoms did not come easily or overnight.  One of the main groups within our state, the Indiana Association of Home Educators (IAHE) is celebrating 30 years this year — they are one of the oldest of their kind in the country.  I am so grateful to the homeschool pioneers that worked with legislators to make this freedom in homeschooling possible.  Be sure to support the group(s) that are at work in your state to establish and keep these liberties!

In addition to those legal requirements, homeschool families have rights as well.  Make sure you know your rights – don’t depend upon the school system to tell you.  There are numerous cases where the officials have it wrong.  Here in Indiana we are considered non-accredited nonpublic school.  We are not required to register (though some will say you must), we are not required to submit grades or testing results.  We have many rights as parents and specifically homeschool parents – know them.

Parents should have complete freedom in educating their children in the ways in which they see fit.  It is the parents who are charged with the responsibility for educating and discipling their children.  Most of us know the words of Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” or Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  We also find in scripture that children bear some responsibility also Proverbs 1:8 “Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;”

My number one Essential for Homeschooling in a nutshell ~ Know your rights and responsibilities!

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