First, congratulations on your decision to become a home school parent!

You are in great company!

Many famous people were homeschooled, including:
John Jay, Leonardo da Vinci, Irving Berlin, Stonewall Jackson, George Patton, George Washington, Clara Barton, Albert Einstein, Alexander Hamilton, Abigail Adams, Mozart, Florence Nightingale, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, Thomas Edison, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Alexander Graham Bell, Robert Frost, Abraham Lincoln, and Beatrix Potter, Nikola Tesla, and many others.

Homeschooling is by far the fastest growing form of education in the US.

What this means is that the chances of you throwing a rock and hitting a homeschooler are pretty high. But, I don't recommend that.

Now that you’ve made the decision to homeschool, you’ll need to find the answers to some important legal questions before you jump in. I’ll answer these questions based on the laws in Texas, since that is what I'm most familiar with. But, if you are from another state, please double-check your own state’s homeschool requirements as they may be different, and in some cases possibly more restrictive. So, let’s go ahead and get started.

1. What are the homeschooling laws in your state?

If, like me, you are fortunate enough to live in the great State of Texas, the laws pertaining to homeschooling are within the Texas Education Code. The definition of a home school student can be found in Texas Education Code 29.916(a)(1) A home schooled student is one who “predominantly receives instruction in a general elementary or secondary education program that is provided by the parent, or a person standing in parental authority, in or through the child’s home.”

Homeschool laws vary from state to state. Some states have more restrictive requirements than others. If your state has a state homeschool organization, I recommend starting there to find your state’s legal requirements.

Some states have a State Homeschool organization where you can find the legal requirements for your state. If you live in a state that does not have a state homeschool organization, you can find your state’s legal requirements here: https://hslda.org/legal.

When searching for information about the laws in your state, I recommend finding a legitimate organization’s website — either HSLDA or your state organization if you have one — and NOT doing a generic web search. It’s important that you have access to the most accurate and current information about the laws in your state.

If you live in Texas, you are truly blessed. Homeschoolers are free in our Great Lone Star State, thanks to a landmark, unanimous Texas Supreme Court decision known as “Leeper,” which states the following:

“A school-age child residing in the State of Texas who is being educated in a bona fide manner by the parents, or those standing in parental authority, in or through the child’s home using a curriculum, consisting of books, workbooks, other written materials, including that which appears on an electronic screen of either a computer or video tape monitor, or any combination of the preceding from either 1) a private or parochial school which exists apart from the child’s home or (2) which has been developed or obtained from any source, said curriculum designed to meet basic education goals of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics and a study of good citizenship, is in attendance upon a private or parochial school within the meaning of Section 25.086(a)(1) of the Texas Education Code and exempt from the requirements of compulsory attendance at a public school.”

Let’s break this down.

A school-age student (in Texas, compulsory school age is 6-18 years) is considered in attendance of a private or parochial school (according to the definition in Sec 25.086(a)(1) if:

• The student is educated in a bona fide manner (meaning the curriculum is being followed “in good faith”)

• by their parents or someone standing in parental authority (this means the parent can teach directly, or the parent can arrange for someone else to teach their child)

• in, or through, a child’s home using a curriculum such as books, workbooks, or other written materials, including that which appears on an electronic screen (the curriculum must be in written form, whether that be physical or electronic/virtual))

• obtained from 1) a private or parochial school or 2) from any source (Basically, this means that you can get curriculum from any source. Parents can even choose to write their own curriculum.)

• AND (emphasis is mine, because this part is important) meets basic educational goals of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and a study of good citizenship.

Notice it says, “a study.” Most public schools teach good citizenship, or government, as a one-semester course in high school. For the home school student, a one-time course of study in Good Citizenship fulfills this requirement. Even so, good citizenship can be easily taught in the grades leading up to high school, and can be incorporated in a number of different ways. I’ll create a post about that to give you some ideas. Even if your state doesn’t require Good Citizenship, I feel it’s important to to include to give our children an understanding of not just how our government works, but how our government was founded, including the events, documents, people who influenced that founding. More about that as well in another post.

2. Is Teacher certification required?

In Texas, no teacher certification is required for home schools.

Some states such as Pennsylvania may require the home schooling parent to have a high school diploma or equivalent.

3. Does the curriculum need to be approved?

In Texas, there is no curriculum approval. You may use whatever curriculum you feel is best for your family, as long as it meets the basic requirements outlined in Texas state law.

4. Is it necessary to notify the public school of your intent to homeschooling?

In Texas, if your child is enrolled in public school, you must send a Letter of Withdrawal to the school principal. If your child is not enrolled in public school, no notification is necessary.

Some states require that a notice of intent to homeschool be filed within a certain amount of time. In Texas, families with children enrolled in public school need to file a “letter or withdrawal,” and that letter must have an effective date of homeschooling (see number 4).

5. Are standardized tests required?

In Texas, no standardized testing is required. Some states require assessments, so do check your state law. Most community colleges require an assessment test such as a TSA in order to enroll a student in their dual credit program. For those pursuing college, an ACT or SAT is required for most (but not all) colleges, but especially public colleges in Texas which base homeschool class ranking on test scores.

6. Is there a requirement to homeschool a minimum number of days a year, or during certain days of the week, or during certain times of the day?

In Texas, parents set the school schedule, and there is no requirement for a minimum number of days that a home schooler is required to homeschool. Homeschooling can occur on whatever days, and at whatever periods of time, work best for the family. Some states, such as Louisiana, require that you keep and record a minimum number of school days. Some, like Florida, require a portfolio of educational activities. Some cities (yes, even some cities in Texas) have juvenile daytime curfews. These curfews are in effect during school hours, for children ages 17 and under. There are many potential problems with these types of ordinances, which, in my opinion, violate one’s constitutional right to move about freely in public. They can be especially problematic for homeschoolers in particular who are out and about even if they are finished with their school day. These curfews are usually in force during school days, from 8am - 2pm. Do check with your city to see if there is a juvenile daytime curfew in affect there, and, if there is one, work to get it rescinded. I have a blog here (http://hebdaytimecurfew.blogspot.com/2009/01/under-rug.html) that details our fight in North Texas, which eventually drew nationwide interest.

7. Are immunizations mandatory?

In Texas, homeschoolers have no required immunizations. While some states, such as Tennessee and Louisiana, require immunizations, you may be able to file a medical or religious exemption to have this requirement waived.

8. What are the requirements for graduation?

In Texas, parents determine the requirements for graduation, as long as the basic subjects are taught. According to state law, those subjects are: math, reading, spelling, grammar, and a course in good citizenship. The basic required subjects vary from state to state.

9. What types of curricula are there?

There are many types of curriculum options available, and parents can choose whatever curricula is the best fit for their family: Parent-written curriculum Workbooks Unit Studies Co-op Classes Enrichment classes Private school classes that are open to homeschoolers Online classes taught by individuals Computer Software-based curriculum Online Curriculum (some are free) Online private schools Online charter Schools (only an option for students enrolled in public school the previous year) Dual Credit/College Classes As you can see, there are many, many ways to homeschool.

10. What is the best way to homeschool?

Just as there are no two families that are exactly the same, there are no two home schools that look the same. There is not a “one size fits all” approach to home education. What works best for one family may not be what’s best for another family. Parents are free to choose the teaching methods and curricula that best fit their children’s needs. Our family loves unit studies because of the mix of teaching methods and resources that they employ. Our favorite unit study is KONOS, and we have used it well over 25 years with our children. We still use workbooks for subjects like math and language arts. But, for science and history, we have found that learning those subjects in the hands-on, multi-level format on which KONOS is based, not only makes learning enjoyable, it makes learning memorable.

11. How much does homeschooling cost per year?

According to national averages, a homeschool family spends approximately $600 per child, per year. Depending on the curriculum options you choose, you may spend more or or you may spend less. Yet, compared with the average cost of $9,963 per public school student, per year, home education is a much bigger bang for the buck. Keep in mind that you will likely spend more when you first begin homeschooling, since you will not have many supplies to get started. Some curriculum require purchasing a one-time “starter pack” will be used for subsequent grade levels. Just as setting up a household for the first time can be a bit pricey, the same is true of setting up your homeschool.

12. How well do homeschoolers perform on standardized tests?

Home school students consistently score 30-35 percentage points above the national average on nationally normed standardized tests. Homeschoolers typically rank in the 87th percentile on national standardized tests. The average public schooler performs in the 50th percentile. When we first began homeschooling, I felt it important to test them just to see how we were doing. My children have scored anywhere between 85-95 percentile on their standardized tests. Not bad at all, considering our curriculum wasn’t standardized with the tests. So, I decided that it was a waste of money to continue testing them each year, since I knew how well they were doing in the curriculum we were using and there was no need to compare them with public school children nationally. It was obvious we were well above the national average. I consider test-taking a good skill to learn, so when our children reached high school age, I had them take the PSAT test for practice in 9th and 10th grade, and then in 11th grade which is when it counts to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. It was also good practice for the SAT and ACT tests which are necessary for getting into most public school and some private school colleges.

13. Can homeschoolers go to college?

Absolutely. In fact, colleges and universities nationwide recruit home school graduates because they realize their academic prowess, their readiness for higher education, and their tendency to emerge as leaders. 74% of homeschoolers go on to college 49% of the general population go to college 67.7% of homeschoolers graduate from college 57.5% of non-homeschoolers graduate from college

14. Will a homeschool diploma be treated differently than one from a public school?

This depends on the state you live in, so you will need to check with your state homeschool organization.

Texas requires state colleges to treat homeschool graduates the same as public school graduates & to use the same criteria for admission.

These are some of the most common questions with regard to homeschooling. If you have other questions that I can help with let me know.

My next blog post will focus on how to choose a curriculum, which you can read at this link.

What’s important to remember is: You are not alone.