Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

Why follow homeschool laws?

As obvious as it may seem to some people, following state laws is not always a given when it comes to others.  There are no definitive numbers nationally, at least partly because those not in compliance are somewhat harder to track.  This is a good thing, really, because statistics often lead to solutions — and these solutions do not always work in favor of homeschoolers.   In this article, I’ll explain why.

Failure to follow homeschooling laws occurs when parents are either unaware laws exist, or have difficulty understanding their specific legal responsibilities and inadvertently get things wrong.  And, there are occasionally those who consciously choose not to comply — another story altogether, but contribute to the problem nonetheless.

Why is it so important for families to understand and follow state homeschooling laws?  Apart from placing their own homeschooling in jeopardy, non-compliance works against the homeschooling population as a whole.  So important is this issue, that I devoted an entire section to it in my book.  I urge everyone to read and pass along this information to those they know.

Put simply, non-compliance in individual families may result in larger issues for homeschoolers at large.  That’s because when families do not comply, they may contribute to a district’s or state’s overall impression that homeschoolers in general tend to be non-compliant.  Over time, these offenses, small as they might be, may appear to grow larger and out of control, eventually making homeschoolers themselves seem difficult to control, thus requiring legislation to insure compliance in the future.

In order to avoid the perception that homeschoolers are non-compliant, and to curb this accumulation of often innocent omissions, it is crucially important for homeschoolers to follow their laws.  Doing so helps to protect themselves, but also serves to protect the homeschooling population from eliminating the need for states to impose additional restrictions in the future.

Veteran homeschoolers can help new families by explaining the laws and fielding questions about how specifically families should operate in an area.  Homeschoolers themselves must also take it upon themselves to familiarize themselves with where laws can be found, and how they are interpreted and put into practice by local families.  Compliance should not be encouraged out of fear, but instead from an informed stand-point, and one that works to preserve homeschooling freedoms for all.

The laws of every state can be found in many places on the web, as well as public libraries, in the hands of homeschool group leaders, and on the pages of statewide homeschooling organizations.

Begin with the resources listed below, and then bookmark any other resources that you locate as well:

Where to find state laws

Interpreting state laws

The importance of staying legal

Homeschool legal organizations

Why families need a local homeschooling contact

 

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever.  A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide.  Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

Is after-schooling okay?

Every once in a while, you’ll meet a family that refers to themselves as “After-schoolers”.  After-schoolers are folks with  children enrolled in schools but who reinforce and/or supplement learning at home, after school hours, in a homeschool-like fashion.  It’s a great term, really, as it means exactly what it is — schooling after school.

Whatever your feelings on why this may be necessary, how people manage to squeeze it in, or why people would choose to do this at all — the question is, Is after-schooling okay?  The answer is, yes it is.  And though there is no research, it appears to be growing [slightly] in popularity, too.

Much like many parents oversee and supervise the completion of homework after school, – parents conduct homeschool after school.  And like many parents help with homework that is assigned every day, after-schooling parents help with material at home, too.

What takes place during after-schooling is up to each individual family.  Some families like to study new things after school, like foreign languages, hobbies such as ham radio or model trains, or hands-on activities like building furniture or organic gardening.  Other families prefer to stick to the basics already being introduced in school, like language arts, mathematics or history — either doing more of what is being taught in school, or adding on to what teachers don’t have time to teach in the regular classroom.  Some even enroll children in outside classes, tutoring centers and other academic activities during summers and weekends, either to catch kids up on skills or advance them beyond what they have been able to accomplish in school.

So, to answer to the question, after-schooling is certainly okay.  Parents are well within their rights to teach children at home (after all, they’ve been teaching the kids things all along anyway), whether before school, after school or on the weekends.  The practicality of after-schooling is another matter altogether, but as long as everyone has the desire and the time, there is nothing wrong with it.

Though some would argue that school children are busy enough and that parents need to protect their child’s down-time, family life and social life, the decision really lies with the parent.  After-schooling may work in some situations but not in others.  But there is nothing wrong, and certainly nothing illegal, about doing so.

Parent qualifications

 

Does anybody know your child better than you?  No, right?  That’s what makes you uniquely qualified to teach your child!

That’s right! Parents need no additional qualifications to homeschool a child in the US.  With the rare exception of parents who test their own children and require a degree or certification (not required for all tests, only some) or states where parents tutoring children must be “properly qualified”, homeschooling moms and dads do not need to be specially trained to homeschool their own children.

Qualification myths are sometimes proliferated by those who know little about homeschooling and opponents who believe that individuals with teacher credentials produce better students.  Well-meaning friends and family may also wonder about a parent’s ability to teach, but usually only because the traditional classroom/teacher model is all they know.  

Rest assured that the evidence is overwhelming — homeschooled kids tend to excel no matter how qualified (or not) their parents.  In fact, research shows that teacher training has nothing to do with homeschool grades.  Besides, the number of successful homeschoolers today are proof enough that ordinary people are well able to nurture a love for learning, allow children to develop their own unique talents and encourage youngsters to pursue their passions. 

Since the only folks who have both a stake and a heart for their children are  the parents, ultimately — “qualified” or not – parents make the best teachers.

Proof of homeschooling

Homeschoolers don’t need to carry I.D. cards.  Meeting the requirements of state homeschooling laws is enough — no additional evidence is needed.

On the other hand, sometimes families desire proof of homeschooling for other reasons. It could be something simple, like qualifying for a bookstore discount or attending a teacher event at an office supply store.  But proof may occasionally be needed for something more important — like meeting eligibility requirements to join a team or applying for a virtual schooling program.

For everyday use, like receiving discounts on products or reduced admission fees to local attractions, a membership card from a support group or homemade homeschooler ID may be enough.  There are even free homeschooler ID cards that can be printed right from a home computer.

For other uses, it may be necessary to request a form or a letter from the homeschooler’s own district, private or virtual school or other formal entity that can verify registration or enrollment.  Usually this letter can be given directly to a homeschooling parent; other times, verifications like these will be mailed or transmitted electronically to the requesting organization.