Since we’ve started this homeschool journey, several friends have talked to me and asked how I did it. How did I withdraw? What do I need to send to the state? What’s next? Who keeps track of this stuff?
First, every state (and some school districts) have different requirements. Here is a handy-dandy resource for you. https://hslda.org/legal
In my state, Georgia, all I had to do was submit a Declaration of Intent from the state Dept of Education. And I was able to submit it online. (What a time to be alive!)
Your letter of intent is important and you have to save it. That is your record if your homeschool is ever called into question. Make sure you enter your email address correctly so you get a copy of it.
An experienced homeschool mom told me that your DOI is also your teacher ID for teacher discounts. So save that to your phone!
Then I withdrew my kids from their schools. My oldest child’s info had already been transferred to middle school so I had to let each school know. The district has a form on the website, I filled out our info, and submitted it online.
It was bittersweet to withdraw from elementary school. We have loved our school. But this is hopefully only temporary and we will be back in the future with the little ones.
When you’re ready
Until you have 100% decided and are ready to “declare” that you will homeschool your kids, keep them enrolled. Worst case is the school plans on one more kid in their class and then when you withdraw, he is not in the class and there’s more room for someone else.
It’s also possible to try digital or in-person learning and if you find that it doesn’t work for your family, you can homeschool later. You don’t marry your education choice. It’s adjustable. Likewise, you can try homeschooling and put those kids back in school after a month or two.
There is no wrong way to do this.
Some states require that at least one parent have a certain amount of education, like a high school diploma, GED, or college degree. Most states require 180 days of instruction within a 12 month period; some require minimum subjects and/or minimum hours. I listed my school year in our DOI from the beginning of August this year to the end of July next year. We might not get it all done by May but we surely can get through before the next year starts. This is the beauty of homeschool. You set your own calendar.
Who keeps track of my homeschool?
It depends on your state, but for several states–literally nobody. (Unless there’s a question of whether your kids are cared for or if there is some kind of legal drama going on.) In Georgia you do not need to report grades, test results, or attendance to the state, the county, or the schools. You are your own teacher, principal and administrator.
Funny aside: When I was homeschooled in high school we had to mail an attendance sheet to the Gwinnet County Public School district every month. (That step was done away with sometime in the last 20 years.) The attendance sheet that we printed from the district’s own website and copied for the year had a typo that left the letter “L” out of “Public,” so that was a gift that kept on giving.
Regarding the letter of intent, if you forget to withdraw or submit a DoI you will get a truancy letter or two, which is a friendly reminder to let the state know where your child is.
When my oldest was in kindergarten, we got a truancy letter from the school because she was absent for too many days. She was sick a few times, needed a few mental health days (i.e., she was 5 and needed some breaks), and we went to Disney World. I laughed. The letter didn’t scare me except for a minute.
But what about testing?
Your state may be different, but in Georgia, homeschoolers are required to complete one standardized test, once every 3 years or from the 3rd year of homeschooling, starting in the 3rd grade. So in theory you would schedule a standardized test with a certified test administrator once a year for your child at the end of 3rd grade, 6th grade, 9th grade, and 12th grade.
This year, your state may have waived the requirement for end-of-year testing for the 2019-2020 school year due to COVID-19. (This is true of Georgia.)
You could do a standardized test every year as a way to chart your progress and see if there are any huge holes in your kids’ knowledge. (I never scored very high in science, so lucky for my kids I married somebody who has a microbiology degree.)
No one will be breathing down your neck to make sure you’re doing everything right. This may be a relief to some and a horror to others. Just keep records of what you do (or did), and hold on to them for a few years.
What about high school?
High school is not any different, but your record-keeping will need to be better if your student plans to go to college. Colleges will want to see transcripts. Some homeschoolers are able to joint-enroll or dual-enroll, which allows your students to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. Plus you might not have to learn high school biology all over again, so that’s a triple-win.
It will have to be a cooperative effort between you and your student(s); if they will take ownership of their education, the year’s work will be more valuable. You can get your high schooler involved in the planning. This child’s education belongs to him or her, not to you. Find out what the requirements are for graduation, and work backwards to figure out what needs to get done each year and each semester to graduate.
Homeschool in good faith
Remember – you have the best interest of your children and your family at heart. You will in good faith do your best to teach them the basics. So this is the big picture to keep in mind.
You will be teaching them as you do life. They will learn. They will fight you. Some days will be really hard. Some days will be beautiful. They will surprise you with their creativity. You will surprise yourself, too. And you will get to be there for it all.
Note: This is not legal advice. It is merely information I’ve gathered in my research about how to get ready to homeschool this year in my home state.