| Numerous parents, for several different reasons, | | | | required to meet with school officials. School |
| make the decision to homeschool their children. | | | | officials may request a meeting with the parents |
| Homeschooling allows for a particular educational | | | | in order to consult on homeschooling, but the |
| experience intended to fit your child's specific | | | | state may not revoke the right to homeschool if |
| needs and, in numerous cases, goes above and | | | | the parents refuse this meeting. |
| beyond what can be achieved in a public or | | | | It is also required that your child take standardized |
| private school system. If you make the decision | | | | tests. This is so the state can legally allocate your |
| to homeschool your family, it is important that | | | | child to a given grade level. The laws vary from |
| you do so legally, and recognize the laws in your | | | | state to state but in most cases you will have a |
| area. It is absolutely crucial that you do this, | | | | certain amount of leeway in non-standardized |
| because if you fail to meet statutory standards | | | | tests. New York allows for non-standard tests |
| when homeschooling your children you will | | | | every alternate year between grades 4 and 8, |
| inadvertently rob your children of postsecondary | | | | for example. |
| educational opportunities. | | | | Though it may seem intimidating at first, |
| Homeschooling laws vary from situation to | | | | homeschooling your children legally is, in the end, |
| situation, so you have to look up the precise laws | | | | not that complex. You just have to make certain |
| in your home state. The foundation of state laws | | | | that you follow every step, and don't neglect any |
| on homeschooling is the result of truancy laws | | | | paperwork. While several state restrictions or |
| that order children to be present in a day-school. | | | | protocol may seem unnecessary or cumbersome, |
| The fundamental idea is that these laws prevail to | | | | in the long run you'll save yourself a ton of |
| tell apart a homeschooled child from a child that is | | | | headaches if you fill everything in properly and on |
| merely not going to school, which is of course | | | | time. |
| against the law. Ordinarily, states will require that | | | | The first thing you can do when you start to |
| you submit a "notice of intent" to homeschool | | | | homeschool your children is to consult different |
| your children before the upcoming academic year. | | | | homeschooling parents and advocacy groups. |
| The state will then respond with the proper | | | | Looking up legal vernacular online can be confusing, |
| paperwork for you to fill out. | | | | but any homeschooling group will supply you solid, |
| Besides familiarizing yourself with the particular | | | | plain-English advice on how to properly and legally |
| laws of your state you should also consult a | | | | set up homeschooling for your children. |
| homeschooling organization for advice. In various | | | | Remember: it's impossible to overestimate the |
| cases parents will be dealing with school officials | | | | importance of studying your state laws in regards |
| who want to dishearten them from | | | | to homeschooling - if you overlook or disregard |
| homeschooling, and in these situations it is | | | | any of them, you could lose your right to |
| important that you understand your rights. In the | | | | homeschool altogether. |
| state of New York, for instance, parents are not | | | | |