Home schooling is a legal option in the United States, but state laws can change often, and regulate how a parent must begin the process of home schooling children. And there are laws and requirements that must be met while the child is being home schooled. Most states require the parent to notify certain governing bodies about their choice to begin home schooling before the child is withdrawn from traditional school. And the curriculum, lesson plans and child’s grades and progress must be submitted to the government so they can monitor the child’s activities and progress in a home school environment.
You might be wondering why there should need to be a home school legal defense if home schooling is legal. Sometimes, the government might decide that a parent shouldn’t home school a child, or other legalities can surface, in which a home school legal defense becomes necessary. To minimize the worry of this happening to you, and to be prepared in case a legal issue should every arise, there are many things you can do.
Be sure you’re aware of your state’s requirements for record keeping. Get your child’s records from the traditional school he or she attended if your child hasn’t always been home schooled and make that the basis of your record keeping. Keep careful track of your child’s curriculum, your child’s progress in those studies, and the level of proficiency he or she receives in each subject. If you ever decide to send your child back to traditional school, these records are crucial. But if a legal issue should ever arise, a careful chart of your child’s progress will work in your favor.
Also, if you ever decide to send your child back to traditional school, a record of your child’s immunizations are important, so store a copy of this with your school files. Along with those, a record of the days your child was ill and didn’t participate in home schooling is important. While home schooling often takes on a shape less like a traditional classroom and more like several activities throughout the day that allow for education, some often done spontaneously, it’s reasonable to think that the days your child was ill were ‘missed’ days, just as if he or she went to traditional school and was kept home sick.
A good understanding of the state’s requirements is most important, but if you carefully follow those guidelines, keep good track of your child’s schoolwork and progress, and turn the proper information into the state when requested, you’ll dramatically decrease your chances of having a legal issue. And if one should arise, at the very least you’re prepared with all the proper documentation.
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