The decision for Homeschool Education
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Sometimes a family will decide after a few months of public or private school they want to bring their child home to homeschool. Can they do that?
There are many different reasons that would cause a family to decide that homeschooling is a better option for their situation. What happens when this decision comes after a school year has already begun? If you do not want to wait for the current school year to end, you can legally pull your child out of school to begin homeschooling.
States have different laws when it comes to pulling your child out of school mid-year, so it is best to check with your state homeschool organization for all the details. Checking here first is the best idea, as your local school board may not be completely familiar with the homeschooling laws, and thus could lead to invalid advice or direction. HSLDA is a reliable source for all homeschoolers in any state or region in the world.
Where Does Learning Start
The actual process of pulling your child out of school is actually much easier than the legwork it takes to prepare for him coming home to learn. Many states offer an option to pull your child out and gives you a grace period (usually 30 days) to acquire a curriculum for teaching. Some families prefer to have all their ducks in a row before pulling their child out of school and will have a curriculum ready to go. Other families will take advantage of having a grace period to relax and look for a curriculum together that fits their schedule. Just make sure you know your state’s laws.
Talking With the Current Teacher
Once you have made a decision to pull your child out of school, it is a good idea to set up a meeting with your child’s current teacher. She or he can provide you with the status of your child’s abilities as far as what he is achieving in math, science, language arts, and history. This meeting will give you a basis of where to start teaching so that you are not repeating skills and knowledge learned, nor moving your child ahead too fast. Most schools are supportive of homeschoolers and will be glad to lend you a hand.
You may run across a teacher or two who will try to make you think that this is a bad decision and that you could never provide the quality education that your child is currently receiving. This is simply not true, and you should put these words aside. Only your family knows what is best, and together you can make homeschooling a successful venture.
Current Records
The school your child is attending is required to give you your child’s cumulative file, although many parents do not know that they are entitled to receive it. Many schools may not offer the records to you, and you will have to ask for them yourself. This file can be a carbon copy or the original. It will contain valuable information that may help you in your pursuit of homeschooling. To help the process of receiving the files quickly you can offer to make the copy yourself, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope for the school, or provide any other means to help get the records.
