Homeschooling: How to Get Started

I have found that people are often curious about homeschooling – how to get started, what it costs, what it looks like, where you get the books – but they don’t know who to ask, and sometimes they’re afraid their questions will seem silly. I love being able to help people and answer their questions, and I sincerely don’t think any of the questions are silly. If only y’all knew the anxiety I felt when I embarked on our homeschooling journey!

If you’re nervous or have concerns, you’re not alone

“What if I don’t know what I’m doing? What if I ruin their education? What if I miss things or leave things out? What if I don’t know all the answers? What if they miss out on something wonderful or a teacher whose brilliance inspires them for the rest of their lives?…” (Imagine these questions -and more – in a frantic tone, as cold sweat breaks out on the speaker’s forehead, and you will have an accurate picture of me, early in my homeschooling endeavor, as panic frequently seized me.)

A little about us

I began homeschooling my three children as they entered fourth and first grades and kindergarten. I knew one other homeschooling mother. She was incredibly nice to me and offered to help any way she could. We were not close enough friends that I could call her at midnight when one of the above-mentioned panic attacks hit, but I will always appreciate her kindness. She showed me her school planner, and she had her day scheduled in great detail. I may have felt a little faint at that moment. I’m not that person that can schedule to the minute. I have learned on this journey that no two homeschooling families look exactly alike. That’s part of the beauty – the freedom to do what works for your children, based on your family schedule, their learning styles, and your budget.
We ended up embracing this wonderful journey of home school and never looking back. Each year, my confidence grew and those pesky doubts packed their miserable bags and moved out. All three of my kids graduated from our home school and I ended up tutoring and helping some other families along the way as well. Our son owns his own business and is happily married. Our oldest daughter has a job she loves and is about to test for her black belt in karate. Our youngest daughter is a full-time student, studying for her bachelors degree in psychology, and working to pay her own way through college. All three are happy, well-adjusted, socially competent, and confident. Very confident, as a matter of fact. 😅

How to begin: start here

To begin at the very beginning, you have to comply with the law so men in suits (or uniforms) don’t come knocking at your door, rattling on about mandatory attendance and such.

The Home School Legal Defense Association is a great site for trustworthy legal information. This link (https://hslda.org/content/laws/) will take you to a page of states and their requirements. You do not have to be a member to access a lot of the information on this site.
Each state varies. Since I’m familiar with my own state, I will explain the required components for Virginia. These will be similar to other states so hopefully this will help. According to HSLDA, Virginia is a state with moderate regulation. Many of the states have less regulation, and only a few have more.

(The following information is based on my interpretation of the information on HSLDA’s website and my experience as a homeschooling mother. Obviously, I am not a lawyer or legal expert. I’m only trying to assure you that the process is not as difficult as you may think.)

You can begin homeschooling at the beginning of the school year, the beginning of a new semester, OR you can pull your child out at any time of the school year and begin to homeschool. The process will be the same regardless of when you begin.

Virginia requirements discussed

As soon as possible, you will want to notify the school board that you intend to homeschool.
There are 4 options in Virginia to homeschool. I am most familiar with the first two.

Option 1 has three parts:

1.The first part has 4 options for the parent to show that he or she is qualified to homeschool. You only have to meet one of these criteria. They are 1. possess a high school diploma (or higher), 2. possess a Virginia teacher’s license, 3. enroll your child in an approved program of study, or 4. provide evidence that you are qualified to teach. Number 4 to my understanding is a letter from you that is articulate and polished, stating your belief that you are qualified and confident that you can provide your child with the education that he or she needs. You will specify which of these four applies to your situation on your notice of intent, which is the second part of Option 1:

2. A notice of intent and a list of subjects are required to be submitted to your local school board. These two things are just what they say: you are notifying the school board of your intent to homeschool. I want to emphasize that you are not asking permission. As a parent, you don’t need their permission to begin homeschooling. If they perceive a problem or have issue with your intent, it is their responsibility to contact you. Do not expect to receive anything from them. You can google a notice of intent for your state. A great site for Virginians is heav.org and their notice of intent form can be found here: https://heav.org/begin-homeschooling/notice-of-intent/ and their explanation of the curriculum description (which is literally just a list of subjects) is here: https://heav.org/begin-homeschooling/notice-of-intent/curriculum-description/

3. An annual evaluation is required to be submitted by August 1 of each year. This can be either 1. the results of an acceptable standardized test (examples here: https://heav.org/virginia-homeschool-laws/testing/resources/choosing-standardized-tests/), 2. an evaluation letter from a licensed teacher (or someone possessing a Master’s degree in an educational field) stating your child is making acceptable progress (This could be a very good option for children that do not test well for various reasons, but be sure to prepare for this option by finding a qualified person who is willing to meet with your child – most likely at the beginning of the year and then again at the end of the school year to evaluate progress), 3. a report card or transcript from a school (college, homeschool online or distance learning academy, etc.), OR 4. another type of assessment that is approved by your school board. Only one of these four alternatives for an annual evaluation is required.

Option 2 is the religious exemption. You must inform the school board in writing of your intent to homeschool under this option, if you feel that it is against your religion to send your child to public school and that you intend to teach them based on these beliefs. This option requires approval by the school board. If approval is granted, you are exempt from any other requirements, unless your approval states you must reapply the next year. More information about this option and the other two options can be found on HSLDA’s website. I’m not going into detail with the other two options since I only knew people personally that homeschooled under options 1 and 2.

An example of Virginia compliance

So, as one example, a parent could, under option 1, print and fill out a notice of intent from heav.org site (it’s only 1 page), attach a list of subjects on a separate paper that looks something like this: “biology, algebra, language arts, U.S. History, Spanish, philosophy” (no details required), and also attach a copy of their (the parent’s) high school diploma. This completes their notice of intent. Before the beginning of the next school year (August 1), they would send test scores or an evaluation letter, and then by August 15, the notice of intent and list of subjects for the next school year.

One more thing

Remember that this explanation uses Virginia’s options as an example. Each state differs, but hopefully this example shows that it really isn’t as complicated as it seems and if you read the information carefully, you shouldn’t have any problems.
A word of caution: I have known people that tried calling the school board to discuss their situation and ask for guidance, and I can’t recommend it. In many instances, homeschooling was not encouraged and it was implied that the process was complicated and approval would be uncertain. This is untrue; as a parent, you have the right to homeschool your child.
Having said that, I personally had no problems with the school board whatsoever, although I didn’t discuss anything with them – I sent them the required paperwork and they never had to contact me. And I knew others with similar experience, having no conflict or resistance at all, so I don’t intend to scare anyone. As a rule of thumb, however, stick to the facts and comply with the paperwork required by law only, not offering more or less information.

You’ve got this!

Remember homeschooling is a right. Compliance with the laws of your state are necessary, but not as scary or impossible as you may have thought. You are the parent – look at everything you’ve already taught your child. Don’t underestimate yourself now! You can do this! When I began, I didn’t have the foggiest clue what I was doing…I made mistakes and we had some unproductive days. Tears, even…mine and theirs. But we also had some amazing days and we grew closer as a family and at the end of it all, my kids were learners for life, not just for a test. In hindsight, even the bad days were good days after all.

Figuring out the laws of your state is the first step, but after the first year, you’ll know what to do each year afterward. You’ve got this!

(Please note that the information contained in this post is meant to encourage and enlighten, but should not be your sole source of legal advice. I wrote it in an attempt to respond to the many questions I receive of “How do you get started homeschooling?” Since every state differs, and every situation is unique when choosing the options that best represent your family, it is very hard to answer that question with a universal and simple response. Also, the example given is compatible with Virginia law at this posting, but laws are subject to change, so you should always keep that in mind when receiving advice from another homeschooler, past or present, and be sure to check the required criteria for your state for yourself.)