I have been both a public high school teacher and a homeschooling mother. I have tips below on homeschooling your children in various subjects. But first a few notes.
I am also an attorney, but I have never been an education attorney, and nothing on this site constitutes legal advice. You should be quite familiar with your nation’s and/or state’s laws on homeschooling and should follow them. Keeping track of important dates is important. If you are expected to send in a notice of intent by August 1st, you should send your notice of intent well before August 1st.
I belong to a local homeschooling co-op, an important tool for socialization, particularly for secular homeschoolers living far from our own biological families. For homeschooling preservation, I am a member of two of my state’s homeschooling entities. One is religious but provides legal advice if necessary; it also actively lobbies our state legislature, something I believe has become a necessary evil given the current political climate of our country. The second state homeschooling entity I belong to is completely secular (and its leadership includes a friend of our family). I am also a member of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). To be candid, I am not a fan of HSLDA because I believe they are fearmongers and grifters and because they assume that Democrats are the bigger threat to homeschooling while I personally believe both of the two major parties will turn against homeschooling to suit their own interests. I am a member of HSLDA primarily for legal advice in the event of an emergent situation, and I have the HSLDA emergency phone number in my cell phone. I skim the publications they send periodically and then toss them in the recycling. They are religious-affiliated, and I wish someone would stand up a competing secular entity.
A final note: I am in favor of responsible homeschooling. I do not believe religious freedom should give anyone a free pass. I believe all children should have to show progress yearly to a qualified third party, whether by a portfolio or test results. I believe all children should be vaccinated unless exempted by a qualified medical doctor. I believe all children should receive at least one (subsidized/free if necessary) well check by a qualified doctor per year. I do not believe the government is entitled to enormous amounts of information about our children, and I do not believe that they should be allowed to come inside our homes; I believe the thresholds to our homes are sacred. I do not complain about the 50+% of our $4,000 per year property taxes awarded to the county schools because I do want a better educated electorate, even if my children do not tangibly benefit from that money.
Subject Areas
- Math and science
- Geography
- History
If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them. Feel free to comment below.
Best wishes,
Erin
