I am not a lawyer, so it is up to you to verify and interpret the homeschool laws. I provide them for your information only, and rely on the help of homeschoolers in the geographic areas to assist me in keeping these laws as correct as possible. Although I do my best to make sure these are complete, they may not cover every circumstance of your homeschooling situation. The Regional and World Wide Homeschooling pages usually have links to support group pages to help you understand how the laws are put into practice and what you need to do to comply. Only an interpretation of the law by a state-certified barrister should be considered legal advice.
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A to Z Articles
Declaration of Educational Independence By Linda Dobson, reprinted with permission. WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for Families to dissolve the Educational Bands which have connected them to a faltering Society...
Drivers Ed Home-based driving instruction for your homeschooling teen.
Educational Neglect These laws could make homeschooling "educational neglect." Information about educational neglect.
Educationese for Homeschool Reports Educationese -- or Teacherese -- is the name sometimes given to the jargon too frequently employed by some of those who train our schoolteachers.
Homeschool Stationery Directions for creating matching calling card, letterhead, and a brochure for your homeschool.
HSLDA and HSLDA/F Consumer Information There are many different opinions about HSLDA. If you want to join, by all means join, just know what you are joining. It is not a pre-paid legal insurance company.
May a Grandmother Homeschool? Yes, a grandmother may homeschool her grandchildren. And so may a grandfather, aunt, uncle, or older sibling, once the parents or legal guardians have set up a legal homeschool according to the laws of their state.
May I homeschool someone else's children? There are two scenarios. The person asking is a relative, such as a grandparent, older sibling, or other relative. They will be educating their relative at no charge. The second is someone unrelated to the family and who will be receiving compensation.
Things to know before citing Case Law Did you know? When a phrase from a court case is quoted, it makes a big difference where the phrase was taken from the decision of that case? by Attorney Deborah Stevenson, Executive Director of the National Home Education Legal Defense.
Do You Know What Law Enables You To Homeschool? If you don't know, you should. How else can you tell whether the next government official who tells you that you have to do what he says is lying or misunderstanding the law? By Deborah Stevenson, atty.
Grading States on Their Education Freedom I am often asked which states are the "best" for homeschooling. This list of the top 10 and worse 10 for academic freedoms is probably pretty close. The Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2000.
The Informed Parent Mary Nix is not a lawyer, nor an expert, but a parent just like you. "My family and I chose home education as our educational choice. It is a hands on process that opens up many opportunities for learning and exploring. Because it is outside of the educational norm, we also felt the need to learn about the rules that govern this choice."
Legal Directory By State From AHSA List of Attorneys willing to consult with and/or represent homeschoolers: These attorneys have indicated that they are willing to provide legal information, consult with or represent homeschoolers on homeschooling or other legal issues they may have in their states. Most of these attorneys homeschool or have homeschooled their own children.
An interview with Deborah Stevenson An interview with Deborah Stevenson of the National Home Education Legal Defense (NHELD) about the threats facing homeschooling parents. by Judy Aron - HEM J/A 05. Part 2 - HEM S/O 05.
Homeschool Watch A place where articles, incidents and current legislation impacting homeschoolers can be posted and practically discussed. The list purpose is to efficiently inform, network and support the efforts of homeschoolers across the nation to keep homeschooling free. This is intended to be a list for homeschoolers actively working on legislative issues and not a theoretical debate society.
Recent State Policies/Activities - Homeschooling The following summary includes policies enacted since 1999. Summaries are collected from StateNet , Lexis-Nexis , state Web sites and state newsletters. StateNet and Lexis-Nexis descriptions reflect the content of bills as introduced and may not reflect changes made during the legislative process. [I've been told the Oregon update here is incorrect.]
Taking Charge Larry and Susan Kaseman have regular columns in Home Education Magazine that usually concern some controversial topic about the homeschool movement.
Support Groups Where do you find and make homeschooling friends? How do support groups work? Tips for organizing support group activities.
Transcripts Help interpreting your high school-level work to make into transcripts for college applications.
Mail Lists
AHSA-USA_Homeschooling_and_Custody This list is an opportunity for homeschoolers involved in custody issues to contact other homeschoolers for information about homeschooling attorneys and experts, as well as exchange ideas and information about handling custody disputes as a result of homeschooling.
Association of Homeschool Attorneys This association is a network of attorneys and legal experts that are concerned with litigation pending and threatened against homeschoolers. Moderated by Linda J. Conrad Jansen, an attorney and Legal/Legislative Chair of the HomeSchool Association of California. Website has List of Attorneys willing to consult with and/or represent homeschoolers.
InSITE Vol. 6, no. 13, A Service of Cornell Law Library The law librarians at Cornell evaluate potentially useful Web sites, select the most valuable ones, and provide commentary and subject access to them. The have recommended the A to Z Homeschool Law pages since 2001.
Social Security
Social Security Benefits The SSA has no education requirements for children under the age of 18 who would otherwise be eligible for Social Security benefits. SSA Handbook 323.