Many parents, for many different reasons, make the decision to homeschool their children. Homeschooling allows for a specific educational experience designed to suit your child’s particular needs, and in many cases goes above and beyond what can be achieved in a public or private school system. If you make the decision to homeschool your children, it is important that you do so legally, and understand the laws in your area. It is absolutely crucial that you do this, because if you fail to meet legal standards when homeschooling your children you will inadvertently rob your children of postsecondary educational opportunities.
Homeschooling laws vary from state to state, so you have to look up the specific laws in your home state. The basis of state laws on homeschooling is the result of truancy laws that require children to attend school. The basic idea is that these laws exist to distinguish a homeschooled child from a child that is simply not going to school, which is of course against the law. Generally, states will require that you submit a “notice of intent” to homeschool your children before the upcoming academic year, and the state will then...