I live in Dallas Texas and I have decided to homeschoool my 7th grader. Can someone please tell me what I need to do in order to homeschool him without getting in trouble with the truancy officers.
Home Schooling - 4 Answers
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1
Don't home school her. She needs to socialize with friends. Let her make the decision.
2
Go to this link to read about the homeschooling laws for Texas. http://hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=TX
3
Texas is one of the best states to homeschool in, as the laws are not restrictive. I read the legal summary of the Texas law on the HSLDA website. It looks like the only requirement is that the student is taught math, reading, spelling, grammar, and good citizenship. (Note: You don't have to be teaching all of these all the time.) I didn't see any rules about taking your child out of school, but I would suggest giving the school a formal letter, saying that your child will no longer be using the services of the public school as of (the date you take him out), and that he will be getting his education privately. You don't necessarily have to say that he will be homeschooled. The laws in Texas favor you. Be sure to join HSLDA. I read that in the "80's, homeschooling was declared illegal in Texas, and parents we being prosecuted. HSLDA helped to change all that, and the decision was completely turned around. Now you are free to homeschool in Texas with very little oversight by the government.
4
Here in Texas, we have some of the easiest homeschooling requirements in the US. There is no paperwork to file. However, if you are withdrawing your child from a school, you should do that, just as though you were switching to another private or public school. The Texas Home School Colilition has a sample withdrawl letter here: http://www.thsc.org/Categories.aspx?Id=0995e7ee-378c-4ef1-ae98-04f26bbcf47b This is key to avoid being considered truant. Curriculum wise, you get to choose. By Texas law you must cover reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and good citizenship. The rest is of course necessary for a good education, but not required by TX law. In TX, No one has to approve your curriculum, nor do you need an "accredited" curriuculum. You will want to be aware of any daytime curfew requirements, if any, in your area, so that you are't allowing your child to wander by themself about during school hours if there's a curfew in affect. Where I'm at down in Houston area, it's not a problem. But its' something to know about. If you have question about it, check with one of the local homeschooling groups in Dallas. (There's several, just do a search for "homeschool Dallas, TX" Other than that, the best thing to do is to read the "homeschooling in Texas" info and the FAQs on the Texas Home School Coliition site. They will answer the legal questions. And then get tapped into a local support group or local online support group. Most areas have more than one, and you will eventually find the right one for you as you progress in your homeschooling journey. Enjoy! It is a journey
