The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers
VaHomeschoolers.org
Your Resource. Your Voice. Your Association.
The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers
VaHomeschoolers.org
Your Resource. Your Voice. Your Association.
The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers received several calls and e-mails from worried parents about homeschooling in Virginia after news reports and e-mails from other organizations created a mistaken impression that it is illegal for parents without college degrees to homeschool children in Virginia. Nothing could be further from the truth. [Printer friendly version.]
Since 1984, there have been four legal options for filing to provide home instruction in Virginia. Any one of these four criteria qualifies the parent for homeschooling under Virginia's home instruction statute:
Read the entire Home Instruction and related statutes.
Parents without college degrees can file under either options (iii) or (iv). VaHomeschoolers' "Guide to Homeschooling in Virginia" explains filing under Option 3 and Option 4.
Here are some comments from Virginia homeschoolers who file under option (iv) and how it worked for them:
"We have homeschooled our 3 children in King George County and in Louisa County. Both
counties have acknowledged our paperwork with no reservations...I have the paperwork in on
time and the kids are learning the subjects that the state feels are necessary, as seen on
their CAT's"
-Katy Johnson, Louisa County
"When I began homeschooling in 1995, I was very nervous about filing under Option 4,
because all the other homeschoolers I knew had a BA degree. I was sure that "they"
would come after me! One year, I did receive a call from the county, during which the secretary
asked me to provide tables of contents of books or a scope and sequence. I responded with a
letter that included this statement: "I have read the Home Instruction statute and do
not see where the law requires me to send tables of contents or scope and sequence. However,
if you can show me the exact wording of the law, that shows these are required, I will be happy
to comply." I received their so-called "approval" letter a few days later, and
they've never asked me for those things, or anything else extra, again."
-Shay Seaborne, Prince William County
"We began homeschooling 2 years ago. We have filed for option 4 each of the 3 times and
have never had a problem. We use a one-page description of study. It includes some of the
materials we will use during the year to help our son achieve what he needs to for that year.
I don't cite any specific books because we use so many throughout the year. The list would be
endless. I basically say that we will use any and all resources we can get our hands on. With
math one of the activities I cite is cooking. With language arts I cite the library, etc. I am
qualified to teach my son... No one wants to see our son succeed more than we do. He is a quiet
boy and needs one on one attention. Not only is it something we can provide, it's something we
want to provide. I think that makes all of the difference in the world."
-Lenore Morehouse, Virginia Beach
I have homeschooled using Option 4 for the past three yearsI hand-carried to the superintendents office a simple, one-page document for each child to notify them of my intent to homeschool. The first year I was asked to fill out their form of basic questions, such as my childrens names, ages and grades, with a box to check the option in the statute under which I would be homeschooling. They attached the form to my Notice of Intent and I have not been asked to fill out anything since. Usually in November, I will receive a letter from the city stating that they have reviewed my notice and feel that I fulfilled the requirements to teach my children at home.
I had my son take the Childrens Skills Testand blacked out all scores except for the Language Arts and Math scores. I also hand-delivered it to the superintendents office. Although the woman in the office seemed to think it strange to see so many black marks on the paper, she did not say a word to me about it and I never heard anything back from them. The second year, I ordered the California Achievement Test and had my son take that over a period of about three days. The city also accepted that test with no problemsnot even a second glance
Overall, Poquoson is a very easy place to homeschool. Except for the little
form they once asked me to complete, city personnel seem to follow the laws
in Virginia and are not the least bit hostile to homeschoolers. It would
be nice if every locality were like Poquoson!
- Angie Harrington, Poquoson
Some of the confusion over non-degreed parents and homeschooling stems from inaccurate media reports concerning HB 675, a bill introduced in the 2004 Virginia Assembly to amend the home instruction statute. This bill, patroned by Delegate Bell of Charlottesville and requested by HEAV and HSLDA, would have amended option (i) of the home instruction statute to read "(i) holds a high school diploma" instead of "(i) holds a baccalaureate degree in any subject from an accredited institution of higher education". Governor Warner vetoed HB 675 on May 21, 2004.
If HB 675 had become law, then parents with high school diplomas but no college degrees could have filed under option (i) instead of options (iii) or (iv). This would have given additional options and additional flexibility under the law to these families, and might have reduced the amount of paperwork these parents need to submit to their respective school districts. However, it would not make it "legal" for parents without college degrees to homeschool, because it has been "legal" for these parents to homeschool in Virginia since 1984.
No. Governor Warner at one point proposed amending HB 675 to create a new filing option in the home instruction statute. Under this proposed amendment, parents without college degrees could file to provide home instruction if they had a high school diploma and had tested at or above a certain level on certain standardized tests, including the PRAXIS I and SAT I. This proposed amendment was rejected by the legislature and is not part of Virginia homeschooling law.
VaHomeschoolers supported HB 675. To learn more about VaHomeschoolers' legislative efforts, subscribe to VaHomeschoolers Announce by sending us a blank E-mail.
VaHomeschoolers works hard to protect your homeschool freedom and empowers you by giving you the information that helps you homeschool with confidence. This is all a free service to you. But providing these services does cost money without which we could not maintain this site, cover our lobbyists' expenses while they work for you at the Virginia General Assembly, or produce and mail the VaHomeschoolers newsletter. Show how much you value the indispensable services VaHomeschoolers provides you--by joining or donating to VaHomeschoolers! If you are already a member, check out our give-back programs where purchases you normally make can earn money for VaHomeschoolers at no cost to you. When you join or donate to VaHomeschoolers, you are supporting the Old Dominion's only fully inclusive, member directed, and volunteer driven state homeschool association.
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