Homeschooling with Help

I want to homeschool my child, but I don’t want to/ can’t do the teaching myself. What are my options?

​

You have several different options available to you:

​

• You may hire an approved tutor to teach your child. Some tutors come to your home, while others work from their home, an office, or a “learning center.” Some families hire a single tutor to teach all subjects to all students, while others hire multiple tutors for multiple ages or subjects. Prices vary significantly, depending on your location and needs.

​

• Another option is to provide home instruction to your child using a correspondence school or distance learning program. The child works from home or your workplace, but is working directly with a teacher through that program. There are mail-, online-, and satellite-based correspondence school options.

​

• Many parents “hire out” the teaching of specific subjects through classes, group activities, homeschool co-ops, team teaching, tutors, etc., while teaching the other subjects themselves. Homeschooling families and support groups can help you find these opportunities in your local community.

​

• Some parents make arrangements to have another homeschooling family educate their child during the day while they are at work. The parent, rather than the home instruction provider, files the annual home instruction notice of intent and testing/evaluation paperwork required by law. While widely practiced across the state, this option is of questionable legality under Virginia law, unless the person providing the homeschooling happens to be a licensed teacher.