Homeschooling Regulations by State: Florida

by Christina Yeager

If you reside in Florida and think that your kid will get a better education at home, then you need to be well versed with the laws and requirements regarding home education. When it comes to homeschooling a child in the respective state, there are several important things that need to be taken into consideration.
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Each state is the U.S. has a very specific set of regulations for homeschooling. If you are thinking about teaching your child at home, you'll need to know the ins and outs of what needs to be done beforehand and during. In this series, Homeschooling Regulations by State, we'll explore information to help with the decision, what to do to get started and what to do correctly to continue.

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Thinking about homeschooling in Florida? Know the state laws.

Compulsory School Age
Every state in the United States of America has different laws, they follow certain rules and try to keep pace with the national standard of education. As per the laws of Florida, a child needs to start regular school or homeschool when they turn 6. Further, it is mandatory for them to remain in school until they are a high school graduate.

Homeschooling Choices
The two main homeschooling options available in Florida to the parents who want to opt for homeschooling for their children are:

1. Home Education
2. Private tutoring

The first option is that the parents educate the children themselves at home. No strict curriculum needs to be followed and nor the parents are required to hold a valid teachers certificate for teaching in Florida.

The respective students’ parents can also opt for a private tutor and follow a private tutoring plan. It is mandatory for the private tutor to hold a valid educational certificate for teaching in Florida. It is part of the tutor’s job to maintain the students’ records and make all their progress/educational reports as per the requirements of the state.

Necessary Paperwork
When it comes to homeschool a child, it is compulsory for you to inform the school district superintendent’s office of your plans in written form. The written letter should contain the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Birthdate of the child
• Parents signature

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This paper needs to be submitted to the superintendent’s office, 30 days prior to when the student is going to start their homeschooling process. The same process needs to be repeated when the student has:

• Completed the home education program
• Enrolled in a public or a private school
• Moving from the district

Other Important Things To Consider
Curriculum
The material required for a homeschooler is given to them by the school district. The parents can get the curriculum themselves as well. It is available both at the Florida State Book Depository and can also be obtained online, where there is a huge choice of several curriculum guides.

Educational Evaluation and Annual Reporting
In the State of Florida, a student who is being homeschooled must undergo annual evaluation by a licensed teacher. For instance, if a child is being homeschooled for the secondary grade, then a secondary grade teacher will perform the educational evaluation to see if the child is performing up to the required level. Similarly, if the child is getting an elementary level education at home is going to be evaluated by an elementary teacher for the respective level.

Homeschooling Requirements in Florida
As aforementioned, like in several other states of the US, Florida also does not require for the parent to hold a valid teaching certificate to teach the child. But it is compulsory for the parents to comply with reporting, recordkeeping and student educational assessments.

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Are you a homeschooler (new or veteran) seeking to share insight? Read our guidelines and then reach out introducing yourself to obtain blogging credentials! And if you're a homeschool parent, be sure to follow the Homeschooling Heroes page on Facebook for tons of resources and insight, and join the Unschool Homeschool group to expand your horizons as to what homeschooling is/can be. And finally, if you're looking for activities to join, we have a group with New Orleans-based activities, which will be expanding to an area near you - so join our group! And be excited about that, because we offer tons of exceptional educational and extracurricular activities for homeschoolers and parents, and can't wait to include you.