How to Homeschool in Virginia

Requirements to Homeschool in Virginia

Under Virginia state law, you have two options for enrolling your child in a homeschool program.

The first option is home instruction. The following legal steps must be followed to proceed with homeschooling your child.

1.     You must send a letter of withdrawal to the principal of the school your child is attending, stating your intention to remove your child from the public school to homeschool them.
2.     You must also send a letter of intent to the district’s superintendent. Within the letter, you must identify yourself and your child and provide evidence that you are qualified to educate them. These qualifications can be either,
3.     Showing your high school diploma
4.     Providing an active teacher certification
5.     Explanation of the program of instruction you intend to use to educate your child
6.     Evidence that demonstrates you would be capable of teaching your child a variety of subjects
7.     The letter of intent must also provide the superintendent with a list of subjects you will teach your child.
8.     After the first time you file with the superintendent, you must resubmit a letter annually by August 15. If you are moving into a new district or beginning after the start of the school year, include the phrase “as soon as practicable” within your letter.
9.     You must also send an annual evaluation of your student’s progress by August 1. (This only applies to students over the age of five.)
10.     Examples of acceptable forms of evaluation are as follows:
11.   Standardized testing scores, such as the ACT, SAT, PSAT, etc. The scores must be above the 23rd percentile to qualify to continue homeschooling your child.)
12.   An evaluation letter from a certified educator familiar with the student’s work or someone who holds a master’s degree in a field the child is studying will write a letter explaining the child’s academic progress.

   III.      A report card or transcript from a community college or homeschool program that demonstrates growth within the student’s learning.

1.     An evaluation or assessment provided by the superintendent.

A religious exemption is the second legal option to remove your child from public school.

1.     You must submit a letter of intent to your school district’s board. Within the letter, you must explain that you are removing your child from public school because you believe that putting your child through the public school system would be wrong in the eyes of God and would go against your sincerely held religious beliefs. You must also clarify that you are raising your child in the same belief system that you have.
2.     Obtain a reply from the school board that they accept your child’s removal from the public school system. If you have not heard back from the board within two months, consider resubmitting your letter to them.
3.     If the board refuses your letter based on religious grounds, you can still homeschool your child using the “home instruction” option. Please see the above.

Homeschooling Your Child with a Certified Tutor

If you are a certified teacher, you can request that the superintendent approve you as a tutor for your child or other children who prefer to learn at home. An active teaching license must be submitted with a letter of intent for approval.

Homeschooling Your Child with the Private School Option

Private schools in Virginia allow students to be taught at home if they can prove they have spent the same number of hours per day on schoolwork as they would if they were present at the private school. To proceed with this option, a letter of intent must be sent to the school’s principal.

Choosing Curriculum

Now that you have followed the steps to begin homeschooling your children, you must research the type of curriculum you want to use. There are many options open to you, and we encourage you to first decide on your teaching philosophy. Your teaching philosophy is your set of values and goals you want to implement as an educator. Once you know what you want out of the curriculum, it will help you narrow down the programs you want to use. Remember that math and English are two of the most common tests your child will be asked to complete when submitting the annual standardized tests, so look for programs that help enforce those subjects. At Dailies, we have highly qualified teachers in both subjects who are excited to meet with your students and help supplement any learning to help them reach their highest potential!

Document Everything

Keep track of every letter of intent and correspondence with the school district for your records if you need to prove you are following the laws of homeschooling. It would be best to document all the hours spent daily at school. Both will be vital when submitting your annual report to the superintendent.

Connect with other Families

A good place to start creating your homeschool “pod” is social media. Various groups on sites such as Facebook can connect you with other homeschooling families in your area. There are more than 220 support groups throughout Virginia, so it will be easy to find your pod! Once you have a group, consider supplemental learning opportunities such as “field trips” to museums, historical sites, libraries, etc. It is a great way to help the students learn and develop their social/emotional skills. 

Conclusion

The option of homeschooling children has become increasingly popular over the last several years. Virginia offers many flexible and obtainable options that can work for any family! At Dailies, we are here to support you in any way that you need. Visit our website for more information on the classes on offer and how you can get your first class free!