Frequently Asked Questions about Homeschool

There are so many questions that arise throughout the homeschool journey! We hope to answer some of the more frequently asked questions here but please do not hesitate to reach out to one of our NCHE Board Members with any other questions you may have. We would love to help!

You can click on a specific question to skip directly to that answer or just scroll down to read the answers to all of the following questions.

IMPORTANT Scholarship Information- PLEASE READ FIRST

Where do I start?

When can I start?

What are the homeschool laws for FL/GA?

What is a homeschool portfolio?

What about socialization?

Different Homeschooling Styles/Methods

Diploma/Transcript/College/Dual Enrollment

Homeschooling with Special Needs

Do you have more quesitions that are not listed here?

IMPORTANT Scholarship Information- PLEASE READ FIRST

If your family is using the "Personalized Education Program" (PEP) scholarship provided through one of the Florida "Scholarship Funding Organizations" (SFOs) like Step Up for Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation, some of the information below may not pertain to you. When the PEP was created in 2023, many in the homeschool community were concerned about potential government overreach and the preservation of homeschooling families independence. So, many of them worked with legislators to keep the PEP separate from the "Home Education" program in the Florida Statute. While they are both legal "homeschool" options for families, they have different rules to follow. While there are other rules, the main rules for PEP include: 1- PEP students are NOT registered with the local county office as a home education student. If your child was previously enrolled in a public school or as a homeschool student with the county, you will need to uneroll them or send in your letter of termination BEFORE accepting the scholarship. 2- PEP parents must submit a "Student Learning Plan" (SLP) with their SFO and are not required to maintain a portfolio. (Although we HIGHLY recommend ALWAYS keeping records) They must also sign an agreement with the SFO. 3- PEP Students must take a "norm-referenced test"at the end of the year and submit the results to the SFO.

If your family is using the "Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities" (FES-UA or UA) provided through one of the Florida "Scholarship Funding Organizations" (SFOs) like Step Up for Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation, the information below will apply to your family because this scholarship requires your child(ren) to be enrolled with your local county as a homeschool student.

*We are working on a page with more information on both of these scholarships. In the meantime, please visit this link, this link, or look on Facebook for groups specializing in homeschooling or PEP/UA scholarships.

Where do I start?

You have decided to homeschool your child(ren) but aren't really sure where to start. It can be so overwhelming when you begin to look at the homeschool laws, the many different homeschooling "styles", the plethora of curriculum and then how to organize it all! So, the best place to start is to take a deep breath and realize you do not have to have it all figured out to begin! Your homeschool will probably look completely different from other families and that's ok! In fact, that's one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling, because you can tailor the learning environment to each child!

Once you do that, here are some suggestions on where to go next:

Familiarize yourself with the homeschool laws in your state.
- Florida and Georgia both require a Letter of Intent be sent to your local school board within 30 days of beginning homeschool program. In Florida, you will submit your letter one time at the beginning of your program while Georgia requires a letter of intent to be sent every year you continue homeschooling. Here are a few links for more information about your Letter of Intent: Florida, Georgia
- Florida families- The date that you submit your letter of intent will become the "anniversary date" on which your yearly evaluations are due. So, if you have more than one child you plan to homeschool, we highly suggest sending in the letter of intent for each child as close to the same date (month and day) each time.
- Keep a copy of your letter(s) of intent for your records
- See below for more information of State Laws.
Assess your teaching style and the learning style of your child(ren).
- See below for more information.
Set up a homeschool budget
- It is always a good idea to have an understanding of your family's financial situation because there will be costs associated with any homeschool program. While there are great resources and fantastic curriculums that are completely FREE, there are plenty more that come with a higher price tag. Not to mention the costs for school supplies, yearly evaluations, field trips, extracurricular activities and the inevitable extra amounts of food that seem to be consumed while you're home all day. :)
Find local and national support
- Having a support system is so important in this homeschool journey! Not only for finding good resources and answers to your questions, but for the encouragement that we all inevitably need along the way! While homeschooling is a wonderful and amazing task to undertake, it can become lonely and overwhelming and having someone to reach out to in those times is priceless!
- You have already checked part of this off of your to-do list by joining NCHE! One of the main goals of this group is to be a support system for our local families! However, since our group is meant to be more broad, it may be a good idea to also look for local or online groups more specific to your teaching style and/or your child's learning style.
- We also suggest that you join your state association (Florida Parent Educators Association or Georgia Home Education Association) and the national Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).

When can I start?

Your homeschooling journey can start anytime!

In Florida, if your child will turn 6 BEFORE February 1st of that school year, they are subject to compulsory attendance as set forward by FL Statute 1003.21. Therefore, the parent must notify the school district that they plan to establish and maintain a homeschool education program.
If your child is currently enrolled in a public school, you will need to take the necessary steps to formally withdraw them from that school and then notify the school district that they plan to establish and maintain a homeschool education program. They can be taken out at anytime during the year, but it may change the steps for withdrawal if done once the school year has started.
If your child is withdrawn from a public or private school during the school year, it may be a good idea to spend some time "deschooling" or adjusting to the home environment together. Homeschooling is NOT just school at home. It is an opportunity to educate your child based on their learning style, so it may take a few weeks to figure out the best path forward.

Homeschool Laws

Florida Homeschool Laws are found in FL Statute 1002.41 Home education programs.

The parent "shall notify the district school superintendent of the county in which the parent resides of her or his intent to establish and maintain a home education program. The notice must be in writing, signed by the parent, and include the full legal names, addresses, and birthdates of all children who shall be enrolled as students in the home education program. The notice must be filed in the district school superintendent’s office within 30 days of the establishment of the home education program." - 1002.4 1(a)
Unless your child is going to participate in a district program or service, the school district CANNOT require any additional information about your child. They do not need a grade level or the student's social security number. - 1002.4 1(b)
The parent shall maintain a portfolio, preserving it for 2 years and make it available to the district within 15 days if requested. The contents of the portfolio are determined by the parents but must contain a log of educational activities and examples of the child's work. - 1002.4 (d), (e). Please see below for more information on homeschool portfolios.
The parent shall file an annual evaluation report that documents " the student’s demonstration of educational progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability." -1002.4 1(f) The parent may choose one of 5 options currently approved to complete the annual educational evaluation. If you would like a much more in-depth look at the annual evaluation, please click here.
The school district shall accept your annual evaluation and provide a 1 year probationary period to students who are unable to demonstrate " educational progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability." - 1002.4 2
The homeschool program does not have to meet the requirements of a public school day. -1002.4 3
When your child has reached the end of their homeschool journey, you do have to provide a written notice of termination along with the yearly evaluation for that year within 30 days. -1002.4 1 (c)
For the rest of the Florida Homeschool Laws, please visit here and begin reading at (4).

Information on Georgia Homeschool Laws can be found at one of the following links: GA DOE , HSLDA , GHEA

Homeschool Portfolios

According to FL Statute 1002.4 " (d) The parent shall maintain a portfolio of records and materials. The portfolio must consist of the following:
1. A log of educational activities that is made contemporaneously with the instruction and that designates by title any reading materials used.

2. Samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by the student.

(e) The parent shall determine the content of the portfolio, preserve it for 2 years, and make it available for inspection, if requested, by the district school superintendent, or the district school superintendent’s agent, upon 15 days’ written notice. Nothing in this section shall require the district school superintendent to inspect the portfolio." - 1002.4 (d) & (e)
Portfolios can be as simple or as elaborate as you would like to make them as long as they contain the above information. You can find examples that range from a pinterest worthy scrapbook to a cardboard box stuffed with sheets of paper and all of them are perfectly fine!
We usually recommend that the "samples" include some from the beginning of the year, some from the middle, and some from the end. These "samples" can be copies or pictures of the original. The "log" can be a planner, a spreadsheet, a blog, a checklist, a syllabus, a website, or anything that you used to keep a running documentation of what you did. The "log" also needs to include the titles of any books used and read throughout the year.
They can be physical or digital but you do need one for each child that has a letter of intent with the school district.

Homeschool Methods/Styles

Traditional or "School-at-home" Style - Intended to closely resemble the educational approach found in most public and private schools, this style relys on textbooks, tests/quizes, lecture style teaching, grade level specific curriculum, and a strict schedule to make sure children are performing like their public school peers. Online Learning, Distance Learning, and Satelite Schools often fall into this style.
Classical Style - Modeled on methods used in Europe for hundreds of years, this style uses the "trivium" model to teach children in 3 phases. Phase 1 focuses on memorizing and is done during elementary school. Phase 2 moves into logic or the dialetic stage where middle schoolers begin to ask questions beyond the memorized information. Finally, Phase 3 introduces high schoolers to the rhetoric stage where they must take their memorized information and logic and defend it to others.
Charolette Mason Style - Based on the teachings of Charolette Mason, a 19th Century British teacher and author, this style relies heavily on classical literature with an emphasis on "living books". Children learn by reading, narrating, observing, memorizing, and exploring the world around them.
Montessori Style - Originally designed for the classroom by Dr. Maria Montessori, this style is focused on the creativity, curiosity, and "self-regulating" abilities of younger children. The goal is to create the right environment for the child's imagination and creativity to thrive.
Unit Studies - Themed learning is the focus of this style. It is often a hands-on approach that seeks to combine many subjects like history, science, math, literature, and art under one major theme so that kids can learn about what they are interested in while also learning other important information. This style can encourage kids to make wider connections between things in the world.
Unschooling - A very relaxed style of homeschooling that follows the child's interests, passions, and curiosities. There are no defined curriculums or lesson plans because the idea is to allow the child to learn organically through life experiences. Some families may choose to use a curriculum for certain subject, but often the focus is on child-lead learning.
Eclectic Style - A very broad and common style that allows the family to pick and chose what works best for them across the entirety of their homeschool experience. This style recognizes the value in each of the other methods and the importance of allowing flexibility in the homeschool journey. One child may need the structure of "classical style" while another may do better focusing on their interests using the "unit study style".
Waldorf Style - Based on the Waldorf philosophy (also know as the Steiner philosphy after its creator), this style, focused on the whole child, breaks down the education into 3 distinct sections that last approximately 7 years each. The first section focuses on creative play, the second on acedemic instructiuon, and the third on critical thinking.

Socialization

Perhaps the "hottest" topic when it comes to homeschooling your children is the concern over their socialization. However, homeschooling often provides your child(ren) many more opportunities to learn social skills than they would receive in a classroom for 8 hours with others their age. In fact, homeschooling offers children the time and space to learn multigenerational social skills that will be much more useful in their adult life. With homeschool groups, homeschool co-ops, field trips, church groups, hobbies, volunteer groups and spending extra time with siblings and friends of different ages, there is no shortage of socialization opportunities available to every homeschool family.

Diploma/Transcript/College/Dual Enrollment

Diploma- In the state of Florida, it is completely legal for the parent to administer their child a diploma at the conclusion of their schooling. It is also equivilant to a diploma awarded to a public school student by the county. Please read this article at "Florida Homeschool Association" for more in-depth information.

Transcript- In the state of Florida, parents have complete say over what goes onto their childs transcript.

College- Thinking about where to send your child to college can be such an overwhelming task! Especially since there are so many differences in admission standards from one to the next. So, with the ever changing landscape of colleges in the United States, we always suggest that if your child is interested in a certain college, reac out directly to them and speak to an admissions officer to get all your questions answered. They may have a specific set of "extra-cirricular" classes that they suggest to help your child get accepted. Also, if your child has a specific career path they are interested in but havent chosen a college, find a college that specializes in that career and call to see what they suggest for your child to be doing during high school to be prepared for that career.

Dual Enrollment- There are many oppurtunities for homeschoolers who would like to participate in a Dual Enrollment Program. The biggest one in Nassau County (that is FREE for Florida residents) is at FSCJ (Florida State College of Jaxsonville). Since their information changes often, the best way to stay up to date is by joining their FaceBook page "FSCJ Homeschool Dual Enrollment" and asking for the current homeschool dual enrollment coordinator's contact information. There are other community colleges and even some 4 year colleges that offer dual enrollment opportunitues for homeschoolers so if yor child is interested in a certain college, reach out to ask if they have this program available.

Homeschooling with Special Needs

HSLDA has some great information for parents who will be homeschooling a child with special needs. HSLDA Special Needs Information

We also have a few connections with people in our community we could connect you to if you would like more information from a local source. Please feel free to reach out to us and we will get you in touch with those resources.