Details the importance of support alternative educational choices, including private schools and vouchers, along with homeschooling.
The Indiana Department of Education's summary of the laws pertaining to homeschooling.
This is a list of tips for effective lobbying. Includes ways to lobby, things you can do now, and how to connect with other lobbyists.
This list is an opportunity for homeschoolers to contact homeschooling attorneys and experts about homeschooling legal and litigation issues. It is an informal network of attorneys and legal experts that are concerned with litigation pending and threatened against homeschoolers. Its primary purpose is to exchange legal information within the profession, and to educate and support attorneys and experts involved in homeschool litigation.
Most books and articles on home education are quick to point out that homeschooling is legal--in one form or another-- in all fifty states. Parents might have to jump through more hoops in one state than in another, but, as long as they're willing to jump through those hoops, they are allowed to teach their own children at home. But are these hoops actually necessary?
This list is created to be a means of informing, documenting and evaluating available information concerning the impact of virtual/charter schools on the homeschooling community. This information consists of and is not limited to news items, articles from various sources, legislative information (bills, law changes), documented efforts and experiences and other information that may give weight to whether home-based charter schools or virtual schools are having an impact in any negative way on homeschooling.
It is unlawful for a parent to fail, neglect or refuse to send his child to a public school for the full term as required under this chapter unless the child is being provided with instruction equivalent to that given in the public schools. This section does not apply during any period when the child is excused from attendance under this chapter.
Contains suggestions that are useful for many Indiana families wishing to withdraw their children from public school and transfer them to a home-based private school, or home school.
Do the public school authorities feel threatened by homeschooling? Judging by their efforts to lure homeschooling families into dependence on local school districts, the answer is apparently yes. For the last several years, homeschooling has been the fastest growing educational alternative in the country. The sheer number of homeschoolers represent a distinct threat to the hegemony of the government school monopoly. Qualitatively, the academic success of homeschoolers, measured by standardized test scores and recruitment by colleges, debunk the myth that parents need to hire credentialed experts to force children to learn.
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Indiana. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Indiana.
Twenty years ago, home education was treated as a crime in almost every state. Today, it is legal all across America, despite strong and continued opposition from many within the educational establishment. How did this happen? This paper traces the legal and sociological history of the modern home school movement, and then suggests factors that led to this movement's remarkable success.
Requires that an accurate daily record of attendance be kept solely to verify the enrollment and attendance of any particular child upon request of the state superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent of the school corporation in which the private school is located.
Indiana statute relating to compulsory attendance. Covers compulsory attendance ages and required days of instruction.
Questions and answers regarding the relationship between public schools and home schools in Indiana.
In Pierce v. Society of the Sisters, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "the fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments of this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the creature of the state."
A school that is nonpublic, non-accredited, and not otherwise approved by the Indiana State Board of Education is not bound by any requirements set forth in IC 20 or IC 21 with regard to curriculum or the content of educational programs offered by the school.
A look at the battle for the homeschooling movement and the demographics of homeschooling families that challenges the notion that all homeschoolers are conservative fundamentalists. This article is a critical look at the HSLDA.
There is a national campaign to institutionalize all preschoolers through government funded and/or mandated "universal preschool." This group seeks to redefine universal preschool as an unheralded worldwide community of loving, functional parents who exercise their right and authority to nurture and teach their young children at home.
This help sheet is provided by the Indiana Department of Education. It lists the basics of homeschooling in Indiana.
An explanation of how homeschools are non-accredited nonpublic schools as far as Indiana law goes. This article is written by Lora L. Miller, Consultant, "Youth Out of the Education Mainstream," at the Indiana Department of Education. Also addresses what the law means for granting diplomas and getting teenagers into college or other post-high school programs.
When the home schooled child returns to public school the public school is faced with a decision concerning placement of the child. One model that takes into consideration the needs of the child and the responsibility of the public school is detailed in this article.
Covers the attendance reporting requirements for private schools in Indiana. A private school administrator shall furnish, on request of the state superintendent of public instruction, the number of children by grade level attending the school.
Every important movement or trend in this country was followed by an onslaught of legislative actions which resulted in some legal stipulations that controlled the trend. What is really of concern is that this legislative control is not static, but very fluid, subject to change (meaning more restrictions in many cases). These changes occur through either more legislative actions on the part of the government or through interpretation in the judicial system. Currently, the homeschool movement is being closely monitored by various teacher unions, the public and legislative bodies throughout the United States, resulting in more and more laws being passed to control or monitor the movement. If the homeschool movement is to survive in a manner which we feel would be beneficial to us and society as a whole, we have to be more and more diligent in protecting our rights. The only way we can do this is to be more active in the political process. The question now becomes, how do we do this?
While many parents may not have the opportunity to influence legislation regarding home education on the state level, there are ways to be involved on a local level.
Families homeschooling for the first time inevitably have questions about legal challenges or threats that they might face from local or state education authorities. Those who do seek an answer to these questions are often faced with a confusing array of laws, policies, and regulations that not only vary from state to state, but also between school districts, and school officials within the same state or district.
Indiana Home Educators' Network (IHEN) is a statewide organization providing information, support, and resource to home educating families in Indiana.
The "We Stand for Homeschooling Statement and Resolution” is a grassroots effort created by an ad hoc group of homeschoolers from all over the United States. The list of original signers includes homeschoolers and their allies from diverse religious, political and philosophical perspectives. The list is also geographically diverse. This statement addresses the issue of state control of homeschooling and the growing movement of using government funding to run emerging educational programs. You can read the statement and add your name to it at this website.
The Association of HomeSchool Attorneys (AHSA) provides a list of attorneys who consult with and/or represent homeschoolers.
The Indiana Foundation for Home Schooling is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that encourages and supports the homeschooling community by providing financial and other services to those who pursue, provide or promote home education.
The law requires that our children be in school from 7-17 years of age and that they attend school for 180 days each year. This summary of the law is provided by the Indiana Association of Home Educators.
For some years, the Social Security Administration has permitted home schoolers to receive benefits in some cases. The agency used a fuzzy test involving several different factors. New documents from the Social Security Administration indicate that the agency has a much better defined policy in place now.
The Home School Legal Defense Association is a non-profit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. HSLDA offers annual memberships and fully represents member families when they are in need of legal assistance. HSLDA also participates in legislative advocacy and research.
This is the full text of the compulsory school attendance statutes. These pertain to those who choose to home educate their children as well. IC 20-33-2-8 Students not bound by requirements Sec. 8. A student is not bound by the requirements of this chapter until the student becomes seven (7) years of age, if, upon request of the superintendent of the school corporation, the parent of a student who would otherwise be subject to compulsory school attendance under section 6 of this chapter certifies to the superintendent that the parent intends to: (1) enroll the student in a nonaccredited, nonpublic school; or (2) begin providing the student with instruction equivalent to that given in the public schools as permitted under section 28 of this chapter; not later than the date on which the student becomes seven (7) years of age. IC 20-33-2-28 Compulsory attendance for full term; duty of parentSec. 28. (a) This section does not apply during a period when a child is excused from school attendance under this chapter. (b) It is unlawful for a parent to: (1) fail; (2) neglect; or (3) refuse; to send the parent's child to a public school for the full term as required under this chapter unless the child is being provided with instruction equivalent to that given in public schools. As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17.
Find the laws pertaining to home education for all 50 states and U.S. territories.