“My kid doesn’t want to go back to virtual school!”
What’s a parent to do when the part-time/ hybrid school option is vanishing and virtual school was a nightmare in the spring? This question has been floating around more lately as COVID case counts rise, and states begin restricting public gatherings and discouraging private ones. Maybe thoughts of switching to homeschool mid year are beginning to float to the surface? If so, take heart!
Families can ABSOLUTELY switch to homeschooling in the middle of the year, and I will lay it out for you as simply as I can. The process may be a little more involved because you have to disenroll your students from the school they are attending. In good news, they can continue work through their public school while you prepare to homeschool.
Let’s think about what needs to be done. The very first step would be to research your requirements for beginning to homeschool. In some states, you would simply let the school know you are going to homeschool and go on your merry way. (Texas and Idaho pop to mind here!) There are school districts that may ask for information to which they are not legally entitled. Educate yourself about the state requirements and don’t feel the need to give anything more. It is also NOT appropriate for school personnel to try to talk you out of homeschooling- which happened to a mom I was in contact with.
Other states require parents apply to the state and being approved to homeschool (North Carolina is one example). You may have to fill out online forms, send copies of your college transcript or high school diploma, and wait for approval before legally withdrawing your child from school. That process could take a few weeks, depending on how many people submit paperwork at the same time. A few states will also want your scope and sequence or a list of curricular materials. Knowing is half the battle, and a little research can help you avoid jumping through hoops that are not legally required.
A little research can prevent jumping through unnecessary hoops.
While you are in research mode, and since the school year already started, I recommend that you make your decisions about curriculum and course of study BEFORE withdrawing your student. (Check out my blog on curriculum choices here) This is especially important for the older students. Your elementary school student will be okay if they have an extra week off of school while your materials arrive (and it is a good chance to “de-school“ anyway). High school is different, and that extra week could mess things up a bit. Curriculum choices can be slightly more complicated when doing a mid year withdrawal because they have already done work under another program. As I discussed elsewhere, you need to know WHY you are homeschooling. Is this an option to do your best through the COVID uncertainty? Have you always wanted to try homeschooling? Is public school just not a good fit for your student? The answers to those questions may point you in different directions when it comes to choosing materials for your student.
A mid year break while you wait for homeschool materials will not set your younger students back.
If you are just trying to survive the educational upheaval, and plan on re-enrolling when things settle down, you may want to use materials that are aligned to the Common Core, which the large majority of states use. Get an idea of what topics your students are working on now (most important for math), so that you can skip what they know when the materials arrive. Recognize that even Common Core aligned materials may not present topics in the exact same order. Most publishers also offer placement tests to ensure that students are working on the correct level, which can be helpful to parents unsure where to place their child.
Get an idea of what topics have been covered- especially in math!
DO NOT just start at the beginning of whatever books you order! They are designed to be an entire year’s worth of work, and your student is starting homeschool mid year. Some complete homeschool programs (here’s a video on complete programs and other homeschool options) offer mid-year enrollment. That may be an option for you if you want or need that level of support.
Give yourself AND your student grace!
Once your material arrives, you are ready to go! Remember to give yourself and your student lots of grace in the first few weeks. You need time to establish routines and get a handle on the curriculum. Recommended seated work time for Kindergarten students is only 30 minutes to an hour. Even high schoolers should only have 4-6 hours of work. If you are WAY over that, try to discern why. Is the material too challenging? Do they need a quieter place to work to minimize distractions? Does your kiddo need more exercise or movement during the day (which is totally okay!)? Homeschooling is a way of life that does not simply replicate the school environment in your kitchen. Feel free to adapt it to what works best for you.
Another question that is common for families who switch to homeschool mid-year is “what about the 180 school days?” Many states require that homeschoolers have 180 days of instruction, which most parents track by marking a calendar each day. Your 180-day count includes the days that they attended public school. If your children were in public school 60 days, you only need 120 days more to meet the requirement. Remember that educational day trips (assuming everything doesn’t get locked down again) ARE school days, just like they are in public school.
Hopefully that answers some of your more immediate questions about switching to homeschooling mid-year. If you want more information on you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram, and can contact me at [email protected].