Legal/Homeschool Laws
Laws that regulate home education vary from state to state. It is important to understand the legal requirements in your state and to be aware of legislative and other legal issues that affect homeschoolers in your community. We've compiled resources that will help you become informed. Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and the vast majority of homeschoolers face no problems, you may find that you need legal assistance at some point in your homeschooling career. We've compiled a list of resources to help you find the support you need. And if you'd like to become more involved in working towards homeschooling freedoms, we discuss some of the issues facing homeschoolers that we hope you find compelling.
State Laws
Read the laws regulating home education in Texas and browse through the case law and legal opinions relating to those laws, along with government publications relating to homeschooling and summaries of the laws.
Forms
Which forms do you need to fill out? Where can you get them? Here is a list of useful forms for homeschooling in Texas.
Legal Support
If you need legal information or have run into a legal situation regarding your decision to homeschool, these resources will be helpful.
Lobbying Groups
A listing of local and national lobbying groups and information on how you can become involved in the political process to ensure the freedom to homeschool is protected.
Attorneys
When searching for an attorney, it is helpful to know whether he or she has experience working with homeschoolers and is interested in protecting the right to homeschool.
Legal Issues
Is homeschooling legal? Which laws pertain to homeschoolers and which don't? How do homeschoolers protect their rights to freely educate their children and to preserve their privacy?
Government Resources
A listing of local and state government resources, including your state's Department of Education, school districts, and Senate and House of Representative information.
What's Popular
Texas Home School Laws
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Texas. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Texas.
I've Decided to Homeschool--Now What?
You've made the decision to homeschool, so what's next? This article includes some friendly, non-legal advice concerning what to do and what not to do when beginning to homeschool in Texas.
Texas Education Agency Home School Informationq
Includes a home school information cover letter, the Commissioner's April 20, 2004, Home School Policy Letter, and the text of the Texas Education Code governing operation of schools and School Attendance.
Texas Education Code 25.086. Exemptions.
(a) A child is exempt from the requirements of compulsory school attendance if the child: (1) attends a private or parochial school that includes in its course a study of good citizenship; ... (5) is at least 17 years of age and: (A) is attending a course of instruction to prepare for the high school equivalency examination, ... or (B) has received a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate...
North Texas Home Educators’ Network (NTHEN)
The North Texas Home Educators’ Network (NTHEN) provides services and support to homeschool families and homeschool support groups in north and northeast Texas. Their goal is to ensure homeschool leaders and parents have the proper tools and resources to create an enriching education experience for every homeschool student. NTHEN is the largest regional homeschool organization in Texas, serving local support group leaders in more than 80 counties and from more than 160 support groups throughout ...
Sample Letter of Withdrawal
This is a sample letter to send to your school district when withdrawing your child from school.
Letter from Commissioner Neeley to Senator Barrientos
Letter from Commissioner Neeley to Senator Barrientos Neeley / Barrientos Letter clarifying her position that it is not the state’s responsibility to regulate home schools.
Leeper Case Decisions
In March 1985, attorney Shelby Sharpe, on behalf of several home school families and curriculum suppliers, filed a lawsuit against all the school districts in Texas on behalf of all home educators in Texas. In what became known as the Leeper vs. Arlington class action suit (Leeper v. Arlington I.S.D. No. 17-88761-85), home educators asked the court to give a declaratory judgment on the question of whether or not the legislature had intended home schools to be private schools when they enacted th...
Lobbying the Texas Legislature
One responsibility of THSC is not only to protect the established laws that safeguard the right to home school in Texas—and ultimately the right of all parents to direct the care, custody, and education of their children—but it is also to fight for new laws that expand the freedoms of parents in this great state.
7 Easy Steps to Begin
Questions and answers concerning the legal requirements for homeschooling in Texas provided by the Texas Home School Coalition Association.
Home Schools: An Opinion from TEA
Jim Nelson, Commissioner of Education, provides some general information with respect to the Texas Education Agency's position on home schooled students.
Department of Public Safety Letter Regarding Home Schoolers
Department of Public Safety Letter concerning requirements of their identification policy and proof of enrollment for home schoolers.
Sample Letter of Assurance
This is a sample letter of assurance to send to your school district in response to requests for information.
A Texas Response to the Akron Beacon-Journal
Tim Lambert respond to the series of articles on home schooling by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Letter from Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Letter from Commissioner Cockerell of Texas Department of Family and Protective Services clarifying that CPS does not consider home schooling as a risk factor in determining the safety of a child.
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Featured Resources
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Cognitive Styles and Learning Strategies: Understanding Style Differences in Learning and Behaviour
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Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-Fives
For the first time, Basic Montessori opens the celebrated philosophy and method to a more general public. David Gettman has devised a clear and modern explanation of Montessori's revolutionary ideas about early intellectual development, and provides...
The Homeschooling Revolution
A readable, scholarly overview of the modern day homeschooling movement. Includes vignettes from homeschooling families, war stories, research information, media reaction, footnotes, and statistics.
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