Homeschooling in Virginia: What You Need to Know
There is no one way to educate your children. Education comes in many different schools. There are so many options to include traditional schools, private schools, hybrid school, and homeschooling.
With the rise of homeschoolers, I reached out to the homeschooling community for some resources for homeschooling families.
Home school Mom Tonya Marie started home schooling in Virginia and have no relocated to Japan due to her spouses Navy career.
However, while in Virginia, Tonya became very active in the homeschooling community and developed many fun programs and activities.
The first place she recommends going is to the Home Educators Association of Virginia. They work to promote and protect home education in Virginia by working with the Department of Education and legislators. For more information on this organization please visit their website. https://heav.org/about-heav/
The first steps to homeschooling are the notice of intent (NOI). The NOI is due by August 15 if you are continuing homeschooling. However, if you decide to pull your child you can pull them anytime during the school year and submit NOI with no deadline. Proof of progress is also required by august 1st in Virginia.
Tonya also advises to consider having a home evaluation vs taking a standardized test at the end of the year.
“Many friends in our group used an evaluator and everyone thought it was such an awesome alternative! My kids were so glad not to take the untimed CAT test this year!”
**Start saving what you are doing this school year now** into a portfolio to show a home evaluation instead of doing a test.
“I just take photos and screenshots and save in a Facebook folder and save samples of writing and projects done.”
Homeschooling is not a standardized education so consider opting out of a standardized test. Anyone with a master’s degree in any field can write the proof of progress letter but it's best it is not a family member.
Online curriculums make it easier for parents who have multiple kids or who are working parents.
Some online options are:
Powerhomeschool.org
Acellus academy
Abeka
Funcation academy
Mia Academy
Easy Peasy
HSLDA’s online program
Liberty university
And there are so many more.
There are tons of homeschool days in Virginia for various places where they have special programs and discounts for homeschoolers.
These resources are a great start to see if homeschooling is right for your family. Remember education is not one size fits all, find the right fit for your child.
