State laws change from time to time and though we try to keep the laws up-to-date at all times please check with the department of education for any changes that may have occurred.
You live in Georgia and you’re considering educating your child at home, or perhaps you plan to move to Georgia and want to continue offering your children the best home-based education; if you want to know how to start homeschooling in Georgia, you’ve come to the right place! Read on and you’ll find specific details related to Georgia homeschool laws and, to make sure you’ll be informed all the way, a selection of the best Georgia-related homeschooling websites, an infographic and video below to create a homeschool that thrives.
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The Peach State
If you’re one of the residents of this beautiful Southern state, you live in one of the most vibrant places in America, second only to Texas when it comes to the number of counties. The well-known Georgian Southern hospitality is famous throughout the world, and this openness has made Georgia a place of cultural richness and diversity.
Indeed, the Empire State of the South has originated some of America’s best literature and music, from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple to Ray Charles’ iconic fusion of R&B, country and jazz.
Georgia’s rich cultural landscape is paralleled by a similarly abundant natural life, so you’ll find plenty of local educational material and opportunities for your children. Take them hiking along the beautiful Appalachian trails in search of the beautiful white-tailed deer, or go whale-watching in the Atlantic. Whatever your children’s passions, you’re bound to find great ways to nurture them.
GA Homeschool Laws
The 1985 Georgia’s Homeschool Statute was one of the most lenient in the country, the legal oversight over homeschoolers being only marginally increased in 2013.
GA homeschool laws require proof of qualification, so before starting homeschooling your children, you must have a high school diploma or GED.
Provided that you’re qualified, the first step is to submit your State of Georgia intent to homeschool, specifying the names and ages of students, the address of the homeschool and the period that you will consider a school year. You need to submit this letter of intent within 30 days after you start homeschooling your children. It will then need to be submitted annually by September 1, but that shouldn’t take too long; the format is pretty straightforward and the rubrics are easy to fill in.
Once you’ve done that, you can start deciding on the specifics of your homeschool; you need to bear in mind that the laws require that you offer a basic program including reading and language arts, mathematics, sciences etc.
You may also hire tutors (the same qualification requirements apply), and you must make sure that you offer your children at least 180 days of instruction, or the hourly equivalent.
Bookkeeping is an important part of the educational process, and Georgia homeschool laws address it specifically. You need to compose progress reports for your children in all subjects, and you need to store them for three years.
Assessment is also regulated: starting in the third grade, your children will need to undertake nationally standardized tests. For this purpose, you’ll work with a specialist in norm reference tests. The results of these tests do not need to be turned in; they’re designed as a tool for you to ensure the quality of the educational process.
Homeschooling in GA: Final Grade
The Peach State gets a B when it comes to homeschooling. The homeschool laws in Georgia, while regulating every major aspect related to your homeschool practice, are pretty easy to work through and they seem mostly designed to help rather than hinder your homeschool journey. You’ve got the liberty to go through the subjects at your most convenient pace, and the asssessment results do not need to be turned in. In other words, if you’re serious about educating your children – and that’s one of the few area about which you really DO need to be serious – then you should have no problem setting up your own homeschool in no time.
Conclusion
You should have no major difficulty setting up your homeschool in Georgia. The legal requirements are far from unreasonable; they are, in fact, meant to offer an educational tool. Make sure you send the above-mentioned State of Georgia letter of intent to homeschool in due time, keep track of your children’s progress and contact a norm assessment specialist once every three years, starting with the third grade; these stepts will ensure that your educational practice will be top quality and that your children will reap the benefits of you taking personal care of their little knowledge-thirsty brains. Start homeschooling in GA now - you should enjoy educating your children in the beautiful state of Georgia in no time!
Resources:
http://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/
http://gapeachhomeschool.yolasite.com/ - a great resource trove for all educational levels;
http://www.homeschoolingingeorgia.com/ - another site offering plenty of resources and ideas for your homeschool practice;
http://www.atlanta-homeschool.com/ - a very useful blog that offers resources, ideas and plenty of up-to-date information related to local homeschooling events