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.
There are many reasons to seriously consider homeschooling: you’re in control of what your children are learning, you get to decide how much time you want to spend on different subjects, you can adapt the material to suit your children’s needs, and you don’t have to worry about your children dealing with schoolyard bullies.
Whether you’ve already made this decision or you just plan to, we’re here to show you how to start homeschooling in Arizona. We’ll help you make full use of the educational potential of Arizona, we’ll let you in on the Arizona homeschool requirements, and we’ll offer you a diverse range of useful online homeschool resources that will guarantee your homeschooling success. Use the infographic and video below to create a homeschool that thrives.
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The Grand Canyon State
One of the most famous American states, Arizona is also one of the best places to start homeschooling your children.
The world-wide renowned Grand Canyon National Park is one of Arizona’s landmarks, but it’s far from the only natural attraction the state boasts. The Horseshoe Bend is another great geological marvel, the Petrified Forest National Park is a great place to explore some of Arizona’s most impressive landscapes, and the Bearizona Wildlife Park gives you and your children the chance to get a firsthand view of some of the world’s most amazing wildlife.
If art’s what your children are into, they’ll love the wonderful Arizona Copper Art Museum, in Clarkdale, or the Mesa Arts Center, in Mesa. The Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard Museum, both in Phoenix, are just two of the many art museums and galleries you can find in the beautiful Arizona.
A great representative of the Western culture, Arizona offers plenty of learning opportunities in terms of history, too. Explore the Sharlot Hall Museum, in Prescott, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, in Wickenburg, or the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, in Yuma.
Arizona Homeschool Laws
The homeschooling laws in Arizona are extremely permissive, and you shouldn’t really have any legal trouble homeschooling in Arizona.
The first thing you need to do if you plan to homeschool your children is file a notice of intent, or affidavit, with the local superintendent. This is a one-time procedure that needs to be done at least 30 days after you started homeschooling, and 30 days after you stop.
The only other legal requirement is that you provide instruction in grammar, reading, social studies, mathematics, and science.
Other than those, there’s really nothing else that you need to worry about. There are no qualifications, bookkeeping or assessment requirements, and there’s no minimum amount of instruction time that you need to provide to your children.
However, failure to provide a notice of intent is considered a petty offence, and failure to provide instruction is a class 3 misdemeanor. If you’re serious about homeschooling, though, you shouldn’t have to worry about these things.
Arizona Homeschool Friendliness Grade
We’re giving Arizona a B in terms of homeschool friendliness, and that’s only because of the legal consequence of educational failure. However, the Arizona homeschool system is one of the easiest to navigate in the whole country, and you should have a great experience homeschooling in AZ.
Conclusion
Arizona is a great state to start homeschooling – it’s got one of the most accessible homeschool legal systems in the US, and plenty of educational opportunities for all academic preferences. The local homeschooling community is very active and always willing to help – you should really have an easy start homeschooling in AZ!
If you’ve got any questions, feel free to join a local homeschooling group on Facebook, or simply contact us – we’re always ready to help.
Resources
Here’s a selection of websites that will help you homeschool in Arizona:
http://www.afhe.org – this is a state-wide organization offering help and support to homeschooling families
http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/az/ - the official HSLDA page has everything you need to know about AZ homeschool laws, as well as plenty of local news and information
http://www.dhch.org/ - this is a Christian organization offering help and support to Arizona homeschooling families located in and around the Far North Valley and Desert Foothills.