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.
It’s practical, safe and you can do it from home: homeschooling is increasingly popular educational alternative among many parents who wish to be more directly involved in their children’s education.
If you plan to do so yourself, you’re about to join a great community of fellow homeschoolers, always ready to offer advice and resources. Louisiana is a great place to get started, and we’re here to help you along the way. We’ll go through some of the main educational opportunities offered by the Bayou State, give you an introduction of the main homeschool laws and point you to some great online homeschooling sites, as well as an infographic and video below to help you create a homeschool that thrives.
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The Bayou State
Unique among the US states for its charming cultural diversity, Louisiana is famous for its mixture of French, Spanish, Native American and African traditions – especially culinary. The Creole cuisine is one of world’s richest, and the Cajuns offers plenty of aromas to match.
There’s more than just great food to Louisiana. This is the state with the most Native tribes in the US, and this heritage is celebrated in places such as The Chitimacha Museum. If your children love history, you can also show them the National WWII Museum or the Historic New Orleans Collection.
The natural landscape of Louisiana is famous for its marshes and deltas, so you and your children have plenty of wild spots to explore. Go boating in the Bayou Segnette State Park, or admire the diverse species of birds in the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge.
With so many chances to have fun and learn in Louisiana, there’s no excuse not to start homeschooling right now – you and your children will love it!
Homeschooling in Louisiana: Requirements
If you plan to homeschool, Louisiana offers two options: traditionally and as a private school. While there is no real difference between the two – you’ll educate your children at home in both cases – the legislation is a bit more permissive if you operate as a private school.
In the first case, there’s a bit of paper work that needs done before you get started. You have to send in a prior notice to the Louisiana Department of Education, and this has to be done annually. After the first year, you’ll also need to attach assessment and progress reports, and you may not get the approval if progress is deemed unsatisfactory.
There are restrictions when it comes to the number of school days, too; you have to provide 180 days of instruction, covering the entire curricular spectrum that a public school would.
Things are a bit easier if you choose to operate as a private school. The same requirements apply in regard to the annual notice and the number of school days, but you are not required to teach any particular subjects, and there is no compulsory assessment report.
In both situations, the Louisiana homeschool laws do not require you to have any special qualifications and there is no compulsory bookkeeping.
You can find more information about the Louisiana homeschool requirements here: http://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/state-by-state/louisiana/
Louisiana Homeschool Friendliness Final Grade
The Bayou State gets a C when it comes to homeschooling: with a relatively demanding legal system and with considerable sanctions for educational failure, Louisiana is not exactly the most homeschool-friendly state. However, this is not to say that the homeschool laws in Louisiana are absurd or that they cannot be dealt with easily. You’d probably want to keep an assessment portfolio anyway, and it goes without saying that you’d want to teach the basic school subjects. You certainly can homeschool in Louisiana and we are always here to help.
Conclusion
The Bayou State is one of the most beautifully diverse state of the US, and you’re never short of educational things to do with your family. Your decision to homeschool will strengthen those child-parent bonds and will benefit your children’s academic success tremendously, if you do it right. You shouldn’t be discouraged because of the paper work – it’s more of a guideline than a constraint – and the vibrant homeschooling community is always there to help you. If you’ve got any questions about how to homeschool in Louisiana, feel free to contact us anytime – we’re here for you, too!
Resources
http://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/current-policy/
https://www.louisianabelieves.com/schools/home-study - the official website of the Louisiana Department of Education, offering anything you need to know about the legal side of homeschooling
http://www.homeschoolinginlouisiana.com/ - here you’ll find useful resources and ideas for your daily homeschooling practice
http://batonrouge.citymomsblog.com/category/education/ - this blog will give you great insights into the life of a homeschooling mom (not to worry, those work for a homeschooling dad, too).