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 Florida 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 Florida.
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
EL9: Home Education Student Academic Progress Report
Florida High School Athletic Association form EL9, Home Education Student Academic Progress Report. This form is necessary if the student was approved by the FHSAA office and participated in interscholastic athletics as a home education student during the first semester of this school year and wishes to continue to participate during the second semester. If this is the case, complete and file this form with the principal or FHSAA representative of the school the student is continuing to represen...
Week-at-a-glance Log
This is a simple sample form for recording weekly subjects taught.
1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms.
(4) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide articulated acceleration mechanisms for students who are in home education programs, as defined in s. 1002.01, consistent with the educational opportunities available to public and private secondary school students. Home education students may participate in dual enrollment, career dual enrollment, early admission, and credit by examination. Credit earned by home education students through dual enrollment shall apply toward the completion of a ...
Putnam County School District
Information about the Putnam County School District.
1002.01 Definitions.
(1) A “home education program” means the sequentially progressive instruction of a student directed by his or her parent in order to satisfy the attendance requirements of ss. 1002.41, 1003.01(13), and 1003.21(1).
(2) A “private school” is a nonpublic school defined as an individual, association, copartnership, or corporation, or department, division, or section of such organizations, that designates itself as an educational center that includes kindergarten or a higher grade or as an elementar...
ParentalRights.org
ParentalRights.org envisions a world where the vital child-parent relationship is protected and preserved. Their campaign exists to secure a constitutional amendment that defends the rights of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children. They believe that no government, regardless of how well-intentioned it might be, can replace the love and nurture of a parent in the life of a child. Their our sole purpose is to amend the U.S. Constitution to protect parental rights. Withou...
1006.15 Student standards for participation in interscholastic extracurricular student activities;
(1) This section may be cited as the "Craig Dickinson Act."
(2) Interscholastic extracurricular student activities are an important complement to the academic curriculum. Participation in a comprehensive extracurricular and academic program contributes to student development of the social and intellectual skills necessary to become a well-rounded adult. As used in this section, the term "extracurricular" means any school-authorized or education-related activity occurring during or outside ...
1003.01 Definitions.
13) "Regular school attendance" means the actual attendance of a student during the school day as defined by law and rules of the State Board of Education. Regular attendance within the intent of s. 1003.21 may be achieved by attendance in:
(a) A public school supported by public funds;
(b) A parochial, religious, or denominational school;
(c) A private school supported in whole or in part by tuition charges or by endowments or gifts;
(d) A home education program that meets ...
Florida Home School Laws from HSLDA
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Florida. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Florida.
Homeschool Portfolios for the State of Florida
Basically there are two distinctions to be kept in mind: the law requires every county-registered homeschooler to keep a portfolio (as opposed to umbrella school homeschoolers or full time virtual school/public schoolers at home homeschoolers) regardless of the method of annual evaluation used and portfolios may be used as the annual evaluation of a home education program.
Extra Curricular Activities
Home-educated students in Florida have the opportunity to participate in Extracurricular activities. Florida Statutes 232.425, known as the Craig Dickinson Act, guarantees this opportunity. However, this was not always the case. This article is a history of HEF's work toward achieving this goal.
Santa Rosa County School District
Information about the Santa Rosa County School District.
Notice of Termination of a Home Education Program
Sample Notice of Termination of a Home Education Program in pdf format.
District Contact Information (Home Schools)
This is a complete listing by school district of district contacts for home schools. Includes names, phone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses.
1007.263 Community colleges; admissions of students.
(2) Admission to associate degree programs is subject to minimum standards adopted by the State Board of Education and shall require:
(a) A standard high school diploma, a high school equivalency diploma as prescribed in s. 1003.435, previously demonstrated competency in college credit postsecondary coursework, or, in the case of a student who is home educated, a signed affidavit submitted by the student's parent or legal guardian attesting that the student has completed a home education p...
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Featured Resources
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Florida History from the Highways
Discover Florida, with its unique geography and exciting history--from ancient gold to modern real estate speculation--by journeying along its highways. Beginning with a chronology and succinct account of Florida's spectacular development, then an ac...
Learning Styles: Reaching Everyone God Gave You to Teach
This book offers helpful and practical strategies about the different ways that kids acquire information and learn, and then use that knowledge. Kids' behavior is often tied to a particular learning style and understanding that fact will help parents...
Writing Strands & Reading Strands
This program is based on research which shows that there is no useable relationship between the study of grammar as an abstracted skill and the ability to communicate. Writing Strands provides quality reading, writing and speech materials for homesch...
A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
Now you can realize the joy filled homeschool of your dreams! This modern classic is written by the homeschool mom who first carried Charlotte Mason's writings to America in her suitcase in 1987. Miss Mason's books were soon republished for a new gen...
Montessori Play And Learn : A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six
We all want the best possible starts in life for our children, and one of the best possible starts in life, educationally, is the "method" pioneered by Maria Montessori and taught successfully today throughout the world.Now, Lesley Britton, the leadi...