In most states, a parent needs notify the local public school district of the intention to homeschool, usually well before the academic year begins. In states with oversight, like Massachusetts, the local school district is responsible for overseeing the child’s independent studies. Before you write the letter, you might wish to call the district’s administration office to learn the requirements of your individual school district.
Our school district accepts homeschool requests in June. In the letter to the district, the homeschool parent is required to list the child’s name, age, birth date and last grade completed, as well as the number of instructional hours the parent intends to provide (plug in your state’s requirements), the curriculum to be followed and methods of assessing the child’s progress.
Here is a copy of our letter, made generic for your use:
[Your address]
[Date]
[Name]
Director of Learning and Teaching
[Name] School District
[Street address]
[City, State, Postal Code]
Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:
This letter is to inform you of my intention to homeschool my child, [Name], beginning September 20XX. [Name of child] is XX years old. His/her birth date is XX/XX/XXXX. He/she has just completed [number] grade at [name of school]. It is my goal to provide his/her [kindergarten/elementary/middle/high school] instruction at home. I understand I must submit my homeschool application each year.
As a certified teacher, I will be responsible for day-to-day instruction. My husband, who is a licensed professional civil/environmental engineer, will contribute to instruction in math, science, engineering and technology.* We intend to follow the guidelines set forth by the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which we have in our possession.
We will provide 990 hours of instruction, as required by state law. Please refer to the enclosed packet. It contains a rough schedule of instruction, as well as a curriculum outline.
Regarding assessment, I plan to use a variety of methods, including written and oral reports, hands-on projects and objective tests. I intend to administer comprehensive assessment sample tests at the beginning and end of each academic year to ensure that [child’s name] is meeting state standards. At your suggestion, I will provide a portfolio of my child’s work at the end of the academic year. Please know that I am willing to comply with any progress evaluation set forth by the school district. My objective is to provide my child with the best possible education in an environment that meets his/her needs.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
*Unless you live in a state that requires this, you do not have to list credentials. You are simply required to name who will be primarily responsible for providing your child’s instruction.
If you would like to see our instructional schedule, please refer to our first blog post. Stay tuned for a curriculum outline.
