Some states require that parents notify the local school district of intent to homeschool;  some do not.  Some require an outline of coursework to be used; others do not.  Some states are homeschool-friendly; others make homeschooling more difficult.  Whatever the case, every parent contemplating homeschooling must know the laws that apply in their particular state of residence. 

The best resource that I’ve found for understanding homeschooling laws is the Home School Legal Defense Association which is located in Purcellville, Virginia.  If you aren’t already familiar with this organization, you need to bookmark their website, hslda.org, and make it a regular stopping point for legislative news.  This group is an “advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms.”  How neat is that! 

You might be thinking, “I can get the same information from my state’s Department of Education or the local school district.”  That would be convenient, and should be the case, but it isn’t necessarily true.  Most school administrators and teachers I have met are unfamiliar with the laws, and the website for your state may post incomplete or inaccurate information pertaining to homeschooling.  For example, I compared HSLDA’s summary of Alaska’s laws with what is posted on the Internet for the State of Alaska.  Alaska’s law is clear that a family may homeschool with great freedom, completely independent of any school district, yet the website gives the impression that all homeschoolers in the state affiliate themselves with one of the many districts that offer “homeschool” or “correspondence” programs.  You may see these for yourself at the following web addresses:

• HSLDA’s Legal Analysis –  http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Alaska.pdf  
• State of Alaska website – http://education.alaska.gov/parents.html

Be informed.  Trust the staff of HSLDA.  They are committed to homeschooling and will give you the legal facts you need.