1. Know your rights and responsibilities
Maryland’s Compulsory School Age law allows parents to opt out of public schools – as long as their child receives “regular, thorough instruction” in a different setting. Maryland’s homeschool regulation, COMAR 13A.10.01, spells out the legal requirements for how families can homeschool.
2. Pick your homeschool curriculum
Maryland does not require families to use a specific curriculum. In fact, families can elect to use no curriculum at all, as long as they provide “regular, thorough instruction” to their kids.
3. Choose your form of oversight
COMAR states that families must provide portfolio documentation showing the “regular, thorough instruction” their children receive each year. Portfolio reviews can be done through a family’s local county school board for free. Or, families can pay to join an umbrella group and do their portfolio reviews privately.
4. Submit your Notice of Intent Form
Your Notice of Intent is your legal requirement notifying your county school board of your choice to educate your children at home. The school board is neither giving you permission nor approving your form. Be sure to make a copy, scan, or take a picture of your signed form before sending it in.
5. Wait 2 weeks to begin
COMAR requires that families wait 2 weeks after sending in their Notice of Intent form before they can start homeschooling. If your child currently attends school, you can unenroll them the day you submit the form. You can take the 2 week wait time to begin building your local support network.
6. Create Your Portfolio System
Don’t wait until the night before your first portfolio review to try to gather your work samples that show “regular, thorough instruction”. Start your homeschool journey off with an organization plan so you can track what each child is working on in each subject area.
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Last modified on July 8, 2020