How to Homeschool in Florida

PLUS - How to Set Up Your Student's Evaluation Portfolio at the Beginning of the Year

It’s midsummer 2020 and I believe it wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that nearly all parents have had some sort of conversation regarding homeschooling this upcoming year due to the pandemic. Lots of parents I have personally spoken to say one of the following:

1. 100% we’re homeschooling next year, but I have absolutely no idea where to start
2. this wasn’t on my radar at all but now I’m considering it
3. no way, these kids are going to school next year!
   

No matter where you lie, it doesn't hurt to know the facts about how to legally homeschool your children.  I'll be specifically linking and siting options pertinent to the State of Florida, however, many of these links will also help guide you toward the rules and regulations of the state in which you live. 

Good news is... it's actually quite easy in many, if not, most states in the US!

When I feel anxious about anything, I find that the best thing to do is equip myself with knowledge. So that’s what I hope to impart you with by the end of this series of posts; knowledge about:

1. how one legally homeschools in the state of Florida
2. where to begin figuring out this “homeschooling” thing
3. Information on curriculum to help you feel like you can actually do this!

Part I: A Step by Step Guide to Homeschooling in the State of Florida, USA

First - Know the Law

The two very first places one should go is to:
1- The Florida Department of Education
2- The HSLDA (The Homeschool Legal Defence Association)

The State of Florida is labeled as a moderately regulated state. Here are the facts:

• There are THREE options for homeschooling.
  1. Option 1: Homeschooling under the Homeschool Statute
  2. Option 2: Homeschooling under a private school or "Umbrella Program"
  3. Option 3: Homeschooling with a private tutor
• School is required between the ages of 6-16
• Notification of homeschooling is only required if parents opt for the first option (homeschooling under the Homeschool Statute) listed above for homeschooling.
• Teacher qualifications are not required for Parents that are homeschooling their children.
• There are NO state mandated subjects 
• A yearly assessment is only required if students are being homeschooled with the first option under The Homeschool Statute
• Immunization is not required

Food for thought...

Within my research I've come along these bits of information:

1. If you choose Option 1 to be homeschooled under the Homeschool Statute, you need to either email or mail your Letter of Intent.  Many a seasoned mother will advise for you to email the Letter of Intent as that creates a bread crumb, whereas with a mailed letter it does not. (Apparently, a return receipt does not prove your letter was sent should it have been misplaced.)
2. If a Letter of Intent is sent on a particular date, you have to submit the evaluation of your child exactly one year from that date, i.e. Sent letter on August 1st, 2020; Evaluation for the Year 2020-2021 completed and sent in prior to July 31st, 2021.
3. A homeschooled child CAN participated in programs and services within the public school system.  However, the public school may request more information about the child in order to enroll them.  This goes for team sports, clubs, events, etc. To read more about the statute that allows this, please read this article.
4. If you opt for Option 2, because an umbrella school is considered a private school, the child may NOT be enrolled in public school programs and services.
5. In lieu of an assessment test, a student may be evaluated by a licensed teacher/evaluator or Florida licensed psychologist or school psychologist.  
6. If you have a child with special needs, there are no additional requirements for you, however you are eligible for testing and evaluation services.  Read more about it here in this article entitle Special Education Provisions for Florida.

Read all the details on the HSLDA website by first seeking your home state and then clicking on the various methods allowed within your state.  The state of Florida is very specific as I'm sure all other states are as well. Click here to see your state's requirements.

The Homeschool Portfolio 

Some states do not require a portfolio, others do (i.e. Florida does). In spite of the rules, it might be a good reference for the parent and student to keep one any ways for your own record keeping and for the memories. 

Legally, in Florida, you must keep a portfolio to account for these basic needs:

• - a log of educational activities made contemporaneously with the instruction, with a list of the titles of any reading materials used, and
• - samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials, etc., used or developed by the student.

You must keep this portfolio for two years after it is completed. The district school superintendent or his or her agent can, but is not required to, review your portfolio only after 15 days’ written notice.

I want to be sure that the evaluation process is as smooth as possible so I've set up our Portfolio with sections and logs to make sure I don't forget to account for things throughout the year. Check out how I'm setting our portfolio from the very beginning of the year in this video:

It's more than the Florida laws asks for, but I figure it's always best to start from having too much and scale back at the end of the year.  As opposed to scrambling to fill a binder with items that I didn't hold on to in any organized fashion from throughout the year. Here's a great article on why it's important to keep really good records throughout the school year. 

I've created a listing for my Homeschool 2020 Portfolio Design in my Etsy Shop: This Is Me Cristi Design if you're interested in grabbing it for your own kiddos and starting the year prepped and ready! There are 23 pages in total in this package! It includes:

1. 2020 Homeschool Cover Page (free for download down below)
2. Student Name Page
3. Letter of Intent Page with Flourish for one child
4. Simple Letter of Intent Page for one child
5. Letter of Intent Page with Flourish for multiple children
6. Simple Letter of Intent Page for multiple children
7. Attendance Record
8. Curriculum Book List Log
9. Art Cover Page
10. Geography Cover Page
11. History Cover Page
12. Literature Cover Page
13. Math Cover Page
14. Nature Study Cover Page
15. Poetry Cover Page
16. Religion Cover Page
17. Foreign Language Cover Page
18. Science Cover Page
19. Field Trip Log
20. Reading Log
21. Mini Book Reviews
22. Strengths & Challenges Log
23. School Schedule Cover Page

Hope you love it as much as I do and I hope you check out the listing in my Etsy Shop today! The free download is below. Enjoy!

Buy this Homeschool 2020 Portfolio 24 pc PDF!

I hope that you found this post helpful as you start to equip yourself with more knowledge of what it means to legally homeschool in Florida or that it helps empower you to find the information about your own state. 

As I learn more nuances, I'll continue to add to this post to help you all out to the best of my ability. Don't forget to grab your free Homeschool 2020 cover above.

See ya soon!

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