@bjkmom Yes it’s a state by state thing. We started homeschooling more about 10 years ago when we lived in MA, in a very small school district. MA was an “approval state” meaning that the principle of the elementary school had to “approve” my curriculum and I had to show a “portfolio” of student progress twice a year. The principle did not like homeschoolers and did not want to approve an age appropriate elementary Latin program (Minimus) even though I had a state certified Latin teacher in to tutor once a week! His argument was that they don’t teach Latin in the town’s elementary school so I shouldn’t teach it to my kids at home!
We moved to FL for about 6 months while we were trying to sell our house in MA and getting the house built in TX. To home school in Florida you have a few different options I choose to register under an “umbrella school” I never really understood the Florida rules I just sent the “umbrella school” a check and some paper work and I had to report my kids attendance to them.
We moved to Texas to home school because it’s very home school friendly. I did not have to register with the state or local school at all. In Texas home schools are considered private schools and since the state doesn’t regulate private schools they don’t regulate home schools either.
I can’t imagine a parent pulling a 12 year out of school and not providing them with an education. Parents have a vested interest in their children’s success. Even though TX has no “checks and balances” colleges like TAMU actively recruit TX home school students, so I guess we must be doing something right;-)
So far two of my three children have decided attend public school for high school, they make straight A’s and are academically ahead, despite the fact that no one from the state has approved or checked on their academic progress since they were in second grade.