Homeschooling in Wisconsin

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

29 Apr 2008 01:40 AM

This is not legal advice. As someone who lives in a state that is highly regulated, I cannot emphasize enough the need for you to advocate for yourself and make a point to know your state laws. While the school district will most likely provide you with a printed copy of the laws and regulations for home schooling, a local home schooling group can be a valuable asset when it comes to navigating your way through the system.

Wisconsin is a very easy state to homeschool in providing lax laws and flexibility to its homeschoolers. (Yes, I'm jealous!)

Compulsory Attendance: Your child is required to attend school (or homeschool) between the ages of 6 and 18 years.

Attendance: Your child must receive at least 875 hours of instruction each school year.

Required Subjects: Your child must receive instruction in reading, language arts, math, social studies, science and health.

Teacher Qualifications: None

Standardized Tests: Standardized testing is not required.

Legal Notes:

In order to homeschool legally, a parent must submit a statement of enrollment to the Department of Public Instruction by October 15 of each year, indicating whether the home school meets all the requirements under the law. Parents must use the PI-1206 Home-Based Private Educational Program Registration three-part form supplied by the Department of Public Instruction.

While you cannot have the neighborhood over and "homeschool" them, Wisconsin does allow for parents to designate another person for homeschooling. In many states, it's illegal to homeschool someone else's child but in Wisconsin, if you wanted to say, homeschool your niece for your sister--your sister would still file a statement of enrollment, but you could provide the instruction.

Home based instruction must:

a) have as its primary purpose to provide private or religious based instruction

b) be privately controlled

c) provide at least 875 hours of instruction

d) provides a sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction in the required subjects

e) not be operated to circumvent the compulsory attendance law

Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.

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Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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