... (2) (a) On an annual basis, a school-age minor shall be excused from attendance by a local board of education and a parent exempted from application of Subsections 53A-11-101(2) and (3), if the minor's parent files a signed affidavit with the minor's school district of residence, as defined in Section 53A-2-201, that the minor will attend a home school and receive instruction as required by Subsection (2)(b). (b) Each minor who attends a home school shall receive instruction: (i) in the subjects the State Board of Education requires to be taught in public schools in accordance with the law; and (ii) for the same length of time as minors are required by law to receive instruction in public schools, as provided by rules of the State Board of Education. (c) Subject to the requirements of Subsection (2)(b), a parent of a minor who attends a home school is solely responsible for: (i) the selection of instructional materials and textbooks; (ii) the time, place, and method of instruction, and (iii) the evaluation of the home school instruction. (d) A local school board may not: (i) require a parent of a minor who attends a home school to maintain records of instruction or attendance; (ii) require credentials for individuals providing home school instruction; (iii) inspect home school facilities; or (iv) require standardized or other testing of home school students. (3) Boards excusing minors from attendance as provided by Subsections (1) and (2) shall issue a certificate stating that the minor is excused from attendance during the time specified on the certificate. (4) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit or discourage voluntary cooperation, resource sharing, or testing opportunities between a school or school district and a parent or guardian of a minor attending a home school.
Your children are safest at home. It is an unhappy fact of our crumbling, anti-family society that government social services are sometimes out of control and innocent people are being accused and their children taken. Utah is particularly bad.
Do the public school authorities feel threatened by homeschooling? Judging by their efforts to lure homeschooling families into dependence on local school districts, the answer is apparently yes. For the last several years, homeschooling has been the fastest growing educational alternative in the country. The sheer number of homeschoolers represent a distinct threat to the hegemony of the government school monopoly. Qualitatively, the academic success of homeschoolers, measured by standardized test scores and recruitment by colleges, debunk the myth that parents need to hire credentialed experts to force children to learn.
Colorado Department of Education has compiled information regarding home education in the state. Includes information about getting started homeschooling, subjects to teach, attendance requirements, recordkeeping, assessment and evaluations, and resources.
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Colorado. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Colorado.
For some years, the Social Security Administration has permitted home schoolers to receive benefits in some cases. The agency used a fuzzy test involving several different factors. New documents from the Social Security Administration indicate that the agency has a much better defined policy in place now.
Compulsory school attendance in the state of Colorado.
(1) A person having control of a minor under this part who is enrolled in a regularly established private school or a home school may also enroll the minor in a public school for dual enrollment purposes. (2) The minor may participate in any academic activity in the public school available to students in the minor's grade or age group, subject to compliance with the same rules and requirements that apply to a full-time student's participation in the activity. (3) Except as otherwise provided in Sections 53A-11-101 and 53A-11-102, a student enrolled in a public school may also be enrolled in a private school or a home school for dual enrollment purposes. (4) A student enrolled in a dual enrollment program is considered a student of the district in which the public school of attendance is located for purposes of state funding to the extent of the student's participation in the public school programs. (5) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the State Board of Education shall make rules for purposes of dual enrollment to govern and regulate the transferability of credits toward graduation that are earned in a private or home school. (6) The State Board of Education shall determine the policies and procedures necessary to permit students enrolled under Subsection (1) to participate in public school extracurricular activities.
Need a map for your homeschooling journey in Colorado? This classic go-to compendium used by countless families in Colorado is now completely updated and streamlined for you. The CHEC Homeschool Guidebook will give you tons of practical information, worksheets, resource lists, scriptural encouragement, and more – just what you need to homeschool in Colorado with confidence.
Recognition of April 8, 2005, as Home Education Day in Colorado.
An advisory group concerned with educating people about the need to eliminate government involvement in education and the rights of parents to educate their own children. On this site, you will find a public proclamation for the separation of school and state, which you can sign.
... (2) A parent shall enroll and send a school-age minor to a public or regularly established private school during the school year of the district in which the minor resides. (3) It is a class B misdemeanor for a parent to knowingly: (a) fail to enroll a school-age minor in school; or (b) refuse to respond to a written request which is delivered to the parent pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 53A-11-103(1)(b) by a local school board or school district. (4) The provisions of this section do not apply to a parent of a school-age minor who has been declared by the local school board to be exempt from school attendance in conformity with Section 53A-11-102. (5) A local board of education or school district shall report violations of Subsection (3) to the appropriate city, county, or district attorney.
The general assembly hereby declares that it is the primary right and obligation of the parent to choose the proper education and training for children under his care and supervision. It is recognized that home-based education is a legitimate alternative to classroom attendance for the instruction of children and that any regulation of nonpublic home-based educational programs should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate a variety of circumstances. The general assembly further declares that nonpublic home-based educational programs shall be subject only to minimum state controls which are currently applicable to other forms of nonpublic education.
Colorado law requires that every child who is 6 years old on or before August 1 of the current school year, and under the age of 17, must attend school. If a homeschool is operating under Colorado’s home education statute (Option 1), the parents may wait to begin actual instruction until their child is 7 years old; however, they must still submit a notice of intent beginning with the school year that the child turns 6 by August 1.
Some veteran home educators seem to take a firm stand on principles that others don't even recognize as issues. Is it that they are just stubborn, rebellious, or cantankerous? Probably not.
Families homeschooling for the first time inevitably have questions about legal challenges or threats that they might face from local or state education authorities. Those who do seek an answer to these questions are often faced with a confusing array of laws, policies, and regulations that not only vary from state to state, but also between school districts, and school officials within the same state or district.
Children participating in a non-public, home-based education program are allowed equal access to the public school’s extracurricular and interscholastic activities according to Colorado Revised Statutes § 22-33-104.5(6) and Colorado Revised Statutes § 22-32-116.5.
If you want to start homeschooling during the school year and your child is currently enrolled in a public or private school, you may formally withdraw your child from that school. If you are going to start homeschooling after the school year is over, and your child is considered enrolled for the following year, we recommend that you withdraw your child before the next school year begins, so that the school does not mark your child as absent or truant.
This rule addresses core curriculum, including standards and objectives, elementary, middle school, and high school education requirements, and student mastery and assessment.
In Pierce v. Society of the Sisters, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "the fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments of this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the creature of the state."
A bill shielding homeschooling parents from requirements that they meet state credential standards and give public school officials records of what they teach passed unanimously in both houses of the Utah legislature in February 2005. Senate Bill 59, sponsored by freshman Sen. Mark Madsen (R-Lehi), also prevents school boards from requiring homeschool students to take standardized tests.
Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. PJI provides free representation to parents who are unlawfully denied the right to homeschool their children. PJI also provides legal counsel to those parents wishing to homeschool, but do not know their legal options or obligations.
Twenty years ago, home education was treated as a crime in almost every state. Today, it is legal all across America, despite strong and continued opposition from many within the educational establishment. How did this happen? This paper traces the legal and sociological history of the modern home school movement, and then suggests factors that led to this movement's remarkable success.
Details the importance of support alternative educational choices, including private schools and vouchers, along with homeschooling.
This statute relates to state of Colorado school entry immunization requirements.
Homeschoolers have been vigilant in protecting their rights, rising to the occasion when they discover threats to clamp down on their activities. Discusses some of the criticisms by opponents of homeschooling, along with the examples of some legal fights in Connecticut and Montana.
Find the laws pertaining to home education for all 50 states and U.S. territories.
National Home Education Legal Defense was founded by Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson as a non-sectarian legal support organization. NHELD offers its members legal assistance by an attorney licensed to practice in your state working with NHELD licensed attorneys. Members are also kept apprised of pending legislative action, scholarship programs, and other programs beneficial to homeschoolers.
This list is an opportunity for homeschoolers to contact homeschooling attorneys and experts about homeschooling legal and litigation issues. It is an informal network of attorneys and legal experts that are concerned with litigation pending and threatened against homeschoolers. Its primary purpose is to exchange legal information within the profession, and to educate and support attorneys and experts involved in homeschool litigation.
This list is an opportunity for homeschoolers involved in custody issues to contact other homeschoolers for information about homeschooling attorneys and experts, as well as exchange ideas and information about handling custody disputes as a result of homeschooling.
A look at the statutes governing homeschooling in Colorado, provided by Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC). This explanation details the three options to homeschool your children in the state of Colorado.
In Colorado, there are three options under which you can legally homeschool. You are free to choose the option that best meets your family’s needs. These options include homeschooling under Colorado's homeschool statute, homeschooling with an independent school, and homeschooling with a certified teacher.
Details of the state of Colorado requirements for immunizations.
The Association of HomeSchool Attorneys (AHSA) provides a list of attorneys who consult with and/or represent homeschoolers.
Regulations concerning exemptions from required immunizations in the state of Colorado.
This how to begin homeschooling guide is presented by CHEC, Christian Home Educators of Colorado. It details the basics, with the first steps for you to take and lots of great information to get started homeschooling in Colorado.
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Utah. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Utah.
Good records equip your student with proof of education for continuing their education, entering the military, or passing an employer’s background check. It may also prove valuable if there are ever any questions about your homeschool.
This is a list of tips for effective lobbying. Includes ways to lobby, things you can do now, and how to connect with other lobbyists.
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Scott Bean, asked the Utah Attorney General's Office ten questions regarding home education. An assistant to the Attorney General, John McAllister, responded by writing an informal opinion termed The McAllister Letter. This is relevant to current and prospective home schoolers in Utah because many public educators have responded as if it were law. That this informal opinion is not law is clearly stated in the last paragraph of the letter: "This advice has not been reviewed or approved by the Attorney General and does not constitute a legal opinion of the Attorney General's Office." The McAllister Letter was written on February 14, 1997 and some home schoolers have called it "The Valentine's Day Massacre Letter."
While many parents may not have the opportunity to influence legislation regarding home education on the state level, there are ways to be involved on a local level.
Northern Colorado Homeschool Association (NCHA) is a non-profit group for homeschooling parents and children of all ages. The majority of our families live along the Northern Colorado Front Range (Fort Collins, Windsor, Loveland Area). We are an inclusive, secular, eclectic, local, member-run organization that honors the diversity of homeschoolers and provides a supportive community for our members.
Online access to complete text of Colorado statutes. Those pertaining to home education include: 22-33-104 (Compulsory school attendance); 22-33-104.5 (Home-based education - legislative declaration - definitions - guidelines); 22-7-409, 1.2-d-III (Assessments); and 22-32-116.5 (Extracurricular and interscholastic activities).
Homeschool Watch is an email list where articles, incidents, and current legislation impacting homeschoolers can be posted and practically discussed. The list purpose is to efficiently inform, network and support the efforts of homeschoolers across the nation to keep homeschooling free. This is intended to be a list for homeschoolers actively working on legislative issues and not a theoretical debate society.
Text of the summary provided by assistant to the Attorney General, John S. McAllister, to State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Scott Bean.
If you are homeschooling a child with special needs, you need to follow your state’s homeschool regulations. There are no additional requirements for homeschooling children with special needs.
Extracurricular and interscholastic activities. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, each school district and each public school, subject to the requirements of this section, shall allow any student enrolled in a school or participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program to participate on an equal basis in any activity offered by the school district or the public school that is not offered at the student's school of attendance or through the student's nonpublic home-based educational program. A school district or school shall not adopt or agree to be bound by any rule or policy of any organization or association that would prohibit any participation allowed by this section. Each nonpublic school may allow a student to participate in a particular activity offered by the nonpublic school, at the nonpublic school's discretion.
This list was design to provide a forum to Utah homeschoolers to discuss politics that effect them in one way or another.