But every state has its own laws and regulations, so if you do plan on homeschooling, you need to learn yours.
If you live in the state of Michigan, it is legal to homeschool your children, but there are some things you should be aware of first.
If you want to homeschool your kids in Michigan, then you have come to the right place. We have put together a complete guide to homeschooling in Michigan, so read on to find out everything you need to know.
Requirements For Homeschooling In Michigan
Homeschooling in Michigan is a little different than in some of the other states. While it is completely legal to do so, there are two different avenues you can go down.
These two avenues are as a non-public school and as a home education program.
Both of these options come with their own requirements, so let’s take a closer look at them now.
As A Non-Public School
Of the two options, homeschooling as a non-public school has a lot more requirements. You can only really use this option in Michigan if you have the right qualifications, for example.
The requirements needed to homeschool as a non-public school include:
Homeschooling and subjects can only be taught by a certified teacher in the state of Michigan. (If you are religious, you can claim an exemption to this requirement). You can also teach if you have a license or a Bachelor’s degree.
Your planned curriculum must be comparable to the curriculum that is taught in your school district for your child’s age group and grade level.
In some cases, your Superintendent of Public Instruction’s office might request information regarding “enrollment of pupils, courses of studies, and the qualifications of teachers.”
In this situation, you must provide this information, so record keeping is in your best interest.
At the beginning of each school year, you must provide notification that you are homeschooling as a non-public school if this has been requested.
These are the main requirements you must meet if you are homeschooling at a non-public school in Michigan.
The non-public school option is the less popular choice of the two, mainly because of the need for teaching certification.
As A Home Education Program
Of the two options, the Home Education Program is the most relaxed of the two. It has fewer requirements and you don’t need to report to a school official.
There is only one requirement you must meet for this option, and it is:
You must teach the required subjects that are outlined by the state of Michigan. These subjects include Reading, Spelling, Mathematics, Science, History, Civics, Literature, Writing, and English Grammar.
As long as you meet this requirement, you will be able to homeschool as a Home Education Program.
Notice of Intent
A Notice of Intent to homeschool is not required in the state of Michigan; however, you may receive a request from the Superintendent at the beginning of each year of your intent to homeschool.
This does not always happen, but if it does, the information you should include in this Notice of Intent is:
Your child’s name, age, grade level, and address.
A declaration of your intent to homeschool your children.
Proof of your teaching qualifications if you homeschool as a non-public school.
If your Superintendent or School District requires any more information, they should notify you, but you can ask them yourself if you want the process to go a bit faster.
Record Keeping In Michigan
While record keeping is not a requirement in the state of Michigan, it is still in your best interest to keep them in the form of a high school portfolio for a number of reasons.
Having a record of your child’s homeschooled education in the form of a portfolio can be helpful in the future.
Especially if they ever need to return to public schooling for any reason or if they plan on going to college and need a high school transcript.
If you do want to keep a record of your child’s homeschooled education, here are some of the things you should keep a record of:
Scores of any standardized tests taken.
Extracurricular achievements and activities.
Any volunteer services your child has done.
Grades by subject.
Report cards.
Samples of your child’s work at each grade level.
Qualifications For Homeschooling In Michigan
Qualifications are required by law in the state of Michigan, but only if you opt to teach as a non-public school.
If you do homeschool your kids as a non-public school you will need to be a certified teacher.
Alternatively, you will need a license or a Bachelor’s degree. If you do not have any of these qualifications, you will not be able to legally homeschool your children in the state of Michigan.
Homeschooling as a Home Education Program is a bit different from the non-public school route. You do not need any qualifications if you choose this option, which is why it’s the most popular choice.
As long as you are your children’s parent or legal guardian, you will be legally allowed to homeschool them under the Home Education Program.
Required Subjects For Homeschooling In Michigan
In the state of Michigan, there is a list of subjects that are required by law for you to teach. The following subjects must be given adequate time in your child’s curriculum:
Reading
Spelling
Mathematics
Science
History
Civics
Literature
Writing
English Grammar.
As long as you include these subjects in the curriculum, you will then be able to focus the rest of the curriculum on you and your children’s desired subjects.
Keeping a record of these subjects being taught can be helpful if your Local School Superintendent ever asks you for any information.
Days Required For Homeschooling In Michigan
There are no required days you have to follow when homeschooling in the state of Michigan. You are free to create a schedule that works for both you and your kids.
If you are new to homeschooling and want a template to organize your homeschooling days, public schools run for 180 days and 1,098 hours per academic year.
You can base your homeschooling schedule on this model, or you can mix it up to suit your and your children’s needs.
You can experiment a bit with this and try different hours each week when you are just getting started.
Talk to your child, work out how much time you can realistically put into homeschooling them, and make sure you come up with a schedule that works for you both.
Standardized Testing In Michigan
If you are homeschooling your children in the state of Michigan, there are no legal requirements for you to put them up for standardized testing.
You can completely skip this process if it does not align with the way you and your children homeschool.
That being said, you can put your children up for standardized testing if you want. Taking standardized tests looks good on high school transcripts and it is a great addition to your child’s high school portfolio.
If you do want to put your children in for standardized testing in the state of Michigan, you will need to contact your school district.
They will be able to point you in the right direction and help you with any information or resources you may need.
Graduation Requirements
Lots of homeschoolers in the state of Michigan continue homeschooling right up until graduation. If your child is of graduation age, then it is important to know what the graduation requirements are for homeschoolers in the state.
There are no official graduation requirements or laws in the state of Michigan, so as the parent-teacher, you are free to decide the requirements for yourself.
As long as your child is 17 at the age of graduation, you can begin the process of getting them graduated.
If you want to follow more classic guidelines for their graduation, you can look into the Michigan Merit Curriculum guidelines.
Regardless of what you choose to do, talk to your children and set up some goals for them on their journey to graduation.
If your children are planning on going to college, it is helpful to look at what requirements they need for their chosen school to set up a plan for high school graduation.
Conclusion
Michigan simultaneously has stricter rules and relaxed rules for homeschooling depending on which option you go for.
Both homeschooling options in Michigan have their benefits, and it is important to research them both before you make a decision.
You can also talk to your school district and local school Superintendent if you need any more information.
They will be able to point you in the right direction and help you and your children get started on the homeschooling journey.
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