As a result of COVID-19, homeschooling is on the rise. For some, this is a short-term arrangement, and others have discovered that homeschooling is perfect for their family. In case you don’t know, homeschooling is simply the practice of educating your kids from home. Some families choose to collaborate through homeschooling cooperatives and extracurricular leagues to enrich the home school experience.

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia. When exploring the homeschooling route, please be aware that the laws and policies that govern homeschooling differ by state. If you wonder if homeschooling is a good fit for your family, you probably have questions about how to begin the process and what resources are available. Because of this, we created a series entitled, How to Start Homeschooling. In each installment, we will discuss homeschooling rules and resources for each state. In today’s installment, we will discuss homeschooling in Washington.

What you need to know:

• Washington Homeschool Law requires you to submit a Declaration of Intent to your superintendent before September 15th each year that you homeschool.
• If you need to remove your kid, submit the declaration, and contact your kid’s school to remove your kid before homeschooling officially.
• Homeschool teachers must meet one of the four following requirements: 30 college semester credit hours, complete a course on in-home instruction, allow a certified teacher to supervise your homeschooling or approval from the superintendent of your school district.
• Homeschool learners must attend 180 days per year of instruction.
• There are eleven required academic subjects: reading, writing, spelling, language, math, science, social studies, history, health, occupational education, and art.
• Washington requires that you maintain records of annual tests or assessments and other records related to your kids’ homeschooling.
• Homeschool learners must participate in yearly testing by taking a standardized achievement test or being evaluated by a certified person.
• If you re-enroll your kid in a public school, your homeschool records will be reviewed for placement. Testing may be required to determine your kid’s placement.

Resources

Washington offers limited funding assistance if you are homeschooling through a Parent Partnership Program.

You can learn more at Washington Home School Organization, the Christian Family Home Educators (CFHE), Homeschool Legal Defense Association – Washington, and the Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington.