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 Maryland.

What you need to know:

• Maryland Homeschool Law requires you to submit a Homeschool Notification Form to your school district superintendent 15 days before homeschooling. You must inform your school of your intent to continue homeschooling each year.
• If you need to remove your kid, contact your school by letter, e-mail, or in-person to remove your kid officially.
• There are no particular requirements for homeschool teachers in Maryland.
• Homeschool learners must be taught a minimum of as many hours as needed to meet their grades’ standard achievement level.
• There are eight required subjects for homeschool learners to be taught: English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and P.E.
• Maryland requires that you maintain a portfolio of each kid’s assignments.
• At the end of every semester, you must meet with a school district representative to review each kid’s portfolio. Homeschool learners are also allowed (but not required) to participate in standardized testing with the local school.
• If you re-enroll your kid in a public school, placement decisions will vary by the school district. Call or email your local school district to find out their procedures.

Resources

You can learn more at Home School Legal Defense Association – Maryland, the Maryland State Department of Education’s Homeschooling page, the Maryland Homeschool Association, the Maryland Association of Christian Home Educators, and Severn Run Classical Christian Homeschool Academy.