Alabama Homeschooling
The links below to official Alabama homeschooling information were checked August 1, 2020. It is always best to directly read Alabama homeschooling information on the State of Alabama homeschooling or FAQ page, so you are getting current information!
Alabama Dept. of Education Website
Alabama Dept. of Education Homeschooling FAQ (use the Non-Public Schools tab)
Alabama College- & Career-Ready Standards (CCRS) (common core standards information)
Information shown on the AL Dept. of Education website at https://www.alsde.edu/ofc/osp/Pages/faqs-all.aspx (Under the “Non-Public Schools tab. July 23, 2020.)
Q. I homeschool my children. Am I required to register with the state?
While Act 2014-245 requires that private schools (except church schools) register annually with the Department of Education, it is the interpretation of the State Superintendent of Education that this requirement does not apply to home school students. The collection of information regarding tuition, number of instructors, enrollment, value of property, and general condition of the school, tend to lend themselves to a brick and mortar facility rather than a home school environment.
Q: The law requires guardians to prove their children ages 6-17 are in school by giving their names to the local superintendent, is that right?
A: Yes. Parents’ homeschooling their children should notify the local public school superintendent that they are homeschooling their children. This notification is only required at the initial decision to homeschool, and is not required to be made annually.
(Not mentioned on this FAQ page: When notifying some superintendents, some districts may ask for a simple SCHOOL SYSTEM WITHDRAWAL FORM to be submitted. It just asks if the student will be attending a Non-public/Private school or Homeschool. There did not seem to be a clarification about an in-state or out-of-state private school in the Alabama Attendance Manual, but due to attendance reporting would suggest selecting “Homeschool” for an out-of-state online private school.
Q: Does the ALSDE (or any other agency) check to make sure a parent has notified the superintendent of participation in home or church schooling?
A: No. The ALSDE is not authorized to license or regulate any private, nonpublic, or church school offering instruction in grades K-12 or any combination thereof.
Q: Are there any requirements for teachers at nonpublic schools? Could, for instance, someone with no high school diploma or equivalent legally teach in a non public school?
A: The ALSDE is not authorized to license or regulate any private, nonpublic, or church school offering instruction in grades K-12 or any combination thereof.
Always check directly with the official Alabama Dept. of Education website to verify information. Even if some states may not require it, it is usually a good idea to let your last school know you will not be returning to avoid being counted as absent.
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