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 Maine.

What you need to know:

• Maine Homeschool Law requires you to submit a Notice of Intent to your school and commissioner with ten days of the start of homeschooling. Each following year, you must submit another Notice of Intent by September 1st and submit an assessment of your kid’s progress.
• If you need to remove your kid, you must officially submit a school withdrawal letter.
• There are no particular requirements for homeschool teachers.
• Homeschool learners must receive 175 days of instruction per school term.
• The state of Maine requires you to teach several required subjects: English, language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health education, library skills, fine arts, and Maine studies.
• Maine requires that you record copies of your original Notice of Intent and each year-end assessment for your kid.
• Maine requires each homeschool kid to participate in yearly testing or assessment.
• If you re-enroll your kid in a public school, grade level placement is a decision that the school district makes; however, you can appeal this decision.

Resources

Find out more at Home School Legal Defense Association – Maine, the Maine Department of Education’s Homeschooling page, Homeschoolers of Maine, and Seacrest Christian Home Educators Association.