Guest Author - Meg Grooms

All the information in this article was verified as accurate upon writing. It is your responsibility as a homeschooling parent to check your state law at least once a year and to ensure you are doing everything necessary to follow it. The best way to protect your family is to know your law better than the school officials!

Alaska is considered to be a LOW regulation state. Homeschooling families in Alaska have three option(s) available to legally educate their children at home.

Option #1 - Establish and operate a homeschool. No further requirements regarding attendance, testing, etc.

Option #2 - Use a private tutor, 180 days per year. The tutor must have teacher certification and teach classes "comparable" to those in public school.

Option #3 - Enroll child in a state department of education approved correspondance school. Child must study 180 days per year and be taught classes "comparable" to those in a public school.

For more information contact the Alaska Department of Education at http://www.eed.state.ak.us/

A good way to stay informed is to join a state or local homeschooling support and lobbying group. Check out the following:

Alaska Private and Home Educators Association - http://www.aphea.org/
"Supporting and helping Alaska parents perform their God-given responsibility to train their children through private and home education."

AK Freeschoolers - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akfreeschoolers/
"This site is designed for the encouragement of Alaskan private homeschoolers who have resolved to remain free of state control in all manner possible, specifically by not accepting any state monies through the State of Alaska correspondence or charter school programs."

Alaska Homeschool Network - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alaskahomeschoolnetwork/
"The Alaska Homeschool Network is an inclusive group of homeschooling families in Alaska. We welcome participation here from families across the diverse spectrum of homeschooling styles and philosophies, and we have no official political, philosophical, or religious orientation. This group exists primarily for homeschoolers to connect with other homeschooling families across our great state for support, discussion, meetings, field trips, and other networking opportunities."

Alaskan Homeschoolers - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akhomeschoolers/
"The Alaskan Homeschoolers mailing list exists to provide parents, administrators, teachers, and communities timely and useful information in regard to home, charter, private and other progressive, alternate forms of education in the State of Alaska."

New to Homeschooling?
Take a look at my ebook
Homeschooling With Confidence: A Plain English Guide to Homeschooling in the United States