Legal/Homeschool Laws
Laws that regulate home education vary from state to state. It is important to understand the legal requirements in your state and to be aware of legislative and other legal issues that affect homeschoolers in your community. We've compiled resources that will help you become informed. Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and the vast majority of homeschoolers face no problems, you may find that you need legal assistance at some point in your homeschooling career. We've compiled a list of resources to help you find the support you need. And if you'd like to become more involved in working towards homeschooling freedoms, we discuss some of the issues facing homeschoolers that we hope you find compelling.
State Laws
Read the laws regulating home education in Pennsylvania and browse through the case law and legal opinions relating to those laws, along with government publications relating to homeschooling and summaries of the laws.
Forms
Which forms do you need to fill out? Where can you get them? Here is a list of useful forms for homeschooling in Pennsylvania.
Legal Support
If you need legal information or have run into a legal situation regarding your decision to homeschool, these resources will be helpful.
Lobbying Groups
A listing of local and national lobbying groups and information on how you can become involved in the political process to ensure the freedom to homeschool is protected.
Attorneys
When searching for an attorney, it is helpful to know whether he or she has experience working with homeschoolers and is interested in protecting the right to homeschool.
Legal Issues
Is homeschooling legal? Which laws pertain to homeschoolers and which don't? How do homeschoolers protect their rights to freely educate their children and to preserve their privacy?
Government Resources
A listing of local and state government resources, including your state's Department of Education, school districts, and Senate and House of Representative information.
What's Popular
School Districts Allowing Participation
This is a list of school districts by county which reported that they allow (yes) or not allow (no)participation by students in home education programs in curricular or extracurricular programs offered by their school district of residence. Participation in curricular or extracurricular programs by home educationed students is determined by local school district policy.
Pennsylvania Home Education Network (PHEN)
The Pennsylvania Home Education Network is an incorporated, nonprofit, tax exempt, statewide organization of home educating families. PHEN exists to promote freedom and simplicity in home education, to serve all families who educate their children at home regardless of race, religion, creed, sex, national origin, handicap, or educational philosophy, and to inform the general public about home education. Membership is open to all Pennsylvania residents who agree with the organization's inclusive ...
How to Suppress Homeschooling
The education establishment has realized that the socialization issue will be seen for the red herring that it is, and has searched for other means to suppress homeschooling. Two new strategies have emerged, and these pose real threats to homeschooling. The first strategy is to argue that homeschooling needs some form of accreditation. A number of reasons have been offered: it eases the transition back to the public school for those homeschoolers who go back, it is the basis for awarding a recog...
Position paper: CHAP on the Law
This is a position paper issued by the Christian Homeschool Association of Pennsylvania (CHAP) addressing the move to change homeschooling laws in the state.
Pennsylvania Legislative Issues
A short list of some of the legislative issues facing homeschoolers in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)
This page has been developed to open up the Department of Education and be more responsive to the consumers of education‐Pennsylvania's parents, educators, students and taxpayers.
24 PS 13-1327.1 Home education program
Regular daily instruction in the English language, for the time herein required, by a properly qualified private tutor, shall be considered as complying with the provisions of this section. For the purposes of this section, "properly qualified private tutor" shall mean a person who is certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to teach in the public schools of Pennsylvania; who is teaching one or more children who are members of a single family; who provides the majority of the instruction to...
Pennsylvania Home School Laws from HSLDA
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Pennsylvania. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Pennsylvania.
Pacific Justice Institute (PJI)
Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. PJI provides free representation to parents who are unlawfully denied the right to homeschool their children. PJI also provides legal counsel to those parents wishing to homeschool, but do not know their legal options or obligations.
AHSA-USA Email List
This list is an opportunity for homeschoolers to contact homeschooling attorneys and experts about homeschooling legal and litigation issues. It is an informal network of attorneys and legal experts that are concerned with litigation pending and threatened against homeschoolers. Its primary purpose is to exchange legal information within the profession, and to educate and support attorneys and experts involved in homeschool litigation.
Pennsylvania Home Educators Association (PHEA)
Pennsylvania Home Educators Association (PHEA) is an inclusive statewide coalition of home educators whose primary purpose is to provide accurate information and advocate for Pennsylvania home educators.
Homeschooling in Pennsylvania: A Brief Fact Sheet
This question and answer list details the requirements to homeschool in Pennsylvania.
Homeschool Attorneys in Pennsylvania
These attorneys have indicated that they are willing to provide legal information, consult with or represent homeschoolers on homeschooling or other legal issues they may have in their states. Most of these attorneys homeschool or have homeschooled their own children.
Getting Started in Homeschooling
This is a brief outline of the requirements of the Pennsylvania homeschool law (ACT 169-1988).
Home Educating in PA 101
This page is for those who want the simplest explanation possible of the legal requirements to home educate in Pennsylvania.
Looking for Another State?
Featured Resources
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Morning by Morning : How We Home-Schooled Our African-American Sons to the Ivy League
Home schooling has long been regarded as a last resort, particularly by African-American families. But in this inspirational and practical memoir, Paula Penn-Nabrit shares her intimate experiences of home-schooling her three sons, Charles, Damon, and...
Greenleaf Press
Greenleaf Press is a small family-owned and operated publisher and supplier of quality books for children. They are committed to "twaddle-free", living books, and approach teaching history to children using biography and chronology. You will find sec...
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