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Norbert Bufka

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Homeschooling in Michigan

All fifty states allow parents to homeschool their children. Michigan is one of eleven states who does not require parents to register their children with the local school district or the state, so it is estimated that more than 50,000 children in Michigan are being homeschooled. [a]

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) website says that “the parent assigns homework, gives tests and grades these tests. The issuance of report cards, transcripts, and diplomas are the responsibility of the home school family (based on internal standards). If home schooling continues through grade 12, the parent issues a high school diploma to the graduate.” [b]

Parents are not required to report to the Michigan Department of Education, “unless the student is requesting eligible special education services from the local public school or intermediate school district” nor is it “required that a parent inform their local school of the decision to home school.”  Failure to do so however may result in truancy violations.[c]

 “Instruction must include mathematics, reading, English, science, and social studies in all grades; and the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of Michigan, and the history and present form of civil government of the United States, the State of Michigan, and the political subdivisions and municipalities of the State of Michigan in grades 10, 11, and 12.

“Home-schooled students may enroll in nonessential elective classes at the resident public school subject to the district's enrollment policy,” says the MDE.

Curriculum, text books and instructional materials are the sole responsibility of the parent.

If a homeschool student enrolls in a public or nonpublic school at some point, “the granting of credits and placement of students is solely determined by the receiving school,”  according to the MDE.

The parent is not required to test their student’s progress, although they may participate at no cost in tests sponsored by the MDE.

Participation in athletics at the local public school is at the discretion of the local school district and is not governed by state law.

The MDE says that  some auxiliary services maybe available to home schools under federal programs but to receive these, the home school must annually complete the Nonpublic School Membership Report.

Studies done by groups that support homeschooling show very good results in many cases. Many homeschooled students do well in college, but there are no comprehensive objective studies done. .We believe that standards must be set by the MDE for homeschools, especially in regard to traditional American values and history.

 

 

[a] Julie Mack, “Private schools enroll 9% of Michigan students and other facts on nonpublic school”, MLive, January 26, 2016.  http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/01/9_of_michigan_students_attend.html.

[b] “Nonpublic and Home School Information 2016-2017”, Michigan Department of Education.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Info2005_132227_7.pdf.

[c] “Homeschooling in Michigan,” Michigan Department of Education.

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/home_schools_122555_7.pdf.

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