This is a big decision. Homeschooling high school is an all or nothing proposition in many states, as returning to public school once you start homeschooling high school may be challenging. The decision isn’t an easy one. Parents wonder if homeschooling high school will give their child a jump start at life, or hold them back.

Let’s weigh some pros and cons and discuss what you need to know, before you decide.

Your State Matters

Before you make your decision, you need to join a state homeschool support group and ask lost of questions about what matters to your student. What support can you expect from your public school? Many states have an all or nothing feeling about school. Either your student attends and has access to everything, or they opt out to homeschool and can access nothing.

Beyond that, even if the state allows schools to give homeschoolers access, you need to know if your own local school participates. In some states, the decision of what to do about homeschoolers rests with each individual school.

Sports

In some states, like Florida, homeschool students can participate in sports at their local public schools. In other states, this is not allowed. If your student is passionate about playing on a team, you need to asses these options before you with drawl.

While not being on a high school sports team is no big deal for some kids, for others, this is very important. Yes, your student might be able to play some form of club or private league, but you need to check what your area has to offer if this is important.

Clubs

Some states offer homeschoolers the option to attend clubs or extracurricular activities at local high schools. You may also have the option of joining clubs or sports at your local private school. This might give your teen some social outlets, if it is available. Once again, not all states offer this.

Classes at the Local Schools

In some states, homeschooled students have the option to take some classes at the high school, and homeschool the rest. This can be a great option for students with special needs, who need a different pace or one on one help for math and language arts but can keep up in history or other classes.

It can also be helpful if you feel confident teaching everything but a single class, such as foreign language. That said, this access may vary not only by state but by county or school zone. Your local high school guidance counselor is generally the best person to tell you what options your student has at their home school.

Teaching Your Own Courses

In many states, you have the ability to define what your homeschool will be, even fi you can’t access anything through your public schools. As the teacher, you decide what to teach and when. You get to pick and choose your curriculum. You get to let your child sleep in or get a job. While some states have requirements and supply some kind of diploma to homeschoolers, most states allow for parent created transcripts and diplomas. This means you can be fully in charge of your child’s education.

Transferring back to School

In many states, the decision to go back to public high school is made harder by the school system. Schools are not obligated to give your student credit for the courses you completed with them at home. This means that your 11th grader who wants to return for senior year, may be told they have to go back to 9th grade and start again.

How your school will handle this is something to look into, if you or your student are not sure you want to homeschool to graduation. Some schools require your student pass standardized tests for each subject they have taken. Others will accept clear documentation of all the classes your student has passed with you. I live in a state that makes it hard to return to school, but I do know of one mother who was able to get her child credit for courses they completed at home.

No matter what your student plans, keeping excellent records can help them when it comes time for college or trade school. Document which programs you taught from, including the ISBN number on the books. Keep samples of your student’s work and make notes about the projects they created or things they wrote. You will need to create a transcript with details of each course they took and what grade you assigned them.

Reasons I would NOT homeschool

If your student really wants to attend high school, and you live in a state that will make returning very difficult, I would not homeschool. Homeschooling in high school needs to be a partnership between you and your student. If they are not on board, it is not likely you will be successful.

That said, I know there are situations where your student’s health or safety make homeschooling look like the only choice. Before deciding you will homeschool, double check if there are any other options. In many states, there are public on-line high school options. This means your student does their work from home, on a computer, but does not have the stress of attending class in person each day. This program is going to make returning to school easier, when the crisis has passed. So, look carefully into your options.

Things that Scare Parents

Parents starting to homeschool high school are often terrified of “messing up” their kids. But the truth is that this is highly unlikely. If you love your child and want to put in the work to help them get a quality education, you can do it.

There are many quality programs out there that you can use to create a great education. Personally, I’m a believer that switching programs each year can provide diversity in an education, so selecting the perfect curriculum for all 4 years up front, is not necessary. Your student can use a variety of resources. They can do some class on line, some with a book, and do self study for others. They may be able to do dual enrollment at your local college, and even gain credits towards their college degree while still in high school.

You may even be able to participate in a co-op program that gives your student a sense of community and makes it so you don’t have to teach all their classes.

Every family is different, but if you and your student want to homeschool high school, it can be an amazing and positive experience. Colleges across the country accept homeschoolers and are happy to have them on campus.