You searched something similar to “How to start homeschooling in Virginia” and you landed here. Congratulations, you are in the right place!

Here is exactly what to do if you want to start homeschooling in Virginia.

Are You Qualified to Homeschool in Virginia?

Yes! Virginia homeschool laws are straightforward. First, you have to make sure you are qualified to homeschool. Guess what, you are! 

If you fulfill any one of these options, you are set to homeschool in VA:

1. You have a high school diploma, and/or
2. You are a teacher, and/or
3. You enroll your student in an online school, and/or
4. You have a plan for how you will homeschool your child. 

Everyone can fit themselves into one of these options. The most ambiguous option, having a plan, requires a touch more thought. If you are relying on option 4, then you will need to provide a map with your plans for the school year to your school district. Read on for how to create your plan. 

Virginia Notice of Intent

Since you do need to register in order to homeschool in Virginia, you are required to file a Virginia homeschool Notice of Intent with your local school district. Every year, you will submit a notice of intent form; you can use this one. Click here to find out to whom you should submit your form. Create a reminder on your calendar to complete and submit the form, schedule it to repeat yearly, and you are done. 

Proof of Progress

Next, you are going to start a record keeping system for your student’s work because, according to Virginia homeschool law, you must submit evidence of progress to your local school division. 

There are a few ways this can be done: 

1. Standardized testing
2. Letter of sufficient academic progress from a licensed teacher or a person with a MA or higher in an academic discipline
3. Report card or transcript from online school, community college, or college
   

While there are no official homeschooling testing requirements in Virginia, you may choose to have your students take a nationally normed standardized test in lieu of submitting a progress report from an official. We recommend Seton Hall Testing, which offers both online and paper options for standardized testing. 

If you choose to submit evidence of your student’s progress via a licensed teacher, the portfolio you are keeping will come in very handy. You can either ask one of your student’s teachers to write a letter for them (this would work if you are at a co-op with a licensed teacher, you are engaging tutors, or you are taking classes with an online provider) or you can outsource to an expert who writes homeschool progress reports for a living.  

Planning Your Year: Homeschool Curriculum Options

There are so many homeschool curriculum options, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. Very easy! Do not succumb to the paradox of choice, where you have so many options you can’t make a decision. 

We recommend you join only one or two homeschooling groups at first, in-person and/or online. These groups should align with your personal, political, and religious beliefs. Pull advice from these groups to start. Pick your curriculum for each subject, and stick with it for at least 6 months (unless your child screams and cries every time they see the book for the subject, then you know something is up and should change your approach). 

Our sister company, Well-Trained Mind Press has over a million users on its community forums. You can find the answer to almost any homeschooling question there. That might be overwhelming! Visit the forums with a specific question in mind, get your answer, and then move on. When you are more comfortable with your homeschooling journey, that’s when we’d recommend hanging out on the forums for fun : ) 

There are so many ways to make your academic plan. You can follow The Well-Trained Mind, you can join a co-op, you can put together a bespoke plan for your kids based on research and resources available online, you can work with an umbrella school, you can hire an educational consultant to create a plan for you… there is no wrong way to make your homeschool plan. The hardest part of getting your homeschool started is the fear that you are going to make decisions that are going to mess your kids up for life. That won’t happen! You are listening to your child, you are paying attention to their needs, their wants, where they shine, and where they need some extra help. You are taking that and turning it into an educational plan specifically for them. 

And of course that you don’t have to do this alone! We are here to help. You can schedule time with our Dean to talk about what Well-Trained Mind Academy courses might work for your student. Once you are in class, our excellent instructors will teach, and evaluate, all of your student’s work. All you have to do is make sure they come to class and turn in their assignments. As an accredited learning services provider, our credits generally transfer easily to brick and mortar schools, and also round out a student’s transcript.

Check out our Prospective Families page to get a comprehensive overview of how WTMA can help you in your homeschool journey. 

We can’t wait to see you in class!

Share the love!