Homeschool friendly states

[kittywilbur]

I am looking for a state which is rich in a homeschooling way. I want a very homeschool friendly type of town. Any of you live there or know the statistics on this?

[Coyote star]

Originally Posted by kittywilbur

I am looking for a state which is rich in a homeschooling way. I want a very homeschool friendly type of town. Any of you live there or know the statistics on this?

If you can believe it, Memphis, Tennessee (and surrounding areas) is an awesome homeschooling town. There are plenty of homeschool groups, all the cultural areas, from the zoo to the art museums, offer homeschooler workshops (in fact, the Brooks art museum offers free classes for hs'ers), and, in Mississippi (just across the road from Memphis), the homeschooling laws are very liberal.

I have three children (so far), and have never been left wondering "where can I go to expose my children to X, Y, or Z?"

But since my husband has a transfer-friendly job, I'm interested in seeing what other people have to say about their towns!

Cheers,
C

[watergarden]

Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico are the states I keep hearing.

[reikimama]

Florida's cool, as they even have a statewide virtual school for middle & high school.

[sierralily]

vermont!

[smocklets]

Ohio is pretty homeschool friendly.

[lincap]

Maine!

[janetcost]

Homeschool friendly states

NJ - believe it or not! We have no requirements such as reporting, submitting lesson plans or testing. We have the country (dairy farms, organic farms, horseback riding, every animal you can imagine) lakes, streams, rivers, THE OCEAN, boating, skiing, surfing, ALL FOUR SEASONS - there is really nothing I can think of that you can't do in NJ. Every cultural background on the planet, you can get to NY city and Philly with 1-2 hours...broadway, NY museums, HISTORY (as much as you can take), GREAT state parks and parks programs, I could go on forever.

Sometimes I complain about living here - but really it works very well for our homeschooling lifestyle!

[RainbowEarthFaerie]

I live in Oregon and recently pulled my DD out of public school and the district is still offering me any resources I want. They even sent the behavior coach that was working with DD at the school to my house just to see if I still wanted the help. She offered to bring homeschooling ideas with her. Apparently the district doesn't care where the kids are getting an education as long as they are getting one.

[mangopassion]

I'm going to second Colorado! What an awesome place to homeschool your children.

I wish I were still there! :

[Amy Leinen]

Minnesota can come off as being difficult, but once you understand the laws, it's a cinch to go about your business! The statewide groups are pretty great, and local groups are awesome. We've been unschooling here since our oldest (17) was a toddler. The resources are plentiful, especially if you live in a populated area.

Amy Leinen in MN:

[onlyzombiecat]

Kansas law is very easy.

I live in a small town in Brown County, KS. I would probably recommend going nearer someplace like Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence or Kansas City if you want active groups and lots of resources very nearby.

http://www.leapingfromthebox.com/hs/elists/kansas.html

[YummyYarnAddict]

Add Illinois and Wisconsin to the homeschooling friendly list. For each you just submit a form once a year indicating that your child is learning at home. No monitoring, testing, or additional paperwork required. Both have virtual charter schools in many towns if you want the freedom to go that route and both have lots of homeschooling groups and resources.

[Earthy Mama]

SC is very homeschool friendly. All you have to do is join a homeschool association (there are tons to choose from-run by parents). You have to keep track of attendance and keep a portfolio of work, but there is NO TESTING OR ASSESSMENTS required at all.

[mommyof2princesses]

NC has very few requiremnts. There is a large homeschooling community in the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area. Also, if you are looking for a smaller town, outside of Charlotte the Matthews/Indian trail area has a lot of homeschooling families.

[SnakeWoman]

I live in SE PA, and I wouldn't trade it for homeschooling in many other places.

Homeschooling is practically mainstream here - the network of homeschoolers is huge and strong. Because of that, the resources are unbelievably rich, diverse, and even low-cost or free.

PA does have reporting requirements, so if you are looking to avoid reporting you might not enjoy PA. If reporting doesn't bother you, SE PA has proven to be a very rich homeschooling environment.

[Lillian J]

California is wonderful for homeschooling - a variety of choices and lots of freedom. Lillian

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by mommyof2princesses

NC has very few requirements. Also, if you are looking for a smaller town, outside of Charlotte the Matthews/Indian trail area has a lot of homeschooling families.

That is us!! We have 15,000 homeschoolers in the Charlotte region. 58,000 in NC. NC is a very homeschool/unschool friendly state. Easy laws. And we have a hugely active community of homeschoolers. The economy is great, housing is reasonable. We live outside the city, have many of the Arts and pro-sports in town. Three hours to the beach. Three hours to the mountains. Seasonal weather. It is fabulous in Charlotte!


Pat

[CharlieBrown]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

California is wonderful for homeschooling - a variety of choices and lots of freedom. Lillian

I second that!

[motherbug]

One hand up for Connecticut!

We are not regulated in any way by our government, and I am involved in a huge and diverse homeschooling group! LOVE IT!!!!!!!!