The Homeschooling Option in Georgia

The first time I ever heard the words “homeschool” was about 20 years ago, when, as a new employee at the Center for Puppetry Arts, I was told to give a group ticket discount to a lady with four children because they were homeschoolers. I’ll admit my view of homeschoolers back then was pretty negative—I didn’t know any “normal” people who homeschooled and so my opinion was based on the many, generally inaccurate, stereotypes that ran rampant. 

These days, homeschooling has increased in popularity as more parents worry that institutionalized education isn’t providing their children with the educational opportunities they really need. 

According to a 2009 study conducted by the National Home Education Research Institute, homeschooled children consistently achieved 37 percentile points higher on standardized test than public school students. This difference is one reason why over 200,000 Georgia parents are currently choosing to homeschool their children.

Georgia Law

Laws covering homeschooling vary per state. In Georgia, school attendance is legally mandatory between the ages of six and 18.  Home study is an acceptable option for mandatory education under Georgia law as long as the parent notifies their county school board in writing of their intention to homeschool by September 1.  Homeschooling parents must also file monthly attendance reports with the county superintendent and must write an annual progress report that is to be kept on file for three years. Children must be taught language arts, mathematics, reading, science and social studies for at least four and a half hours per day; the specific curriculum used is not mandated.

Why Homeschool?

Homeschooling is really a personal choice and Georgia parents choose to homeschool for a wide variety of reasons. Parents with special needs children, such as children diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, or children with learning disabilities, often find public school can’t provide the type of hands-on and personal assistance their children need in order to thrive. Other parents want their children exposed to a more faith-based curriculum; some parents simply believe they can meet their children's education needs better than a stranger can.

Local Resources

Georgia is home to several non-profit and parent-led support groups.  These groups can offer valuable input and resources to parents who are considering homeschooling. 

• Georgia Home Education Association (GHEA): The Georgia Home Education Association is a network of Georgia homeschoolers that offer support groups and a variety of online and offline resources for parents who currently homeschool or are interested in getting started. The organization is a Christian based non-profit; however, many of the resources available are appropriate for secular homeschoolers as well.  
• Homeschool Friends of Roswell is a local support group for homeschoolers in Roswell, as well as members of Cobb, North Fulton and Cherokee counties.
• Minority Home of Mommy Educators (Minority H-O-M-E) is a support group of minority homeschoolers in the Roswell and Alpharetta area that get together to share resources and arrange socialization opportunities for their children/students.
• Secular Homeschoolers of Georgia is an inclusive homeschooling support group that accepts members regardless of religious creed and focuses on secular (non-faith based) homeschooling.