6 Simple Steps to Start Homeschooling in Minnesota

INTRODUCTION

So you’ve made the decision: you’re going to start homeschooling. Now what? Shouldn’t there be a list somewhere so new homeschoolers know what they’re supposed to do?

Yes, there should be. This is it. Read on for a comprehensive list of the steps new homeschoolers need to take in Minnesota. Or we’ve provided a downloadable 1-page bulleted list complete with Minnesota-specific legalities and requirements.

Oh, and congratulations! In the coming months, the way you think about education, your kids, and your life is going to change. And chances are, you’re going to love it.

Step 1 – Submit Your Paperwork

First, let’s get the paperwork out of the way.

SUBMITTING YOUR FIRST LETTER OF INTENT

Once you’ve decided to homeschool, your first action item is to file a “letter of intent” with your local public school district’s superintendent. This letter must include your name and address, the names and birthdates of the children you intend to homeschool, and the provider and location of the standardized test you intend for your child to take for that school year.

The Minnesota Department of Education provides this sample form that meets this requirement. We recommend you use Homeschool Sherpa’s streamlined form that meets all the legal requirements for this letter, you’re welcome! Whatever form you use, you’ll need to identify your school district.

Note that timing matters here—you have until October 1st of the first school year the child receives instruction after reaching the age of seven or 15 days after your child stops attending school to submit the letter of intent.

Some school districts request additional information or documentation beyond what is legally required. You can reference the Minnesota statute listing of what you are legally required to report here, if needed/desired. If your school district asks for information that is not on the MDE form or the form we’ve provided, be prepared to ask questions about why they need this information and the legality of their request.

SUBMITTING THE IMMUNIZATION RECORD OR EXEMPTION FORM

Along with the initial letter of intent, you will also submit a form to document vaccines and/or exemptions for children. On the Minnesota Department of Health website, you can read about the process for medical and non-medical exemptions. For medical exemptions, the form must be signed by a healthcare provider. For non-medical exemptions, the form must be signed by a guardian in front of a notary (find a notary). Unlike the letter of intent, you will only submit your vaccine documentation initially and then again when your child reaches 7^th grade.

SELECTING A STANDARDIZED TEST

The letter of intent will require one data point that you may not have considered yet: the standardized test. Minnesota requires all homeschooled students to take a standardized test annually. Several tests meet that requirement. We’ve highlighted a few tests that MN homeschool families have used successfully.

The good news is that this is the only significant homeschooling decision that you need to make in the first few weeks after you begin homeschooling, so once you have this out of the way, pat yourself on the back and let yourself slow down on the coming decisions. In other words… deschool.

Step 2 – Soul Searching: Define Your Values & Shift Your Mindset

With the first procedural stuff taken care of, it’s time to set out into real uncharted territory. It may seem overwhelming at first to try to make some of these first choices, but fear not: guidance is available at every step of the way. Keep in mind that every family’s approach is a work in progress. We all try things, then evaluate and adjust as we go. You’ll be in good company.

DESCHOOLING

Deschooling is not mandatory when you initially start homeschooling, but in most cases it’s a good idea. What is deschooling? It’s decompressing. It’s taking some time after withdrawing from school before you start up whatever comes next. And it sets your family up for success. When your child’s brain (and yours) is used to traditional schooling, it can take a while to sort through all the assumptions and habits that go with that approach and decide which ones to keep. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many there are! And once you allow yourself to take your foot off the gas, you can start figuring out which homeschool style is right for you.

SELECTING A HOMESCHOOL STYLE OR CURRICULUM

At this stage, you may not have heard of a lot of the established homeschooling approaches or curricula out there. Don’t worry, that’s normal, and deschooling will help you start getting a sense of what approach is most in tune with your child’s learning style and your family’s priorities. Or you may find the parts of each that you like most and end up with your own, tailor-made approach to homeschooling. Just remember—whatever choice you make at the start, what’s best for your family is going to evolve over time, so give yourself some grace with this decision.

Step 3- Find your People

FINDING YOUR PEOPLE

When you’ve only just taken the plunge into homeschooling, it’s really nice to have a friend or three that can offer answers, wisdom, and sympathy. But where can you find these new friends? Check out the homeschool co-ops in your area. Learn about events and classes. Connect online.  Get some leads on all of these methods on our interactive map. Friends can be the best part of homeschooling- for the kids AND the parent(s).

Step 4- Adjust as Needed

I love the phrase “different strokes for different folks.” Never is this more true than in homeschooling! Even within families siblings may need flexibility and varied approaches in their education along the way. You’ll learn what works for you and your child(ren) and what doesn’t. And then, 6 months later, you may hear of a new approach you want to try, and discover it works great! Or it doesn’t. The shifting is normal and necessary, albeit frustrating at times. When it’s happening, just stay the course and trust the process. Your child will learn resilience, flexibility, and new ways to approach challenges right along with you- which, I dare say, may be even more important in their life than whether you use math manipulatives or workbooks, Charlotte Mason or Waldorf.

Step 5 – Stay on the Ball, Annually

If you’ve got momentum on the above steps, great! You officially have no big “getting started with homeschooling” tasks looming over you. The following items don’t need to be at the front of your brain going forward, they are just the annual (or rarer) bureaucratic hoops to hop through when the time comes.

SUBMITTING AN ANNUAL LETTER OF INTENT

Minnesota requires homeschoolers to file a Letter of Intent to Continue Instruction every year that they continue homeschooling, by October 1 of each school year. If you move, you will also need to notify your old district within 15 days of the move, and submit a new letter to the new district by October 1 of the next school year. Be sure to include any new children who have reached the age of 7 in the past year.

SUBMITTING UPDATED IMMUNIZATION RECORD

If your child begins homeschooling before 7^th grade, you must submit either an updated immunization from (page 1) or medical / non-medical exemption form (page 2) when the child reaches the equivalent of 7^th grade.

TAKING AN ANNUAL STANDARDIZED TEST

Whatever your feelings about it, the state requires your child to take a standardized test every year. In Minnesota, you do not need to submit your results but you should save them. The one way around this is to accredit your homeschool. Our local accreditation expert Missy Rossing, can help you!

Step 6- Ongoing, for those who keep on going!

KEEP RECORDS

You might do this anyway. But somewhere, you should have records of what your child has spent time doing. Major projects, topics they’ve covered, educational books they’ve read, all that good stuff. If you are following a curriculum pretty closely, save the Scope and Sequence.

There are three reasons to keep records: one, it’s satisfying to look back on what you’ve accomplished. Two, colleges will want evidence that a prospective student (i.e., your child) has spent time with various subject matters. And three, to fulfill the law. Read on to understand what’s required.

COVER ALL THE EDUCATIONAL BASES

Minnesota requires students who are not in taught in an accredited school to maintain records demonstrating instruction in each of the following subject areas:

• Basic communication skills including reading and writing, literature, and fine arts
• Math and science
• Social studies including history, geography, economics, government, and citizenship
• Health and physical education

That may seem like a daunting list, but rein that thought in for a moment. Not all these items have to be touched on daily or even monthly. Also, conversations count! Keep track of conversations you have with your kids about these topics and books you read together. Most formal curricula already meet this requirement and if you are taking an unschooling approach and tracking what your kids are doing in daily life, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by how many subjects daily life lends itself to touching on.

Here’s a simple weekly tracking document to get you started:

• Google Doc (copy and save to your account to edit)
• Word Doc

If you like to use the Minnesota Academic Standards as your guide, you can find those on the MDE site.

Beyond curriculum, other guides for your planning could include:

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise

Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp

Core Knowledge Foundation’s free curriculum, which outlines topics to be taught in all subjects by grade – E.D. Hirsch who started the Core Knowledge Foundation is the author of a book series for every grade called “What Your ___ Grader Needs to Know”

CONCLUSION

…And that’s it. Once you have checked these items off your list, you can reassure yourself that you’ve jumped through all the homeschooling hoops. Now go get back to the stuff that excites you!