The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine (@tosmagazine)

NEW JERSEY, YOU CAN STILL HOMESCHOOL. And the ordinary path is simpler than you may think. New Jersey law allows a child to receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school. For children between the ages of six and sixteen, provide instruction that is academically equivalent to what the public schools provide children of similar grades and attainments. That is the central requirement. There is no annual homeschool registration process. No curriculum approval. Your local board is neither required nor authorized to review and approve your curriculum. No teaching credential. A parent, guardian, tutor, or other person teaching the child does not need New Jersey teacher certification. No required state or district standardized testing. You choose the courses. You provide the education. You remain responsible for the program and its results. NJDOE encourages families to notify the local board that a child will receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school so questions do not arise. This is encouragement, not an annual filing requirement. If you send a notice, keep a dated copy. If your child is enrolled now, notify the school in writing as a practical withdrawal step and keep a dated copy. If your child is leaving an enrolled high school program, complete the district’s required transfer form. Strong records are wise. Keep track of courses, books, assignments, grades, and completed work so you can document the education you provided.