This is a listing of the guidelines issued by the Connecticut Department of Education regarding how they think the home education laws should be implemented.

The Cato Institute was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane. It is a non-profit public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Cato Institute seeks to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets and peace. Toward that goal, the Institute strives to achieve greater involvement of the intelligent, concerned lay public in questions of policy and the proper role of government.

Every important movement or trend in this country was followed by an onslaught of legislative actions which resulted in some legal stipulations that controlled the trend. What is really of concern is that this legislative control is not static, but very fluid, subject to change (meaning more restrictions in many cases). These changes occur through either more legislative actions on the part of the government or through interpretation in the judicial system. Currently, the homeschool movement is being closely monitored by various teacher unions, the public and legislative bodies throughout the United States, resulting in more and more laws being passed to control or monitor the movement. If the homeschool movement is to survive in a manner which we feel would be beneficial to us and society as a whole, we have to be more and more diligent in protecting our rights. The only way we can do this is to be more active in the political process. The question now becomes, how do we do this?

AHSA is an informal network of attorneys and legal experts in the United States supporting homeschooling and homeschoolers by providing legal information about homeschooling issues, empowering homeschoolers to have the legal tools they need to meet homeschooling challenges, and providing a network of attorneys for legal representation. The website includes a legal directory by state.

Families homeschooling for the first time inevitably have questions about legal challenges or threats that they might face from local or state education authorities. Those who do seek an answer to these questions are often faced with a confusing array of laws, policies, and regulations that not only vary from state to state, but also between school districts, and school officials within the same state or district.

As their ranks increase, homeschoolers are tapping public schools for curriculum, part-time classes, extracurricular services, and online learning.

In Pierce v. Society of the Sisters, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "the fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments of this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the creature of the state."

130 West Main Street
New Britain, CT 06052
860-229-0213

This small law firm in New Britain, CT, offers advice and representation for homeschooling families.

The Home School Legal Defense Association is a non-profit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. HSLDA offers annual memberships and fully represents member families when they are in need of legal assistance. HSLDA also participates in legislative advocacy and research.

This is a list of states that have addressed issues of homeschooler participation in public school classes, sports, activities, etc.

Summary of the laws pertaining to home education in Connecticut. Includes text of the laws and state Board of Education guidelines.

While many parents may not have the opportunity to influence legislation regarding home education on the state level, there are ways to be involved on a local level.

This list is created to be a means of informing, documenting and evaluating available information concerning the impact of virtual/charter schools on the homeschooling community. This information consists of and is not limited to news items, articles from various sources, legislative information (bills, law changes), documented efforts and experiences and other information that may give weight to whether home-based charter schools or virtual schools are having an impact in any negative way on homeschooling.

Details the importance of support alternative educational choices, including private schools and vouchers, along with homeschooling.

Virtual charter schools are popping up all over the country, providing free computers, textbooks and educational materials to any family who would like to enroll in their program. Jennifer James takes a hard look at how these schools are detrimental to black homeschoolers.

The Rutherford Institute is an international legal and educational organization dedicated to preserving human rights and defending civil liberties. Deeply committed to protecting the constitutional freedoms of every American and the integral human rights of all people, The Rutherford Institute has emerged as a prominent leader in the national dialogue on civil liberties and equal rights. Parents have a constitutional right to direct and control the upbringing of their children, and laws or governmental actions that unreasonably infringe the rights of parents to raise and educate their children according to their own values are constitutionally suspect. The Rutherford Institute responds to over one thousand requests for assistance annually from parents whose rights were placed in jeopardy.

In Connecticut there are two things homeschoolers need to understand; the law, and the Guidelines. The two sometimes cause confusion for people, and sometimes the Guidelines are mistaken for being law, but they are not law. The Guidelines are part of the Suggested Procedure on Home Instruction in CT. This analysis includes information on state laws, state guidelines, sample forms, and more.

An Act Concerning Revisions to the Education Statutes (94-245) contains the following provisions: Special Education and Private School or Home Schooling. The act exempts students from the state's special education requirements, if their parents or guardians provide equivalent instruction at home or in a private school and refuse to consent to special education services for their children. Limitation on Commissioner's Waiver Authority. The act prohibits the education commissioner from waiving any law if doing so would limit parents' authority to provide for equivalent instruction for their children instead of having them attend public school.

Public Act No. 00-157 (Mandatory School Attendance Age) changed the age under which a child is subject to compulsory attendance from sixteen to eighteen, effective July 1, 2001.

Where to find legal advice in Connecticut. Homeschooling families can find contact information for several attorneys around the state who work with homeschoolers.

The education establishment has realized that the socialization issue will be seen for the red herring that it is, and has searched for other means to suppress homeschooling. Two new strategies have emerged, and these pose real threats to homeschooling. The first strategy is to argue that homeschooling needs some form of accreditation. A number of reasons have been offered: it eases the transition back to the public school for those homeschoolers who go back, it is the basis for awarding a recognized diploma, and it makes it easier to provide homeschoolers access to public school programs and facilities such as science classes, libraries, sports, etc. But accreditation is simply another word for conforming, and the desire to not conform is the fundamental reason for choosing to homeschool. Homeschoolers as a group will not be seduced nor will they be tricked by the false promises of accreditation. The second strategy for suppressing homeschooling is one that is much more likely to be successful, and it is to drastically limit homeschoolers’ access to public higher education. In this, the education establishment has discovered its only effective weapon against homeschooling.

The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Connecticut. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Connecticut.

Most books and articles on home education are quick to point out that homeschooling is legal--in one form or another-- in all fifty states. Parents might have to jump through more hoops in one state than in another, but, as long as they're willing to jump through those hoops, they are allowed to teach their own children at home. But are these hoops actually necessary?

Find the laws pertaining to home education for all 50 states and U.S. territories.

The State Department of Education's C-14 Guidelines give two different messages -- in the Introduction and elsewhere it reads, "Suggested Procedure" and in section 3 it reads, "parents must file..." To add to the confusion, school officials often give misleading or false information when parents ask about homeschooling. Because the wording of the Guidelines is inconsistent and poorly written, school officials and parents may be unsure of their responsibilities and their rights.

The following are Connecticut Statues relating to home education: Section 10-184 (School Attendance and Employment of Children--Duties of Parents. School attendance age requirements.); Section 10-184a (Refusal of certain parents to consent to use of special education programs or services.); Section 10-184b (Waiver provisions not applicable to equivalent instruction authority of parents.)

The Association of HomeSchool Attorneys (AHSA) provides a list of attorneys who consult with and/or represent homeschoolers.

The "We Stand for Homeschooling Statement and Resolution” is a grassroots effort created by an ad hoc group of homeschoolers from all over the United States. The list of original signers includes homeschoolers and their allies from diverse religious, political and philosophical perspectives. The list is also geographically diverse. This statement addresses the issue of state control of homeschooling and the growing movement of using government funding to run emerging educational programs. You can read the statement and add your name to it at this website.