Write a letter to your Florida school district superintendent stating your intentions to homeschool your child. Include the child's name, address and birth date on the letter. File the letter with the superintendent within 30 days of the date that you began homeschooling your child. Keep a copy of the letter in your child's portfolio.
Join a nontraditional private school, also called a 600 or 700 school, as an alternative to step one; if your child is enrolled in a 600 or 700 school, he is considered to be in private school. Fees to join 600/700 schools vary; there is usually a small yearly fee. There are also specific requirements for curricula.
Make a portfolio using a three-ring binder. Use dividers to make separate areas for lesson plans, examples of work completed, reading materials, and used workbooks. Also include a log of attendance, including hours of schoolwork, for each week of schooling. According to Florida statute 1002.41, the school district superintendent has to give you only 15 days notice to see your child's portfolio. Keep each year's portfolio for two years after the end of that school year.
Purchase learning materials that best suit your child; teacher stores are plentiful in Florida and have a large variety of options. There are also some companies especially designed for homeschooling. Look into Time4Learning or Florida Connections Academy; these schools can make the homeschooling process easier by providing lesson plans and curricula. Connections Academy offers a low-cost private school option as well as a free public school option.
Make a lesson plan. Include days and hours you will teach and what work your child will accomplish. Allot times during which you will run errands and do normal daily tasks so they don't interfere with your child's schooling. Allow special learning time for trips to the library, museums or parks; in Florida, the weather is perfect for swimming and other outdoor activities, so you can place these activities in your lesson plan as PE or field trips.
Have a certified teacher conduct an annual evaluation of your child. Supply the evaluation to your county school board by August 1 of each year; you can find certified evaluators through the Florida Parent Educators Association.
Write a letter of intent to your Florida county school district superintendent if you choose to stop homeschooling your child. File this letter with your school board within 30 days of the end of your homeschool program. Keep a copy of this letter as proof that you terminated your homeschool program.