If your child had her 11th birthday before December 1, 2009, or entered sixth grade before 2009, the compulsory attendance age is from 6 to 18. However, if she turned 11 on or after December 1, 2009, or enters sixth grade in 2009 or later, you can request an exemption to the current compulsory attendance age law. To do this, your child must be at least 16, and you must notify the district in writing that your child has permission to stop attending school.
Michigan parents are not required to homeschool their children for a minimum number of days. If you are teaching your child under the Homeschool option, required subjects are reading, spelling, mathematics, history, civics, literature, writing and English grammar.
If you are homeschooling under the Non-Public School option, you must teach your children mathematics, English, reading, science and social studies in all grades. In addition to this, the U.S. Constitution; the Michigan Constitution; history and civil government of the U.S. and Michigan; and the political subdivisions and municipalities of Michigan must be taught in the high school grades. These are subjects considered to be comparable to those taught in public schools, per Michigan law.
Per the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website, homeschools in Michigan can operate under Option 1 or Option 2.
Option 1: If a child is being taught at home by his parents or legal guardian with an organized educational program, parents do not have to notify anyone, seek approval, test, file forms or meet any teacher qualifications.
Option 2: If your child is being taught in a state-approved non-public school, which includes homeschools, the child is exempt from public school attendance. Homeschools that are operating as non-public schools do not have to be approved, but each homeschool is required to submit the following information annually to the local public school superintendent or intermediate school superintendent:
(1) The name and address of each child enrolled at your school
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(2) The number of name of the school district, city/township and county where the parent lives;
(3) The name and address of the parent; and
(4) The name and address of any child in the school who does not attend regularly.
For those homeschooling under Option 1, there are no teacher qualifications. If you are homeschooling under Option 2, Michigan law requires teachers in non-public schools to be state certified. Yet if a family is homeschooling for religious reasons and their religion forbids their children being taught by certified teachers, the family is exempt from the teacher certification law.
Also, the Michigan Department of Education now considers anyone with a teaching certificate, teaching permit or a bachelor's degree as qualified to teach in a non-public school.
No standardized tests are required, and the Parental Rights Act of 1996 firmly establishes the right of parents to homeschool their children.