Go to Massachusetts Home Learning Association's website to read about home schooling experiences from families in your school district. Massachusetts law gives each school district control over homeschooling policy, so how your district handles home schooling will dictate your experience.
Call your school district's offices and request any paperwork associated with homeschooling. Some school districts have a specific form they request you complete when home schooling. It is not a legal requirement to complete this form; this is simply district policy in some areas. You cannot be denied the right to homeschool in Massachusetts if you do not complete a specific form, however,
Read the Charles and Brunell cases, which dictate case law for homeschooling in Massachusetts. While each district has control over homeschooling policies, the schools cannot violate the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts' rulings on homeschooling. For instance, while homeschooling families are required to file a home school plan with the district, the district cannot require that you submit a daily schedule, or that your home be visited by a school official.
Compare your district's policies with the Massachusetts Home Learning Association's suggested home school plan, and with the Charles and Brunell cases. If your school district appears to require information on your home school plan that they cannot legally require, know that you are not compelled to give this information, and you have the law on your side. You are, of course, welcome to give them whatever information you choose.
Write a letter outlining your homeschool plan. You are required by case law to give your name, address, the names of the children and their ages/grade equivalents. You must state that you will give 900 hours of instruction per year (990 for high school-age students) and list the specific subjects you will cover. Your district can ask for a list of books or materials used for curriculum; you are not required to give this in your plan. Send the letter certified mail, return receipt. This proves that you sent the letter. Send your plan to the school district no less than 30 days before school begins.
Proceed to homeschool. Under Massachusetts case law you can homeschool even without an approved home school plan. You can also remove a child from school and home school while waiting for a response from the school district. The burden of providing the grounds for rejecting a home school plan is on the school district, so it is perfectly lega to home school without an approved home school plan.