Choose your school parameters. Michigan legally allows for a home school to be established as a homeschool entity or as a nonpublic school.
Know the qualifications. For a home education program, no parent education requirements are established. For the nonpublic school option, a teacher certificate is required unless a religious exemption can be shown.
Consider the paperwork. No paperwork is required from an established homeschool. If a parent chooses to be labeled as a nonpublic school, then some paperwork must be taken care of. The nonpublic school must submit enrollment information to the local school superintendent or to the intermediate superintendent. This information needs to include the age and name of every enrolled child, the number or name of the school district and the name of the city or township where each child resides, the name and address of each parent involved, and the name and age of any child who is enrolled, but does not attend regularly.
Be ready with information. A nonpublic school may also receive a request from the Michigan State Board of Education to indicate the subjects being taught and qualifications of teachers at the school. This information would be submitted on a provided form.
Know the age limit. Michigan law does not require a child to attend school until age 6. This means there are no special homeschool requirements for kindergarten-age children.
Establish your own tests. There are no testing requirements in Michigan for either homeschool option. It ultimately would be up to the school board to prove that adequate teaching is not taken place within any given homeschool.
Establish a curriculum. Subjects are required to be taught in Michigan, even in a homeschool environment. These subjects include civics, spelling, English grammar, reading, mathematics, science, literature and history. A nonpublic school is also expected to cover all subjects that would be taught in a public school, including music and physical education.