Hire a private tutor to homeschool your child. The State of California dictates that children aged 6 through 18 must be enrolled in a public school system unless a child is enrolled in a private day school. One of the options in home schooling a child is by hiring a private tutor with teaching credentials. The tutor will teach your child in the privacy of your own home.
Choose a private ISP (Independent Study Program). Some private schools offer independent study programs. Find out from a list of schools near you if they do this and what their requirements are. You will have support from the private school of your choice and they will be in charge of the administrative work such as, attendance and record-keeping. One advantage is that your anonymity is protected. The major disadvantage is the cost. Another one would be that you would need to comply with the private school's guidelines.
Choose a public ISP (Independent Study Program) or Charter School. There are public schools in your school district that may offer an ISP or Charter School programs. Find out what their specific requirements are. The advantage of this over Private ISP is that it is free and you will get materials on loan. There are some support available from the school as well. One disadvanatge is that you would also be subjected to the same government restrictions and regulations as those in traditional schools. Find out if this option is for you.
Create your own private school affidavit (PSA). Take in charge of your child's education by teaching your child at home on your own or independently. You will have great scope of independence and freedom to share your education and the financial outlay is controlled by you. One major disadvantage is that you have to bear responsibility to adhere to private school policy and keep or maintain your own records. You have to keep track of attendance for your child which you may be asked to present in the future. Furthermore, you will not have a support readily available for you, you may need to sough out for one or create your own.
Tutor your own child. To do this, you must have current credentials and you can only teach the grade that you have credentials for. If you want to continue or teach all grades, you should get credentials for all of them.
Enroll your child in an online virtual schools that are accredited that you can avail of to homeschool your child. One example of such virtual schools is CAVA (California Virtual Academy). This virtual school offers a curriculum-based independent study with materials provided on loan from the government.
Ensure that there is a space for your child to study. If space is not an object, give your child his own study room to be able to concentrate well, if not, then designate a corner of your apartment to be his study area. Keep that space free of clutter and away from distractions such as TV and toys. Monitor your child's education daily and check on his progress in each subject and work to improve where he is struggling.
Do your research before you choose. See the Additional Resources to find out more information regarding starting a homeschool for your child in California.